Archive for the ‘Good’ Category

The CauseLab, ‘Cause You Should…

One of the most exciting opportunities at South by Southwest this year is Scott Henderson’s CauseLab on Monday, March 15th.

I got hooked on his WeCanEndThis.com campaign for no other reason than Okie loyalty.  Currently, Oklahoma and Vermont are in the lead in this virtual canned food drive to receive truckloads of food for local Feeding America food banks courtesy of Tyson Foods. The drive continues through March 18th, so there’s still time for you other states to catch us if you can.  (The top 10 states will each receive a share of enough protein for 1.5 million meals.)

But there’s a bigger goal.  They’re not just giving people a fish, they’re trying to reinvent the fishing pole all together.

On Monday, whether you’re in Austin or not, you can participate in one of two sessions that will focus on ideas.  Practical and rose-colored; immediate and long term; logical and wildly improbable.  Any and all ideas that might just lead to a solution.  People are hungry, what can we do about it?  They’ll be pondering three central questions.

How do we:

  1. Design the hunger-free community?
  2. Humanize hunger using data?
  3. Accelerate local action?

According to the website, “participants in the room at SXSW will use GoodZuma to create and capture their ideas during the daylong session. At the same time, people nationwide can join the brainstorm to edit these ideas or upload their own.  After the brainstorm ends, our charity partners will review all the ideas and use the money raised thru WeCanEndThis.com to implement the best ones.”

Gosh, they’re going to think of stuff and then do something?  That’s just crazy talk.

On the other hand, this could be your opportunity to participate in finding a new path to ending hunger in America.  No one understands the power and reach of the internet the way SXSW Interactive participants do.  No one has harnessed online charitable giving and engagement the way they have.  No one wants to solve a problem more than they do.  So this is it.  This is one of those rare moments in which right place, right people, right opportunity all come together.  You can be part of it.  You can say you were there when a new way was born to make sure kids don’t go to bed hungry ever again.

C’mon, now.  You don’t want to miss THAT.

MjM

Your SXSW Wish is Our Command

Load up the station wagon, we’re heading east to South by Southwest!  This weekend a bunch of the Causemedia Group gang will be invading Austin along with a few thousand others, determined to see absolutely everything before they collapse from exhaustion and too much barbecue.  (Is there such a thing as too much barbecue?)

Chris Noble, Joey Leslie, and Kerrie LeBourveau will be there along with our pal, Mark Horvath who’ll be chatting with social media types in the Beacon Lounge every morning.  If you’re going to be in town, give us a tweet and say hello.  Stop into the Beacon Lounge and join us for a cup of coffee.  Or, if you can’t make it this weekend, drop us a line here at WhatGives!? and tell us what you want us to check out for you.  Friday through Monday there are dozens of great interactive media-related panels and seminars.  Which ones do you want to hear about?  Net Wits Think Tank has a great post on some that are directly related to nonprofits.  Any of those interest you?

And don’t forget Mark.  You may know him as @hardlynormal and the driving force behind invisiblepeople.tv, but this weekend he’ll be the charming host of a morning conversation (10:30-11am, CST) with some great social media influencers.  Whether you’re in Austin or half-way ’round the world, you can watch on our WhatGives!? Ustream channel.

Saturday, March 13

Sunday, March 14

Monday, March 15

So, whaddya wanna ask ‘em?  Go on, think about it for a minute.  If you could chat with any of these folks, what would be your first question?  Now, quick, write it down in the comments below.  If you want to know, we want to know.  Basically, when it comes to SXSW and you, we can’t wait to hear WhatGives!?

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WhatGives!? and Mark Horvath would like to give a special shout out and thank you to Radar Multimedia and Portnoy Media Group for making the live broadcast from the Beacon Lounge possible.

MjM

Using Social Media for Social Good – A Case Study

When I heard about the earthquake in Haiti I was filled with despair as I saw the images come out of that country showing people’s lives changed forever.  I wanted to do something more than send in my check or give my standard donation.  I wanted to do something more and I wanted to use what I did in my job as a place to start.  The result was the Haiti radio show, which was able to raise funds for Haiti and spread some good in the world.

