avad | Entries tagged with facebook

(x-posted to

10percentclub )

Spent Jan 13th, 2010 researching/learning more about the devastating earthquake in Haiti and relief efforts while plugged into Facebook as the messages and pulses spiralled around. Watching/listening for the swarmspeak and effects.

Please contribute to the Texting campaigns -a great idea for getting the masses to help immediately/ accumulating an abundance of small donations:
Text 'Haiti' to 90999 to donate $10 immediately to the Red Cross. amount will be added on to your monthly phone bill.( more info )
Text 'Yele' to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele.org, Wyclef Jean's grassroots campaign for Haiti relief and development. I tried doing both but did not get the reply confirmation that is supposed to come immediately after...?

In my research, Doctors Without Borders still felt the best bet for donating...they were already on the ground and working there....a major facility of theirs damaged...and now working out of temporary structures doing what needs to be done. So many injuries...let's help them help. I chose to go through Facebook Cause for Doctors without Borders.

"Besides the contributions from major countries, innovative text message services and internet campaigns had brought in millions....
A cellphone campaign set up by the US Red Cross had raised more than $8m early on Friday, with the money pouring in at the rate of $100 000 an hour, officials said.
Celebrities urged the world to help as well, and a text message campaign run by Yele Haiti, a grassroots group founded by former Fugees singer Wyclef Jean, who has Haitian roots, had raised more than $2m." - news24.com

Donating by Text: Haiti Fundraising Goes Viral- TIME mag

U.N. launches Haiti emergency appeal for $550 million:...
See More

please continue to help with any donations you can and spread the word/encourage others.
The mass fundraising and relief efforts for Haiti and the behavior of geese out here this week bring to mind my hopes for what we are capable of. As we try to develop a global helping hand... let this inspire:

It felt so wonderful last year to be able to raise some money on my birthday for a cause I really care about-Sobornost's work with the orphans in Africa- Posted it on Facebook using Facebook Causes Birthday Wish and I thank you all who participated/donated- it was so satisfying. My birthday is tomorrow again...there are so many causes that have moved me this past year...that I want to DO Something about...so I've been looking forward to the Birthday WIsh for a long while.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about basic things...and what it takes to feel 'capable'. Whenever I've felt overwhelmed, or focused on what I 'need'...I've been reminding myself often of the gift of having two legs to walk on....and starting from there...knowing that I can do so much in this life. So that was my inspiration for this year's wish: I wonder if you would help me...in honor of my birthday.....to join me in giving that most basic starting point to someone somewhere in the world who does Not have it.

Prosthetic Outreach Foundation's Mission is to create opportunities for children and adults in developing countries who suffer from limb loss and deformities to lead more fulfilling lives.
POF creates opportunities for children and adults in developing countries who suffer from limb loss and limb deformities to lead more fulfilling lives. POF provides access to prosthetics, orthopedic surgery, physical rehabilitation, and non-medical assistance, such as micro-lending.

I think that would be the most meaningful birthday gift of all this year to me. Remembering the Gift of having 2 legs to walk on...by giving that gift to someone who shows us how to really appreciate it. The thought/reminder alone puts me in a stronger place, a thankful place, a Capable and powerful and generous place. Maybe it will feel the same for you. Visit the Prosthetic Outreach Foundation's website and or watch the video if you'd like to find out more...they have an amazing program in place...creating a sustainable loop of even training people to be able to create the prosthetics there, giving employment opportunities in areas of such great need. If you can donate just $10 (or any amount) to this wonderful organization it would mean so much. Someone can walk, someone gets a job, and we remember that we can always Do something.
Please go through the Birthday Wish page here if you're on Facebook (so that it shows in the total- which is so inspiring) and if not please just donate through their website and let me know about it in a comment here on LJ? I've raised over $300 so far and I'm excited to see if it can go much higher and do much more!!? THANK YOU!! muchlove, Darlene

Hey all, I've just created a 10%Club group on Facebook...please link on over and join forces/become a member there and spread the word! We've got to get 1000 members together!Please Let's!
The 10% Club on Facebook
:)!!

today I am thinking about and hammering (nailprayers on my artworks) for Olga's Girl's. Have chosen this amazing and necessary program for a next 10% contribution. any support welcome.

update: check came through and I was happy to donate 10% through the Facebook Cause for this: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106726/12954259?m=611088da

Are you on Facebook? (or MySpace)
If so, do you use the Causes App?
Can you take a second and tell me in the comments section?(questions below after paste)

About Causes:
(cut and pasted from the Facebook site)
"Facebook Platform presents an unprecedented opportunity to engage our generation, most of whom are on Facebook, in seizing the future and making a difference in the world around us. Our generation cares deeply, but the current system has alienated us. Causes provides the tools so that any Facebook user can leverage their network of real friends to effect positive change.

