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?

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.

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.

The Responsibility Revolution

"Every generation needs a new revolution." ~ Thomas Jefferson

I wrote in my blog last week about connecting the dots and Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech (http://bit.ly/8wVZ) referring to the fact that you can’t connect the dots moving forward, but you can always look back and see how they connect.

My journey in creating and now working on raising capital to launch OneGiving™ has been such a lesson in connecting the dots and, oh yeah, patience! Any time I am unsure of myself or have a day when I wonder to myself, now, why again am I doing this, one of those dots shows up that serves as a reminder, a marker, and, yes, one of those magical dots that Steve Jobs was talking about that reminds me that I am on the right path and to keep moving forward.

A recent article in TIME magazine did that for me. It was an article about the “Responsibility Revolution” (http://bit.ly/3oyk1g). It was a really good reminder to me of all that I believe in and all that I am creating with my vision for OneGiving™.

The article talked about how we have entered this era in which consumers are starting to put their money where their ideals are. That not only are individuals serving more, volunteering more and giving more, they also want to spend more ethically.

We have entered the “Responsibility Revolution” or the “Era of the Ethical Consumer!” What an amazing time to be living. Seriously though, as I read this article and thought about the fact that the top reason the most successful entrepreneurs started their companies was to make a difference or change the world, I felt a wave of excitement and relief flood over me.

Can you believe that it is possible that in our lifetime we may truly see a shift from a purely profit based capitalism to a more conscious, or ethical capitalism, in which triple bottom line – people, profit and the planet – supersede the more simplistic “profit” based model? We have reached a period in which people have lost faith because of the scandals on Wall Street and corporate America and are looking to see a values shift in corporate America!

Additionally, as seen in Obama’s campaign, people became engaged, because they felt part of something bigger than themselves. The campaign was not about “me” but about how “I” can become a part of the greater “We” and how can “We” collectively move the dial forward?

While I may have some days in which I feel overwhelmed or overwrought with so much to do and what I feel like is a huge responsibility to myself and my fellow human being, I see articles like this and I am revived, revitalized and reminded of why I am doing what I am doing in creating OneGiving™ (http://www.onegiving.com/). Because I care, I want to make a difference and I want to not only be a part of the “Responsibility Revolution,” but I want to be a leader in it.
What are you doing to be a part of the Revolution? What can you commit to doing to be a part of the “Responsibility Revolution” to be the change you wish to see in the world?

You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.

Faith, Trust and Connecting the Dots

I posted this in my newsletter and sharing it with on my blog. Enjoy, happy reading and happy 9-09-09! May this inspire you in your dreams, start ups and breaking through the every day blockages!

As I move forward in building my company, OneGiving™ (http://www.onegiving.com/), and I get ready to go to investors looking for start up capital, I am finding more and more every day that it is about faith and trusting that the dots will connect, even if I can’t see it from here.

I was recently reminded of this when I re-read Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address from June 2005. As he put it, “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever…it has made all the difference in my life.”

This really helped remind me to keep moving forward and to trust the process. It made me realize that I am not the only one embarking on a journey to follow my dream, start up a company or stretch beyond my comfort level. So I pulled together some of the wisdom from my favorite recent readings that I wanted to share with you all to help inspire you to push past some of your own obstacles and beyond your self-imposed limitations.

In Steve Jobs’ commencement speech (http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html), his words of wisdom included:
· Find what you love and do it! The only thing that really keeps us going is to do what we love. We spend so much time working, so we might as well spend that time loving what we do. If you haven’t found what you love, then keep looking and don’t settle until you find it!
· Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. We definitely aren’t taught to follow our heart and intuition and often get trapped in living the life that others want for us. Life is too short! Don’t let those voices drown out your own truth! Follow your heart and intuition, it won’t steer you wrong.
· Have faith and trust that the dots will connect. As per the quote above, you may not be able to see how things will work out, but as long as you keep going in the direction of your heart, having the courage and trusting, you will begin to see the magic unfold!

