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Social Media for Nonprofits Conference: Final Takeaways

August 8, 2012 By
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I’ve shared some of the things I learned from attending the Social Media for Nonprofits Conference in Mountain View on July 26, like how nonprofits can best use Facebook, Eventbrite, and LinkedIn. There was plenty more info jam packed into the conference, but here’s one of my final takeaways: nonprofits have to get good at social media.

As the editor of Good Neighbor Stories, I’m on what I affectionately call the “do gooder beat,” because I talk to numerous nonprofit leaders who are doing good in the world. One of the consistent threads I notice between all small nonprofits is that the leaders are overwhelmed, and often social media is at the bottom of the to do list.

But the numbers are clear, social media engagement is only going to grow, especially since children and youth are growing up embracing the social media lifestyle. Meaning, future volunteers, supporters and leaders are hanging out in the social media space, so if nonprofits aren’t hanging out there, too, they’re missing out on a  huge segment of the population. [Read more…]

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Social Media for Nonprofits Conference: Leveraging Eventbrite’s Free Tools

July 31, 2012 By
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For hard-pressed nonprofits in tough economic times, “free” is always a good word. So it was encouraging for nonprofit leaders at the Social Media for Nonprofits Conference in Mountain View to hear about the free tools available to help them expand and strengthen their connections with supporters.

The day-long event on Thursday, July 26, at the Microsoft Conference Center, was organized by the group by the same name, Social Media for Nonprofits; it included speakers from Facebook, LinkedIn, Eventbrite, Change.org, among others.

All this week I’m posting highlights from the conference. Yesterday was all about how nonprofits can effectively use Facebook. Today includes helpful information from Eventbrite, the online service that enables event creation, promotion, and ticket sales. The site offers free tools that will help any nonprofit plan and host any type of event. [Read more…]

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Help Us End Hunger; Our Virtual Food Drive Ends New Year’s Eve

December 30, 2011 By
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There is still time to donate to Good Neighbor Stories’ first virtual food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. The deadline to contribute is tomorrow, Dec. 31.Put On Your Game Face To Beat Hunger

I am very happy to announce that we reached our goal of raising at least $1,000! Thanks to many generous folks, we’ve raised $1,390.90 since earlier this month.

But the need is still great. Second Harvest officials say demand for food is up 50 percent this year, and holiday fundraising is falling below what’s needed going into 2012. If you are contemplating making a tax deductible contribution before year’s end, please consider donating to our drive. Thank you!

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How To Combat Donor Fatigue

December 27, 2011 By
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We are four days to Dec. 31, and if you’re like me, the requests for year-end donations are pouring in via Internet and other media, snail mail, and phone. During the holidays even shopping trips Overflowing mailboxare accompanied by ringing bells, giving trees, small donations at the register and donation jars. Admittedly, Good Neighbor Stories is part of the onslaught, with our own virtual food drive.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the face of so many requests for help. “Donor fatigue” is a real condition that charities are well aware of. The Mercury News posted a story on Christmas that describes just how worn out people feel this holiday season after hearing so many pleas.

There are ways to cope and not feel so burned out. Here are are few suggestions. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

  • Decide what causes you are most passionate about. What stirs your heart the most? Children? Hunger? Animals? The environment? A particular part of the world like Africa or Asia? A religious institution? Figure our what you care about and then narrow your giving focus to those specific causes. [Read more…]
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Virtual Holiday Food Drive – We’re On Our Way!

December 9, 2011 By
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Second Harvest Food Bank Green Banner

Good Neighbor Stories launched its first virtual holiday food drive two days ago, and we’ve already collected 23 percent of our goal! As of Thursday night, we have $230.50 raised. Our goal is to raise $1,000 by Dec. 31, and we hope to move well beyond that amount.

Help us collect money to feed thousands of people in the Silicon Valley who are going hungry during these holidays, and throughout the year. Check out our complete instructions on how to donate. 

The money that goes to Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties helps people from all walks of life and backgrounds. One example of how the agency helps people with the most basic of necessities, is found in this story from the group’s Fall 2011 newsletter:

My name is Carl. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and grew up on a ranch, where I worked until graduating from high school. After moving to the Midwest to pursue a degree in electronics and serving in the Air Force as a mechanic, I moved back to the Bay Area to work at a high-tech company during its early years. I went on to work there for 31 years before being laid off in 2003.

I was unable to find stable work afterwards, so I was forced into early retirement and found myself needing food assistance for the first time in my life. I’m a proud man who has worked hard my entire life, so it was hard for me to ask for help, but I was hungry. [Read more…]

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Good Neighbor Stories Virtual Holiday Food Drive – Help Us End Hunger

December 7, 2011 By
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Holiday Food DriveGood Neighbor Stories is proud to announce our first virtual holiday food drive! Help us this holiday season raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Our goal is to raise $1,000 between now and Dec. 31. We’re sponsoring the food drive in memory of Dave Severns, who created the Severns-Pease Christmas Light Display in Sunnyvale. Last holiday season Dave raised more than $84,000 for Second Harvest.

The food bank’s officials expect one in 10 residents of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties will turn to the agency for food this holiday season. The economy has driven up the numbers of our Silicon Valley neighbors going hungry; 80 percent of the agencies that distribute food from Second Harvest report an increased need over past years. Help us ensure that families experiencing hunger get access to food this winter by donating through our food drive.

