Let’s All Help Make Sure There’s #NoKidHungry! 12/20 Give-A-Thon!

19 Dec

Happy Holidays!  This is the time of year when we all are even more touched by that giving spirit, and I am honored to be part of an amazing cause and campaign, #NoKidHungry, that’s fun, rewarding, and easy to participate in!

On Thursday, December 20, please join in the effort to help end childhood hunger by helping spread the #NoKidHungry word through tweets, Facebook posts, emails, and/or direct (gentle?) nudging of friends and family. ;)

We will be having a Give-A-Thon all day 12/20, with some amazing surprises and prizes for those generous souls who spread the workd and MAKE A DONATION!

* A generous Share Our Strength donor decided to do something extraordinary this holiday season: personally match all gifts up to $500,000. This means the impact of our Give-A-Thon will be doubled at the end of the day, making twice the difference for kids struggling with hunger!

Team No Kid Hungry Holiday Give-A-Thon

Our Partners

No Kid Hungry Give-A-Thon 12/20/2012 to end childhood hunger

Author note: Join us! Help us spread the word this Thursday! Visit the Team fundraising page.

This Thursday, December 20, we are excited to work with our amazing online community to hold a Team No Kid Hungry Holiday Give-A-Thon. Why now? Why in the middle of the holiday season? There are a number of reasons.

Primarily, hunger doesn’t take a holiday. When EVERY child should be excited for winter breaks, many know exactly how many school meals they will miss over the holidays, and don’t know from where their next meal will come. It is important for us to remember these children and their families during this time.

Fortunately, you can help. A $25 donation can connect a child to up to 250 meals. Are you wondering what to get that family member who has everything? Or are you trying to find something special for a friend? Consider giving the gift of No Kid Hungry this holiday season – a meaningful, and truly life-changing gift.

Through our countless online advocates and our Team No Kid Hungry community, we are making a day of it, and hosting our Holiday Give-A-Thon, complete with incredible prizes throughout the day that will amaze you! If we hit $10,000* in donations, one lucky donor will receive an iPad mini. Drawings will take place all day, so please spend the day with us!

Are you on Facebook? Be sure to like our Facebook page and follow our posts this week. On Twitter? Follow us here, and join in the #nokidhungry conversation. Check back on Facebook as we post our list of giveaway items!

How can you help prior to the Give-A-Thon? Share our Facebook posts, retweet our Give-A-Thon tweets, and spread the word. Plan your holiday shopping list, and do some one-stop, tax-deductible shopping here on Thursday.

The day will be hosted by our No Kid Hungry Social Council. Find out more, and consider getting involved!  Click “Join the Blogger Council” and we will be in touch. Thank you for all you do, for sharing your strengths with us.

Special thanks to friends (and Good Plus Tech client) AnchorFree for donating many annual HotSpot Shield Elite annual subscriptions (valued at $29.95 each!) , to be given to donors around various goals during the day on 12/20!  Stay safe keeping in touch, shopping, and making donations on all those mobile devices!

 

Tags: , , , ,

7 Ways Your NonProfit Can Make the Most of Holiday Giving

10 Dec

This article originally appears here on the Software Advice blog:  Bringing in 2012: How Your Nonprofit Can Capture December’s Giving Trend | by Ashley Halligan,  Software Advice.

‘Tis the season for end-of-the-year holiday giving!  Ring in 2013 with a bang (and more donations!) with these helpful tips for your nonprofit’s fundraising.

Bringing in 2012: How Your Nonprofit Can Capture December’s Giving Trend

by Property Management Analyst, Software Advice
December 06, 2012

The holidays are upon us, and nonprofit organizations are scrambling to capture a share of holiday generosity. Statistics show that December represents a third of all online giving. And 22 percent of year-round donations accumulate in the last two days of the month.

December Giving Trends

Data supplied by Network for Good’s Online Giving Study.

Additionally, December donors tend to give more than supporters in other months. In fact, Network for Good’s Online Giving Study shows they donate 52 percent more. The study also says,

“December is the strongest month for most organizations offline. It’s even more so online. Further, it’s not just the month of December that’s spectacular, it’s the last couple of days, and even last few hours that make the difference.”

Americans want to donate to charitable causes during this time of year. In a survey conducted by The American Red Cross, 80 percent of Americans surveyed said helping those who are less fortunate is an important part of their holiday tradition. And 70 percent who donated in the last holiday season said they planned to donate the same or more in the upcoming season.

Given this compelling fundraising opportunity, what should nonprofits do to capitalize on the last-minute, year-end giving trend? Here are some suggestions from authors around the Web for organizations vying for a piece of the seasonal pie.

Make Giving Easy

Prospective donors shouldn’t have to search for a donation page. Frogloop writer Allyson Kapin suggests a big, bold, clear call-to-donate button. “This should be incredibly obvious in your navigation and in a callout box towards the top of your website. If you want to raise money, the donate button should not be buried and de-emphasized on your website.”

