15 Responses to “The Waste-Free Stimulus”
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Frank Barry, professional services manager at Blackbaud and blogger at NetWits ThinkTank, helps non-profits use the Internet for digital communication, social media, and fundraising so they can focus on making an impact and achieving their missions. Find Frank on Twitter @franswaa.
Non-profit organizations are leading the way when it comes to creatively harnessing the power of social media. A report by The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth shows that the largest U.S. non-profit organizations continue to outpace Inc. 500 businesses and higher education institutions in their familiarity, use and monitoring of social media.
In fact, 93% of the top U.S. charities have a class='blippr-nobr'>Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook page, 87% have a Twitter profile, and 65% have a blog. Why does this matter? Because the rapid growth and adoption of social media is helping non-profits in their quest for change — they truly are using social media for social good.
But what about the little guys? The social web can give smaller players a big voice if they know how to leverage it. Here are three inspiring success stories of small non-profits who met or exceeded their goals with the help of social media.
1. Create a Video, Start a Movement
Darius Weems and the Darius Goes West project will inspire you. Suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Darius and 11 of his best friends decided to head out on a cross country road trip from Atlanta to Los Angeles, where Darius hoped to have his wheelchair spiffed up by MTV’s Pimp my Ride. Though his wheelchair did not get pimped by MTV on that trip, there was a far better outcome that even Darius couldn’t have imagined.
The 25-day trip resulted in memories, experiences and 300 hours of video which were turned into a documentary that has impacted thousands of people around the world. That very same documentary has now raised over $2 million for DMD research.
According to the Darius Goes West team, “We had offers from distributors, but, in the end, we decided to self-distribute our film. By opting to self-distribute, we bear the responsibility for marketing, but we also have the power to devote $8 of every DVD sale to promising DMD research.”
It’s apparent that social media has played and continues to play a significant roll in helping to raise both awareness and money for DMD research through Darius and his friends. Here’s a snap shot of their social media footprint:
They’ve accrued close to 700,000 views on YouTubeclass="blippr-nobr">YouTube, collected more than 14,000 Facebook fans, obtained roughly 2,000 Twitter followers, and raised almost $45,000 through Facebook Causes and FirstGiving.
2. Empower Your Supporters to be Free Agent Fundraisers
Well known cycling blogger Elden Nelson did something incredible a few months ago — he raise more than $135,000 in less than 10 days for LIVESTRONG and World Bicycle Relief using his blog, Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and Friends Asking Friends.
It all started when Nelson sent Lance Armstrong’s racing team manager, Johan Bruyneel, an open cover letter as if he were applying for a job.
Nelson, who dreamed of becoming a pro cyclist, reached out to Bruyneel, with low expectations on its return. But through the power of social media, Bruyneel did see it, and he challenged Nelson via Twitter and his blogclass="blippr-nobr">blog to raise $50,000 for LIVESTRONG and $50,000 for World Bicycle Relief. Nelson took on that challenge and completed it in less than two days.
Without the ability to quickly connect and mobilize his network using social media, this wouldn’t have been possible in such a shot amount of time. Nelson tweeted numerous times as the story unfolded, as did Bruyneel, @livestrong, @livestrongceo and @lancearmstrong. Those three accounts combined have over 3.5 million Twitter followers. Add to that the numerous blog posts, Facebook status updates and YouTube videos, and you get a social media-fueled fundraising phenomenon like we’ve never seen.
3. Raise Funds by Creating a “Heartspace”
Mothers Day 2010 brought about quite a few online fundraising initiatives, but none were more impressive than the To Mama with Love campaign created by the passionate folks at Epic Change and a host of great volunteers. The goal was simple — raise money to support Mama Lucy in her efforts to educate children in Tanzania.
Mama Lucy is a change agent who saved her own income and used it to start a primary school in Tanzania, believing that education is the key to transforming a country gripped by poverty. Over the last six years, Mama Lucy has grown the school from one classroom with fewer than 10 students, to a school that now serves more than 300 children at eight grade levels.
The initiative was simple but powerful. Supporters were encouraged honor their own mothers by making a donation and then creating a virtual scrapbook or “heartspace” on the site, including photos, videos, notes, and artwork. They could then share their “heartspace” with their mother, friends and family via Twitter and Facebook, or via a customized e-card.
