14 Quotes to Inspire You

7 Oct

This article originally appears in The Huffington Post.

Amy Neumann

by 

Writer, Speaker; Social Good, PR and Marketing Consultant

Posted: 10/05/2012 5:00 pm

Inspiration can come from many places. Often, it’s something simple that catches your eye and your curiosity, sparking new thinking or a flash of insight. Quotes have long been a source of inspiration for this reason. The right quote can leave one feeling uplifted, or create an “Ah ha!” moment of compassion, happiness, and awareness.

Here are 14 inspiring quotes to give a quick, positive boost to your day!

2012-10-05-InspirationTree.jpgSomething bright at just the right moment can create a beautiful perspective. Photo courtesy of Amy Neumann

William James
1  of  15
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James

#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.

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Social Media All-Stars Unite to Create “The Social Cookbook” to Benefit @InvisiblePeople.tv

19 Sep

Chris Brogan, Brian Solis, Liz Strauss and a Dozen Other Web Celebs Donate Recipes for Cookbook App to Help the Homeless

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

InvisiblePeople.tv has teamed up with BakeSpace.com and some of the most visible people in social media to create “The Social Cookbook” – a first-of-its-kind app-based fundraising cookbook to raise funds to fight homelessness.

Get the Social Cookbook App!

Created with BakeSpace’s Cookbook Café digital publishing platform, “The Social Cookbook” is available for download on the iPad via the free Cookbook Café app, as well as online as a web-based e-book. It includes personal recipes from 19 highly respected social media influencers – from Chris Brogan and Liz Strauss to Brian Solis and Beth Kanter.

Watch: How InvisiblePeople.tv, the organization helping homelessness via social media, has teamed with BakeSpace.com to create the first crowd-sourced cookbook from social media

The cookbook costs $2.99 to download, and all proceeds (after Apple’s App Store fee) go to support InvisiblePeople.tv and its efforts to fight homelessness using the power of social media. The organization is a nationally-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2008 by Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal on Twitter). Its mission is to empower the homeless to tell their stories, build community and connect with support services by helping them get online and have a voice.

To build “The Social Cookbook,” a list of all-star social media influencers contributed their favorite personal recipes including:

  • David Armano’s “Popo Mikey’s Famous Stuffing & Mom’s Turkey Gravy” (@armano)
  • Chris Brogan’s “Poor Man’s Shepherd’s Pie” (@chrisbrogan)
  • C.C. Chapman’s “Soggy Saturday Wings” (@cc_chapman)
  • Claire Diaz-Ortiz’s “Sugar Cookies” (@Claire)
  • Sarah Evans’ “Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes with Bananas” (@PRsarahevans)
  • Jason Falls’ “Potato and Egg Salad” (@jasonfalls)
  • Sean Gardner’s “Lasagna” (@2morrowknight)
  • Beth Kanter’s “Kachumber Salad” (@kanter)
  • Jason Keath’s “Dirty Greek Eggs” (@jasonkeath)
  • Shira Lazar’s “Shira’s Social Sangria” (@shiralazar)
  • Stefanie Michaels’ “Eggs ala Salsa” (@adventuregirl)
  • Amy Neumann’s “Simple Homemade Pickles” (@CharityIdeas)
  • Amber Naslund’s “Chicken Tortilla Soup” (@ambercadabra)
  • Lee Odden’s “Philly Cheese Steak Rolls” (@leeodden)
  • Jeff Pulver’s “Jeff Pulver’s Jackson Hole Shakshuka” (@jeffpulver)
  • Peter Shankman’s “Mom’s Calming Noodles and Cheese” (@petershankman)
  • Mari Smith’s “Mom’s Scottish Shortbread” (@marismith)
  • Brian Solis’ “Tortilla Espanola” (@briansolis)
  • Liz Strauss’ “Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich” (@lizstrauss)

“I love that this cookbook brings together some of the most visible people in social media to help some of the least visible people in our society,” said InvisiblePeople.tv Founder Mark Horvath. “I’m grateful to everyone who helped create ‘The Social Cookbook,’ as well as everyone who downloads it to help fight homelessness.”

To preview excerpts from the cookbook and learn more, visit http://bit.ly/thesocialcookbook.

“Fundraising cookbooks have been around for a long time, so our goal for Cookbook Café was to update the publishing process and make it easier, more efficient and more rewarding,” said BakeSpace.com Founder Babette Pepaj. “We wanted to come up with a technology that democratizes cookbook publishing and helps nonprofits like InvisiblePeople sweeten their fundraising efforts.”