Joseph Jaffe a marketer and pioneer in the world of social media had the same idea.  He took what he knew and what he could do to help and used that to make a difference in the world. He explains more in his video:

Jaffe works for a company called Crayon, that recently merged with Powered, a company that was very generous in donating to that 24 hour radio show benefiting Haiti earthquake victims.  I join Mr. Jaffe in his call for social media people to do something more than preach to the choir.  I want them to take what they do and find a way to leverage that into a campaign for a cause.  The work we do everyday is easy enough, but it is hard to make a choice to take what we do and give that to others.  Thanks to Joseph Jaffe for making a difference in the lives of those who need it.

Genuine

Mark Horvath & WhatGives!? at SxSW!!

What’s that hum in the air?  It’s all the buzz about South by Southwest, kicking off next week in Austin, Texas.  What began in 1987 as a music festival now includes film and interactive tracks that draw many of each discipline’s most influential people to town for panels, presentations, discussions, and good, old fashioned conversations.

This year, WhatGives!? will be smack in the middle of all the action at the Beacon in Room 8BC on Level 3 of the Austin Convention Center.  This self-proclaimed “Lounge with a Conscience” will kick off each day with our pal, Mark Horvath of invisible people.tv interviewing some amazing people in the social media for social good world. Opinions about social media’s impact on efforts to increase support for charities and causes are sure to be flying fast and furious every morning.  We’ll be streaming on UStream on the WhatGives!? Channel.  Join us in Austin or online between 10:30 and 11:00am! (Central Standard Time*)  You can also follow along on Twitter or through the Beacon website.

Currently Scheduled Guests…

Saturday, March 13
Jeff Pulver
– Jeff is the Chairman and Founder of pulver.com, and a pioneer of the VoIP industry, as well as the creator of the 140 Characters Conference which provides a worldwide platform for the Twitter community and explores the effects of the emerging real-time internet on business.

Chris Brogan – Chris helps a lot companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR through the use of social software, community platforms, and other emerging web and mobile technologies.  His book, Social Media 101 just hit the shelves in February.

Sunday, March 14
Kari Saratovsky
– We’re excited that Kari is joining us in the Beacon Lounge.  Her Social Citizen blog via the Case Foundation is a great resource for everyone in the social good world.

Tony Steward – As the Online Community Pastor at LifeChurch.tv, Tony helps leverage social media to connect people to church online experiences, community and opportunities for spiritual growth.

Terry Storch – Terry oversees Church Online, a webministry of LifeChurch.tv that reaches of 60,000 people in over 140 countries each week.

Monday, March 15
Beth Kanter
– We love Beth! She’s a superstar of social good – training and consulting with nonprofits around the globe in the effective use of social media.

Chris Noble – Founder and CEO of Causemedia Group (and the big boss at WhatGives!?), Chris simply wants to make it easier for nonprofits to raise money. He’s got some great ideas you’ll want to hear.

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*Note: Daylight Savings time kicks in Sunday morning, March 13. Don’t forget to spring forward!

MjM

Green Beer for Good

Ah, me darlin’, tis March once again.  The month of shamrocks, corned beef and cabbage, and the wearin’ of the green.  And the drinkin’ of the green (beer, Shamrock Shakes) and the eatin’ of the green (green eggs and ham, Lucky Charms), and, of course, the raisin’ of the green.

A.J. Wade serves up Irish delicacies!

Many organizations around the country are using St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse, um, we mean passionate incentive to party for a good cause.  One really great event is held every year in Ogden, Utah, benefiting Youth Impact – a group of determined adults dedicated to positively impacting the lives of at-risk youth and giving them “a safe place to be a kid”.  They’re all about education, respect, responsibility, and confidence, not to mention having a terrific time with an inspiring group of youngsters.

Dr. & Mrs. Mark Nichols at the Shamrock Gala

At their Shamrock Gala they serve a traditional Irish dinner (along with green beer, natch); there are silent and live auctions, a jewelry raffle, and bagpipes!  Bonus feature – the kids from Youth Impact will be performing with an Irish dance group from Salt Lake City.  Sponsor a table, bring your friends, donate an auction item, or just throw ‘em ten bucks.  The leprechauns will favor you with good fortune!