Using social media as the primary communication and engagement mechanism, Epic Change was able to raise close to $17,000 and provide a safe home for 17 children in Tanzania, while also encouraging more than 300 mothers along the way. They did all of this in about a week’s time with a staff of two.
So you see, social media has truly enabled non-profits both large and small to reach out and make some real change. Tell us about the social cause campaigns you’ve donated to in the past in the comments below.
More Social Good Resources from Mashable:
- 5 Easy Ways to Support a Cause Through Your Social Network
/> - 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Social Good
/> - 10 Ways to Start a Fund for Social Good Online
/> - How Social Good Has Revolutionized Philanthropy
/> - 5 iPhone Apps to Help Fight Poverty
Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, AndrewJohnson
For more Social Good coverage:
- class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Goodclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Good channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad
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Here's what's making news in Twinkie Town on Monday, October 4.
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eric seiger eric seiger
15 Responses to “The Waste-Free Stimulus”
Telling Lies says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:47 am
That last sentence is badly garbled. Automatic stabilizers (UI etc.) reduce the need for decision making on the fly, but have nothing to do with state/local budget crises. Those are about inability to borrow. Unless your automatic stabiliser is automatic, debt financed, Fed grants to states which have budget problems, which isn’t a good idea. Son, Homosex
Alan says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:51 am
I think you mean ARRA, right? not TARP.
Freddie says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:56 am
For the people who are interested in the endless back and forth about Matt’s change, his neoliberalism, and his utter disdain for anybody who refuses to worship at the cult of the Serious as defined by Jacob Weisberg and Nial Ferguson– just look over to the right at Matt’s public Twitter feed, and check out the “ten years ago I was a giant puppet person” one. It tells you all you will ever need to know about Big Media Matt, what he values, who he thinks he is, and who he thinks he is better than without having to say why.
3
Telling Lies says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:57 am
And as I’m being picky, German style job maintanance schemes would have a higher multiplier than the corrupt mayor plan, as corrupt mayor distributes randomly, job maintanance targets people who would otherwise reduce their spending markedly if laid off. And bridges to nowhere take time to design, acquire land and permitting etc, while the Interstates need pretty major resurfacing which you can start tomorrow, that’s macroeconomic bang for your buck. 8 FIX IT!!!!!!!!!
Nate says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:10 pm
@Telling Lies beat me to it. The margin is really not that difficult of a concept. If in the baseline, people would lose their jobs and have to cut back abruptly and deeply on spending, but in the control people keep their jobs and don’t, that is a net positive for consumer spending. NOT DIFFICULT.
Don Williams says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I think Michael Foucault would have cracked up at the idea of stimulus money being spent to pay someone to make signs touting the benefits of stimulus money.
But what would have really have put Michael in stitches is Herb Sandler bankrupting Wachovia by selling it a subprime mortgage business named Golden West, helping to throw the country into a Great Recession, and then using the proceeds from the sale to pay Matthew to photograph and praise the stimulus sign.
soullite says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Too many people mentioned the non-TARP baillouts so Matt needed a new thread,
7 years ago, Matt was a pro-war hack who hated liberals. I seriously doubt he was ever ‘a giant puppet person’. He’s just a liar who perpetually pretends to be further left than he really is so he can stab the rest of us in the back.
2
soullite says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I guess too many people mentioned all the other bank bailouts on the other thread, so Matt needed a new one.
Given that 7 years ago, Matt was a corrupt pro-war hack who hated liberals (indeed, he cited annoying ‘liberal’ opposition as the primary reason he was pro-war, I seriously doubt that he was ever a ‘giant puppet person’. He has perpetually claimed to be further left than he really is in order to gain enough credibility to stab the rest of us in the back.
3 times
B says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I drove past this sign two weeks before Matt did!
Freddie: I don’t actually understand that tweet.
kafka says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Wall Street’s Greatest Heist: TARP
FROM: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/20/tarp-bailout-banks-wall-street?source=patrick.net#history-link-box
“Now, the same crew that tapped our pockets two years ago is eagerly pitching the line that their bailout was good for us. It may be the case that the history books are written by the winners, but that doesn’t prevent the rest of us from telling the truth.”
