Every day I am becoming more aware of how important it is for us to enJOY this journey called life, and not get so caught up in the drama, chaos and need to get to some unattainable destination. This is it! This is your life! So you might as well get busy living, or get busy dying - only you can make the choice.
In between goals is a thing called life
that has to be lived and enJOYed.
~ Sid Caesar
Many of you who know me, know that I am an eternal optimist. While I went through a very dark period in my own life, I woke up one day and realized I might as well get busy living. For me this journey has taken me to the place of not only living but living in JOY and FUN!
Despite the never ending bombardment of negativity in the media and world, I have recently been inspired by how people are putting a little dance in their step and a little song in their hearts to have more FUN and JOY in their lives and inspiring others to do the same around the world. So this month, I wanted to share with you a series of videos, blogs and more that have inspired me and are inspiring others to do the same. As I see videos, blogs and sites like these, I can't help but believe that truly indeed, we really are moving into new era of JOY, FUN, PEACE and HOPE. These are just a few examples below of how people like you and me are inspiring the change:
First and foremost is the site: http://www.thefuntheory.com/. This site and project is sponsored by Volkswagen as they have several videos on their site that show ways in which they replace normal every day activities like taking the stairs at a train station, throwing trash away at a park or recyclables away on the street with FUN activities. Their theory is that "FUN can obviously change behavior for the better." Check it out and see if there are ways that you too can be inspired to put a little more FUN in your every day routine.
Another blog, http://www.joyconspiracy.com/, is building the case about those who are conspiring to make this world a more JOYful place. This is the blog site of a friend of mine that recently launched in which he explains in his first blog (http://bit.ly/7ZfrjP) that the JOY conspiracy, much like the pessimist conspiracy that is now inundating our world, news, media and beyond with fear, doubt and negativity, took years for the programming to sink in and happened so gradually that we didn't see it coming. Much like that conspiracy, he believes there is a much more powerful, and may I dare add "stealthy"conspiracy going on, involving a massive group of people intent on creating a JOYful way of life that will refuse to be destroyed. Check it out, document and share your JOYful actions and be a part of the conspiracy and see how it makes you and others feel as you spread the JOY!
Another series of YouTube videos have extended beyond to spread the FUN and JOY to the masses. Each time I get a video like these, I am refreshed and renewed with a sense of hope for the world we are living in, the possibility and optimism, and potential for change by other "joy co-conspirators!" Put a little JOY in your own life and pass it on to others and have a little FUN:
• Grocery Store Musical: This video whether staged or not, definitely puts a smile on your face as these grocery store shoppers bust into a musical urging us to keep our fruit from being lonely by squishing our fruit together! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNemcRSO4yg.
• Wedding FUN: These two videos give a whole new perspective on walking down the aisle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMIcCY1mB3E.
and the first wedding dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiw-Kqtlro. Doesn't that make you want to create and innovate for your big day?
• Train station dance: First came the DoReMi dance in an Antwerp train station as people bust-a-move and joined in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k, then in a train station in Liverpool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM and the clincher, though planned by ImprovEverywhere, is of a group of people who inundate the subways of New York with no pants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9La40WwO-lU&NR=1. Imagine the giggles in your day and that of others! Doesn't it make you want to dance and spice up your life and that of others?
• Free JOY: In these two videos we get to see the power of giving away free hugs on the street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4 and a guy dancing his way around the world spreading the JOY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY.
• Creative giggles: Two videos come to mind as creative types jump on the FUN band wagon to spread some laughs on a boat : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOvaCV6uQp8 and inspire some hope with stand by me for change:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM.
Are you inspired YET? Go have FUN! Push the envelope! Act outrageously, boldly, audaciously and authentically in your truth to live fully in JOY! During this holiday season, rather than getting caught up in all the gifts that you have to purchase, perhaps instead may you be inspired to spread your gifts of FUN and JOY!
JOY is not in things, it is in us.
~Richard Wagner
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
November's Latest Top e-Giving News
As Thanksgiving is upon us, no matter what your views about this day, may it bring a moment of pause for all that we are grateful for and the ways we are giving back. This month may you be inspired by our latest e-gifts news and be grateful for all that you have.
Corporate Giving
Brands & Causes = Consumer Worthy: The 2009 PR Week / Barkley Cause Survey uncovers that while consumers have decreased spending on charitable giving, 91% expect companies to fill that gap and showcase their commitment to the greater good (up from 86% in 2008). The study also reveals that cause can make strong business sense for brands by increasing trial, loyalty, sales, and even higher prices at the cash register. http://bit.ly/2xpDB9
Individual Giving
Volunteering or Work?: You know the job market is bad when you can't even work for free. But while the right volunteer gig can help your job search, there are no guarantees. And in some cases, volunteer duties can actually get in the way. This article provides six tips for getting the most out of pro bono work, and making sure it doesn't take you out of the hunt. http://bit.ly/1Xb0Tm
Social Media & Giving
Social Networks & Nonprofits:
Got a tweet to spare? It could help the nonprofit of your choice. Many recent examples of how social networks have quickly become a powerful yet inexpensive tool to raise money and awareness for charities, even at a time when the economy has reduced overall donations to nonprofit groups. http://bit.ly/QFvF9
Nonprofit Resources
Helpful resources of the month that range from taglines, YouTube, online newsletter ideas, Twitter and website content:
Giving for Thought...or Discussion
What are the things that you are grateful for? Are you expressing your gratitude? How are you giving back in the world? Are you open to receiving the gifts that others are sharing with you? Try it on for size this month and enjoy all that unfolds before you!