Learn more about our homeless friends, aka “Invisible People,” Mark Horvath and InvisiblePeople.tv are helping us see using social media to spread their stories.

Cookbook Café enables anyone (individuals, groups, brands, etc.) to publish a cookbook as both a web-based e-book and an iPad app quickly, easily and at no cost.

Once a cookbook is published, the author can give it away for free or sell it to the world for profit or fundraising. Cookbooks are sold online and on the iPad via Cookbook Café’s community-driven marketplace, which makes it easy for shoppers to discover even the most niche cookbooks. “The Social Cookbook” is the first cookbook published using Cookbook Café’s new groups feature, which enables groups of any size to crowdsource recipes and work together to build a cookbook.

Earlier this year, Cookbook Café was recognized by the Webby Awards and the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) in the best social app and use of new technology categories. The do-it-yourself publishing platform includes: 1) The free Cookbook Café iPad app with cookbook storefront and reader, 2) A web-based version of the storefront and reader accessible via any web browser, and 3) A web-based book builder that automatically publishes each cookbook as both an iPad app and web-based e-book. More information about Cookbook Café is available at http://CookbookCafe.com. To make an original cookbook, visit BakeSpace.com/cookbooks – it’s free!

About InvsiblePeople.tv

InvisiblePeople.tv is a grassroots 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2008 by Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal on Twitter) to fight poverty and homelessness using the power of online social media. The organization launched its sister site – WeAreVisible.com – in September 2010 as a resource to educate homeless people, help them get online and connect with support services. After building a successful career in television syndication, Mark found himself homeless in 1995 following a battle with addiction. He worked hard to clean up his act, and was living comfortably by 2007 with a three-bedroom house and a 780 credit score. But then the recession hit. After several layoffs and a foreclosure, he was once again facing homelessness. That’s when Mark launched InvisiblePeople.tv with just $45 and a budding interest in social media. More information is available at http://InvisiblePeople.tv and http://WeAreVisible.com.

About Cookbook Cafe and BakeSpace.com

Launched in 2006 as the Web’s first food social network, BakeSpace.com has been described by USA Today as “the closest thing to a Facebook-like food site.” It has earned numerous Webby Award honors including back-to-back nominations for “Best Social Network.” The company’s ‘Cookbook Café’ publishing platform is the first DIY digital publishing tool that enables anyone to create, market and sell a cookbook as both a native iPad app and a web-based eBook. BakeSpace also produces the TECHmunch Food Blogger Conference, which is held in cities across North America. More information is available at http://BakeSpaceMedia.com.

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#SocialGood Stars: @PlantAFish Founder Fabien Cousteau (@FCousteau) on Helping Our Oceans

17 Sep

This article originally appears in The Huffington Post.

Amy Neumann

Writer, Speaker; Social Good, PR and Marketing Consultant

Social Good Stars: Plant a Fish Founder Fabien Cousteau on Helping Our Oceans

Posted: 09/02/2012 9:08 am

This is the twelfth installment of the Impact series, #SocialGoodStars. The people highlighted here are passionate, dedicated philanthropists, strengths to their communities, and social media masters. They also happily share their vast knowledge with others, making them shine as leaders in the Social Good world. You can read the eleventh interview with Global Impact CEO Scott Jackson here.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
- Jacques Yves Cousteau

Fabien Cousteau was born with a passion for the ocean. His grandfather, Jacques Cousteau, was a prolific ocean documentarian and explorer (134 documentaries, 70 books), and an inquisitive conservationist who helped invent the aqualung, allowing modern SCUBA diving. Fabien spent many years on board the Calypso and Alycone with Jacques and his family, developing a love for the ocean, filming it, and helping its creatures. His father Jean-Michel and sister Celine are also avid explorers, and the three of them completed a three-year multi-hour series for PBS called Ocean Adventures in 2006. Fabien uses his environmental economics degree from Boston University to bring insight into striking balance between regional and global environmental issues and the realities of market economies. In 2010 he founded the nonprofit Plant A Fish to empower and educate local communities by replanting aquatic plants and animals.

Between traveling between France and New York City, Fabien spends a great deal of time on the oceans filming. He also speaks around the world about the Ocean and its ecosystems, and has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Gayle King, and NBC’s Today Show. He is involved with the boards of SeaKeepers Society, Water Innovation Alliance, Millennium Project, and many others, and has spoken recently at TEDx and the 2012 UN Rio Earth Summit.

