To Mama, With Love

With all the noise leading up to Mother’s Day, it was interesting to learn (to me, at least) that it’s not really a Hallmark holiday. At least, that’s not how it started.

White carnations

A certain Anna Jarvis, who hailed from Webster, W. Va., created the holiday as we know it in memory of her mother, though there are several historical precedents to honoring one’s mother.

She was initially laughed at, ridiculed and generally mocked, but she persevered and the day became a reality in 1914.

Old Anna was not happy with how her homage to her mother turned out. (She wanted people to give their mothers white carnations to wear.)

Image: Clyde Robinson, Creative Commons

She ended up a strong opponent of the holiday, and both she and her sister spent their family inheritance campaigning against what the holiday had become… dying in poverty.

Ulp.

One way you can do something different for your mom today

… is by supporting the To Mama, With Love campaign, by creating a “heartspace” for your mom.

This “collaborative online art project”, powered by Epic Change, honors moms across the globe and raises funds to invest in one remarkable Mama who dreams of building a home for children in her village.  Funds raised will be invested in support of Mama Lucy Kamptoni (@MamaLucy), a once-poultry farmer in Tanzania, who sold her chickens and used the income to build a primary school that now provides a high-quality education to over 400 children in Arusha.

Mama Lucy’s next goal, which To Mama With Love seeks to fund, is to build a boarding facility on campus so that every child who attends her school has a place to call home.

The folks at Epic Change told me this costs an estimated U.S. $50,000; as of yesterday, there were over 200 moms honored and over $11K raised.

What you can do

There are a ton of corporate supporters of the campaign, and I’m sure they, Mama Lucy and Epic Change would be delighted if you’d support them as well (and that will go a long way in helping them reach their goal).

But if you don’t want to do that, will you at least create a heartspace for your mom? What a great gift.

This is my heartspace for my mom. I created it not just because I think this is an incredibly cool thing to do/campaign, but because my mother has been/is an educator, and has, for years, been “mom” to more kids than I’ll ever be able to count – through her teaching career, volunteer work and through her simply oh-so-big-heart that knows no bounds. I think she and Mama Lucy would get on famously.

What I’m going to do next is share this on Facebook in the hope that my friends will donate in her honor and/or create their own heartspaces. I have an amazing circle of friends, who’ve often helped me out. But even if they can’t donate (I know times are tough), I hope they’ll honor their mothers in whatever way they can; every day, but especially today.

Thank you Mom, and thank you, Mama Lucy and Epic Change. I believe Anna Jarvis would have been proud.

Chicago Helps Haiti

There’s some pretty hectic social media-with-a-cause activity going on in Chicago today.

In case you hadn’t heard, the Chicago Red Cross has had a telethon going since 5 a.m., which will continue until 11 p.m., to raise funds for Haiti. They’ve been promoting it pretty aggressively via both MSM as well as social media, integrating various outposts, such as Twitter and YouTube very well. You can donate here, or check out their live blog here.

I love when non-profit organizations are smart about their use of media to further their mission.

But I love it even more when a single person does it.

If you’re plugged into the PR/SM bubble on Twitter (and I say that affectionately, because it’s a bubble I enjoy bouncing around in), you’ll know Kate Zimmer, whose zest for life and PR smarts shine through those 140 characters, regardless of which pickle she says she’s in at any given time.

Pretty much single-handedly, Kate has pulled together an amazingly collaborative event in Chicago, entitled “Wake of the Quake,” and which is aptly hashtagged in the social media sphere as #chihelpshaiti.

It kicked off January 18 and will run through the 24th; during this time, participating restaurants in the Chicago area will enable patrons to add a donation of $1 (or more) to their checks to support the Heartland Alliance (and yes, it’s a tried and tested charity, I know I’ve been making a lot of noise about that lately). And tonight, they’re also holding a fundraiser and after-party to keep the goodwill and, hopefully, dollars flowing.

Using social media to do this is no longer ingenious; but I do think it takes tremendous strength of spirit and staying power to be the primary driving force behind it, and pull off an event that is clearly well-organized – look at the number of restaurants participating! – and is bringing the community together for an extremely deserving cause.

I asked Kate to tell me why she did this, and this is what she said, via email:

I had the idea as I was watching the news and seeing the Twitter feed about #Haiti early Thursday morning, one week ago. I really felt that someone should do something to help raise money for a local charity that is contributing to the Haiti relief efforts in a big way and, with the influence that some of us have on Twitter, why not use that as the method to motivate people to gather together to organize, produce and promote a local event? Everything was done via social and electronic communications!  The Chicago Twitter #ChiHelpsHaiti team didn’t even talk on the phone until 9 hours after the initial tweets and DMs went out!

Kate’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by the media. The Chicago Tribune picked up on it last week, check out this great write-up in Chicago’s Philanthropy Examiner, and it’s listed not once but three times on ChicagoBusiness.com (which is powered by Crain’s).

I hope to catch up with Kate in the next couple of weeks to see if this drive was a success (and how she measures success), and what lessons we can learn as PR professionals from her (though I think a few are already self-evident).

For now, though, I just want to take my hat off to Kate. Ms. Zimmer, I’m proud to call you “friend.”

I’d love it if you joined me in trying to help Kate; there are so many ways to do it. You could leave a comment for Kate below, help her spread the word on Twitter or Facebook, blog about it or donate to the Alliance’s emergency fund for Haiti. If you’re in the Chicago area, showing up at tonight’s event or eating at one of the participating restaurants. We’d be so grateful.

http://www.chicagoredcross.org/general_calltoaction.asp?CTA=5&SN=249&OP=9170&SUOP=9171&IDCapitulo=VF223FBDFD

Haiti: Aftershocks of a Different Kind

You should read this terrific post that Geoff Livingston has written for Mashable on social media lessons from the Haitian earthquake. There’s a ton of food for thought there.

But I’m following the Wyclef Jean/Yéle Haiti story closely and today saw this report in Gawker.

While I’m not jumping to conclusions (I’ll leave that to the appropriate authorities), I do think there are enough valid questions to make me think that non-profits should be extremely concerned about the long-term impact on fundraising.

Which, let’s face it, determines whether they get to carry out their mission effectively or not.

Here’s how I responded to Geoff’s post:

Nice post, Geoff. I think the other really important lesson here is that while the immediacy that social media allows is breathtaking, it is equally, if not more, important to do your research before using these channels and committing to a path, because it could potentially have far-reaching consequences. I write this in context of the Wyclef Jean/Yéle Haiti “rumblings,” which are growing louder by the day (and as you know, did a brief post on this last week). Day by day more organizations are bringing Yéle Haiti on as a recipient of fundraisers, telethons, etc., yet there is justifiable speculation as to the workings of this organization.

Please understand I am not pointing a finger at Mr. Jean personally; I have no doubt he has the best of intentions. But the desire to do good and administering effective relief operations are completely different things. If it turns out that all is well with Yéle Haiti, no one will be more relieved than me. But if not, a very many people will feel let down, which might, in turn, affect fundraising initiatives for non-profits, particularly of smaller/upcoming organizations; and possibly even the way they use social media in the future.

What do you think? Am I over-thinking this? Nothing to worry about? Please share your thoughts, over at Geoff’s post, or below, or both.

Image: IFRC/Eric Quintero

Go Social, Give Wisely

The way philanthropic organizations have been mobilizing social media in recent years to raise funds isn’t really “shiny new stuff” any more. Still, the recent waves of donations after the earthquake have been coming at lightning speed.

In light of that, I’ve been intrigued by The Smoking Gun’s scrutiny of Wyclef Jean’s charity, Yéle Haiti (also reported on in today’s Washington Post). Having run communications for the ASPCA during some critical events in the animal welfare arena, I know how generous people can be with their money when tragedy strikes, even when they don’t have a lot to give. I also know how important it is that that money reaches the right hands.

