Non-Institutional Organizational Models: Jews In the Woods

I first learned of the East Coast-based Jews In the Woods from organizer, activist, and RRC rabbinical student Joe Berman, who was a centrally-involved "Fruity Jew" during his undergraduate years at Wesleyan. This is how one learns about the Fruity Jews: from someone who is involved. They have no web site, but not because they aren't on the internet. They maintain their network and conduct organizational communications online with listservs and wikis, but without any centralized public portal. Now, Jay Michaelson writes in the Forward, As Jews in the Woods Grows, It Weighs Whether to Open Its Doors:

[...] this striving for authenticity also led the group to restrict entry to people who already knew at least one current attendee - a decision that remains one of its most controversial. Indeed, the organization can seem almost shadowy. Practically every young Jewish leader knows someone who’s been involved, but there is no Web site, no formal organizational structure and no agreed-on set of guiding principles. As the group’s prominence grows - with alumni graduating into central roles in professional Jewish life - some participants have begun to press for more openness and accountability.

What are the pros and cons of the Jews In the Woods model heretofore? For what sorts of organizations is it most conducive and appropriate?