Crowdfunding For Good ©89studio - Fotolia.com

Our friends at Causevox published a very helpful free ebook called “7 Habits of Highly Effective Personal Fundraisers.”  Get it Here: http://ebook.causevox.com/7habits/.  We couldn’t have said it better.  A must download for anyone running a fund-raising campaign.

Here are some of our favorite online fund raising platforms:

• Spot.us http://spot.us/ hyper local community funded journalism
• Emphas.is http://emphas.is/ specifically for visual journalists doing image based projects anywhere
• Kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com/
• IndieGoGo http://www.indiegogo.com/
• Chipin http://www.chipin.com/ this is a widget that can be installed on one’s own blog or website.
• Invested.in http://invested.in/

Want to learn more about the differences between these platforms?

Poynter article about Emphas.is: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/129807/emphas-is-builds-community-of-support-for-quality-photojournalism/
Nice commentary on crowdfunding from Once Magazine http://blog.oncemagazine.com/post/4089772682/crowdfunding-and-the-future-of-photojournalism
This New York Foundation for the Arts blog post is very helpful: http://nyfablog.com/2011/07/26/the-artists-digital-toolkit-part-3/

….and for the mother-load list of 88 crowd funding platforms for raising money to support your project, check out the Dutch SmarterMoney blog for: Crowdfunding Platforms and Initiatives. Wow.

From LIVESTRONG to charity:water, the best nonprofits let their supporters become part of their story. But while lots of new nonprofits are great at fieldwork, few have the tech or tale-telling abilities to instantly grab their audience’s attention.

CauseVox creates custom public support and online fundraising pages that are beautiful and simple. Nonprofits can keep their own branding and design, seamlessly integrating CauseVox into their own main site and identity. The pages even allow supporters to weave their own story into the mix, personalizing their connection to the causes they love – kinda like the Tumblr of online fundraising. The best part: its easy-to-use platform is made specifically for non-techies, giving customers more time to do what they do best – changing the world.

CauseVox is offering 6 months of free services for TBD readers and friends – just sign up for notification of the public launch (which is set for January 24th — get to it before then!) and enter code “TBD.” Social good just got a lot more user-friendly.

One week from today I will be flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on a trip to highlight the issue of obstetric fistula and women’s reproductive health as a member of the SalaamGarage media team. I’ve been passionate about women’s issues for many years (education for girls, child-brides in Afghanistan, women’s groups saving for water tanks in Kenya) and am excited by this latest opportunity to intersect my creative gifts with the stories of the world that need telling.

This was my first experience with Kickstarter as a fundraising platform, and I was hesitant in the beginning, both with the concept and the technology. Like others, I’ve grown up with the desire to be independent and self-sufficient and a reticence to ask for help- especially in terms of money!
The idea, however, of raising awareness around an issue that is important to me (and especially one that is treatable and preventable!) makes it easy to want to get the word out. Why should there be women suffering unnecessarily when it’s completely possible to educate and create support structures during pregnancy, labor, and beyond? This is not a woman’s issue; it’s an issue of the world and a marker of the health of our planet’s future.
The tool through Kickstarter of setting up “rewards” for different price points is an interesting one. Fundamentally, I want to come home and share about my trip. I want to share photos and facilitate discussions and create a multi-media digital story around fistula in Ethiopia and around the globe, so this feels like a natural gift for donors and anyone interested in learning more.
I’ve been touched beyond measure by the outpouring of support for this journey. People want to share the link and the message. In the beginning, donations came in from people I knew directly: friends, colleagues, folks from the varied communities where I live and work and travel. But then a lovely thing emerged: I’ve had notes and donations from people whom I’ve never met! Just like in my coaching work, it is often the communities of our communities who are also longing to help and to be part of something broader than themselves.
A common response has been, “I’m so glad you’re doing what you do around the globe! It’s necessary and important, and I can’t wait to see your photos. Supporting you is my way of helping the world!”

