SM4SC has been entered for the “Most Likely to Make the World a Better Place” category at the 2008 Crunchies. Click the badge to enter.
You can submit a vote once a day through Wednesday, December 10, at which point the top 5 entries will stay for the final round. The winner of that round will be awarded at the Crunchies ceremony in San Francisco on January 9, 2009.
Speaking of December 10th, the next Social Media Breakfast is going to be next Wednesday, December 10th at 8:00AM. The theme for this month’s breakfast is none other than Social Media for Social Change.
With the holiday season upon us – it’s important to give thanks for what we have and recognize those in need. As such – our next Breakfast gathering will focus on how Social Media is being effectively used for Social Change - supporting nonprofits, charities and building communities to aid organizations and social movements.
I was lucky enough to be invited by Bob Collins, SMB’s organizer, to speak alongside Beth Kanter, world recognized Social-Media-for-Non-Profits consultant, and Frank Days, COO of FirstGiving.
The breakfast this month is being generously sponsored by FirstGiving and MarketWire.
While I was finalize details about the breakfast with Bob a few days ago, I had an idea. I mentioned, since it’s the holiday season - the time of giving - let’s have a food drive!
Good idea, right?
Well, it’s just like Bob to have already thought of that. At the breakfast, they will be collecting non-perishable foods to be donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank.
For more information, visit the SMB11 Eventbrite page. Unfortunately, all the spaces sold out the first day they were available.
Thanks for voting, and I hope to see you at SMB11!
After winding down from the first Social Media for Social Change event, we’re getting ready for our follow up.
We’re still working on the details, but we’ll let you know this much: It’s going to be held in New York City on Friday, April 3, 2009. That gives us just under 18 weeks - 6 more than the first event! - to plan and organize.
In the meantime, New Yorkers: we’re looking for your feedback. We’re looking to support a NYC-based non-profit organization that focuses on social change in some way (i.e. domestic violence, homelessness, hunger, etc). Ideally, they’d be interested in learning about using social media to enhance their efforts. Have a recommendation? Contact us!
Also, we’re looking for corporate sponsorship. If your company, startup or Fortune 100, would like to gain some corporate karma and help a good cause, please contact us.
This is not a Social Media 4 Social Change-specific cause or event, but it’s a great example of using social media for social change.
Thomas Keown started One Home Many Hopes, a nonprofit organization that is working to improve the lives of girls in Kenya, after visiting the country for an assignment working for the Metro, the free daily newspaper.
“One Home Many Hopes” is a loving home for orphaned girls in Mtwapa, Kenya. It provides former street children with a nurturing environment, focused schooling and a chance at a healthy and productive life. Known in Kenya as “Mudzini Kwetu”, our philosophy is that education and family support are the most effective ways to lift our children out of cyclical poverty.
One Home Many Hopes has started a campaign - dubbed ‘Race to 20k’ - that is looking to raise $20,000 in 30 days.
The Race to 20k was inspired by Riziki (pictured above). The local police found Riziki and her sisters living on the street after their mother had died. Because there’s nowhere else to put street children, the police threw them in prison. Thanks to OHMH, she was rescued with her two sisters. All the girls are now living at the home and Riziki has grown into an adorable 3 year old.
Ambitious? Yes.
Worth it? Absolutely.
Doable? Completely.
What’s the plan?
If 1,000 people donate only $20, they’ll hit their goal. The problem is, how will they find those 1,000 people? Using traditional means of communication - without an Easter Seals-sized budget - it would be very difficult.
But by blogging, tweeting, posting it on Facebook, and talk-talk-talking about this incredible organization, they’ll hit that goal of $20,000 in 30 days.
Why do they need the money?
“While Mudzini Kwetu’s [What OHMH is called in Kenya] current surroundings are adequate, it is imperative to plan for the future and ensure the well-being of the girls there now, and the girls who will need Mudzini Kwetu someday soon.”
How do I get involved?
First and formost, visit OHMH’s donation page and pledge your $20.
Beyond that, write a blog post. Tweet. Do all the social media-type things you do regularly anyways, but let people know about this great cause. Get the word out. Be a part of the chain of voices finding those 1,000 people.
Did you miss SM4SC? Fret not, because Thomas Edwards was kind enough to film the talks by Mike Davis of Empressr, Toni Troop of Jane Doe Inc, and myself.
First up was Mike Davis:
Then came me:
Next came Toni:
Lastly, Oz Sultan:
Thanks to Thomas for taping and uploading our presentations. For the many of you that took photos last Friday, please join our Flickr group, and add your photos, too!
One of the biggest surprises of the fist SM4SC event for me came at the end of the night, when Matt Knell announced that there was a gift for me.
Matt had a poster with the SM4SC logo printed, and - right under my nose - had everyone sign it as they came in. At the end of the night, Shelley, Maria, Courtney and Rebecca mounted and framed the poster in the back of the Harvard Club, then snuck it into the room without me noticing. This either speaks wonders of their ninja-like skills, or poorly of my peripheral vision.