The goal of all this is what we call "equal opportunity activism." We're trying to level the playing field by empowering individuals to change the world. Existing nonprofits must raise hundreds of millions of dollars and leverage massive direct marketing campaigns to attract members. We're democratizing activism by empowering activists with an arsenal of tools for users of Facebook who want to leverage their network on Facebook to effect positive change.

Any Facebook user with a little passion and initiative can create a cause, recruit their friends into that cause, keep everybody in the cause up-to-speed on issues and media related to the cause, and, most importantly, raise money directly through the cause for any U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit or Canadian registered charity. We process the donations automatically via credit card, tally the results, and report the donation activity via a public "scorecard" in the cause. This allows us to reward people who grow their causes, donate, and successfully raise money.

This is a natural evolution of social networking. Leveraging real world social networks is an important part of activism, fundraising, and political campaigning. This is especially true of grassroots activism, local-chapter style nonprofit organizations, and the walks/runs used by many charities to raise money. Given all this, it's a bit surprising that online social networks haven't been more aggressively leveraged until now."

so some quick questions, if you can answer in the comments I would sO appreciate...I'm just trying to get a better idea about where Causes stands with my peers right now in awareness and action:
1. Are you on either Facebook or Myspace?
2. Do you know about and/or use the Causes App?
3. If so, what causes have you joined?
4. Of the causes you have joined, have you donated to any?
5. any further comments/thoughts about it would be lovely but only if you have time. short quick answers will help too.

ps additionally if anyone wants to gather some more perspectives/answers from their friends/readers we can consolidate/discuss here?...
xoD

file under: Facebook/Apps and Games for Good
Doesn't cost you a thing...but by choosing and participating in some of the more socially conscious apps your Facebook click-energy can actually help in a big way. 'Lil Green Patch' is the current star in this new and needed arena of Facebook Apps.

"The ('Lil'Green Patch) application is one of the top ten most installed applications on Facebook. According to Developer Analytics it has 5,217,180 installations with 521,718 or 10% active users. But what makes it stand out from other popular applications - such as Friends for Sale - is that it combines group dynamics with social activism. And it goes beyond just putting a cute little green vegetable plant on your profile -- the applications is making (sizable) donations to green causes...."
read more on Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

To date, Lil Green Patch has been able to donate $33,600 to the Nature Conservancy Cause from the accumulated clicks of Facebook members.

Can you envision new and similarly engaging games/Apps for your favorite nonprofit or cause?
What type of App would you imagine for Doctors without Borders?

Facebookers could send/adopt/care for animals for Farm Sanctuary or the World Wildlife Fund,
virtually-collaborate in teams for building houses for Habitat for Humanity....
what else?

the arena is so fertile for development, I can't wait to see what grows next

others to watch:
H2Opia for WaterAid

iRipple

Endangered Hugs

do you know of others? please post links in comments, thanks!

As an experiment, part of my 10%s this month were sent through Facebook's app 'Changing the Present'. If you have a Facebook, you know all about those virtual roses and hatching eggs that people can send eachother on there. 'Changing the Present' makes the great stance of transforming this trend into more meaningful gifts that help fund projects around the world. Now send a $1 donation gift to show friends you care,
and help make the world a better place. There are so many projects to choose from it's potentially (and hopefully) addicting:)

Today I chose to send a bunch of gifts celebrating my lovely lady friends on Facebook which accumulated funds for SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) in India. SEWA is featured in one of my favorite books, 'In Her Hands' by Paola Gianturco, and I believe in their work and want to support them.

As another 10%, I made a contribution towards a friend's volunteer art workshop journey in South Africa, you can read about it here and maybe contribute a little something as well?

Fre Van Bree sends such a lovely report on the first of several Peace Tiles workshops she is carrying out in South Africa http://www.ned.com/group/devarts/news/6/95/