In a talk entitled, “How Not to Die,” Y Combinator partner, essayist and entrepreneur Paul Graham talks about some key tips for start ups on how to survive and thrive (and not die) (http://www.paulgraham.com/die.html). His wisdom included:
· Stay in regular contact with your investors and others. In other words, don’t isolate. This can apply to you whether you are a start up or just someone breaking out of your own limitations. Become part of a circle and community that helps you keep growing, moving forward and succeeding. So often when we hit our walls, limits or obstacles, we isolate and wither away. Avoid this and stay in contact with others to engage, nurture and inspire you to keep going.
· Stay committed and focused. Don’t take on other projects, distractions or “consulting gigs.” Sound familiar? I know it has been a hard one for me. Every month, when I think about the money coming in, I think ok perhaps I should get another consulting gig just to pad the budget a little. But I know I always give 150% to clients and that would be valuable time I couldn’t be giving to 100% focus on the success of OneGiving™. It is scary, but it has really helped me be fully committed to its success and my success and so I am willing to go that extra step, that extra mile, to make it all happen!
· Don’t ever give up! I love this one. One of the things Paul talks about is how if start ups just keep going, they will eventually succeed. So many of us spend so much time planting the seeds, doing the hard work, yet get scared or uncomfortable at the very end and we walk away, we quit before it is time! I have heard before there is no failure, other than quitting, then you are choosing to fail. Food for thought!

Finally, in a book called “Founders At Work,” Jessica Livingston, another partner at Y Combinator, interviewed 32 leading start up company founders that made it to share their experiences in the start up process to help others (http://www.foundersatwork.com/index.html). She wrote about the characteristics that each of these start up founders had in common, including:
· Determination, perseverance and adaptability. I kind of hit on this above, but felt it was worth reiterating. When starting something new, so many of us have a vision of what something looks like and when it doesn’t happen the way we think it should happen, we often cast it off as a failure and walk away. Rather, what she found is that when people are determined, continue to persist and adapt, they look for the nuggets of what is working and adapt their idea and vision to meet where people are at. Having this flexibility and persistence allows for the best of all creations to arise and often makes for a success bigger than we could have ever imagined.
· Put it out there! I totally had to laugh at this one and the following quote from her book, “Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.” Boy if this one wasn’t the truth. So often we hold things back and are afraid to put our ideas out there because we are afraid people will steal our idea. But the reality if you get it out there, more people can be working in your favor to make it happen!
· Change the world! Finally, my favorite thing of them all, is that when interviewing everyone, she found one major thing they all had in common: they all wanted to change the world!

That is what it is all about after all! Yes, I am building OneGiving™ (http://www.onegiving.com/), a for-profit and nonprofit company, and seeking investors to make them (and us) money. But more than anything else, I am creating this company and this vision because I want to be the change that I wish to see in the world. It is that plain and simple!

That was the dot I needed to keep me going until the next dot appears and I can begin to more clearly make sense of and connect the dots! Thank you all for the inspiration! I hope this may inspire some of you to keep moving forward, step by step, dot by dot, in the direction of your dreams!

You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.

The In-Between Time

Wow! I recently read a paragraph that really hit home and resonated with me. I am sharing it with you below because it helped me to breathe a sigh of relief for where I am at in my life and hopefully can do the same for you, that is, if it resonates with you.

It was uncomfortable to let go of my past before there was any evidence of something new. It was also disquieting to release the way I had always seen myself-my identity, so to speak. Getting rid of so many things that defined who I was left me with a tremendous void that danced in the pit of my stomach. However, I really believe that if you want to create something wonderful in your life, if you truly want to make a big change, you’ve got to learn to tolerate the “in-between” time. That’s the period in which we let go of who we know ourselves to be in order to allow for the possibility of who we might become. ~Katherine Woodward Thomas from Calling in the One

I think I am smack dab in the middle of the in-between time, as she so appropriately puts it. Or perhaps, I may actually have just recently crested the hill and have begun making my way slowly down the other side. Let me tell you, it sure does come with its discomforts, awkwardness and bumps along the way. But I guess I must really welcome that in, because I know one thing for sure and that is that I really am alive and living fully.