I honestly don’t know what the deal is with Mr. Jean’s charity and am not going to play a guessing game. If you’ve been following the story, you can view his video response on YouTube, which Mashable picked up pretty quickly (h/t Lindsay Allen for finding it for me). I do think he is to be commended for springing into action so quickly after the earthquake hit and being a very public face for the poorest nation in the Americas.

What I will say is that regardless of who you’re going to give your money to, you should do your research and give where you trust that your donation will be wisely used.

Charity Navigator is a good place to start, and usually my first stop when I’m researching a non-profit organization (you can read their take on Yéle Haiti and why they don’t currently rate it here).

GuideStar is another resource, and there are some terrific blogs and writing out there on philanthropy, such as Tactical Philanthropy, which Wendy Harman of the American Red Cross directed me to.

Also understand that while you might give your money immediately, it will take time to reach those who need it most – it’s not an instant process, as Wendy, who answered a few questions related to the organization’s efforts in Haiti for me, explains:

Q. A couple of days ago, the American Red Cross confirmed $5 million in donations from a texting campaign. However, today’s Wall Street Journal reports that “it could be weeks, if not months, before any of that money actually can be used… the money won’t be routed from most U.S. wireless carriers to relief efforts until cellphone users pay their phone bills.” Is the ARC making this delay clear to potential donors? Does this have any impact on your operations? And how successful are campaigns such as this, in your opinion, to more traditional fundraising methods such as telethons?

A. We can now announce the public has donated $12 million in $10 increments from texting “Haiti” to 90999. It will take more than 60 days for these exact donations to get to the American Red Cross. In the meantime, we know how much has been pledged and will use existing funds from our International Response Fund to distribute the donations immediately.

This text campaign has been a supplement to existing fundraising channels such as donating online, calling 1-800-REDCROSS, mailing, telethons, etc. The ease of text messaging and the automatic $10 donation has helped raise awareness for the need for funds because it’s also so easy to pass around via twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites.

Q. How is the American Red Cross using social media to help Haitians in their time of need?

A. We’re proud of the social media philosophy and program we’ve had in place for a couple of years – we empower social media tools and the community on the social web to fulfill our mission. Many times we provide critical information for people who are affected by disasters. In the case of the earthquake in Haiti, we’re concentrating more on providing information to everyone in the United States who wants to help, and keeping everyone updated on how this tremendous outpouring of support is impacting people in Haiti.

Q. Is it working?

A. I hope so!

Q. Some of us in the communication field feel we can’t “do anything” to help in times of crisis. Do you think that’s true? If not, and we can indeed help, what can we do?

A. The best thing you can do is keep this story in the news. All attention is here now and for sure there is a dire emergency happening right now but make no mistake: this will be a massive long-term recovery operation and we could use your help in continuing to keep the people of Haiti in the minds of the public.

***

I’ve been trying to help spread awareness of the Red Cross’ efforts as well as those of Hope for Haiti, which 12for12K is partnering with (HFH is rated by CharityNavigator, by the way), as have many of the people I know, online as well as offline. As Wendy says, that’s the one thing that we communicators know how to do, so let’s keep doing it. And to everyone who is – thank you.

Do you have tips to share on giving wisely to charities? Any other thoughts you’d like to share? I’d love to know.

See, Hear, Give. Please.

Photo: Matthew Marek/American Red Cross

Photo: IFRC/Eric Quintero

Please give what you can, to the American Red Cross, Hope for Haiti (You can “Chipin” easily via the 12for12K widget below) or another reputable charitable organization. Thank you.

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

Yesterday this blog turned a year old. I’ve actually been doing this – sometimes not at all consistently, but I’ve hung in there – for a year.

Wow!

I do want to share some thoughts on what I’ve been through as a new blogger, as well as call out some people without whom it wouldn’t have been possible, but right now, I’m going to share another milestone.

In four days, I’ll turn 40.

Yup, I thought I’d get a bigger reaction out of you with that one. Time flies when you’re having fun.

I don’t know if I’m killing my future career prospects by revealing my age, but let’s face it, if you know me and/or have been following me, you should’ve figured it out by now.

Plus, this is supposed to be social media and the 21st century, right? “We’re here and we’re ol-der, get used to it” and all that.