Keep it Seasonal

Jen Johnson, who writes for Otis Spunkmeyer’s Fundraising Success Tastes Sweet blog, says that including festive elements “adds excitement, spirit and holiday magic to the hard, cold process of raising money.” She suggests seasonal fundraising efforts like wreath auctions, themed charity walks/runs, holiday bake sales, caroling events, and Christmas concerts.

CLICK HERE to read the whole article, and all 7 tips for end-of-year nonprofit fundraising!

Tags: , , ,

5 Great Holiday Charities

6 Dec

This is a guest post authored by Justin Jones.

The holiday season is here, and you may be looking to pass on some of the good fortune you received in 2012. Even in a tough economy, Americans managed to donate almost $300 billion to charitable causes in 2011, according to Charitynavigator.org. The willingness to give is one thing, but determining which charity to contribute to is the hard part.

With so many causes and organizations, it’s easy to get bogged-down in your effort to help people. Charitynavigator.org is a useful resource in your search, reviewing the claims and and actual efforts of hundreds of charity organizations. As you look to give back this holiday season, consider the following well-rated charities.

Give Word On Balloons Showing Charity Donations And Generous Assistance

City Harvest

This New York charity provides local food support to the city’s 1.7 million people living in poverty, supporting nearly 600 community programs. Charity Navigator rates City Harvest highly for its percentage of donations that goes directly to food provisions. You can donate food at one of City Harvest’s sponsored drives or support the organization financially by mail, phone and online at Cityhavest.org.

While it can be dangerous to donate money online because of scams, .org websites such as City Harvest, typically add a layer of reliability. To protect your financial security, consider a service that monitors your financial activity and raises red flags. Many service providers, such as LifeLock, offer this kind of protection, so do the research to find the best protection for you.

Grameen Foundation

A global operation, the Grameen Foundation empowers the world’s poor, particularly women, through micro-loans for business creation. Instead of providing the fish, these donations act as the rod for impoverished people to sustain themselves. Charity Navigator gives this DC-based organization the highest possible rating for accountability & transparency. http://www.grameenfoundation.org

Stop Hunger Now

It’s tagline clearly states the goal: “Working Together to End World Hunger.” Stop Hunger Now packages low-cost, nutritious meals and distributes them throughout hunger-stricken regions. Along with financial support, volunteers can also make a difference by hosting or participating in a packaging event. So far, Stop Hunger Now has packaged 75,000,000 meals. Donate or get involved at Stophungernow.org.

The Hope Foundation

Currently, one of the fastest growing charities, according to Charity Navigator, The Hope Foundation supports one of the largest cancer-research groups in the United States. Through clinical trials, the foundation aims to find the cure for cancers, including lung, prostate, breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal and leukemia among others. The foundation received the highest rating, four stars from Charity Navigator, for its financial generosity and transparency.

Globus Relief

Providing health care services throughout the world, Globus relief works with governments, corporations, hospitals, clinics and other charities to administer reliable health care wherever it can. Charity Navigator ranked Globus Relief second in its “10 Top-Notch Charities”. Globus accepts financial donations and volunteers. Visit Globusrelief.org for more information on how to support this highly touted organization.

Tags: , , , ,

Inspiring Quotes on Gratitude, Social Good, and Appreciation

2 Dec

One of the greatest things about the internet, and social media, is how easy it is to find inspiration everywhere you look.  As a Thank You for all the inspiration I’ve gotten over the years, I curated some of my very favorite quotes into a book.  It’s free to download, and you can also get a real, paperback copy from Amazon!

Here’s to you!  Please enjoy 150+ “Uplifiting Quotes on Gratitude and Goodness to Show Appreciation.”  You are very appreciated!

Free download:

AmyNeumannBookDownload.php

Get the pocket paperback on Amazon:

AmyNeumannQuotesBook

Tags: , , , , ,

14 Unexpected Ways to Volunteer for the Holidays

26 Nov

This article originally appears in The Huffington Post.

14 Unexpected Ways to Volunteer for Thanksgiving (or Anytime!)

Posted: 11/21/2012 6:00 pm

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ The Dalai Lama

Every year, Thanksgiving reminds us of all the things we have to be grateful for all year. It’s the launching of a season of extra compassion and kindness.

Because of this, and the feasting of Thanksgiving, many people donate or deliver food or food baskets, or volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters like Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles, where they serve 3500 meals Thanksgiving Day. Others take time to donate to causes like helping our homeless friends through organizations like Mark Horvath‘s InvisiblePeople, or hungry kids through programs like No Kid Hungry. This is greatly appreciated by the organizations as well as all the hungry people they help. And all are definitely encouraged!

If you are looking to add something new this year, or to include another type of organization, here are a few suggestions. You can also search for new and interesting organizations and volunteer activities all year on VolunteerMatch.org.

Whatever you do to give back for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it will warm the heart of anyone you help, and also your own.