Note you have to go to the foreign media to get stuff like this. Our MSM is too busy whoring for Wall Street.
Led says:
October 1st, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Odd to see this post follow immediately after the last. Isn’t there some potential for serious ideological instruction based on the fact that yes, Virginia, the government can invest in infrastructure and public works on a massive scale in a competent, non-corrupt, cost-effective way? And yet not even Yglesias is enthusiastic about making that case because he things (correctly) the stimulus wasn’t as effective as it could have been.
Liberals: Making the Perfect the Enemy of the Good Since 1968.
Paulie Carbone says:
October 1st, 2010 at 1:39 pm
This blog has dicks for quality.
ds says:
October 1st, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Given that 7 years ago, Matt was a corrupt pro-war hack who hated liberals (indeed, he cited annoying ‘liberal’ opposition as the primary reason he was pro-war, I seriously doubt that he was ever a ‘giant puppet person’. He has perpetually claimed to be further left than he really is in order to gain enough credibility to stab the rest of us in the back.
Matt has always been a centrist technocrat, at least until his current glibertarian phase. I don’t think he ever pretended to be anything else. He talked about voting for Mitt Romney back in 2002, and liked Obama because he seemed like the most conservative of the three Democrats.
I think right now Matt is angling for an “Even the liberal Matt Yglesias says…” role. That sort of thing can be very lucrative.
To get there I suppose he has to boost his non-existent liberal bona fides.
joe from Lowell says:
October 1st, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Christ, no wonder Matt stopped reading the comments.
“Duh, I can’t follow this economics stuff at all, so, uh, MATT’S A CAPITALIST RUNNIN DOG!”
Losers.
urgs says:
October 1st, 2010 at 9:44 pm
“Matt has always been a centrist technocrat, at least until his current glibertarian phase. ”
Centrist technocrats are no war mongers, he is. Read a bit of his old stuff.
Leave a Reply
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Mail (will not be published) (required)
Website
Formatting: Use the buttons below to apply basic HTML styles. Or use these tags directly: <a href=""> <abbr> <acronym> <blockquote> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <q> <strong>
Frank Barry, professional services manager at Blackbaud and blogger at NetWits ThinkTank, helps non-profits use the Internet for digital communication, social media, and fundraising so they can focus on making an impact and achieving their missions. Find Frank on Twitter @franswaa.
Non-profit organizations are leading the way when it comes to creatively harnessing the power of social media. A report by The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth shows that the largest U.S. non-profit organizations continue to outpace Inc. 500 businesses and higher education institutions in their familiarity, use and monitoring of social media.
In fact, 93% of the top U.S. charities have a class='blippr-nobr'>Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook page, 87% have a Twitter profile, and 65% have a blog. Why does this matter? Because the rapid growth and adoption of social media is helping non-profits in their quest for change — they truly are using social media for social good.
But what about the little guys? The social web can give smaller players a big voice if they know how to leverage it. Here are three inspiring success stories of small non-profits who met or exceeded their goals with the help of social media.
1. Create a Video, Start a Movement
Darius Weems and the Darius Goes West project will inspire you. Suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Darius and 11 of his best friends decided to head out on a cross country road trip from Atlanta to Los Angeles, where Darius hoped to have his wheelchair spiffed up by MTV’s Pimp my Ride. Though his wheelchair did not get pimped by MTV on that trip, there was a far better outcome that even Darius couldn’t have imagined.
The 25-day trip resulted in memories, experiences and 300 hours of video which were turned into a documentary that has impacted thousands of people around the world. That very same documentary has now raised over $2 million for DMD research.
According to the Darius Goes West team, “We had offers from distributors, but, in the end, we decided to self-distribute our film. By opting to self-distribute, we bear the responsibility for marketing, but we also have the power to devote $8 of every DVD sale to promising DMD research.”
It’s apparent that social media has played and continues to play a significant roll in helping to raise both awareness and money for DMD research through Darius and his friends. Here’s a snap shot of their social media footprint:
They’ve accrued close to 700,000 views on YouTubeclass="blippr-nobr">YouTube, collected more than 14,000 Facebook fans, obtained roughly 2,000 Twitter followers, and raised almost $45,000 through Facebook Causes and FirstGiving.