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it,
is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
~ William Arthur Ward
A recent article (http://bit.ly/XDg01) talked about a new release by noted philanthropist Charles Bronfman and philanthropy expert Jeffrey Solomon, entitled "The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan". The book posits that philanthropy must be strategic, intentional and - perhaps most importantly - fun! As I read the article and their thoughts about giving, I realized that those are all the components we are putting together as we develop OneGiving™. How right on they are that while there is a lot of giving going on in the world, which is a good thing, what if we could make that giving more strategic and intentional so that all of our individual giving efforts could not only build upon each other, but could also be put into the context of the need of giving, and ultimately can be more fun! As we create OneGiving™. that is at the forefront of our minds, while at the same time sharing with everyone the news and resources out there surrounding giving, so we may all move in the direction of making an even bigger impact on the planet! Enjoy our November latest e-Giving news:
Funding Opportunity
Chase is giving away $25,000+ to 100 nonprofits: Chase Community Giving is a program run by Chase that will allow Facebook users to vote for local non-profits, and help direct Chase corporate philanthropy dollars to eligible organizations in the following focus areas: education, healthcare, housing, the environment, combating hunger, arts and culture, human services, and animal welfare. The grassroots campaign aims to inspire a new way of corporate philanthropy. http://bit.ly/1zafvw
Celebrities & Giving
is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
~ William Arthur Ward
A recent article (http://bit.ly/XDg01) talked about a new release by noted philanthropist Charles Bronfman and philanthropy expert Jeffrey Solomon, entitled "The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan". The book posits that philanthropy must be strategic, intentional and - perhaps most importantly - fun! As I read the article and their thoughts about giving, I realized that those are all the components we are putting together as we develop OneGiving™. How right on they are that while there is a lot of giving going on in the world, which is a good thing, what if we could make that giving more strategic and intentional so that all of our individual giving efforts could not only build upon each other, but could also be put into the context of the need of giving, and ultimately can be more fun! As we create OneGiving™. that is at the forefront of our minds, while at the same time sharing with everyone the news and resources out there surrounding giving, so we may all move in the direction of making an even bigger impact on the planet! Enjoy our November latest e-Giving news:
Funding Opportunity
Chase is giving away $25,000+ to 100 nonprofits: Chase Community Giving is a program run by Chase that will allow Facebook users to vote for local non-profits, and help direct Chase corporate philanthropy dollars to eligible organizations in the following focus areas: education, healthcare, housing, the environment, combating hunger, arts and culture, human services, and animal welfare. The grassroots campaign aims to inspire a new way of corporate philanthropy. http://bit.ly/1zafvw
Celebrities & Giving
Product (RED) Controversy: This article investigates Product (RED)'s $135 million donation to the Global Fund for AIDS programs and explores the controversy around the campaign and where all of the money from product sales is going, its impact and whether this is the best approach and use of resources. http://bit.ly/4mq94o
Corporate Giving
Brands & Causes = Consumer Worthy: The 2009 PR Week / Barkley Cause Survey uncovers that while consumers have decreased spending on charitable giving, 91% expect companies to fill that gap and showcase their commitment to the greater good (up from 86% in 2008). The study also reveals that cause can make strong business sense for brands by increasing trial, loyalty, sales, and even higher prices at the cash register. http://bit.ly/2xpDB9
Individual Giving
Volunteering or Work?: You know the job market is bad when you can't even work for free. But while the right volunteer gig can help your job search, there are no guarantees. And in some cases, volunteer duties can actually get in the way. This article provides six tips for getting the most out of pro bono work, and making sure it doesn't take you out of the hunt. http://bit.ly/1Xb0Tm
Social Media & Giving
Social Networks & Nonprofits:
Got a tweet to spare? It could help the nonprofit of your choice. Many recent examples of how social networks have quickly become a powerful yet inexpensive tool to raise money and awareness for charities, even at a time when the economy has reduced overall donations to nonprofit groups. http://bit.ly/QFvF9
10 Golden Rules of Social Media: An interesting set of rules to embrace, debate, pass around and refine regarding the growing trend of social media. http://bit.ly/lCWMm
Nonprofit Resources
Helpful resources of the month that range from taglines, YouTube, online newsletter ideas, Twitter and website content:
· 13 Outstanding Nonprofit Taglines: A nonprofit's tagline is hands down the briefest, easiest and most effective way to communicate its identity and impact. http://bit.ly/1u3qH4
· Nonprofits & YouTube: A Must: A webinar about how nonprofits can use YouTube effectively. http://bit.ly/3YTMn3
· 27 Story Ideas for Nonprofits: Ideas to provide newsletter article themes you can take and run with - real newsletters examples are included. http://bit.ly/2LYTic
· Top 100 Tweeps to Follow: Follow folks in specifically social entrepreneurship circle. Start with the first 20 below and see how it goes. http://bit.ly/abVKe
· 20 Twitter Hashtags for Social Entrepreneurs, Nonprofits and Activists: One of the best (and worst) features on Twitter is the hashtag. Check out this list of 20 hashtags change-makers will be sure to enjoy. http://bit.ly/tlJud
· Top 10 Things Donors Want from Nonprofit's Website: Most donors check out nonprofit websites before making a gift. Here are ten things to ask to see if your website is hurting or helping your fundraising campaign. http://bit.ly/FgegO
Giving Trends
2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study: According to the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study, new research released today explores American new media users' interactions with brands, their engagement with corporate responsibility practices and their support of social and environmental issues. http://bit.ly/qQZl5
Donor Motivations, Income and Education: Nearly one in five donors says that the most important reason to give to nonprofits is to help meet people's basic needs. However, a key finding of the research is that, while there are differences in the percentage of people who select different motivations within each region of the country, those variations can be explained by regional differences in income and education, not underlying values specific to the region. http://bit.ly/310JtW
Giving for Thought...or Discussion
Some thought-provoking articles ranging from Twitter followers, tips, non-profit naming, likeability quotient and proposing new fundraising ideas:
· 4,000 Followers Who Don't Care: An interesting article examining the impact and usage of Twitter and other types of social media. http://bit.ly/2RxOgp
· 9 Advanced Twitter Tips: Twitter tips that will help you manage your everyday "tweeting." http://bit.ly/2ABnd6
· 6 Reasons to Use the Term "Community Benefit Organization": A debate of using the term "community benefit organization" vs. "nonprofit." http://bit.ly/SyjGa
· Definitive Guide to Become Likable Online: What do you think is the most important factor to becoming likeable online? http://bit.ly/27xOax
· Want to Try Something New?: If you ran a nonprofit and your fundraising team came in tomorrow proposing to invest a chunk of your fundraising capital in a social media effort (or any other new fundraising approach), how would you respond? http://bit.ly/IMrS2
What are the things that you are grateful for? Are you expressing your gratitude? How are you giving back in the world? Are you open to receiving the gifts that others are sharing with you? Try it on for size this month and enjoy all that unfolds before you!
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Nobody Told Me There’d Be Days Like These….
Nobody told me there’d be days like these. Strange days indeed. ~ John Lennon
I decided to share this writing in my blog from a few weeks ago because I realized that it is critical that people know about the good and the bad days that come with starting up a company! So often we have the tendency to share the good, but I believe it critical that people also know about the hard days, as it may help them to not feel so alone as they embark on a journey to start up a company and/or make their dreams a reality...