It was a truly wonderful gift, the kind of thing that shows that SM4SC is not one man’s idea, but the product of many people working together towards one goal. I didn’t have a great night, we did.
That poster is sitting above the mantle in my living room -currently SM4SC HQ. Thank you to Matt, Shelley, Courtney, Maria, Rebecca and everyone that signed the poster!
‘Social Media for Social Change’ (SM4SC) Celebrates Inaugural Event for Jane Doe Inc. to Support Victims of Domestic Violence
BOSTON, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ — Social Media for Social Change (SM4SC), a digital organization that utilizes social media tools to raise funds for well-deserving charities, raised over $20,000 at its inaugural event on Friday, October 10 at the Harvard Club of Boston. All proceeds went to Jane Doe Inc., a Boston non-profit dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault. Seventeen tech-savvy companies sponsored the event, including presenting sponsor Empressr.
Gradon Tripp, Boston blogger and founder of SM4SC, originally planned to organize a single fundraiser for Jane Doe Inc. in honor of his late mother. After blogging his idea on the SM4SC Website, he received tremendous support from the online community, inspiring him to start an entire fundraising organization fueled by social media.
“I’m really proud that the social media community came together for a cause that’s so important to me,” said Tripp. “SM4SC is off to a fantastic beginning, and I think we can continue using Web tools to help other wonderful charities.”
“The success of this event proves that social media can be a leading tool to promote social change,” said Toni Troop of Jane Doe Inc. “We’re incredibly thankful that SM4SC chose us as their first charity to support.”
For more information on Social Media for Social Change, visit http://www.sm4sc.com or follow SM4SC on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sm4sc.
Over the last couple days, there have been some reallygreatwrite ups about the first SM4SC event, held at the Harvard Club on Friday Night. I’ve had to take my time and reflect on something that even now seems a bit surreal.
12 weeks ago - July 11 was the date of the first blog post - I had an idea for a social media fund raiser. Getting a bunch of social media people together in a beautiful setting to raise money for a local charitable organization.
I estimated the event would be about 30-40 people, and we’d raise a few thousand dollars. I figured we’d get a couple local social media companies to sponsor it and help pay for the event costs.
One of the lines in that first blog post: “Everything is hypothetical right now.”
I bought the domain sm4sc.com - at the recommendation of Meg Fowler - and started a very basic blog to write about my ideas for this event. It all worked for promoting a one-time event.
But already people were talking to me about what this - using social media to raise awareness about social causes - could be. Matt Knell told me - no, insisted - that the blog be replaced by a proper web site. In no time, he had what you see now built.
Adam Cohen of Rosetta reached out early on, offering to sponsor the event. He saw the potential that SM4SC had. In his email to me, Adam said “Just like anyone starting in social media, starting small and learning as you go helps…” Words to live by.
There some changes made throughout the planning stages. Dates changed twice to make sure certainpeople could make the event, and once to not interfere with the most holy day in the Jewish calendar. The location changed to fit more people and keep within our budget.
But one thing was constant: We were going to help a local anti-domestic abuse organization. After looking around at individual groups, I contacted Jane Doe Inc, and right away, Toni Troop was interested.
Sure — when isn’t a non-profit interested in someone raising money for them? But it was something more than that: Social media is something that non-profits haven’t totally had a chance to wrap their minds around yet. Here was a chance to make social media work for them.
Things progressed. Quickly. As expected, the Boston social media scene supported SM4SC. But people and companies from around the country - and beyond - jumped in to help. Check out the list of sponsors, and where they’re from:
I found the same to be true for those that attended. Meg Fowler came from Vancouver. Many people came up from New York. Michael Terpin, CEO of SocialRadi.us graciously came all the way from California. Mike Davis of Empressr flew to Boston from Ibiza.
But the most surprising trip-for-SM4SC was by John and Lesa Walker. Having never spoken to me or anyone else planning SM4SC, the Walkers traveled all the way from Austin, TX — this was an event they didn’t want to miss.
At the event, Matt Knell was gracious enough to be the MC, and a phenomenal job was done. We were treated to an amazing presentation by Mike Davis, using Empressr software. I did my best to follow Mike’s lead with my own talk. Jane Doe Inc’s Toni Troop finished with an amazing talk about domestic violence in Massachusetts. Governor Deval Patrick announced a new PSA featuring the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ First Lady, Diane Patrick, who was a victim of domestic violence during her first marriage:
The last line of that PSA sends a powerful message:
Talk. It could save someone’s life.
That’s exactly the mission of SM4SC. By using the tools of social media to talk about, and bring attention to Jane Doe, Inc, we hope to help protect the victims of domestic abuse.