This mindset is a gift and a reminder of how we are all connected. Our gifts matter. Our passions matter. Our wild-haired ideas of making a difference and working to improve the status quo: they’re important and critical in living fully our one wild and precious life!
Deep thanks to all who have donated and supported this upcoming journey to Africa- both for your monetary contributions as well as your prayers, good wishes, and energy directed toward service. And to those of you teetering on the brink of reaching out- please do, knowing that I am a good steward of your voice and hands and efforts out in the world.

All of us occasionally need a kickstart to launch a new project and to trust more fully in our own capacity. Thanks for being a wonderful part of this one!

Kristie Mclean Kenya Aug 09

“Women of the World: Afghanistan and Guinea-Bissau” at Blurb by Kristie McLean

“Renewed Hope for an Afghan Child-Bride” at Kristie Mclean’s site TravelPoet.com

The Glimpse Correspondents program, run by Matador and supported, in part, by National Geographic, supports travel writers and photographers by awarding a cash stipend and editorial guidance for their work. Glimpse also provides an online platform for expanding the Correspondents’ audience.

Glimpse editor-in-chief, Sarah Menkedick, said more than 700 applications were received for the Fall 2010 Correspondents program, and she expects many more for the Spring 2011 cycle, as Matador has decided to lift the age limit. Formerly capped at 36, anyone over 18 can now apply for the Correspondents program.

The deadline for applications is November 28, 2010. You can learn more about the program and submit your application materials on the Glimpse site.

Community Connection: One way to get an idea of what we’re looking for when we review applications is by reading current Correspondents’ stories and viewing their work. Visit the Glimpse site to see both.

From Glimpse: The Glimpse Correspondents Program is for talented writers and photographers with a passion for storytelling and a knack for finding truly unique stories. The program is open to anyone who will be working, volunteering, or studying outside of their home country for at least 10 weeks. Correspondents receive the following benefits:
* $600 stipend
* Support from a team of professional editors
* Career training in writing and photography
* Guaranteed publication on Glimpse.org and Matador Network

Tip: To get helpful tips on what Glimpse looks for in an application, become a Glimpse Facebook fan.

In addition to the general Correspondents Program, Glimpse is also offering a specialized position in Spring 2011: the Glimpse/HTH Worldwide Health Correspondent. To learn more, click here.

Below are my notes from last night’s successful and well attended event!  It was a pleasure presenting with Katja and George.  I will be watching as their projects continue to develop!  To see the Powerpoint presentation go to “Raising Funds for your Storytelling for Good Projects” at Slideshare.

Get Funded!
How to Raise money for your storytelling for good project.

1. Create specific project, not for the overarching nonprofit or general cause.
2. Promise a compelling story with a strong human-interest angle. Give examples that prove you have done your homework. Your pitch should include a specific story as an example.
3. Create a feedback loop. Use a service that allows donors to give feedback and participate. Remind them this is their project and mission too.
4. Have a Deadline!
5. Pool your efforts by collaborating with reputable like-minded partners (swap blog space, request re-tweets, get speaking time at events).
6. Be yourself and be clear! Don’t talk too much. Don’t try to sound like an NGO, sound like you.
7. Create a call to action. Have a clear and specific “ask.” Be challenging and passionate. Ask for money.
8. Consider using gifts, contests or drawings to encourage participation and larger donations.
9. SoMe- use social media. If you aren’t on linked-in and Twitter. Do that now.

Be Ready with your ELEVATOR SPEECH!
You should be able to answer these questions in the time it takes to get to the 15th floor!
-What is the cause your project is about?
-Why should we care?
-Why does it matter now?
-Why You?
-What can they do to help?
and remember: Give a deadline and don’t forget to ask for money!