Here are some of his thoughts on saving the world, one fish at a time.

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Plant A Fish (PAF) is an active, hands-on outdoor education and restoration experience developed by Fabien Cousteau, third-generation ocean explorer, documentary filmmaker and environmental ambassador. Photo courtesy of PlantAFish.org

You’ve said, “The oceans are the circulatory system of life on this planet. Quite literally saving the oceans protects ourselves.” Can you expand on that?

Oceans make up 71% of the earth’s surface and 97.5% of all the water on earth. And around 70% of all food contains ingredients from the oceans, even down to the grain grown using fish meal that may be fed to animals, or the kelp in ice cream. Someone skiing on a mountain 1000 miles inland is skiing on snow from water in the oceans. It’s critical to protect this ecosystem since it impacts all facets of life.

Once you start to learn more about the ocean and all its incredible life forms, it’s nearly impossible to turn your back. That’s why Plant a Fish came about – to educate, empower, and help restore these amazing creatures and ecosystems in a hands-on, fun way.

Telling stories visually, through documentaries and photos, is a hallmark of yours. Why do you think that’s so impactful?

Although it would be ideal for everyone to be able to experience the wonder of the ocean scuba diving or on a scientific submarine, since that’s not practical, being a storyteller for the oceans is the next best thing. I started film making when I was 8 and love it. Visual elements are at the core of telling compelling stories, and telling stories is a great way to inspire people and evoke emotions.

This is useful for any organization, visual storytelling. And although the attention span increases with the quality, any tool is a great tool when used properly – even a casual video shot from a smartphone can capture the essence of an event in a way that shares it more fully with the audience. And photos can capture the beauty and emotions of particular moments so they’re recreated for others, and create a desire to help or learn more.

What are some ways individuals can help the ocean?

Of course we offer many programs, and ideas to start an effort in your area, at Plant a Fish. Another great resource is your local aquarium. They will have access to conservation groups, events, and activities you can join to get more personally involved. There are hands-on actitives like beach cleanups and local restoration projects that are an opportunity to have fun and learn as well as protect and restore.

Just as important are simple, day-to-day things, a different way of seeing. Stay curious. Respect nature. Get guidance when doing new activities outdoors. Look but don’t touch. Explore, learn, and share what you discover.

And things like recycling are invaluable, but often come a bit late in the process. Instead, think: Refuse to use, reduce, reuse, then recycle. Conservation and protection are far more helpful to the environment that fixing things after they’re broken.

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Fabien Cousteau was inspired to protect the oceans growing up on the decks of his famous Grandfather Jacques Cousteau’s ships, Calypso and Alcyone. Photo courtesy of FabienCousteau.org

You can learn more about how to get involved with the oceans at Plant a Fish, on Facebook, and @PlantAFish on Twitter.

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.

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

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Crisis Management: How To Handle a Crisis Using Social Media (5 Steps)

23 Aug

This article originally appears in The Huffington Post.

Amy Neumann

Writer, Speaker; Social Good Consultant

5 Steps for Crisis Management Using Social Media

Posted: 08/20/2012 1:03 pm

Today, good news — or bad news — breaks in real time. And anything can go viral in short order. This is great for cute babies laughing in videos, or heart-warming tales of good deeds. It’s not great, however, for the unexpected, semi-inevitable crisis that any organization can face suddenly. Luckily, nothing in the social media world is too much different than in the “real world.” Quotes emphasizing that, like it or not, they are virtually the same now — online and offline worlds.

So how can one be prepared?

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” — John F. Kennedy

Thinking about and detailing a crisis management plan in advance is of course ideal; getting at least prepared with the basics is a necessity. One critical component of planning on a small or large scale is social media strategy. A 2012 Gartner study reports, “75% of organizations with BCM [Business Continuity Programs] will have public social media services in their crisis communications strategies by 2015.” And why is that?

It’s because the fastest way to spread any message now is via social media.

Outlined below are five steps organizations can take to help successfully navigate and manage a crisis smoothly, using social media.

Although these steps do have a definitive chronological order, the diagram [below] includes a star pattern across the five areas, indicating that as things progress, new information and feedback emerges. And positive progress is made, the steps become more fluid.