I don’t think they make stories this good (or maybe this bad?) that often! I know this one will keep me going for a long time to come. The funny thing is I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. So I guess I’ll write about it and feel better.
If someone had told me all the ups, downs and all arounds of starting a start-up company, I never would have done it. In fact, if you asked me right now, I’d say run! Run fast and hard the other direction and don’t look back. But maybe that is because you caught me on one of the tougher days. It really isn’t always this bad. Today is one of those particularly rough days.
The funny thing is I got a fortune today that said, “Your principles mean more to you than any money or success.” I cried. It was something I heard The Dalai Lama recently say when I went to see him speak about Buddhism. He said that when you are on your path and you are committed to a higher cause, your higher purpose and to the greater good, other things don’t matter. In fact so much so, that you begin to allow superfluous things to drop away. I believe this is true, even though it isn’t always easy.
That’s how I feel about the path of creating OneGiving™ (www.onegiving.com). It started as a vision and a dream a few years ago. I never knew how hard and, yet, fulfilling it would be. Today is one of those days that seemed harder than I could have ever imagined following your dreams and starting a company could be.
I went to Colorado for investor meetings and my business partner flew out and they all got cancelled. Now I had a bunch of meetings with my contacts so it made the trip worthwhile for me, but my partner flew out specifically for the investor meetings and they were cancelled. We are at the beginning stages of raising money, so expending resources when we don’t have to is not my idea of good business. But I guess sometimes in the process, you have to allow for whatever happens and accept it for what it is.
But it gets worse than this. So because our meetings got cancelled, we decided to head to the airport to try to catch a flight a day early to not waste any more of our time or money. I dropped my business partner off at the airport to catch a flight and I went to return the rental car. When I got there, I forgot to fill the gas tank, so I had to turn around and go get gas. When I returned, I locked the keys in the rental car, so we had to wait to get it unlocked before I could get my luggage out of the trunk .Fortunately for me, it only took a few minutes and I was on my way.
I got to the airport only to find that the only flight out was in 2 hours, would cost me an additional $300 and I might not even get on the flight. I decided to go back and stay with a friend and catch a flight in the morning. I called a friend or two to get a ride back from the airport and they were busy, so they said to take a shuttle back to their place. I jumped on a shuttle…and guess my luck? I was the 10th person to be dropped off out of 10 people on the shuttle – it took over an hour to get back to my friend’s place.
As I sat on the shuttle, I started to laugh. One woman asked, “Something funny?” I laughed, I mean what else could I do at this point, and replied, “Yeah, just a funny day overall!” When I got to my friend’s house, I collapsed. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Why was this journey so hard somedays? Why me? Why was I doing this? Why couldn’t I just stop? Yet I knew inside, I just couldn’t. This was not about me – it was about something bigger than me. I started to cry.
Most days, I feel ok, in fact I feel great, blissful, joyful and happy. I know I am on my path, fulfilling my purpose, pursuing my passion. I am strong. I am capable. I am working on something – a vision and a dream that is bigger than me. It is not about me, yet I have to be strong enough and I have to have the courage to see it come to fruition.
Most people know me for being positive and an eternal optimist. I find joy and fulfillment out of inspiring others to find the positive in every moment. I love quotes that do the same and spread that love and light to others. But in this moment, I was worn down, exhausted and I fell apart. I was tired of being the strong one and holding it all together.
My friend was a superstar—she held my hand and said all the right things. She reminded me why I was doing this and that it needed to happen. She allowed me to be vulnerable. In that moment, I realized that for the most part in my life, I am strong, committed and passionate. I am a light to inspire myself and others – most of the time. But some of the time it was ok to be vulnerable, it was ok to break down and it was ok to cry and let it all out.
If I had been told about these days, I probably wouldn’t have taken the first step. Nobody told me there’d be days like these. But then again, if they had, I may not have moved forward in following my heart and my dreams to create OneGiving™. I realized that this too would pass. I realized that I could allow the feelings to come, I could collapse for a moment, catch my breath, and then pick myself back up and continue moving forward.
The funny part of it all, was that later that night, my business partner texted me and while she got on a flight out of Denver, she ended up getting stuck in Phoenix and had to get a hotel room there and stay the night. The next day when she finally got home, the airlines lost her bag. As I said, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so this time I decided to laugh. What else could I, or we, do?
Not all of our days can be pretty or turn out the way we want them to, but the reality is, that I wouldn’t change a thing. If we are committed to our passion, then we are committed to the journey as well as the destination. While nobody told me there’d be days like these, I realized I could accept what was and use it as fuel to keep propelling me forward on my path and accept whatever else comes my way in this journey knowing that for me and right now it is the only thing, the right thing for me to do!
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
I decided to share this writing in my blog from a few weeks ago because I realized that it is critical that people know about the good and the bad days that come with starting up a company! So often we have the tendency to share the good, but I believe it critical that people also know about the hard days, as it may help them to not feel so alone as they embark on a journey to start up a company and/or make their dreams a reality...
I don’t think they make stories this good (or maybe this bad?) that often! I know this one will keep me going for a long time to come. The funny thing is I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. So I guess I’ll write about it and feel better.
If someone had told me all the ups, downs and all arounds of starting a start-up company, I never would have done it. In fact, if you asked me right now, I’d say run! Run fast and hard the other direction and don’t look back. But maybe that is because you caught me on one of the tougher days. It really isn’t always this bad. Today is one of those particularly rough days.
The funny thing is I got a fortune today that said, “Your principles mean more to you than any money or success.” I cried. It was something I heard The Dalai Lama recently say when I went to see him speak about Buddhism. He said that when you are on your path and you are committed to a higher cause, your higher purpose and to the greater good, other things don’t matter. In fact so much so, that you begin to allow superfluous things to drop away. I believe this is true, even though it isn’t always easy.
That’s how I feel about the path of creating OneGiving™ (www.onegiving.com). It started as a vision and a dream a few years ago. I never knew how hard and, yet, fulfilling it would be. Today is one of those days that seemed harder than I could have ever imagined following your dreams and starting a company could be.
I went to Colorado for investor meetings and my business partner flew out and they all got cancelled. Now I had a bunch of meetings with my contacts so it made the trip worthwhile for me, but my partner flew out specifically for the investor meetings and they were cancelled. We are at the beginning stages of raising money, so expending resources when we don’t have to is not my idea of good business. But I guess sometimes in the process, you have to allow for whatever happens and accept it for what it is.