Fund Raising Sites:
Create and Run Your Project Campaign on These Sites:
-Spot.Us  http://www.spot.us/
-The Point    http://www.thepoint.com/
-Kickstarter   http://www.kickstarter.com/

Build Your Own Campaign Website or WordPress blog with DONATE Widgets:
-ChipIn   http://www.chipin.com/
-Paypal Donate   https://merchant.paypal.com

Find Causes or Volunteer:
-Idealist  http://www.idealist.org/
-Causecast  http://www.causecast.org/
-Volunteer Match  http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Raise Money for Your Chosen Non-Profit:
-Crowdrise   http://www.crowdrise.com/
-Give Zooks!  http://www.givezooks.com/
-Network for Good   http://www1.networkforgood.org/

from the original post on her personal blog

passion. commitment. focus. talent. intuition. faith. trust.

many people ask me ‘how do you make your projects happen?’ what people really want to know how on earth i fund them. well, with money of course. but that’s not the real question. anyone can run a credit card. i know several millionaires who are miserable, lost, spent it all, searching, drunk, still working. it doesn’t take money to follow your passion.

it takes having, trusting and following your passion.

that’s the real struggle for most everyone i meet. their initial question ‘how did you/do i fund this’ isn’t the real question. their real question is ‘how do i discover my passion?… how do i know this is my real passion?’ I say if you are asking the question, you are pretty darn close.

at first i charged everything. didn’t dig credit card debt so i discovered grants. i started applying for grants, and was awarded several: The GAP grant, Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and The Puffin Foundation, to name a few. i took a fund raising class and learned it’s faster to raise the money myself. i held fundraisers. raised money from my own community who wants to support me. i literally threw parties and made my intentions very clear: ‘this is a fund raising party. I am going to morocco to work on project x, and am looking for financial support. i need to raise x amount of money by x date. this is what i plan to do and this is why it is a good idea.’ then started meeting with universities and now corporations. There are also viral ways to raise money, using the social media tools we are already familiar with. it all works.

amanda working in morocco thanks to her self-taught fundraising skills

its all a collaboration in my eyes, and my work has always been about the greater good. i have found that people want to help. they want to be involved. they too want to get those orphans off the streets in to a legitimate home, put that aids orphan through school, give female, sufi muslim musicians some praise and honor. they just may not know where to start. some people, like me, choose to go to kenya an create these documentaries, these stories. others can help fund it, others can help get it published, get it on tv, in books, on gallery walls, etc. This has all happened for me.

key has been to share the project, and also ask for support. its all a collaboration and once i shared my passion i found they had it too, and were happy to collaborate. then, as if by magic, it all came together. it helps me a lot to be very clear and articulate about my intentions. not only does that help me find support, it helps me pinpoint my vision.

now with SalaamGarage trips people are emailing me asking how to work out the money part.

many of the participants have raised the money on their own, just the way i did. by raising money via blogs, twitter, Facebook, paypal, personal communities, etc., this creates the viral/social media platform and a system of accountability for participants. the people who support them to go on the trip then look forward to seeing results. in turn, this creates goal for the participant to create a project, follow through and share it upon return, which then gets the message of the NGO out there. this also creates a sense of ownership, and also the trip starts when they register vs. when they land in say, Guatemala. helps them pinpoint their vision. (see?)

to break it down it looks like this:

1. discover the passion

2. commit

3. come up with a plan

4. share the passion

5. ask for support

6. get support

7. do the work

8. share the work

9. watch the magic, the whole time.

-Amanda Koster

Center for Investigative Reporting Grants
and
Pulitzer Center Grants

We talk about SalaamGarage team member Daysha Eaton and her grant application with Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and her fundraising efforts here.