Just over a year ago, I walked away from my comfortable consulting career in Denver, Colorado. I really enjoyed what I did and was well respected. You probably can't ask for more than that. But, of course I did.

Externally, it probably seemed to many as though I had it all going for me. But one thing was clear to me. Even though I enjoyed what I did, I realized it wasn't fully my life purpose. I knew it was a tool and a stepping stone towards my life purpose, but wasn't completely in alignment with who I was and my authentic self. Yet I didn't know exactly what that was either. I just knew that wasn't it and the longer I postponed addressing it, the worse I began to feel. I felt knots in my stomach and constriction in my throat. I had real physical symptoms affecting my ability to keep moving forward as I had for as long as I had known.

So I made a change - and a pretty BIG one at that. I shared with my clients, friends and family that I was leaving Denver to move to LA. For what they asked? I still wasn't quite sure. But one thing I did know was I needed to find out or risk shriveling away and dying from just this overwhelming constriction.

The last year has been full of ups and downs and all arounds. As I came to LA, it became clear why I had come and what I was here to do as business partners and people started appearing around me to help me in my purpose. I realized I stepped out to follow my dream of creating OneGiving (http://www.onegiving.com/) to connect people around the world in giving and raise awareness, visibility and voice for nonprofits and causes around the world; to empower individuals, corporations, celebrities and other donors to give with more knowledge, resources, accountability and passion; and ultimately, to make a difference for people, profit and the planet.

What has been amazing in this effort of building my dream and following my heart and inner guidance is the transformation and peace I am finding within myself. That is what Katherine Woodward Thomas talked about when she talked about the in-between time to allow for the possibility of who we might become. There are days that I wonder, well who am I becoming? And days that I hold on to what I had done or who I was in the past.

The reality is that I am learning to trust myself. I am learning to be myself - authentically and truly in every moment. I am learning what I love and what I don't love. I am learning my boundaries. I am learning what I am willing to go to bat for and what I am willing to walk away from. I am learning to make choices that are 100% right for me and not always right for those people around me. I am learning to let go of so many of the obstacles and the drama that has kept me out of alignment in my life. I am learning to allow, appreciate and even embrace the in-between time.

It really is a beautiful journey, but let me tell you, it can be really uncomfortable at moments. For me, letting go of so many of the things I was taught--the fears, the worries, the obstacles, the drama and beyond are not easy. But if I let go and allow the discomfort to come through and then pass over like a wave, I can come up for air and really breathe in fully knowing that I am becoming more fully, truly and authentically me with every breath and every moment. There is nothing more valuable or precious in that.

So if you get caught in the "in-between time," allow it to be what it is and honor, nurture and love yourself through it. Don't use it as an excuse to resist the changes and go back to the old ways. Allow it to help you usher in the new ways, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. Watch your life and the magic unfold before you, as you discover so many beautiful gifts about yourself that you may never have known if you hadn't tolerated the in-between time and allowed them to come in.

You may find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.

Gratitude in Giving

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. ~ Albert Schweitzer

This past weekend was a full one! I had an event on Saturday with Our New Earth (www.ournewearth.tv) in which they were premiering their TV show RAW, all about raw food and conscious living. I had the honor of opening and setting the energy for the event by teaching Kundalini yoga and doing a gong meditation. I also got to represent OneGiving and be the giving spokesperson for the day by introducing two nonprofits and the amazing work that they are doing. On Sunday, I got to be at an event to support a nonprofit fundraiser.

It was a full weekend of giving and service and left me fulfilled and full of peace and gratitude. It also got me thinking about giving and conscious living in general. We live in a crazy time and world. Things are changing so rapidly around us and sometimes it feels as if it is impossible to keep up with all the madness. I realized that if there is anything that is helping me to stay sane (other than my own yoga and meditation practice) it is the regular incorporation of gratitude and giving into my life.