But it gets worse than this. So because our meetings got cancelled, we decided to head to the airport to try to catch a flight a day early to not waste any more of our time or money. I dropped my business partner off at the airport to catch a flight and I went to return the rental car. When I got there, I forgot to fill the gas tank, so I had to turn around and go get gas. When I returned, I locked the keys in the rental car, so we had to wait to get it unlocked before I could get my luggage out of the trunk .Fortunately for me, it only took a few minutes and I was on my way.
I got to the airport only to find that the only flight out was in 2 hours, would cost me an additional $300 and I might not even get on the flight. I decided to go back and stay with a friend and catch a flight in the morning. I called a friend or two to get a ride back from the airport and they were busy, so they said to take a shuttle back to their place. I jumped on a shuttle…and guess my luck? I was the 10th person to be dropped off out of 10 people on the shuttle – it took over an hour to get back to my friend’s place.
As I sat on the shuttle, I started to laugh. One woman asked, “Something funny?” I laughed, I mean what else could I do at this point, and replied, “Yeah, just a funny day overall!” When I got to my friend’s house, I collapsed. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Why was this journey so hard somedays? Why me? Why was I doing this? Why couldn’t I just stop? Yet I knew inside, I just couldn’t. This was not about me – it was about something bigger than me. I started to cry.
Most days, I feel ok, in fact I feel great, blissful, joyful and happy. I know I am on my path, fulfilling my purpose, pursuing my passion. I am strong. I am capable. I am working on something – a vision and a dream that is bigger than me. It is not about me, yet I have to be strong enough and I have to have the courage to see it come to fruition.
Most people know me for being positive and an eternal optimist. I find joy and fulfillment out of inspiring others to find the positive in every moment. I love quotes that do the same and spread that love and light to others. But in this moment, I was worn down, exhausted and I fell apart. I was tired of being the strong one and holding it all together.
My friend was a superstar—she held my hand and said all the right things. She reminded me why I was doing this and that it needed to happen. She allowed me to be vulnerable. In that moment, I realized that for the most part in my life, I am strong, committed and passionate. I am a light to inspire myself and others – most of the time. But some of the time it was ok to be vulnerable, it was ok to break down and it was ok to cry and let it all out.
If I had been told about these days, I probably wouldn’t have taken the first step. Nobody told me there’d be days like these. But then again, if they had, I may not have moved forward in following my heart and my dreams to create OneGiving™. I realized that this too would pass. I realized that I could allow the feelings to come, I could collapse for a moment, catch my breath, and then pick myself back up and continue moving forward.
The funny part of it all, was that later that night, my business partner texted me and while she got on a flight out of Denver, she ended up getting stuck in Phoenix and had to get a hotel room there and stay the night. The next day when she finally got home, the airlines lost her bag. As I said, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so this time I decided to laugh. What else could I, or we, do?
Not all of our days can be pretty or turn out the way we want them to, but the reality is, that I wouldn’t change a thing. If we are committed to our passion, then we are committed to the journey as well as the destination. While nobody told me there’d be days like these, I realized I could accept what was and use it as fuel to keep propelling me forward on my path and accept whatever else comes my way in this journey knowing that for me and right now it is the only thing, the right thing for me to do!
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
October's Latest Top e-Giving News
Given the world’s problems, should we resign ourselves to smallness? ~Dan Pallotta
As October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, we have seen the power of the pink ribbon in cause marketing campaigns everywhere. With this cause marketing, we are seeing the blended and blending line between nonprofits and brands, causes and corporations, marketing and messages, for-profits and nonprofits and the changing landscape of philanthropy. As we enter a new era of the conscious consumer, social innovation and transformative philanthropy, we are witnessing a power shift from the few to the many and a new way forward that starts with understanding, engaging and empowering the new consumer. Enjoy the articles and may they help you adapt to and transform the world around you!
Celebrities & Giving
What Business Can Learn from The Dalai Lama: In this article Carol Cone talks about a recent conference in Canada in which she and The Dalai Lama spoke about the power of businesses to authentically embrace social issues. Both spoke about compassion and trust as the core reasons why businesses must embrace social issues to relate to even more skeptical consumers, communities, NGOs and government officials. http://bit.ly/cal1W
Corporate Giving
Strategies for Corporate Giving: In this article, Peter Frey outlines some different strategies of corporate giving programs including: matching gift program, donating time off, volunteer time off, dollars for doers, donating equity, in-kind donations, donating office space and more. http://bit.ly/aF196
Corporate Responsibility Weathering Storm: The 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship Report by Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship revealed that corporate citizenship efforts are particularly critical during a recession. Research found expansion of environmental sustainability efforts, increasing integration of corporate citizenship into business strategy and 75 percent of CEOs and 40 percent of all companies (65 percent for large companies) with a team or individual assigned to work on corporate citizenship issues. http://bit.ly/3Lb3zS
Individual Giving
Americans & Giving During Tough Times: This article captures the essence of the softer, gentler human side of giving in this economy. http://bit.ly/4CL2Ed
Social Media & Giving
Using Social Media To Animate Community: This article highlights LiveStrong’s use of social media to energize activism, outreach and community, including: using blogs, partnerships, co-creating content, video, petitions and more. http://bit.ly/1aAMf0
Corporate America & Social Media: This article explores the use of social media by corporate America, and its mistakes, barriers and failures in doing so. One of the biggest mistakes is the siloization of social media within communications departments and the need for corporations to integrate social media across internal infrastructures. Other barriers include control, lack of authenticity, self centered marketing and more. http://bit.ly/WXjol
Giving Trends
Goodness on Twitter: Twitter recently added a number of well-known social entrepreneurs and innovators to its suggested users list. This is significant because it propels social entrepreneurs to enter the mainstream and gives valuable Twitter attention to promoting good causes. This demonstrates that good creates more good! http://bit.ly/yAFnf
The Future of Giving: In an article by the World Policy Blog highlighting a social entrepreneurs panel at the Global Creative Leadership Summit that talked about the future of giving and the key being public and private partnerships. Some of the innovations and key components for the future of giving included: microphilanthropy and nanophilanthropy (including u-kis, e.g. http://www.umovement.org), strategic partnerships and alliances, repackaging capitalism, global connectivity giving. http://bit.ly/A0y8R
Giving Measurement, Outcomes & Evaluation
Measuring the Success of Your Blog: This Beth Kanter article provides valuable tips to create a successful blog and any social media effort by analyzing blog content, including: identifying readership growth; reviewing reader engagement and bookmarking; assessing connecting and conversations; analyzing the numbers of links and page views; and evaluating the industry index. http://bit.ly/UK0Rj
The Impact of Giving Circles: This blog by the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund highlights the impacts of giving circles. Giving circles result in more giving, more engagement, more breadth in giving and more strategic giving with a focus on change. http://bit.ly/aiAiy
Discussion
Philanthropy & the New Consumer: This worthwhile read examines how the trends in giving are shifting and the new opportunities arising given the current online, social media and giving landscape. A recent BBMG Conscious Consumer Report 2009 showed that Americans are re-evaluating what matters and are seeking brands that deliver both value and values. The result is that brands need to deliver based on a triple value proposition: practical benefits, social benefits and tribal benefits. That is brands that answer the questions: How does the brand improve my life? How does this brand help me make a difference? And how does the brand connect me to a community that shares my values? http://bit.ly/lyTFx
How Much Should Charity Resemble Business? This Chronicle of Philanthropy article highlights some of the debate about how much charity should resemble business and where should the line be drawn between business and charity. It asks the question, “Given the world’s problems, should we resign ourselves…” to the small thinking of charity or expand into a new way of thinking, giving and doing business? http://bit.ly/2KdyzV
How do you want to BE the change you wish to see in the world? How are you thinking and acting BIG, rather than acting in fear and scarcity? What do you think about the transformation and how is it impacting you?