2. Empower Your Supporters to be Free Agent Fundraisers
Well known cycling blogger Elden Nelson did something incredible a few months ago — he raise more than $135,000 in less than 10 days for LIVESTRONG and World Bicycle Relief using his blog, Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and Friends Asking Friends.
It all started when Nelson sent Lance Armstrong’s racing team manager, Johan Bruyneel, an open cover letter as if he were applying for a job.
Nelson, who dreamed of becoming a pro cyclist, reached out to Bruyneel, with low expectations on its return. But through the power of social media, Bruyneel did see it, and he challenged Nelson via Twitter and his blogclass="blippr-nobr">blog to raise $50,000 for LIVESTRONG and $50,000 for World Bicycle Relief. Nelson took on that challenge and completed it in less than two days.
Without the ability to quickly connect and mobilize his network using social media, this wouldn’t have been possible in such a shot amount of time. Nelson tweeted numerous times as the story unfolded, as did Bruyneel, @livestrong, @livestrongceo and @lancearmstrong. Those three accounts combined have over 3.5 million Twitter followers. Add to that the numerous blog posts, Facebook status updates and YouTube videos, and you get a social media-fueled fundraising phenomenon like we’ve never seen.
3. Raise Funds by Creating a “Heartspace”
Mothers Day 2010 brought about quite a few online fundraising initiatives, but none were more impressive than the To Mama with Love campaign created by the passionate folks at Epic Change and a host of great volunteers. The goal was simple — raise money to support Mama Lucy in her efforts to educate children in Tanzania.
Mama Lucy is a change agent who saved her own income and used it to start a primary school in Tanzania, believing that education is the key to transforming a country gripped by poverty. Over the last six years, Mama Lucy has grown the school from one classroom with fewer than 10 students, to a school that now serves more than 300 children at eight grade levels.
The initiative was simple but powerful. Supporters were encouraged honor their own mothers by making a donation and then creating a virtual scrapbook or “heartspace” on the site, including photos, videos, notes, and artwork. They could then share their “heartspace” with their mother, friends and family via Twitter and Facebook, or via a customized e-card.
Using social media as the primary communication and engagement mechanism, Epic Change was able to raise close to $17,000 and provide a safe home for 17 children in Tanzania, while also encouraging more than 300 mothers along the way. They did all of this in about a week’s time with a staff of two.
So you see, social media has truly enabled non-profits both large and small to reach out and make some real change. Tell us about the social cause campaigns you’ve donated to in the past in the comments below.
More Social Good Resources from Mashable:
- 5 Easy Ways to Support a Cause Through Your Social Network
/> - 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Social Good
/> - 10 Ways to Start a Fund for Social Good Online
/> - How Social Good Has Revolutionized Philanthropy
/> - 5 iPhone Apps to Help Fight Poverty
Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, AndrewJohnson
For more Social Good coverage:
- class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Goodclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Good channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad
Monday Morning Breakfast & Baseball: Roster <b>News</b> - Twinkie Town
Here's what's making news in Twinkie Town on Monday, October 4.
Our Editor Tours The National Museum in Manila ~ The Crown Jewel <b>...</b>
Our art news magazine is updated DAILY with new articles, and is published FREE to subscribers worldwide. We are sponsored by the Art Appreciation Foundation. AKN brings to its readers unbiased art information and news about art, ...
Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 10/4 - Arrowhead Pride
However, there aren't many real stories because of the bye. I'd expect the hype to start soon. We're just a few days from the undefeated Chiefs playing the "struggling" Colts. Here's your Kansas City Chiefs news.
eric seiger eric seiger
Telling Lies says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:47 am
That last sentence is badly garbled. Automatic stabilizers (UI etc.) reduce the need for decision making on the fly, but have nothing to do with state/local budget crises. Those are about inability to borrow. Unless your automatic stabiliser is automatic, debt financed, Fed grants to states which have budget problems, which isn’t a good idea. Son, Homosex
Alan says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:51 am
I think you mean ARRA, right? not TARP.