Help Domestic Violence Victims
1  of  15
Help support a local domestic violence shelter, or donate an old cell phonefor domestic violence victims and survivors.Photo courtesy of Official US Navy Images – Flickr.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Amy Neumann is a social entrepreneur, writer, speaker and consultant on social good marketing. Check out her Charity Ideas Blog and follow her on Twitter @CharityIdeas. Amy is also Director of Public Relations for POGCO, the People’s Oil and Gas Collaborative – Ohio, a grassroots organization focused on sustainability, regulatory, safety, and property rights issues in the oil and gas industry. All photos attributed to Flickr users are from Creative Commons.

Follow Amy Neumann on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CharityIdeas

Follow Sean Gardner on Twitter: @2morrowknight

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From @TheTop10Blog: 24 Powerful Voices for Social Good on Twitter

22 Oct

This article originally appears on fantastic blog I love to read, Tony Hastings‘ The Top 10 Blog.

A big thanks to Tony for the kind surprise of adding me to the list!

24 Powerful Voices For Social Good On Twitter

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

There is no doubt that Twitter has changed the world and the way we communicate in so many ways and one of the most amazing benefits has been the way in which it has been used to spread the word about social good causes.

Good people across the world have harnessed the power of Twitter to promote causes dear to their hearts both large and small, local, national and international. Although it would be difficult to measure the effect of this there can be no doubt that the combined impact of all those individual Tweets has had a massive impact.

I wanted to celebrate this phenomenon by drawing up a compilation of many of the powerful voices who help to contribute to this force for Social Good in the world. The names are in no particular order, please click on the image to pay them a visit.

Katya Andresen – @katyaN4G

Sean Gardner  – @2morrowknight

#socialgood

Claire Diaz-Ortiz – @Claire

AnnTran – @AnnTran_

Rev Andy Bales – @abales

Scott Harrison – @scottharrison

charitywater

Alyssa Milano – @Alyssa_Milano

Alyssa Milano

Carol Hink – @CarolHink

Heather Robinson -  @MrsRobinsonNJ

Amanda Hite – @sexythinker

Mark Horvath – @hardlynormal

Meg Garlinghouse – @megarling

Beth Kanter – @kanter

Shaun King – @ShaunKing

See the full list and read the rest of the article at The Top 10 Blog here.

Tags: , , , , ,

Need a New #NonProfit Board Member? Want to Join a Board? Announcing @LinkedIn’s Board Connect

17 Sep

When you think of LinkedIn, you may think of cultivating stronger business contacts, connecting after meeting someone smart at a conference or event, or finding a former colleague or business connection at a new venture.

LinkedIn: All sorts of helpful treats for nonprofits and people who love helping. Photo courtesy of Nan Palmero, Flickr

LinkedIn is certainly good for all of those things, along with keeping up with business news.  They also do a tremendous amount for nonprofits, and offer numerous tools to make finding people who are passionate for social good and causes easier.

One of these things is the newly-announced Board Connects.  For years now, LinkedIn has been a deep well of talented, resourceful, skilled individuals from which to draw.  These same people can make outstanding board members.  And now what was once a popular yet informal use — finding new nonprofit board members — has a helpful, structured tool kit to make it simple.

It’s no secret I am one of LinkedIn’s biggest fans because of the tools and resources they offer non-profits, as Head of Social Impact Meg Garlinghouse  outlined in her Social Good Stars feature in The Huffington Post.  Bryan Breckinridge, LinkedIn’s Nonprofit Success Enabler, also noted how many different, positive things LinkedIn can do for charities and causes in his interview for this blog.

Board Connects takes this grassroots momentum for Good and transforms it into a process that streamlines finding and hiring new nonprofit board members.

Board Connects can also make finding a seat on a nonprofit board easier, which Meg points out, has many benefits:

• Builds your skill set: Hone the skills you currently possess while serving on a board whether you work in marketing, human resources or finance, and learn new skills that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.
• Grows your network: Meet and collaborate with other passionate and talented professionals while serving on a board and make key contacts for the future.
• Builds your brand and the nonprofit’s brand: Not only will your professional brand get a boost from serving as a board member, but you can build awareness and endorsements for that nonprofit through your participation.
• Makes you feel good for doing good: Building social capital will give you that burst of professional and personal inspiration you may be looking for, and there is nothing better than the feeling that you can put your skills to good use.

As Meg explains, “If you are interested in joining a nonprofit board, be sure to add the Volunteer Experience & Causes section to your LinkedIn profile. Expressing the causes you care about and the organizations you support will enable your network to connect you with the right opportunity.”

To learn more and sign up for the program, you can visit LinkedIn’s new LinkedIn for Nonprofits resource page.

Head of Social Impact at LinkedIn, Meg Garlinghouse (@Megarling).

To read more about the Board Connects program details and the inspiration behind it, read Meg’s interview with Forbes here.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 53,988 other followers

%d bloggers like this: