Citizen Effect

Winning Online Competitions: A Coalition of the Giving

In the last 2 years, Scott and Atlas Corp have won $325,000 from online competitions, including $125,000 from the Chase Giving Challenge. And he just did it again by winning one of the ten $50,000 prizes from the Pepsi Refresh Project. This is impressive. But it is borderline unbelievable when you consider Atlas Corp’s 2009 budget was $400.000, they only have 1,700 friends on Facebook, 1,215 followers on Twitter, and an email list of about 12,000 people.

So how did they do it? Scott’s plan to win the Pepsi contest was ingenious and will likely have Chase, Pepsi and other online contests rethinking their rules in the future. Introducing the “Coalition of the Giving.”

The recipe for forming the Coalition of the Giving is simple: part good-hearted collaboration, part reality-TV show Survivor, and part persistence (or spam, depending on your threshold for receiving emails, Facebook updates and Tweets).

The Pepsi Refresh Project included hundreds of ideas from all over the country and Scott knew he would need more than Atlas Corp supporters to win. So how could Scott get people to vote for Atlas Corp that had never heard of them before, much less care about their mission?

Easy, ask another organization competing in the Pepsi Refresh Project to market Atlas Corp to their supporters. This was possible because every voter was given ten votes a day, but each voter could only vote once for a specific organization. That left nine useless votes… unless you could form a coalition and trade votes in a “I’ll vote for you if you vote for me” arrangement.

Scott found six other organizations competing in the contest (two vying for $50K, three for $25K, and one for $250K) and told them that every time he asked someone to vote for Atlas Corp, he would also ask them to vote for everyone in the coalition, as long as they did the same. Here again, Pepsi’s rules worked in Scott’s favor because there were ten prizes of $50,000, so it was not a “winner take all” competition and open to benefiting a collaboration.

Pepsi does not share the number of votes, but let’ assume that 70% of Scott’s supporters still only vote for Atlas Corp. That means that 30% of his supporters will vote for other coalition members. Thirty percent does not seem like a lot but multiply that by six and consider that everyone can vote every day. If Atlas Corp is able to pick up ten voters that vote every day through the coalition, that is 280 votes over the course of the February contest. That may not allow someone to go from worst to first, but it is highly likely that it can move you from a contender to a winner.

The results tell the tale. Six of the seven coalition partners won, that is a combined $225,000 for the coalition.

The strategy was ingenious in part because it was selfish as much it was selfless. Rather than just a “vote for me” play, Atlas Corp adopted a “vote for me and consider these other guys,” play. The better the coalition members did in the standings, the stronger the incentive was to continue with the plan and not defect because if they did, they would be dropped from the coalition and loose all those potential votes.

I am not sure voting contests are the most efficient way to allocate millions of dollars for innovative ideas since they reward innovative voter mobilization strategies rather than innovative projects. But at least in the case of Atlas Corp, both were rewarded, and we all learned a lesson that sometimes collaboration is better than competition. Thank you Scott and best of luck in the next competition, we will be watching.

For more information on Atlas Corp, email Scott Beale at scott@atlascorps.org and learn more about Atlas Corps at www.atlascorps.org. For more information on the author, email Dan Morrison, CEO and Founder of www.CitizenEffect.org, at dan.morrison@CitizenEffect.org.

Kick It Up! Gives Girls Confidence and a Career

Clinton School of Public Service Speaker Series

Nine New Year's Resolutions Worth Keeping

How can we make your resolution more meaningful?
Citizen Effect specializes in identifying projects that provide communities from around the world with the resources to meet their most basic needs. Each of these projects can ensure dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people have access to the clean water, food, clean energy, sanitation, health services or educations that will improve their lives. We're talking about things we take for granted every day, so just imagine the kind of impact every single project has! If you match your New Year's resolution with one of these projects, you are committing to dramatically changing a community, not just yourself. Wouldn't you be more likely to reach your goal if hundreds of lives depended on it? The answer is clear: of course!

How can we help you make your goal more social?
Citizen Effect allows you to channel the power of your social network. We've created the ultimate platform for leveraging the energy and passions of your friends, co-workers, community and family to unite and fund small, but critical projects. As soon as you share the news of your New Year's resolution and the commitment you've made to a community in need, your effort will become a cause that your friends and family can rally behind. They will be like the wind driving you forward, constantly inspiring and encouraging you to reach your goal!

Nine New Year's Resolutions Worth Keeping:

If your resolution involved losing weight or starting an exercise program...

Make a commitment to run, then get your friends and family behind you! Let them commit a small amount for every mile you run. Before long, you'll be fit and have raised the money needed to impact the community of your choice.
Sponsor a bike ride! Glenn O., from Boulder Colorado did just that. He biked 3,315 miles across America, raised $3,700 and impacted the lives of 500 people! Read more about Glenn's amazing journey.
Sponsor a yoga event! Leila B. from San Francicso, CA became a Citizen Philanthropist by channeling her love for yoga. She used her studio to bring together her friends, clients and community for the benefit of her project in India. In doing so, she ensured 15 students have the resources they need to complete their educations. Read more about Leila's project.

If your resolution involved being more financially responsible...

Studies show that giving is actually a part of recieving. Experiment with the energy of money - when it's let go, it returns in abundance! Your fundraising will allow you to develop the goal setting and budgeting skills that can be transferred to all spheres of your life. Here's the best part: when you finish a project, you will receive regular updates for two years that will share the direct impact of your fundraising. For every report, think of what you will have already accomplished in your own life and for an entire community!