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
As October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, we have seen the power of the pink ribbon in cause marketing campaigns everywhere. With this cause marketing, we are seeing the blended and blending line between nonprofits and brands, causes and corporations, marketing and messages, for-profits and nonprofits and the changing landscape of philanthropy. As we enter a new era of the conscious consumer, social innovation and transformative philanthropy, we are witnessing a power shift from the few to the many and a new way forward that starts with understanding, engaging and empowering the new consumer. Enjoy the articles and may they help you adapt to and transform the world around you!
Celebrities & Giving
What Business Can Learn from The Dalai Lama: In this article Carol Cone talks about a recent conference in Canada in which she and The Dalai Lama spoke about the power of businesses to authentically embrace social issues. Both spoke about compassion and trust as the core reasons why businesses must embrace social issues to relate to even more skeptical consumers, communities, NGOs and government officials. http://bit.ly/cal1W
Corporate Giving
Strategies for Corporate Giving: In this article, Peter Frey outlines some different strategies of corporate giving programs including: matching gift program, donating time off, volunteer time off, dollars for doers, donating equity, in-kind donations, donating office space and more. http://bit.ly/aF196
Corporate Responsibility Weathering Storm: The 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship Report by Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship revealed that corporate citizenship efforts are particularly critical during a recession. Research found expansion of environmental sustainability efforts, increasing integration of corporate citizenship into business strategy and 75 percent of CEOs and 40 percent of all companies (65 percent for large companies) with a team or individual assigned to work on corporate citizenship issues. http://bit.ly/3Lb3zS
Individual Giving
Americans & Giving During Tough Times: This article captures the essence of the softer, gentler human side of giving in this economy. http://bit.ly/4CL2Ed
Social Media & Giving
Using Social Media To Animate Community: This article highlights LiveStrong’s use of social media to energize activism, outreach and community, including: using blogs, partnerships, co-creating content, video, petitions and more. http://bit.ly/1aAMf0
Corporate America & Social Media: This article explores the use of social media by corporate America, and its mistakes, barriers and failures in doing so. One of the biggest mistakes is the siloization of social media within communications departments and the need for corporations to integrate social media across internal infrastructures. Other barriers include control, lack of authenticity, self centered marketing and more. http://bit.ly/WXjol
Giving Trends
Goodness on Twitter: Twitter recently added a number of well-known social entrepreneurs and innovators to its suggested users list. This is significant because it propels social entrepreneurs to enter the mainstream and gives valuable Twitter attention to promoting good causes. This demonstrates that good creates more good! http://bit.ly/yAFnf
The Future of Giving: In an article by the World Policy Blog highlighting a social entrepreneurs panel at the Global Creative Leadership Summit that talked about the future of giving and the key being public and private partnerships. Some of the innovations and key components for the future of giving included: microphilanthropy and nanophilanthropy (including u-kis, e.g. http://www.umovement.org), strategic partnerships and alliances, repackaging capitalism, global connectivity giving. http://bit.ly/A0y8R
Giving Measurement, Outcomes & Evaluation
Measuring the Success of Your Blog: This Beth Kanter article provides valuable tips to create a successful blog and any social media effort by analyzing blog content, including: identifying readership growth; reviewing reader engagement and bookmarking; assessing connecting and conversations; analyzing the numbers of links and page views; and evaluating the industry index. http://bit.ly/UK0Rj
The Impact of Giving Circles: This blog by the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund highlights the impacts of giving circles. Giving circles result in more giving, more engagement, more breadth in giving and more strategic giving with a focus on change. http://bit.ly/aiAiy
Discussion
Philanthropy & the New Consumer: This worthwhile read examines how the trends in giving are shifting and the new opportunities arising given the current online, social media and giving landscape. A recent BBMG Conscious Consumer Report 2009 showed that Americans are re-evaluating what matters and are seeking brands that deliver both value and values. The result is that brands need to deliver based on a triple value proposition: practical benefits, social benefits and tribal benefits. That is brands that answer the questions: How does the brand improve my life? How does this brand help me make a difference? And how does the brand connect me to a community that shares my values? http://bit.ly/lyTFx
How Much Should Charity Resemble Business? This Chronicle of Philanthropy article highlights some of the debate about how much charity should resemble business and where should the line be drawn between business and charity. It asks the question, “Given the world’s problems, should we resign ourselves…” to the small thinking of charity or expand into a new way of thinking, giving and doing business? http://bit.ly/2KdyzV
How do you want to BE the change you wish to see in the world? How are you thinking and acting BIG, rather than acting in fear and scarcity? What do you think about the transformation and how is it impacting you?
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Peace - Yes We Can!
Peace worldwide, starts from inside. ~ The Luminaries
I have been watching the articles and the comments fly about the fact that President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. There are many people who are skeptical about it and think he was awarded it undeservedly so. What I think many of the critics don’t understand is that this is actually one of the trademarks of the Nobel Peace Prize. That is, if you look over the Nobel Peace Prize and who it has been awarded to – it has a long history of controversy that goes with it. In fact, I would dare to say that the uniqueness and beauty of the Nobel Peace Prize is that it stirs up controversy, raises awareness about an issue and most often also makes a very strong political statement. In fact, so often it has been used to not only award acts of peace and deeds accomplished or achieved, but to provide an incentive to take further steps and strides in creating peace.