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Not lucky enough to be in Utah this month?  Howzabout…

Thursday, March 4 and Friday, March 5
The folks at the Neuroblastoma Alliance are asking you to celebrate with purpose by participating in or holding your own “Cure Me, I’m Irish” event.  You can attend parties in Manhattan on March 4, or in Quincy, MA, Buffalo, NY, or Morristown, NJ on Mar 5.  Maybe you’ve already planned a party of your own.  Great!  It’s easy to incorporate the Cure Me, I’m Irish theme.  “Just do what feels natural and sprinkle a little purpose on top!”

Saturday, March 6
In Chicago, the Mulliganeers continue their tradition of raising money for children’s charities with a fundraising dinner and silent auction. The organization began as a group of golfers looking for a way to do something good for their community.  Help them help your neighbors.

Saturday, March 13
Partners Mentoring Youth
are having their 12th annual Sharin’ o’ the Green 5K Run/Walk in Fort Collins, Colorado.  They raised over $30,000 last year and are determined to run right over that total this year.  Join them at Library Park or use your Facebook page to help them with their fundraising.

Wednesday, March 17
Enoch’s Irish Pub
in Monroe, Louisiana, prepares an Irish feast on the day honoring St. Patrick – Bangers and Mash, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Shepherd’s Pie, Irish Stew and Bread Pudding.  You can wash it all down with fine Irish beer while traditional Celtic music sets your toe to tapping.  It all benefits the St. Vincent dePaul Community Pharmacy.

Let us know about St. Patrick’s Day fundraisers in your neck of the woods.

Slainte!

MjM

Haiti, Chile, Japan… whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on…

Not to be flippant, but WhatGives!? with the earthquake in Chile?  With a magnitude of 8.8, it was 500 times more powerful than the one in Haiti.  Buildings fell, people died, water and utilities were cut off… but checking #chile on Twitter results in mainly Spanish language conversations.  Unlike the tiny island nation of Haiti that gathered worldwide support, the country on the western edge of South America has seemingly already been “handled.”  Outside of Latin America, there seems to be no call to arms or marshaling of resources to go to the aid of those who suffered last Saturday.  Our question today is, “Why?”

That question is thoughtfully considered in today’s Huffington Post.  The short answer is that Chile was simply better prepared on every level.  Whereas most Haitians had no idea if their president had survived their 7.0 shaker, Chile’s president was giving live televised updates of the crisis within hours.  Included in those updates was a clear message that Chile was not requesting outside government aid until their situation was evaluated and specific needs analyzed.  And while the United Nations, international relief agencies, and the heads of many governments responded quickly to say they’d be there in a New York minute if needed, you could almost feel the world breathe out a sigh of relief.

After all, it’s been a tough year… already.  Mother Nature seems to be taking no prisoners  in 2010.  Chile, Haiti, Japan’s earthquake on Saturday, a series of avalanches in Afghanistan, the relentless back-to-back storms on the east coast, heck, there was even a 4.0 earthquake in Oklahoma in January, for Pete’s sake.  It’s become an almost constant state of alert to the point that upon learning the death toll is “only” 100 people, we move on.

It’s a problem that nonprofits face every day.  How do you keep supporters involved and enthusiastic when the cause  (poverty, cancer, homelessness, clean water) can seem insurmountable at times?  Even the most ardent leader of an organization must have days when he or she wakes up frustrated that they have to ask – again – for money, resources, or volunteers.  Even the most devoted advocates for a cause have moments when being asked – again – to dig deep causes them to think, “I just can’t.”

It’s basic charity fatigue.  And this new-fangled interweb cybertube thing isn’t helping.  It used to be lots of direct mail requests, some mid-dinner phone calls, and an occasional telethon.  Now, it’s a non-stop, 24/7 around-the-world ask.  Television programs weave stories about social issues into their plot lines, raising much needed awareness – sometimes with compelling subtlety, sometimes with a large hammer.  Social media for social good campaigns (Hi, boss!) are taking hold with multi-national corporations like Coke and Pepsi.  The ask is spreading into every form of information and entertainment.  Some will tell you that it’s more personal now, and that their supporter base is more engaged and more passionate than ever.  Others are sure it’s overwhelming the average Joe.