Spot.Us is a nonprofit project of the Center for Media Change. Spot.us gets its funding from the Knight Foundation who also fund Printcasting.com, which I write about on this blog. Spot.us is “an open source project, to pioneer ‘community funded reporting.’ Through Spot.Us the public can commission journalists to do investigations on important and perhaps overlooked stories. All donations are tax deductible and if a news organization buys exclusive rights to the content, the donation is reimbursed.”
If the story you post is not purchased with exclusive rights by a news organization then it is the made available to all through a Creative Commons license. Spot.us calls itself “a marketplace where independent reporters, community members and news organizations can come together and collaborate. Choosing Spot.us to tell your story is probably not the first place a SalaamGarage humanitarian citizen journalist should post their stories. Because we believe the stories created with SalaamGarage need to be read by as many people as possible, one would have to create a story specifically aimed at sale for exclusive rights. But I do recommend Spot.us for independent and personal projects in your community. To read more about Spot.us check out this “Lessons in Crowdfunding” article by Spot.us founder DigiDave

Raise the money with a campaign here:
Kickstarter.com is a very fun very clean way to raise funds for your project, story, or idea. The website is full of musicians, photographers, journalists, activists, and some total nuts!

ThePoint.com Easy and Effective Group Action
“Whether you’re raising money, organizing people, or trying to influence change: if you can’t do it alone, you can do it on The Point.”
The great thing about campaigns on The Point and at Kickstarter is that no one is charged for their pledge to your project until the minimum pledge action or financial amount is met or exceded. So people can donate and feel good that their money is going towards the project they are supporting.
Hint: if you are raising funds in different ways like events along with an campaign online keep the Kickstarter or The Point campaign minimum amount lower than your actual ultimate fundraising goal.

Idealist.org run by Action Without Borders
If you take one thing away from Idealist.org, it will likely be that you are not the only one working to cause change in the world.
Action Without Borders runs the website Idealist.org. “Idealist.org is a website that facilitates connections between individuals and institutions that are interested in improving their communities.” This is a great place to build a network around your; cause, community problems, or to find a cause to work for or with. Idealist.org hosts podcasts and a news blog, as well as multiple in-depth forums. I also saw listed about 5,000 jobs, about 18,000 volunteer opportunities, and almost 89,000 organizations listed.

http://www.globalgiving.com/open/

GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects people to the causes and countries they care about.
nominate your own project at GlobalGiving
Provide them with details about your organization and your work through the self-recommendation form. If you meet eligibility requirements, you will be invited to participate in an upcoming Open Access Challenge event.

Hold a fundraiser- sell tickets through Eventbrite to look slick and official while keeping track of your benefit’s attendees

Also see the detailed instructions in the previous post “SalaamGarage Funding your Project Guide” where you can learn to create a Sponsor Me page at Facebook and how to start a campaign on WordPress.

-Maggie Soladay
Maggie Soladay | 

GroundReport
GroundReport is “hyperlocal news and opinion from around the world.”

The Ground Report website says: “GroundReport is an world news platform that combines digital reporting tools and a selective human network to power the best global citizen journalism on the web.” From wikipedia: enables anyone to publish news reports and videos and earn a share of ad revenues. With a mission statement to ‘democratize the media,’ GroundReport’s 4,000 international contributors report from the scene of world events to add local, on-the-ground insight to international news. To establish trust, GroundReport uses a Wikipedia-like model of volunteer editors and community feedback, combined with a 5-star rating system. Contributors retain rights to their work, and can choose from a range of Creative Commons licenses. The New York-based company was founded by Rachel Sterne in 2006, inspired by her work reporting on Darfur for the United Nations. Follow GroundReport on Twitter

NowPublic
NowPublic, just acquired by the Examiner.com, is called “an innovative Web site for citizen-generated media” in a NYTimes article announcing the deal by Brian Stelter from Sept 1, 2009. NowPublic’s site says that “by harnessing the wisdom of crowds and tapping into the news creating potential of the hundreds of millions of Internet users, bloggers and photography enthusiasts, NowPublic is changing the way news is made and distributed.”

Current
Current.com is the place to find and share stories and videos that are interesting to you. It connects to Current TV, a global cable and satellite TV network. “Current is about what’s going on in your world: all the things you and your friends are actually interested in — that you won’t find on any other news site or cable TV channel.”
Current.com Make TV link How-To produce your current tv show or news program.