The prizes were enthusiastically received, especially Michael Gruen, who wore the T-shirt he won from Jane Doe Inc for the rest of the night (shown here with JDI’s Toni Troop):
From the very beginning way back in July right up until the end of the night on Friday, there were people that supported my idea and helped bring this event to life.
Take a look at the photo up at the top again.
From left to right: Adam Cohen, Amy Greenlaw, Matt Knell, Meg Fowler, Shelly Greenberg, Dmitri Gunn, me, Christine Major, Rebecca Corliss, Leslie Poston, Maria Thurrell, Courtney Skay, Zana, Mike Smith, and Stephanie Frasco. Up front is Oz Sultan and Matt Peters
When all was said and done, in 12 weeks, we raised a total of over $21,000. Twenty-one thousand dollars.
Throughout the night, people kept asking me how it was going… was I happy with what we accomplished?
Happy doesn’t begin to describe what I feel. We were able to reach the fund raising goal ($20,000) that I had set earlier. I feel that SM4SC has truly moved from my head and into the world. And I feel a sense of opportunity; the stage is set for SM4SC to do some truly great things.
As Mike Davis mentioned in his talk, SM4SC number 2 is going to happen in New York, where 6 of our 17 sponsors came from. There’s also talk of an SM4SC Philadelphia, one in Virginia, and even one in London.
I look forward to growing SM4SC so that we can help as many causes as possible.
The first Social Media for Social Change event is happening this Friday. I wanted to take a moment to give you more information on what to expect.
Itinerary: SM4SC starts at 6:30. There will be a cocktail reception until 8:00, at which point we’ll hear from Empressr, our Presenting Sponsor. Then I’ll say a few words, followed by a representative from Jane Doe Inc, the charitable organization for which we’re raising funds. After that, we’ll begin our raffle drawings.
After SM4SC, we’re headed out for TechKaraoke. Details on that to follow.
Raffle Items: Matt Knell already did a great writeup on the SM4SC blog about the raffle items that are up for grabs. Be sure to read up on the details of the prizes, as well as the price of the raffles. Here’s what’s up for grabs:
Grand Prize- A laptop with a value up to $1500, donated by Dell Small Business!
First Prize - 2 roundtrip flights on a major airline that flies out of Boston
Second Prize - Digital Visibility Audit & Action Plan™, donated by David Petherick, Digital Biographer
Third prize - A selection of bags, donated by Timbuk2
Other prizes
Wine and swag from Gary Vaynerchuk and Winelibrary.tv (you obviously must be over 21 years of age to win this one!)
A prize pack from the MTV Shop, featuring some DVDs, toys and other goodies
A prize pack from Hertz, with some coupons and some other swag
Dress Code: There have been a lot of questions lately about how people should dress. Previously, I said “semi-formal” was the way to go. That’s a very broad term, so we ask you to ask yourself the question: What would Scott Monty wear?
Basically, this means you don’t need a tux, but dress nicer than you do for work. Unless you’re an investment banker, then come in your work clothes.
Ladies, you were born with an innate sense of style that us men will never know. Meg Fowler recommends that you think on these three names:
Audrey Hepburn
Sophia Loren
You, on your best day ever
Thanks, I look forward to seeing you all on Friday!
After finally confirming our count of tickets assigned to media and our sponsors, we calculated that there were about 105 people coming to the first Social Media for Social Change event this Friday.
However, because we want to raise as much money for Jane Doe Inc as possible, and because we know that the Massachusetts room can fit 120 comfortably, Dmitri and I decided it was a good idea to release that previously reserved batch of 15 tickets. We also decided it was best if we kept the price, $25 per ticket, the same as the second round of tickets.
And just like that, the tickets were selling - 6 of them have sold in the last three hours. That means only 9 tickets are left. You can purchase your tickets at http://sm4sc.eventbrite.com/.
As always, I’m impressed and thankful for the support you all have given to SM4SC.
Congrats Aaron White and DoInk.com for winning the SM4SC donation song contest-turned Twitter auction (#songforsm4sc). He won with a $90 bid! Thank you Aaron for your awesome generosity. Without further ado, here’s your song!
One day I went online
With the hopes that I found find
A place where I could be creative
What do you expect from a digital native
Then I found a really neat site
Make cool stuff and bring it to life
Who knew that I could animate
Now that’s sure something to celebrate
CHORUS:
DoInk who would think that my drawings wouldn’t stink
They have an octopus and he’s bright pink
Oh don’t be a loser, make your battleship sink
You wanna visit well here’s a link
DoInk, DoInk, oh doink-adoink-adoink
BRIDGE:
I like your work on that waning moon
You should check out my puppy cartoon
Didja think that I could DoInk
Like those guys on those blogs
Well I made a man who’s jumping rope
And a big bunch of green frogs
I’ve made so many friends
They always comment, now don’t pretend
Yoy don’t wanna join and start this too
DoInk will bring out the designer in you