I’ll confess, I still get a kick out of it when I’m carded. Who doesn’t like being thought younger than they are, other than, possibly, five-year-olds? But I watched with admiration as Danny Brown pulled together the 12for12K initiative when he turned 40 and figured I could try to do something along those lines.

This year, I’m trying to raise money for Kids with Cameras, a non-profit organization that teaches the art of photography to marginalized children in communities around the world. And right now, they’re undergoing a capital campaign to build a safe haven for young girls from Kolkata’s (my home town) red light district.

I tried to bring attention to them on my birthday last year, having been inspired by the likes of Beth Kanter, and my friends and community – you – were very kind in keeping me going.

If you didn’t read (or don’t remember) what I wrote about them last year, and why I relate to the Kids with Cameras, here it is. And I still believe that we communicators have an enviable opportunity to touch others, by virtue of what we do. Communication is our lens.

This year, I’d really appreciate your support – and celebration of all I’ve put up with to get to 40! – by you visiting my Facebook Cause and, if it moves you, donating whatever you can to help me raise $800 for them. It’s not 12for12K-level, but it’s a beginning. And my friends Alissa Friedman and Geoff Livingston have kicked it off – thank you both!

Will you help me change the lives of children you’ve never met? It really would be the best birthday gift ever.

Thank you!

Image: Kids with Cameras

Tweetup… A Pocketful of Rainbows

I told you a couple of days ago about #shonalitweetup that’s being organized around PRSA2009. Now I’m really excited that we’ve added another layer to what I know is going to be a great evening and will, I hope, help an extremely worthy fund raising effort meet its goal.

We’ve partnered with 12for12K to help one of its charities, Musicians on Call. If you’re active in the social media world, you’re already familiar with 12for12K and Danny Brown, the brains and passion behind it. If you’re not, you can learn more here and here.

So, in a nutshell, if we all give a little, we’ll be able to help some extremely worthy causes. $12K per charity sounds like an awful lot, but not if we all chip in $10, $20, whatever we can (and companies, you should be giving more!). Little drops of water, little grains of sand, etc.

All the charities that have been selected for 12for12K are worthy causes. Even if we haven’t lived in a war zone, been excruciatingly hungry, or have been blessed with keeping our vision, we can identify with those who have/do, have been/are, and haven’t/can’t. If you haven’t been touched by these issues directly, you have been, in some way, shape or form, indirectly.

When it comes to music, though, there is not a single person who has not been touched by it directly. Remember how excited I was to visit Graceland, or listening to/watching Adam Lambert? In other words, the soundtrack of our lives.

So please help Danny and his team support Musicians on Call. Here are some ways in which you can do this:

1. If you’re coming to #shonalitweetup, consider chipping in. Yes, the tweetup is still sponsored, thanks to PRNewswire, Mike Smith Public Affairs and dna13 (that means hosted beverages and pie aka pizza for a limited time, so that we don’t drink Bar Basic out of house and home). And you don’t have to chip in – but it would be so nice if you would.

2. Whether you’re coming to the tweetup or not, share this post and/or the link to its 12for12K page with your networks; Facebook, Twitter, even email… you know the drill. Oh, and how about embedding the donation widget on your blog?

3. If you really think this is a good idea, put the squeeze on people you can ask directly to chip in.

You, my community, have been very good to me – from egging me on when I started this blog a whopping 11 months ago, to helping me find Darby the GSD a home. I hope I’ve been good for you in some way too. Now let’s all be good for 12for12K and Musicians On Call.

One other thing – and this is very important – just because the tweetup is tomorrow night, we’re not going to stop trying to help there. 12for12K runs through the end of the year… so we have a few weeks to help them reach their goal. Let’s do it!

Can we help some very worthwhile causes find their pockets full of rainbows?

As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart. (Psst, I downloaded MoC’s logo from their site, in case you want to do that as well).

Clicking Our Way To Ending Hunger

Yesterday I came across an interesting article: “What Would You Never Sell, Though Desperate For Money?” in the Chicago Tribune (hat tip to @ColonelTribune). That’s a relevant question in these times.