It’s easy to participate. Go to https://donate.shfb.org/vfd/, click on “Friends and Family Drive” on the “Donor Type” drop down menu, and then click on “Good Neighbor Stories” on the “Organization Name” drop down menu. [Read more…]

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Dave Severns Passes Away; He Fought Hunger, Lit Up Community at Christmas

October 25, 2011 By
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Good Neighbor Stories is sad to report that Dave Severns, the man who raised thousands of dollars to combat hunger in this community through a dazzling Christmas lights display, has died after a long battle with cancer. The family announced there will be no more Christmas light shows at their Sunnyvale home.Severns-Pease-Christmas-Display-Dave-Severns-Sunnyvale

Last year Dave’s spectacular display of lights and music raised $84,000 in food and money for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Over the years Dave had collected so much food and raised so much money, he reached the distinction of collecting a million pounds worth of food for the food bank, something usually only achieved by large companies running food drives.

Each year thousands of people drove by his and the home of his next-door neighbors, the Pease family, to see the coordinated show between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Rather than sell tickets, Dave wanted to help the community, so he put out barrels to collect canned food, and encouraged folks to donate to the food bank.

Read the story about Dave, and then consider donating in his memory to the food bank.

See the Good Neighbor Stories video of the Severns-Pease Christmas Display from 2010, the last year it ran.

 

Dave Severns and the Severns-Pease Christmas Light Display is featured in the  Good Neighbor Stories 2013 Datebook! Start every day feeling good about the world!

Order Your Copy Today!

 

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Help The 93 Dollar Club Win A Do Something Award

July 12, 2011 By
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Carolee Hazard of Menlo Park is up for a VH1 Do Something Award, which recognizes people around the country who have made a difference in their communities. As has become popular these days, the public is invited to vote among a number of nominees to see who actually gets an award. The winners will be revealed at a taping of the Do Something Awards Show on Aug. 14 at the Hollywood Palladium, to be aired Aug. 18.

You may have heard of the 93 Dollar Club, a sort of viral local charity. It was started in 2009 by Hazard after she paid for a stranded stranger’s groceries worth $207 at Trader Joe’s, letting the woman know she could mail Hazard a check later. [Read more…]

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Peace Cranes for Japan

March 18, 2011 By
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The other day in my local paper there was a lovely small story about a Stanford student named Robin Thomas who set up a table for his fellow students to help him fold 1,000 origami peace cranes for Japan. In Japanese legend, anyone who folds 1,000 cranes will be granted a wish by a crane for things like a long life, or recovery from illness or injury. Thomas encourages students to write prayers or well wishes on each piece of paper before folding.

"Peace Cranes"Being an origami fan myself, I was so struck by the idea of folding the cranes as a way of praying for, or sending good wishes to the Japanese people, I got out my stash of origami paper and struggled through instructions to make my own cranes. I also thought wouldn’t it be great to ask people online to fold their own cranes and then post pictures of them. We could do a virtual collection of 1,000 cranes for Japan.

As I started doing research on peace cranes, lo and behold someone was already on the case of the virtual crane collection. Dosomething.org started “Paper Cranes for Japan” on Facebook on March 11. Since the Causes creation started just a week ago, nearly 6,800 people have “liked” the page, and more than 1,200 photos have been posted.

I had also wondered how someone could connect fundraising to the origami cranes, and it turns out someone figured that out, too. Two groups, Architecture for Humanity and Students Rebuild, noticed the Facebook page and decided to issue a challenge to young people to fold cranes and send them in, with the Bezos Family Foundation pledging $2 for Japan relief for every crane mailed. The goal is to collect 100,000 cranes that will be incorporated into a major art installation.

Folding the cranes is not the easiest of origami creations, but I found if I stuck with it eventually I could do it. There are numerous places online to learn how to fold the cranes. Paper Cranes for Japan has links to instructions. The two places I found that helped me were a UK website called Origami.org.uk, and a YouTube video, “How to Make a Paper Crane (Tsuru)”. The origami site has a 3-D image of the folding process, and you can easily stop the image, or go back over steps (and over and over, like I did). I also had to watch the YouTube video multiple times. But as you can see from the photo, my persistence and patience paid off.

What a great project this would be for (older) kids. It’s a wonderful group project, and one that could be done anywhere with almost any paper. Students Rebuild will even send you a pre-paid shipping label for large boxes if you send an e-mail.

UPDATE: Students Rebuild tells me that they only want paper cranes from people age 25 and YOUNGER. I asked if they would take cranes from the “young at heart”, sadly no. For us older folks, post photos of your cranes at the Paper Cranes for Japan Facebook page.

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Update: Christmas Lights Display Smashes Fundraising Record!

January 21, 2011 By
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Wow! The Severns-Pease Christmas Display obliterated its previous fundraising record, taking in more than $84,000 between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in donations for a local food bank. Last year the display raised nearly $55,000. Dave Severns is of course well pleased that they were able to break the $80,000 goal he set for the season.

I wrote about the display back in early December . Severns and his neighbor Andy Pease have been putting up the joint display since 1995, with each year getting a little more elaborate than the next. When Severns computerized the display in 2002, hundreds of people started flocking to see the magical show of lights and music. Some people suggested they charge a fee, but they decided instead to collect money and food for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

As Severns’ own chart shows, the donations have increased every year. With this year’s smashing fundraising success, it puts the display up with large corporations who have collected a million pounds or more worth of food for the food bank.

It will be interesting to see what goal Severns sets for next year. In the meantime, congratulations to neighbors who made a big difference to the local community!

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