There is suffering in every country of the world.  There are hungry children by the millions.  People die from simple, treatable medical problems every hour.  There is so much to be done.  How do you choose where you spend your time, energy, and money?  Do you follow your heart or try to be practical?

We would like to hear from you about all of this…

At what point – if ever – do you feel you’ve done enough?

MjM

It’s Not Showing Off If You’re a Mentor…

Chances are you were a mentor today.  If you shared a tidbit of information with someone with a little less experience, you were a mentor. Whether it’s helping a middle school kid with algebra homework or explaining how Twitter works to your favorite auntie, when you take the time to help someone understand the world a little better, you’re a mentor.  And, by the way, nice job.

The concept evolved from the character of Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey – a fact you can now pass along in the best mentoring fashion – and in its current form impacts the lives of millions of school children every day across the country.  Most mentors will tell you that it impacts equally on their own lives.  It is a relationship that often expands beyond that of just teacher/student.  It’s a sharing of life lessons and laughter and the simple pleasures of ordinary days.

Last November, First Lady Michelle Obama launched a mentoring program at the White House; January was the 9th annual National Mentoring Month.  So, you know, it’s officially a very big deal.

First Lady Michelle Obama welcomes 20 high school girls into the White House mentoring program.

There are programs in almost every community in every state in the US.  Plug your zipcode into the search form at www.mentoring.org and you’ll probably be taken aback at the number of programs in your ‘hood.  What won’t surprise you is that there are always more children in need of mentors than there are volunteers.  How is that possible when you’re all so smart?  You have all that experience and all that info you’re always posting on Facebook and Twittering about.  Why would you keep all that brilliance to yourself?  Why not give it a try?

Big Brother Big Sisters is the largest and best-known mentoring program in the country.

Communities in Schools provides a variety of services and programs to local schools, including a diverse mentor program.

The National Metoring Partnership (they’re the ones with the zip code based program finder) was founded 20 years ago and advocates for mentoring initiatives nationwide.

Looking for ideas that are a little more specific?  Howzabout…

Kids Making It in Wilmington, NC, was started in 1994 and teaches woodworking to kids as a way to build “instilling patience, pride, perseverance, confidence, teamwork and self-esteem.”  Oh, and they’re building really cool stuff, too.

Reel Grrls in Seattle, WA, runs filmmaking-related workshops for teenage girls covering skills such as animation, cinematography, and script writing.

Computer Mentors Group in Tampa, FL, provides computer literacy training and technology access to underprivileged young people and their families.

If none of this is hitting your sweet spot, then feel free to start your own mentoring program.  Start here to learn about how you can change a kid’s life.

MjM

A Courageous Ringmaster…

Okay, so here’s what you need to know…

Earthquake; buildings crumble; people living under tarps, cardboard, and sheets of plastic. Officials declare tents take up too much space; aren’t all waterproof; safety risk in unstable areas.

It starts to rain. UN announces it needs tents.

Meanwhile, hundreds of tents have already been purchased, shipped, and distributed to families in Haiti.

What worldwide relief agency was on the ball?

Shaun King.

Who is this miracle worker?  A nice guy who’s the pastor of Atlanta’s Courageous Church and who is also absolutely, undeniably relelentless.

He has put red tape through a woodchipper in order to get doctors into Haiti and to get desperately injured children out of Haiti.

He spends his days asking others to make things better.  And they respond.  With money and time and connections and passion and dedication.

We asked him how he does it, if he’s overwhelmed by Haiti’s desperate situation, and if he worries about wearing out his welcome with all the asking.  We asked him about his approach to masterminding such a successful campaign.  His answers surprised us.  (Why are we still surprised by anything Shaun King does?)  His response speaks more clearly about dedication to purpose than any blog post we could concoct…

Hey Marijane!

Thanks for your email my friend! Not overwhelmed… yet!  I have faced a great deal of adversity in my life since childhood and was created to do this work.

