Hopefully, you are familiar with wikipedia.org and what a great resource is can be. (If not, check it out and be prepared to waste a lot of time there.) But Wikipedia isn't the only Wiki out there.  Wikis are sites that allow users to create, contribute and collaborate on the content of a site - there are lots of them on the web.  (For you Star Wars fans, check out Wookieepedia.)

Why not create your own wiki about your community and your member-based organization?  You could have articles on famous residents, key companies in the area, steps for creating a business, summaries and history of major events, etc.  Wikis can be a great way to encourage your members to help contribute to an online resource about these topics, too. 

And, this new/additional content can help your organization be found more often in searches as well, leading to more traffic for your website.  Plus, you may find ways of weaving member benefits into a Wiki and help improve member retention.  In addition, you could generate non-dues revenue from your Wiki.

Similar to blogs, you can create a Wiki on your own web server or you can have someone host the wiki for you.  See a comparison of many wiki software options.  (Note, only a few of these are hosted solutions, which typically are much easier to set up and use, but have fewer customization options.)

PBWiki, WetPaint and Wikispaces are three services that let you create a Wiki and invite others to contribute, while maintaining approval rights for the content.  Each one offers different customization and integration features so you can tie the Wiki to your website.  I've experimented with all three and they seem pretty easy to set up and get going.  If you have experience running a wiki or similar technology for a member-based organization, or if you get one started, let me know at curt.moss@weblinkinternational.com.