But what if you didn’t even have that option? What if you didn’t have anything you would never sell… to keep a roof over your head, or stay reasonably healthy, or put food on the table?

Not a pleasant thought, huh?

Through the Communicator’s Lens

As communicators, we don’t have all the answers, much as we’d sometimes like to think we do, to ending the world’s problems. What we can do, though, is harness the power of our networks to spread awareness that results in action.

This is why I’ve joined the Pledge to End Hunger, which launches today. I’m going to do my very best to motivate my networks to take simple, easy actions that could provide 140,000 meals for children in Austin during South by Southwest 2009 (SXSW).

Why Childhood Hunger?

Share Our Strength has some heartbreaking statistics here, telling us that one in six children were at risk of hunger at some point last year. Among them are:

• 5.1 million kids —43.6%—living at or below the poverty threshold.
• 5.9 million kids living with a married couple.
• 5.8 million kids -one-third—who live in single-woman households.
• 10.6 million kids living within metro areas—5 times the number living outside metro areas.

Just One Click

All it takes is a click via this online form. For each click, Tyson Foods will donate 35 lbs of food product, the equivalent of 140 servings (Twitter flashback, anyone?).

If 1,000 people take the online pledge, a semi-trailer filled with 140,000 meals will arrive at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas in Austin during the SXSW ’09 Interactive Festival.

Of course, you can do more. You can take the pledge yourself, tell your friends about it, change your social network avatars, join the Facebook cause… and, if your pocket allows, make a donation.

You don’t have to do any of these things – but you can help me help kids by making one click.

Will you join me?

Through a Lens, Richly

Communicators: how do you use your lens to impact the world?

While channel-surfing a couple of years ago, I came across the documentary “Born into Brothels.” Having been born and brought up in Calcutta (now Kolkata), I was instantly captivated by the story. More than that, I was touched by Zana Briski‘s commitment to these children born, through no fault of their own, on the wrong side of the street; and her covenant to open their eyes and bring them the riches of hope – through a camera lens.

The original Kids with Cameras. Source: Kids with Cameras

The Communicator’s Lens

When “Slumdog Millionaire” swept last week’s Golden Globes, I was reminded of the “kids with cameras,” and the power an image has to convey what, often, 516 words cannot. That is the essence of what we, as communicators, should aspire to, isn’t it? To convey a message to our audiences in such an efficient and impactful way that they are moved to action, enabling our clients or organizations to achieve their goals.

As communicators, we each have a unique lens through which we reach out to, and touch, the world.

Just in the last several days, I have come across many passionate communications professionals putting their networks to work for the greater good. Take Beth Kanter, who raised more than $3,500 for the Sharing Foundation which helps kids in Cambodia. Or Danny Brown, who’s initiated the incredible 12 for 12K campaign. You need look no further than your e-mail inbox, Twitterstream or Facebook friends to find countless examples of how an image – coupled with the power of connection – can change lives forever.

As my tribe that has overwhelmed me with birthday wishes today, I’m asking you to use the power of your lens to make a difference for the kids with cameras. You can:

• Join the Facebook group for Kids with Cameras. (We can’t donate to them via Facebook right now, but we’ll find a way to help them.)
• Donate whatever you can – whether it’s $5 or $50, directly to Kids with Cameras. If you’re clicking through from this post, please select “Hope House,” since Avijit is already in the U.S. If you’d like to make the donation in someone else’s name, just check that box (and if you want to make it in mine, I’d be more honored than I can tell you; just make a note of that in your comment below so that I can send you my email address).
• If the amounts in option #2 above don’t work for you, you can make a donation of whatever amount is comfortable for you by either calling or emailing them a check.
• If you’re unable to donate or join the Facebook group (I know it’s a tough time) but would still like to help, just send me a note. We’ll find a way to put our talents to work for them.
• If this cause touches you, please tell your family, friends and colleagues about it. Spreading the word is the greatest power communicators have!

You can change the world through your lens. How you do it is up to you.