Here are some examples of controversies and political statements made by the Nobel Peace Committee over time in awarding its Laureates:
· One of the most controversial awards was in 1973, when the Prize was awarded to Secretary of State Henry A Kissinger and North Vietnamese Leader Le Duc Tho even though there was clearly no peace agreement achieved. Further controversy ensued when Le Duc Tho declined the Prize (the only person to have ever done so) and Kissinger refused to go to Oslo to receive the prize and tried returning it, but wasn’t allowed.
· In 1976 with both the awards to Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan for the conflict in Northern Ireland and in 1987 to President Oscar Arias for the conflicts in Central America, there was significant controversy due to the fact that the conflicts had been far from resolved. The committee had awarded the Prize in the hopes of providing an impetus to move more quickly towards peace – something that still took many years to alleviate or resolve either of these conflicts.
· In 1989, the year of the Tiananmen Square massacre, the committee awarded the Prize to the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso. Clearly this was not a coincidence, but rather a strong political statement opposing the Chinese Government’s policies against Tibet and within for its hostile actions.
· In 1992, on the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s “discovery” of America, the committee awarded the Prize to Rigoberta Menchu Tum, who advocated for Indigenous Rights in Guatemala and Latin America. The ironic intention of the Nobel Peace Committee was unmistakable in this blatant example of controversy to raise awareness around an issue.
· In 1994, the Peace Prize was awarded to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. The prize was awarded despite the fact that negotiations were still far from establishing peace.
· In 1995, the committee awarded Joseph Rotblat, one of the creators of the atomic bomb, the Nobel Peace Committee for leaving the Manhattan Project and dedicating his life to nuclear disarmament. The irony was they did so on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
· In 1996, at a time in which East Timor had nearly been forgotten internationally many years after the Indonesian invasion of 1975, the Nobel Committee awarded Jose Ramos-Horta and Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo the Prize. The Prize was a leading contributor in raising attention back to East Timor and helping them get on the road to independence.
While the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to those who have worked for humanitarian assistance and aid, arms control and disarmament and human rights, the Prize has also come to be used unmistakably “not only as a reward for achievements accomplished but as an incentive for the Laureates to achieve even more.”
My guess is that this is exactly the call to action the Nobel Committee intended by awarding President Obama the Peace Prize. Perhaps for some, or many, his election as the First African American President of the United States and his unwavering commitment to creating a renewed HOPE in our country and around the world and CHANGE, or a correction of course, are not enough to warrant the prestigious award of the Nobel Peace Prize. But the Nobel Peace Committee definitely did what it is known to do so well in its long history: create controversy, raise awareness and set a new high standard of achievement and accountability for President Obama to live up to.
For that I tip my hat to the committee for taking the leadership and lighting a fire to incite the President to truly stand up for HOPE, CHANGE and PEACE. It is encouraging to see the Committee raise the bar and hold a new high standard for President Obama to step into and live up to. May it inspire us all to raise the bar for ourselves to step up above the criticism and controversy and take a deep look within to ask ourselves, how are we contributing to peace, hope and being the change we wish to see in the world?
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
I have been watching the articles and the comments fly about the fact that President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. There are many people who are skeptical about it and think he was awarded it undeservedly so. What I think many of the critics don’t understand is that this is actually one of the trademarks of the Nobel Peace Prize. That is, if you look over the Nobel Peace Prize and who it has been awarded to – it has a long history of controversy that goes with it. In fact, I would dare to say that the uniqueness and beauty of the Nobel Peace Prize is that it stirs up controversy, raises awareness about an issue and most often also makes a very strong political statement. In fact, so often it has been used to not only award acts of peace and deeds accomplished or achieved, but to provide an incentive to take further steps and strides in creating peace.
Here are some examples of controversies and political statements made by the Nobel Peace Committee over time in awarding its Laureates:
· One of the most controversial awards was in 1973, when the Prize was awarded to Secretary of State Henry A Kissinger and North Vietnamese Leader Le Duc Tho even though there was clearly no peace agreement achieved. Further controversy ensued when Le Duc Tho declined the Prize (the only person to have ever done so) and Kissinger refused to go to Oslo to receive the prize and tried returning it, but wasn’t allowed.
· In 1976 with both the awards to Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan for the conflict in Northern Ireland and in 1987 to President Oscar Arias for the conflicts in Central America, there was significant controversy due to the fact that the conflicts had been far from resolved. The committee had awarded the Prize in the hopes of providing an impetus to move more quickly towards peace – something that still took many years to alleviate or resolve either of these conflicts.
· In 1989, the year of the Tiananmen Square massacre, the committee awarded the Prize to the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso. Clearly this was not a coincidence, but rather a strong political statement opposing the Chinese Government’s policies against Tibet and within for its hostile actions.
· In 1992, on the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s “discovery” of America, the committee awarded the Prize to Rigoberta Menchu Tum, who advocated for Indigenous Rights in Guatemala and Latin America. The ironic intention of the Nobel Peace Committee was unmistakable in this blatant example of controversy to raise awareness around an issue.
· In 1994, the Peace Prize was awarded to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. The prize was awarded despite the fact that negotiations were still far from establishing peace.
· In 1995, the committee awarded Joseph Rotblat, one of the creators of the atomic bomb, the Nobel Peace Committee for leaving the Manhattan Project and dedicating his life to nuclear disarmament. The irony was they did so on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
· In 1996, at a time in which East Timor had nearly been forgotten internationally many years after the Indonesian invasion of 1975, the Nobel Committee awarded Jose Ramos-Horta and Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo the Prize. The Prize was a leading contributor in raising attention back to East Timor and helping them get on the road to independence.
While the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to those who have worked for humanitarian assistance and aid, arms control and disarmament and human rights, the Prize has also come to be used unmistakably “not only as a reward for achievements accomplished but as an incentive for the Laureates to achieve even more.”
My guess is that this is exactly the call to action the Nobel Committee intended by awarding President Obama the Peace Prize. Perhaps for some, or many, his election as the First African American President of the United States and his unwavering commitment to creating a renewed HOPE in our country and around the world and CHANGE, or a correction of course, are not enough to warrant the prestigious award of the Nobel Peace Prize. But the Nobel Peace Committee definitely did what it is known to do so well in its long history: create controversy, raise awareness and set a new high standard of achievement and accountability for President Obama to live up to.