2012-08-16-5StepsCrisisManagementAmyNeumann.png

Awareness

Social media is most beneficial to everyone when it is conversational and engaging. Part of that is being aware of the conversations happening. Although some people are hesitant to “get involved with social media,” the fact is, every public and private organization is already involved with social media.

Think of social media like this: If you walk into the center of a crowded room, and then cover your ears with your hands, people don’t stop talking; you only stop hearing what they’re already saying.

How do you stay aware? By monitoring the outside social media world. Keeping tabs on the major platforms, like Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn, YouTube and blog comments keeps companies informed. This can be as simple as setting up free Google alerts. Or, there are numerous platforms available to make listening (and interacting) simple, even with large teams. A few currently popular choices would include Hootsuite, CoTweet , Sprout Social, Argyle, Radian6, Sysomos, and Vitrue. Some of the more sophisticated tools even track Sentiment, meaning whether mentions are positive or negative overall… which can be a good heads-up that somethings amiss if sentiment suddenly turns more negative.

With any of these, including Google alerts, here are a few key things to track:

• Organization name
• CEO and other high-profile people
• Marquee products or services by name
• Social media accounts (if not tracking with social media tools)
• Your blog name
• Your events
• Competitors

Listening

“There is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.” — The Matrix

Awareness is important, but what next? Unless one side is listening while the other is talking, there’s no conversation happening.

Where there isn’t conversation, there’s everything else: opinion, gossip, hearsay, irritation, confusion, assumption. None of these are ideal for organizations that pride themselves on trust, credibility, honesty and two-way communication.

So what does “listening” mean? It means noticing, and responding, to comments and social media mentions. It also means not deleting negative comments (unless extremely profane, abusive, racist or otherwise severely questionable), as that is equivalent to hanging up on someone who calls customer service. That almost always backfires and makes the person not only more angry, but also more prone to escalate their negative comments. At that point, when feeling “dismissed,” people are more likely to mention their annoyance to their social media networks, which can rapidly become viral, in a bad way. And most of the time, exactly like in the “real world” (vs. online), a few things become important.

These are things your customers want during a crisis:

• Feeling like I’m heard.
• Feeling like my opinion matters.
• Feeling like someone hears me and will do something.

2012-08-16-DarkSkiesAmyNeumann.jpg

Hmmm… Is there trouble brewing? Photo by Amy Neumann

Transparency

Updates should be as real-time as possible. Don’t admit fault if it’s not determined, but at the same time, acknowledge the hardship that the confusion or changing circumstances warrant. And when it’s clear the fault lies within, acknowledge it, thank people for their feedback, and say how and why it won’t happen again. People want the real story, and appreciate it — even more than “perfection.”

Transparency shows in statements like these:

• We are aware of the issue, live updates are here: (site URL)
• Here’s what we’re doing to solve it
• Here’s how we’ll prevent it in the future
• Thank you for your patience and feedback

Feedback

This step is important, and not too far from listening. But in addition to hearing what people are saying, it’s critical to let them know they’re being heard. Providing feedback can be as simple as “Thank you for your feedback, more details are available at ___,” or for more complex matters, provide and email address they can send messages to for deeper interaction. Then, of course, follow up. At the feedback stage, it’s all about helping customers/constituents feel “in the loop,” like they are being heard, because someone is responding.

Feedback to the broader audience as a whole is also vital. Some ways to do this are through updates on websites and blogs, YouTube videos from executives or others within the company providing updates (normal quality is fine — it’s about the message, not the medium), Facebook updates, Tweets, LinkedIn status updates from executives, and posts on Google Plus.

2012-08-16-BrighterSkies2AmyNeumann.jpg

Now we’re getting somewhere… Photo by Amy Neumann

Resolution

Any crisis should at some point, hopefully quickly, come to a resolution. If the steps above have been happening ongoing, when there is resolution, it will be quick and easy to update those affected, using social media. The messaging at this point should thank people for their feedback and patience, outlining what the solution was, apologizing as needed, and reassuring customers that this has been a learning lesson and steps are in place to avoid a similar situation in the future. This messaging should flow through all social media channels, as well as be presented to the media, and posted on websites and blogs.

And at this stage, like all the other stages, the principles of listening for understanding, being empathetic and polite, and being helpful are key. If it feels like the stages have almost morphed into one fluid loop, you’re probably doing a great job.