What does this look like you may ask? It means finding things regularly, daily and moment by moment in my life that I can be grateful for and that I can give to. A large percentage of my life and time is about service. So much so, that many times I have friends say, how can you keep giving and giving? Doesn't it wear you down? How can you afford to give so much of your time and not receive a paycheck or otherwise for it. That is where the gratitude comes in. You see giving is a cycle - it really isn't just about giving, it is about all that you receive in return for the giving.

Now, of course, that isn't why I give, but I will tell you it is through my regular giving that I receive so much in return and it is why I can stay in a state of perpetual gratitude. Giving and receiving and gratitude all go hand in hand. Lately, so much of my time has been committed to building OneGiving a company about giving, receiving and making a difference on the planet (www.onegiving.com). Other than that my time is filled with teaching Kundalini yoga, meditation and service. I don't have a lot of social time other than that and the time that I do have, usually you can find me volunteering or being of service.

Sounds crazy? Maybe, but I think it is what keeps me going, committed and truly fulfilled and happy. Here are some of the nonprofits that inspired me this past weekend and have helped me to stay in gratitude and motivated to keep taking the next step in building my own dream of OneGiving.

Healing Bridges (www.healingbridges.org) - Healing Bridges is a nonprofit committed to address and create positive outcomes in the areas of health, education and sustainable employment in Africa. Healing Bridges is building the first high school for girls in the forgotten refugee camps in Eastern Sudan.

Create Global Healing (www.createglobalhealing.org)- Create Global Healing is a nonprofit organization committed to heart-centered leadership development for orphans in war-torn countries, US students, humanitarians and philanthropists. In September 2009, Create Global Healing is sending a team of professionals and humanitarians to Rwanda to work with over 100 Orphan Head of Households, all genocide survivors between the ages of 17 and 30, and caring for orphans, ages six and under.

Youth Mentoring Connection (www.youthmentoring.org)- Youth Mentoring Connection awakens at-risk youth to their power, unique gifts and purpose by matching them with caring adult mentors and placing that “match” within a structured group dynamic that provides the resources youth need to reach productive, conscious adulthood. We further seek to awaken society to the needs, promise and value of this overlooked population. I am inspired by this nonprofit and join them for their summer "surfing" activities where they bring youth from South Central to the beach to learn to to surf and connect with each other, the ocean and themselves!

What do you dream about and what inspires you to keep going for those dreams? What nonprofits do you work with? How do you give? And are you open to receiving when you give as well, to allow the love, light and gratitude in? Try it out and enjoy! And remember to have a great #2GiveTuesday (aka #charitytuesday on Twitter)!

You may find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.

Si Se Puede - Latest News on Giving & Social Media

Si Se Puede! Yes We Can!

It is with jubilant excitement that I give you the latest news that I could find related to Giving and Social Media. The last few weeks have been a journey - a roller coaster of sorts. I gather interesting articles and tweets as I find them across the days and then I store them all to review and pick out the best of the bunch. I am thrilled about the latest.

We are progressing! Who is this "We" you might ask? Well it is all of us! But particularly I am speaking to those who care about giving and making a difference AND seeing how the online community and world are helping to expand the capacity for that to happen quicker, more virally and almost like a movement!

I think one of the best sum-ups of where we are at today in giving and the social web is the folloiwng article by Beth Kanter and crew - really good stuff and inspiring for all of us to keep expanding our thinking and growing our online efforts to enhance and increase giving:

Community Philanthropy 2.0 Report Finds Increasing Use of Social Web for High Dollar Donors: A recent study by Beth Kanter, Society for New Communications Research, Geoff Livingston and Qui Diaz examined the use of social media by nonprofits and causes and donors. One of the primary findings is that: the online world of charitable activity is highly social, but also fragmented. No dominant voice for charitable giving exists online, indicating the social web is still in an early phase of philanthropic activity. There is a need for a trusted source, and a lack of authoritative philanthropic conversations. Social media use is a good way to cultivate high dollar donors. MUST READ: http://bit.ly/QN4Nf.