For that I tip my hat to the committee for taking the leadership and lighting a fire to incite the President to truly stand up for HOPE, CHANGE and PEACE. It is encouraging to see the Committee raise the bar and hold a new high standard for President Obama to step into and live up to. May it inspire us all to raise the bar for ourselves to step up above the criticism and controversy and take a deep look within to ask ourselves, how are we contributing to peace, hope and being the change we wish to see in the world?
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
To Think Pink or Not To...That Is the Question!
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. ~ Albert Einstein
A recent article in the Boston Globe, "Sick of Pink," talks about people's conflicted feelings about the Pink Ribbon campaign and corporate use of the pink ribbon to promote breast cancer awareness, and as some argue, to boost profits. (http://bit.ly/rTLsG) Some call it "consumer philanthropy" and feel that corporations are commoditizing their diseases and taking advantage of cause marketing for their own benefit.
My question is AND so, is that really the worst thing? I know there is a lot of controversy about this subject, as brought up by another blogger http://selfishgiving.com/. So I too dare to ask the question, is there really anything wrong with this? Isn't it a win-win after all?
A recent article in the Boston Globe, "Sick of Pink," talks about people's conflicted feelings about the Pink Ribbon campaign and corporate use of the pink ribbon to promote breast cancer awareness, and as some argue, to boost profits. (http://bit.ly/rTLsG) Some call it "consumer philanthropy" and feel that corporations are commoditizing their diseases and taking advantage of cause marketing for their own benefit.
My question is AND so, is that really the worst thing? I know there is a lot of controversy about this subject, as brought up by another blogger http://selfishgiving.com/. So I too dare to ask the question, is there really anything wrong with this? Isn't it a win-win after all?
We are entering an Era of the Hybrid. That is, the old ways surely aren't working and the new ways are yet to be figured out. Yes, corporations might be making more of a profit because of the pink ribbon or other causes that they are associating with. But aren't they also contributing money that never before was available to these causes?
In addition to generating their own profits, aren't they generating a profit for the nonprofit that never existed before? So what is wrong with that? Perhaps, one could argue that the nonprofit should get more of a percentage. Possibly, this is true.
Yet isn't it exciting that we have entered an era in which corporations are beginning to acknowledge that the simple profit model no longer works and recognize that adopting a triple bottom line approach, a hybrid of sorts, is the only way to go. With all the corporate corruption, isn't their inclusion of a cause into their profit based structure a step in the right direction?
Now I get that there is potential for corporations to misuse or abuse the system, so we want to be vigilant with companies and help foster an environment to support them to grow their efforts in integrity and at the same time not punish them too early in the game so they pull out and stop supporting causes altogether. Wouldn't that harm the greater social benefit effort altogether?
The reality is for-profit corporations have a bottom line: profit! As we demonstrate that further aligning with causes is good for businesses' bottom line, will propel business forward into a new paradigm of a triple bottom line: people, profit and the planet!
Isn't this what we really want? What if every company on the planet was affiliated with a cause or many causes? And what if nonprofits could create new revenue streams from corporate partnerships, rather than solely from grants into a new hybrid model of true sustainability?
I am asking for you to:
- Imagine the possibility of every business affiliated with one or more causes.
- Imagine if every nonprofit found new revenue streams through corporate and other strategic partnerships to create sustainability in addition to grants.
- Imagine if every person had a way to tap into this greater movement.
How do you want to be a part of the Responsbility Revolution? How do you want to help usher in a new era of giving? How do you want to support the next evolution of giving? How do you want to BE the change that you wish to see in the world? Do you want to think pink or not to think pink, that really is the question?
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
September's Latest Top e-Giving News
Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett
Here is a blog that I sent out in my newsletter today - you can sign up to receive it regularly at www.onegiving.com! It is the latest news on e-giving from the month of September! Enjoy and happy reading!
The first thing that struck me this month was how much is happening with giving! My favorite was an article in Time Magazine about the Responsibility Revolution (http://bit.ly/3oyk1g). This article was a huge marker for us at OneGiving™ to let us know that, indeed, we are on the right path! Basically, the article talked about the fact that we are going through a Renaissance of sorts in which the American Consumer is becoming an Ethical Consumer and as a result, corporations are adapting their business practices away from a simple profit based model and towards a triple bottom line – impacting people, profit and the planet! This is great news for OneGiving™ as this is one of the core tenants of why we are creating OneGiving™ - to move the dial forward for businesses, consumers, nonprofits and others to become more evolved in their giving, business practices and impacts on people and the planet! Enjoy the article and the other valuable resources below!
Politics & Giving
Day of Service and Remembrance: President Obama declared September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This followed in a series of the administration’s commitment to service starting with the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed into law last Spring and followed by the Summer of Service – “United We Serve” campaign. http://bit.ly/16VqXg The administration encouraged people to stay involved in service throughout the year by logging volunteer activities at: http://www.911dayofservice.org/.