2012-08-16-BlueSkiesAmyNeumann.jpg

Ahh. Much better. Transparency and feedback triumph again! Photo by Amy Neumann
Summary

A good company can shine bright in the face of adversity or crisis. The expectation is not perfection, but real, honest, understanding, helpful behavior during and after a crisis. With a goal to make things right during and after an issue, social media is an ideal tool to make that process as smooth, easy, and fast as possible for both sides.

“The reward of a thing well done is having done it.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Social Media Can Save the Day

In a crisis, these five steps can make things smoother and easier for customers and company alike.

Awareness
• Stay on top of conversations about your company with simple tools
• Watch for sudden changes in tone and sentiment from positive or neutral to negative
• Set up and monitor keywords related to your business

Listening
• Monitor who is talking to you across social media platforms and website comments
• Respond, both individually and more broadly
• Use updates on the same platforms someone talks, and invite them to email you if deeper interaction is needed

Transparency
• Acknowledge there is a situation
• Keep real-time updates flowing
• Be honest and straightforward with details

Feedback
• Make sure customers feel heard by replying, directing them to resources for updates
• Answer questions directly
• Be gracious for their feedback, and don’t delete negative comments

Resolution
• Update social media platforms with outcome, update websites
• Notify the media for additional outreach
• Outline the resolution, what was learned, and how similar situations will be prevented in the future
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.

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

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Microfinance: Changing Lives with Small Loans

31 Jul

This article originally appears in Forbes.

 
7/24/2012 @ 12:26PM

Microfinance as a Tool to Alleviate Poverty

Amy Neumann Amy Neumann, Dell

For millions of people without access to traditional banking, the internet is a lot more than a place to share the latest family photos. It’s an opportunity to tell their stories and gain access to small loans that can change their lives.

Just 10 percent of the global population has access to traditional banking, according the Gates Foundation. To bridge the gap, microfinance institutions step in. Microfinance entails loans of as little as $25 to unemployed or low-income individuals or groups who would otherwise have no other means of gaining financial services, providing low-income people with opportunities to become self-sufficient.

Back in 1974, a Bengali man named Muhammad Yunus created the concept of microfinance with Grameen Bank, winning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for the dramatic global impact of his idea. The World Bank estimates that more than 500 million people have benefitted from microfinance to date.

Different than charity, these loans are repaid to the individual lenders. Since 2005, Kiva, a person-to-person microlending organization, has provided more than $329 million from 786,000 lenders in 62 countries, with the astonishing repayment rate of 98.97 percent. Borrowers are able to tell their stories online, along with details of their business idea – say, opening a shop or buying materials to make goods by hand.

For as little as $25, you can help someone launch a business through Kiva.org.

Kate Cochran, COO of education microlender Vittana, notes the ripple effect these small loans can have across entire families and even generations. “In India, an education can increase earning power by 200 to 300 percent. In many cases, siblings are able to pay for younger brothers and sisters to complete their education with that extra income, and the upward cycle repeats.”

As success stories flourish, continuing innovations are happening in the space. Numerous entrants in the 2012 Dell Social Innovation Challenge involved creative aspects of microfinance  in their business plans. Other microfinance organizations (MFI’s) include ACCION, Microplace, and Grameen America. Many MFI’s also offer microloans in the U.S. for entrepreneurs with solid business plans but who don’t qualify for traditional bank loans.

Global Philanthropy Group partner Maggie Nielson, who helped develop and implement the United Nation’s Year of Microcredit  program in 2005, sums it up nicely: “People just want access to the same financial tools we have so that they can help themselves. They don’t want someone else to build them a big project or give them a handout. They are perfectly capable of creating their own success even though they weren’t born into the same circumstances. That is the kind of assistance anyone can give. You can literally change someone’s life.”

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Social Good Stars — @CharityWater CEO Scott Harrison

12 Jul
Amy Neumann

Writer, Speaker; Social Media Consultant

Social Good Stars — Charity: Water’s Scott Harrison

Posted: 07/11/2012 5:53 pm

This is the ninth installment of the Impact series, #SocialGoodStars. The people highlighted here are passionate, dedicated philanthropists, strengths to their communities, and social media masters. They also happily share their vast knowledge with others, making them shine as leaders in the Social Good world. You can read the eighth interview with Maggie Nielsen, partner at Global Philanthropy Group, here.