I have to say, though – I am winging it.  If I am an expert – I don’t feel like it.  I use the experience that I have to try to help but I regularly find myself in situations where I have no idea what I’m doing.

My church and followers may tire of my frenetic pace.  They have not done so yet.  We seem to pick up more people along the way than we lose.  I only tweet a small percentage of my life (believe it or not – haha) and do have to do a lot behind the scenes to keep our core team strong.

I am perfectly willing to ruin my reputation, though, and get on the nerves of folk, if I judge that something is an undeniable emergency – like a dying baby or kids being sold.

I did not intend to do all that we’ve done.  If it’s a symphony it’s accidental.  I have a shoestring budget, very little technology, and a relatively small following online or otherwise.

What we do is push hard… consistently.  We have a track record of finding a cause and making a difference – i.e., 500toys.org & hopeATL.com – this consistency makes each new cause a little easier for us and more acceptable for others.

Thanks for your support and interest. Typed this from my Blackberry on the way to the Circus with my kids :-)

Oh right, he’s also the 30-year-old father of four young children who, we’re guessing, take up a “little” of their dad’s day.  Think you can’t make a difference?  Think again.

MjM

Linkin Park’s Music For Relief Gives Fans Opportunity to Download to Donate

The coming together of so many musicians to aid Haiti has been inspiring, uplifting, and undeniably powerful.  Like so many of the artists we’ve been talking about, Linkin Park’s nonprofit foundation Music For Relief knew they had to do something big to mobilize their famous musician friends.

The result? Download to Donate, an album full of unreleased tracks to raise funds for the victims of the quake.  Artists on the album include Alanis Morissette, The All-American Rejects, Dave Matthews Band, Enrique Iglesias, Hoobastank, Kenna, Lupe Fiasco, Peter Gabriel, Slash, and of course, Linkin Park.

As Music for Relief’s Executive Director, Whitney Showler has seen the incredible impact of artists stepping forward to make a difference .  “This album is special because so many artists and their fans stepped forward to let Music for Relief know they wanted to help the people of Haiti.  Boundaries came down and artists and fans of a variety of genres wanted to work together to make a difference.”

She also told me that this isn’t the first time Music For Relief has stepped up to help Haiti.  “The people of Haiti were struggling even before the Earthquake in January.  Music For Relief raised funds last year to help following the four hurricanes that devastated parts of the nation and we knew we had to help again following this tragedy.”

What are you waiting for?  Download the album now!

After you download, be sure to give as much as you can (it’s an honor system).  The charities that benefit from your donations are UN Foundation’s Central Emergency Response Fund, Habitat for Humanity and Dave Matthews Band’s BAMA Works Haitian relief effort.

If you’ve already downloaded and donated, then you can help by spreading the word to friends and family.

  • Share the Widget on Facebook!  (click the “share” button below “listen here”)
  • Embed the Widget on MySpace! (grab the embed code from the bottom of the “listen here” box)
  • Give it a Tweet!
kerriebrynn

LA Nonprofits – 2 free tix to Gravity Summit

BREAKING:

Our friends at Spirit Jump have organized a panel on Social Media for Social Good during the Gravity Summit conference in Los Angeles next Monday, February 22nd.  They’re offering a free ticket to the two NPOs that pose (via social media, natch) the best questions for the panel.  So who’s on the panel and what’s it about?

Speakers include:

Moderator:

Panelists:

The purpose of the panel is to share case examples and insights on how nonprofits and others are working to achieve social good by using social media in all its forms.  We’ll also talk about Brand/Cause interactions in Cause marketing and other social campaigns.

The Spirit Jump folks have set up a simple rule for winning the free tickets:

…Nonprofits we want to hear from YOU. Leave a comment with a question you’d like answered by the Social Media for Social Good panel.  The winning questions will be presented to the panel and a representative from your nonprofit will receive a full access pass to attend the Gravity Summit Conference 2-22-10.

So go ahead, leave a comment.  Leave two.  Tell us what you’d like to ask in reply to this post, or leave one here for the Spirit Jump team.  If you don’t make the cut for free tickets, ask them about the Gravity Summit discount for nonprofits.

Hope to see you there!

Noble