Corporate Giving
A New Age in Corporate Giving: A new report by LBG Research Institute found that corporate giving is changing given budget cuts and the new economy. In a survey of over 100 U.S. corporations and foundation, the report found that corporations are encouraging a shift from cash based donations to increased employee volunteer time (84%), in-kind donations (15%; e.g., office space, equipment, etc.), product donations (12%) and new strategic alliances to better align with business strategy and goals (over 50%). http://bit.ly/6OsZY
Nonprofits & Giving
Nonprofits in the Social Media Age: This is a terrific article that talks about the old model of nonprofit engagement that is a very linear and outbound model, with an organization broadcasting out to its members. Rather in the age of social media, nonprofits have to have more lateral lines of communication back and forth, much like was done in the Obama campaign and utilizing external chats, meet ups and other to fuel the talk, hype and energy focus on a nonprofit..http://bit.ly/MAe2t
Nonprofit Starvation Cycle: An article by the Stanford Social Innovation Review talks about the vicious cycle of nonprofit underfunding that starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations, the nonprofits adapt to the pressure from funders, the nonprofits spend less on overhead or underrepresent reporting expenditures, which continues the cycle of funders’ unrealistic expectations. The article highlights some of the ways to break the cycle, starting with adjusting funders’ unrealistic expectations. http://bit.ly/1anMWl
Social Media & Giving
Social Media and Executives: Good research from emarketer about the value that US executives find in Social media. More than eight in 10 management, marketing and HR executives responding to a July 2009 survey reported using social media most for brand-building, followed by networking, customer service, and various research- and information-related activities. http://bit.ly/2L6RMm
Creating an Online Community: A great blog about creating an online community for social networks, nonprofits and more. Tips include: Listen!; create bite size content; provoke conversations; signpost the way; ensure good commenting; reward active members; don’t be the bottleneck; and simplify! http://bit.ly/15O7Bk
Mobile Giving
Mobile Giving is catching on: Because most of the $300 billion a year in charitable giving in the U.S. comes from individuals, Jim Manis, chief executive of the Mobile Giving Foundation, saw mobile giving as a way to reach a new demographic. He could increase the pool of charitable donors by capitalizing on the popularity of text messaging, which is used by almost 70 percent of people aged 18 to 24. http://bit.ly/121EaO
Giving Resources
20 Funder Networks That Tweet: http://bit.ly/4z8dlv & 90 Foundations That Tweet: http://bit.ly/1l7bdR
e-Cards that Give: A site that has ecards from Care2 that generate donations as well as send greetings! http://bit.ly/QEUFx
Giving Measurement & Outcomes
Measuring the Social Impact of 'Mission Investments’: Much like the long-running debate in the nonprofit world about how to measure a charity’s performance, a movement is under way to figure out how to evaluate whether investments that seek both financial and social returns are making a difference. The absence of common standards means that investors can’t compare the social and environmental benefits of different investment opportunities, said Antony Bugg-Levine, a managing director at the Rockefeller Foundation. Even measures as simple as the number of jobs created through an investment might be counted differently from one social-investment fund to another. http://bit.ly/17Oycw
GOOD - Metrics the beat at the heart of philanthropy: Great article about what it means to design and implement evaluations in ways that honor the voices and lived experiences of those who are participants or recipients of the services, programs, and policies the field supports and funds. http://bit.ly/16xbWQ
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Here is a blog that I sent out in my newsletter today - you can sign up to receive it regularly at www.onegiving.com! It is the latest news on e-giving from the month of September! Enjoy and happy reading!
The first thing that struck me this month was how much is happening with giving! My favorite was an article in Time Magazine about the Responsibility Revolution (http://bit.ly/3oyk1g). This article was a huge marker for us at OneGiving™ to let us know that, indeed, we are on the right path! Basically, the article talked about the fact that we are going through a Renaissance of sorts in which the American Consumer is becoming an Ethical Consumer and as a result, corporations are adapting their business practices away from a simple profit based model and towards a triple bottom line – impacting people, profit and the planet! This is great news for OneGiving™ as this is one of the core tenants of why we are creating OneGiving™ - to move the dial forward for businesses, consumers, nonprofits and others to become more evolved in their giving, business practices and impacts on people and the planet! Enjoy the article and the other valuable resources below!
Politics & Giving
Day of Service and Remembrance: President Obama declared September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This followed in a series of the administration’s commitment to service starting with the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed into law last Spring and followed by the Summer of Service – “United We Serve” campaign. http://bit.ly/16VqXg The administration encouraged people to stay involved in service throughout the year by logging volunteer activities at: http://www.911dayofservice.org/.
Corporate Giving
A New Age in Corporate Giving: A new report by LBG Research Institute found that corporate giving is changing given budget cuts and the new economy. In a survey of over 100 U.S. corporations and foundation, the report found that corporations are encouraging a shift from cash based donations to increased employee volunteer time (84%), in-kind donations (15%; e.g., office space, equipment, etc.), product donations (12%) and new strategic alliances to better align with business strategy and goals (over 50%). http://bit.ly/6OsZY
Nonprofits & Giving
Nonprofits in the Social Media Age: This is a terrific article that talks about the old model of nonprofit engagement that is a very linear and outbound model, with an organization broadcasting out to its members. Rather in the age of social media, nonprofits have to have more lateral lines of communication back and forth, much like was done in the Obama campaign and utilizing external chats, meet ups and other to fuel the talk, hype and energy focus on a nonprofit..http://bit.ly/MAe2t
Nonprofit Starvation Cycle: An article by the Stanford Social Innovation Review talks about the vicious cycle of nonprofit underfunding that starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations, the nonprofits adapt to the pressure from funders, the nonprofits spend less on overhead or underrepresent reporting expenditures, which continues the cycle of funders’ unrealistic expectations. The article highlights some of the ways to break the cycle, starting with adjusting funders’ unrealistic expectations. http://bit.ly/1anMWl
Social Media & Giving
Social Media and Executives: Good research from emarketer about the value that US executives find in Social media. More than eight in 10 management, marketing and HR executives responding to a July 2009 survey reported using social media most for brand-building, followed by networking, customer service, and various research- and information-related activities. http://bit.ly/2L6RMm
Creating an Online Community: A great blog about creating an online community for social networks, nonprofits and more. Tips include: Listen!; create bite size content; provoke conversations; signpost the way; ensure good commenting; reward active members; don’t be the bottleneck; and simplify! http://bit.ly/15O7Bk
Mobile Giving
Mobile Giving is catching on: Because most of the $300 billion a year in charitable giving in the U.S. comes from individuals, Jim Manis, chief executive of the Mobile Giving Foundation, saw mobile giving as a way to reach a new demographic. He could increase the pool of charitable donors by capitalizing on the popularity of text messaging, which is used by almost 70 percent of people aged 18 to 24. http://bit.ly/121EaO
Giving Resources
20 Funder Networks That Tweet: http://bit.ly/4z8dlv & 90 Foundations That Tweet: http://bit.ly/1l7bdR
e-Cards that Give: A site that has ecards from Care2 that generate donations as well as send greetings! http://bit.ly/QEUFx
Giving Measurement & Outcomes
Measuring the Social Impact of 'Mission Investments’: Much like the long-running debate in the nonprofit world about how to measure a charity’s performance, a movement is under way to figure out how to evaluate whether investments that seek both financial and social returns are making a difference. The absence of common standards means that investors can’t compare the social and environmental benefits of different investment opportunities, said Antony Bugg-Levine, a managing director at the Rockefeller Foundation. Even measures as simple as the number of jobs created through an investment might be counted differently from one social-investment fund to another. http://bit.ly/17Oycw
GOOD - Metrics the beat at the heart of philanthropy: Great article about what it means to design and implement evaluations in ways that honor the voices and lived experiences of those who are participants or recipients of the services, programs, and policies the field supports and funds. http://bit.ly/16xbWQ
You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