Freddie says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:56 am
For the people who are interested in the endless back and forth about Matt’s change, his neoliberalism, and his utter disdain for anybody who refuses to worship at the cult of the Serious as defined by Jacob Weisberg and Nial Ferguson– just look over to the right at Matt’s public Twitter feed, and check out the “ten years ago I was a giant puppet person” one. It tells you all you will ever need to know about Big Media Matt, what he values, who he thinks he is, and who he thinks he is better than without having to say why.
3
Telling Lies says:
October 1st, 2010 at 11:57 am
And as I’m being picky, German style job maintanance schemes would have a higher multiplier than the corrupt mayor plan, as corrupt mayor distributes randomly, job maintanance targets people who would otherwise reduce their spending markedly if laid off. And bridges to nowhere take time to design, acquire land and permitting etc, while the Interstates need pretty major resurfacing which you can start tomorrow, that’s macroeconomic bang for your buck. 8 FIX IT!!!!!!!!!
Nate says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:10 pm
@Telling Lies beat me to it. The margin is really not that difficult of a concept. If in the baseline, people would lose their jobs and have to cut back abruptly and deeply on spending, but in the control people keep their jobs and don’t, that is a net positive for consumer spending. NOT DIFFICULT.
Don Williams says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I think Michael Foucault would have cracked up at the idea of stimulus money being spent to pay someone to make signs touting the benefits of stimulus money.
But what would have really have put Michael in stitches is Herb Sandler bankrupting Wachovia by selling it a subprime mortgage business named Golden West, helping to throw the country into a Great Recession, and then using the proceeds from the sale to pay Matthew to photograph and praise the stimulus sign.
soullite says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Too many people mentioned the non-TARP baillouts so Matt needed a new thread,
7 years ago, Matt was a pro-war hack who hated liberals. I seriously doubt he was ever ‘a giant puppet person’. He’s just a liar who perpetually pretends to be further left than he really is so he can stab the rest of us in the back.
2
soullite says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I guess too many people mentioned all the other bank bailouts on the other thread, so Matt needed a new one.
Given that 7 years ago, Matt was a corrupt pro-war hack who hated liberals (indeed, he cited annoying ‘liberal’ opposition as the primary reason he was pro-war, I seriously doubt that he was ever a ‘giant puppet person’. He has perpetually claimed to be further left than he really is in order to gain enough credibility to stab the rest of us in the back.
3 times
B says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I drove past this sign two weeks before Matt did!
Freddie: I don’t actually understand that tweet.
kafka says:
October 1st, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Wall Street’s Greatest Heist: TARP
FROM: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/20/tarp-bailout-banks-wall-street?source=patrick.net#history-link-box
“Now, the same crew that tapped our pockets two years ago is eagerly pitching the line that their bailout was good for us. It may be the case that the history books are written by the winners, but that doesn’t prevent the rest of us from telling the truth.”
Note you have to go to the foreign media to get stuff like this. Our MSM is too busy whoring for Wall Street.
Led says:
October 1st, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Odd to see this post follow immediately after the last. Isn’t there some potential for serious ideological instruction based on the fact that yes, Virginia, the government can invest in infrastructure and public works on a massive scale in a competent, non-corrupt, cost-effective way? And yet not even Yglesias is enthusiastic about making that case because he things (correctly) the stimulus wasn’t as effective as it could have been.
Liberals: Making the Perfect the Enemy of the Good Since 1968.
Paulie Carbone says:
October 1st, 2010 at 1:39 pm
This blog has dicks for quality.
ds says:
October 1st, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Matt has always been a centrist technocrat, at least until his current glibertarian phase. I don’t think he ever pretended to be anything else. He talked about voting for Mitt Romney back in 2002, and liked Obama because he seemed like the most conservative of the three Democrats.
I think right now Matt is angling for an “Even the liberal Matt Yglesias says…” role. That sort of thing can be very lucrative.
To get there I suppose he has to boost his non-existent liberal bona fides.
joe from Lowell says:
October 1st, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Christ, no wonder Matt stopped reading the comments.
“Duh, I can’t follow this economics stuff at all, so, uh, MATT’S A CAPITALIST RUNNIN DOG!”
Losers.
urgs says:
October 1st, 2010 at 9:44 pm
“Matt has always been a centrist technocrat, at least until his current glibertarian phase. ”
Centrist technocrats are no war mongers, he is. Read a bit of his old stuff.