Causecast.org
Causecast, dubbed “a one stop philanthropy shop” by TechCrunch, is a platform where media, philanthropy, social networking, entertainment and education converge to serve a greater purpose.
People want to do good, want to be inspired, and want to inspire others to join them in giving back. Causecast makes this easy by providing users with means to CONNECT with people, leaders, charities, nonprofit organizations, and brands that inspire them. Follow CauseCast on Twitter.

OhMyNews International -OhMyNews is a Korea based news organization made up entirely of citizen journalists reporting on news and issues around the world.

The Glimpse.com allows you to share your story if you are living or have lived oversees.
The Glimpse.com CORRESPONDENTS PROGRAM
is supported by National Geographic. Once accepted,Glimpse corespondent’s receive a stipend and support to tell their story. Any skilled photographer or writer can qualify if they are going to be in a place; working, studying or traveling for at least 10 weeks, are between the ages of 18-34, and have an original story to tell.

-Maggie Soladay

follow us on Twitter! @SalaamGarage @MaggieSoladay

iLife for Mac (garage band, imovie, and iphoto together)
then you export the project as a Quicktime..

Final Cut Express for Mac for the most flexibility and editing options if you can’t afford Final Cut Pro. Most citizen journalists and media creators don’t need the full professional version.

Soundslides for PC and Mac users. It is a cheap easy and flexible software.

You’ll also need Audacity (free) to edit audio if using Soundslides. Audacity audio editing software

Pro Show and Pro Show Gold #1 For PC users to create multimedia slideshows

Voice-over Slide show:
Voicethread is online, nothing to download. The pieces that are posted there now are in disarray. It is quite messy and mostly used by students and educators for now. But it could be a great tool for sharing and allowing commenting for certain audiences.

MediaStorm is one of the best spots online for photo journalist’s who are creating multimedia projects. MediaStorm hosts stories created by photo journalists who are the interviewer, the interviewee, the reporter, and the shooter.
Here is great example: Black Market by Patrick Brown about the illegal animal trade.

This link will take you to MediaStorm's website for Patrick Brown's story

Tutorials:
make tv and podcasts, how to at CURRENT.com
J-Learning is a great How-to site for budding community journalists

Take Classes
See SalaamGarage friend and multimedia maker Emily True’s article “J-School Lite” about classes in multimedia storytelling and documentary.

-Maggie Soladay

Start a Blog. Blogs can be linear and journal-like or they can act like a webpage for a single subject. You are reading a blog right now. But, it is also SalaamGarage’s website with static pages just like a website.
Blog:
WikiHow: How to start a Blog

Top 3 Blog sites:
WordPress
Blogger
Typepad

For WordPress templates: more customizing options than the available template on WordPress
GraphPaperPress

or use one of these super clean and easy Website and Blog platforms:
Posterous
Websites at Google
Weebly
Webnode
DotEasy

Website Magazine:
OpenZine: Its a free website that looks like a web magazine

PLEASE add your own ideas and resources in the comments below!

-Maggie Soladay

New! turn your blog into a print magazine, be a publisher and pull from other writers in your genre, and get paid advertising dollars doing it! PrintCasting.com- Check it out

Blue Earth Alliance

Collective Lens: “promotes social change with your photos. Upload a photo and help bring awareness to important issues around the world. You can inspire others to become involved.”

FeatureShoot

FiftyCrows: They get social documentary work out there. Distributing it in new and original ways to build awareness, start conversations, and provide networking and financial support to help documentary photographers cause social change.

Fotovision: Their “mission is to advance documentary photography and storytelling. … through education, dialogue and community. … to inspire and enable positive change by creating a global photographic community that gives voice to the human condition.” They teach workshops in San Francisco Bay Area.
Photocrati.com: Sponsors of the Photocrati Fund, a nonprofit that provides grants to photographers working on important environmental and humanitarian projects. Also a online community for photographers

socialdocumentary.net

The Digital Journalist: Online journalism. Photographers are writers and photographers. Reporting from around the world.

-Maggie Soladay