Social Media - Superhero? (updated 6/1/2009)

Here's our team picture from yesterday's events courtesy of http://www.casiestewart.com/:

(original photo can be found here - http://twitpic.com/6eex3)

I have had the great opportunity to participate with numerous fund-raising events this past year. TwestivalTO, GREENtuity, GetInLine and now the World Partnership Walk with the A Social Movement Team.

The one thing they all have in common - besides helping to raise funds for worthy charities - is their use of online social media tools to raise awareness, a following and funds.

I could go into a discussion about the relevant merits of these tools. Do they work? Does joining an online cause really translate to much needed awareness, co-operation and funds? Why do they work/not work?

The one thing they absolutely do is engage more people that were never involved before. There is a generation of people who love to engage in social causes that used to be marginalized. No matter the reason they were. Today, however, more charities and other causes are embracing the "wired generation". So much so that these same techie folks are now leading the way.

The more people we have helping out the more people that end of being helped. And that's a good thing!


So, I am inviting all of you to this Sunday's World Partnership Walk in Toronto (If you live in another city please click HERE.). Look out for this year's Super Hero's and thousand of other Torontonians as they walk towards smart solutions to solve global poverty.

Are you walking?

Earth Week

Not too long ago I became interested in what tools like Facebook, Twitter, iTunes and YouTube could do for my various activities in work, business and volunteer efforts.

This lead me to create various profiles on Google, Facebook and a host of other "social media" sites.

Finally I got myself invited to host a booth for the Toronto Green Community as a volunteer at an event known as TwestivalTO.

Which leads me to today as we enter the last few days of an event myself and a few others are spearheading. It's called GREENtuity. More on this in a bit. But first I must tell you why.



Toronto Green Community has been home away from home for my wife for over the past 10 years or so. She started as a volunteer and is now the Director. They are an amazing grassroots-based not-for-profit organization. They have played a role in the creation of AutoShare and the wind turbine co-op many of you see near the CNE grounds.

Despite these amazing programs as well as many community-based initiatives like Lost Rivers Walks and Green Gardening, TGC seems to have never managed to create a following large enough to attact major donors, sponsorships, and even new and young memberships.

And this is where myself and the GREENtuity team come in.

GREENtuity

GREENtuity, a Tip to the Environment, works by allowing patrons of our partner stores to make a $1 (or more) donation at their time of purchase. The goals of GREENtuity is to increase the profiles of our partners during Earth Week; increase the profile of Toronto Green Community and raise $5000 for TGC's various initiatives and programs.

Before the event was even created I had 3 objectives:

1. Increase the profile of Toronto Green Community across Toronto.
   
2. Raise $5000 for Toronto Green Community.
3. Engage the "wired community" to become involved with Toronto Green Community.

GREENtuity, a play on the words green and gratuity, has increased the profile of TGC among our various partner stores. We have also had great support from various bloggers.

Which leads us to the $5000 goal. Can it be accomplished? Is it posibble? Impossible? Does it even matter? It does matter and I believe that we all can raise the $5000. The objective and the receipient are both worthy of our efforts.

I hope you will help.

Thank you.

TwestivalTO

Last night I experienced the potential and real power of social media. Throughout the world people gathered in their communities to socialize with a conscience. The charity of choice was charity : water.

How did these people mobilize? Twitter. Yeah, that cool, nerdy, yet powerful tool your brother uses and your PR manager spends hours on.

I'm not going to spend time here explaining the how and why this event worked all over the world because many people who know better than me already have. So I'll point you to them:

The Official event site.

The Official Toronto event site.

Sameer Vasta's take on the event.

My pictures from the event