Beyond this, the other articles are great too! Enjoy this latest read!

Celebrities & Giving
Harry Potter Fans Supporting Nonprofits: Dumbledore’s Army is a nonprofit registered by a team of Harry Potter fans who want to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and genocide. The organization was started by Andrew Slack, a 29 year old Harry Potter fan. The organization has raised over $15,000 in aid for Darfur and Burma through blogs and YouTube videos and 14,000 books to children in need. Check out the full story at Newsweek: http://bit.ly/prCyE.
Celebrity and Nonprofit News site: www.looktothestars.org is an online source of celebrity nonprofit news and information on what stars are doing to make a difference in the world. The site includes exclusive interviews and a database of celebrity good deeds.

Politics & Giving
Bill Clinton Calls for More Rural Philanthropy: At a recent Council on Foundations conference on rural philanthropy, Bill Clinton urged nonprofits serving rural areas to do more to advocate for additional foundation support and recommended partnership with organizations in urban areas. More at: http://bit.ly/6S2YE.

The White House Office on Social Innovation: This new office represents an opportunity to transform how we solve our most pressing domestic problems, including health care, education, poverty, the environment and more. This article examines some of the ways it might do this if leveraged effectively: http://bit.ly/xyEM9.

Fact Sheet on the Social Innovation Fund: This fact sheet is a valuable resource on the purpose of the fund, how it will work, what it will fund, etc.: http://bit.ly/ETOyu.

Corporate Giving
How Companies Can Build Trust Through Corporate Social Responsibility: This article examines 3 ways in which companies can truly use CSR to build trust and relationships, partnerships and bottom line. They include: creating and leveraging social capital through employees; using CSR as a social media platform, not a marketing tool; and integrating strategy with key business objectives and measuring the outcomes. Excellent article: http://bit.ly/gu4li

Using Social Media to Enhance Business: This Wall Street Journal article demonstrates some of the key ways in which businesses like Ford, Pepsi Co. and others are using social media to enhance business strategy, avoid public relations problems and build consumer trust and support. Worth a read: http://bit.ly/X18cy.

Nonprofits
Nonprofit Times Top 50 List: The NonProfit Times, a leading business publication covering the nonprofit sector, has released its annual Power and Influence Top 50 list, which this year reflects the growing importance of the national service movement. http://bit.ly/4Ff1AP

Hewlett Foundation Report on Shared Measurement and Social Impact: A recent report documents the use of shared measurement systems in increasing nonprofits’ efficiency, knowledge and impact based on interviews with thought leaders in the social sector. The study includes four case studies of the use of collaborative learning and measurement systems which offer ways to increase the effectiveness of interrelated organizations as they impact social issues http://bit.ly/18xrC1.

Social Media & Giving
The following articles demonstrate some key insights into the use of social media, types of users and potential for growing social media to promote your organizations and expand donor bases. They are all fascinating and valuable reads:

New Study Shows How Different Generations Use Social Media: Great recap blog of a recent study showing how different generations are using Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and social media. A GREAT summary table is included: http://bit.ly/Bd0MS.

Understanding How a Facebook Page Grows: This blog post shows specific ways to grow a fan page and what triggers the growth. Excellent read for organizations interested in growing their Facebook pages, strategically: http://bit.ly/kkh3O.

The Four Types of Twitter Profiles: This blog includes the different types of Twitter users and highlights how each may serve a different purpose. They include: pure corporate brand; corporate with a persona; employee with corporate association; and pure personal account. http://bit.ly/QSZkK

Mobile Giving
Mobile Giving is Catching On: Mobile giving is catching on amidst the over 75% of individuals giving in the over $300 billion giving market. The Mobile Giving Foundation and others are catching on and capitalizing on this market, particularly with people aged 18-24 http://bit.ly/186M25.

There is more news coming - check back regularly as I'll add more soon. This is just what I could get to for today and this last few weeks. This is all good news! These are exciting times - a proverbial giving storm brewing up good things for the planet! Stay tuned!

You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.