Scott Harrison is well-known worldwide as the charismatic founder and CEO of uber-impactful clean water charity, charity: water. But the story of how charity: water came to be is quite unique. It’s not often that such a colorful, inspiring, paradigm-shifting story happens. Scott’s is just that, and the global impact charity: water has had in the six years it has been around is staggeringly beautiful. I had the honor of learning more about the history and progress of one of the most productive water organizations out there through Scott.
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Click above to hear Kevin Rose’s interview of charity: water Founder Scott Harrison. Photo courtesy of charitywater.org
Raised in a loving Christian home, Scott developed a rebellious side that led him to New York City. Part of a band, he got into the club circuit, then became a popular and wildly successful club promoter for many years. Although the glamorous celebrity lifestyle was irresistible for a time, Scott had an epiphany one New Year’s Eve. “I had become the worst person I knew,” surrounded by and enmeshed in the partying crowd, with no sense of purpose. In spite of what appeared to be a jet-setting, extravagant life, “I was desperately unhappy and needed to change,” Scott says.

So in 2004 he decided to “become the exact opposite of what I was then,” and after being passed over my numerous nonprofits trying to volunteer, he paid Mercy Ships, a hospital ship which provides life-changing surgeries, to be a volunteer in Africa. Having spent his wealth at about the same or greater rate at which he raked it in, his life went from lavish to austere in a flash. As the photographer responsible for documenting the thousands of surgeries Mercy Ships did over the next two years, Scott was astonished by the poverty he saw, and realized how important the most basic things most of us take for granted really were. One day in Liberia, he saw a surgeon dig a well for a village, next to a filthy human water source unfit for animals, and turn it into clean, fresh, safe, drinkable water. At that moment, his life forever changed.

Back in NYC in 2006, Scott dived into his passion to help bring clean water to the one in nine people in the world who don’t have it now — 800 million people. His unique club promoter background inspired an original idea that is now a commonplace and hugely successful fundraising tool — donating a birthday. First he threw a party at a club, and raised $15,000. But next, he thought, “What if people skipped the cab fare, the cover charge, the drinks, and the tips, and just donated that money?” He started with $1 for every year he’d been alive, and voila, the “donate your birthday” revolution began.

And thousands of birthdays donated later (to date), millions of people have been given life-sustaining, clean drinking water. Folks like Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Alyssa Milano, Justin Beiber, and countless other celebrities have given up their birthday gifts to give. And of course, thousands of caring people around the world have too. And not just birthdays — proceeds raised with creative activities like skydiving, marathons, lemonade stands, scrapbooking, mountain climbing, you name it!

One of the most unique, and original, things charity:water is also known for is the 100% model. One hundred percent of all donations go to drilling wells. This was a novel idea, and one Scott was adamant about. “People would constantly mention how they weren’t sure if their money was going to the cause, or to other expenses,” a conundrum he wanted to prevent. All expenses come out of a separate account, so all donations flow directly to water.

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Bringing clean water and joy — charity: water. Photo courtesy of charitywater.org

Director of digital at charity: water, Paull Young, believes a few key brand values have driven much of the growth to date:

“At charity: water we are aiming to inspire a movement to solve the world water crisis. We do this by inspiring through story telling, maximizing the impact people can make by sending every cent given or raised to fund water projects, and then by helping our supporters see their impact by linking their donation to a specific water project.”

And not only does charity: water change lives in the developing world, but Paull and the team are building an experience for supporters that will do the same at home.

“We believe that people want to make a positive impact on the world, but might feel powerless to do so. We hope we can provide that opportunity, and once they see their impact believe that they’ll be transformed personally, just as they change lives in the developing world.”

Another groundbreaking idea was leveraging technology to further illustrate just how life-saving an impact every dollar makes. Before it was a more commonplace service, Scott started tagging wells drilled via GPS, and showing photos and videos of the sites and the happy people they serve. The impact this has is monumental — the story tells itself, through the smiles, joy, and laughter of kids and adults, even in some of the most remote places on earth. With the ability to tangibly not only see the wells, but the phenomenal effect they have on entire communities, donors feel the concrete impact they make in a very visceral sense. And by using social media to spread the message, millions of people get to see those results every day.

“A person dies every 15 seconds from water-borne diseases. That’s an enormous problem. But we are having a positive impact on a large scale,” notes Scott. Recently charity: water raised enough money to purchase two drilling rigs, which exponentially increased drilling ability.

Scott and the charity: water team, along with donors and volunteers all around the world, are indeed having a positive impact. To learn more about how Water Changes Everything, watch this video. To donate to charity: water, click here. You can also follow @charitywater on Twitter, and Like them on Facebook for more.

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.

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

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