If your resolution involved volunteering...

We are huge proponents of volunteering! It is critical to give back to your community and our friends at Volunteerspot are happy to help you get started. But, if you become a Citizen Philanthropist, you will be more than a volunteer; you will be a leader! That means you will have the benefit of selecting your project, choosing how to involve your social network, and seeing the direct impact of your investment.

If your resolution involved making an impact...

We've got you covered! One of the important ways we calculate the value of a project is by measuring the number of lives it changes. For example, we know that simply repairing one well in Devki, India can provide 320 people with a sustainable source of clean water.

If your resolution involved quitting drinking or smoking...

Every time you reach for that cigarette or glass, instead put money towards your project. Gain support from friends and family by asking them to commit to donating for every day you abstain. Use the motivation of your project as a catalyst to think about why you are quitting!

If your resolution involved learning something new...

Try new things! Use these opportunities to learn as fundraising events for your project. Host a painting session, cooking class, dance party, sushi night, or take a photography course and then sell your prints!

If your resolution involved spending more time with your family and friends...

Do a project as a group to come together! Sponsor a party, dinner, or bake sale. Learn about global issues and take the time to discuss them around the dinner table. Three friends Yelena, Alexis and Sarah from San Francisco, CA joined forces to provide solar lanterns to a village in India. Read more about their project.

If your resolution involved being more "Green"

Use the money you save by recycling to complete a project! You can even lower your carbon footprint by selecting a project that will use clean energy solutions. Click here to view our Clean Energy Projects.

If your resolution involved being more creative...

Start a choir or theater group and take it on the road! Amy W. from Indiana composed a song which 5 choirs from all over the country subsequently performed to raise money for the victims of last month's devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Guest Blog Post – What Goes Around Comes Around

#2 Giving comes right back to you. Have you ever paid someone a complement, and they immediately returned a complement to you? "What you give, you get" is the simple law of attraction. When we are giving, the world around us begins looking for ways to give back to us. We become a magnetic attractor of what we are giving. It may not come back from the same source, but it will in some other way and often ten times more than what we gave.

#3 We become free! From fear that is. The two most powerful feelings we experience are fear and love. We are usually experiencing some variation of fear and love when we feel any emotion known to man. What stops most people from giving is fear. Fear that they don’t have enough of what ever they refuse to give. Breaking through the fear creates tremendous power in your life to do things you never thought possible. If the fear seems larger than life, start with small increments. A little here, a little there and before you know it you are living and giving freely! Mother Teresa said “If you cant feed a hundred people, then just feed one”

In the world it may seem like it would take insurmountable change in order to end poverty, change the economy, and end homelessness. However the truth is it is very simple. Just one person helping one other person and we would do just that -- change the world.

Generosity is contagious. If we can individually bring the change to our own lives, by becoming a giver in our own small way, we can collectively accomplish great things.

Challenge yourself today; by saying what can I give? See what amazing things happen.

Our Guest Blogger is Michelle Dench, a Citizen Effect supporter and board member of a group called Bread for the Journey - which provides funding for communities in need.

Michelle Dench is a financial expert, entrepreneur, speaker and author. She is the Founder & CFO of Sustainable Financial, a CFO Services & Consulting Company. More information is available at www.michelledench.com or email: mdench@gmail.com

Thinking of becoming a Citizen Philanthropist? Do it. Just say Yes!

So one day, the fundraising idea popped. Dan asked us, “What do you love to do?” I love to teach yoga and coach. I had a 6 month series of workshops I was offering at a local yoga studio and decided to dedicate my earnings to the project. Next, I met with Citizen Effect’s Program Coordinator, May Yu to select my project. Of all the possibilities, I chose an education project – to fund the completion of the build out and opening of the Dungra Village Childcare Center in Rajasthan, India. Once I selected the project, it was easy and fun. I got busy doing what I love to do – to teach and create a fun, open environment where adults can come to learn.

It was wonderful to receive updates from SEWA, Citizen Effect field partner in India and the people from Dungra Village and share their reactions and our progress with the community that was growing here in DC. After completion of this first project, I knew I wanted to remain involved, looked to the needs of this same village, and committed to funding a well repair project - this time through the efforts of raising funds through donations from family and friends. We held holiday and birthday campaigns (“no presents please”). With the new Citizen Effect on-line platform, people I don’t even know gave to the project.

What surprised and strikes me most is the genuine enthusiasm, good-hearted nature, and generosity of people.

The highlight of my Citizen Effect philanthropy experience was the visit Citizen Effect and SEWA coordinated for me when they learned that I would be visiting India and not too far from the Dungarpur District office. Of all the wonderful experiences I had while traveling in India, meeting the amazing women of SEWA at the field office, the villagers, and the children was truly the highlight of my trip. To see our work and know the impact first hand, it truly was a life-changing experience. Even if my experience didn’t culminate with a trip to the village, the significance of this work - and the direct impact we can have on another person’s life due to the privileges of living we have been afforded – does not escape me.

Check out this video for a full recount of my trip to Dungra Village and meet the children:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH6En15ovH0

Guest blog post by Carolyn B. from Washington DC
Total Raised: $2629
Lives Impaced: 402
Projects Completed: 2
Visit Carolyn's profile: http://citizeneffect.org/users/32

Life Hanging by a Thread: Field Notes from a CARE Team Member

“Life Hanging by a Thread”

At the fragile moment in time when a life enters the world, when a child leaves the warm, protective cocoon of her mother's womb, one gesture can change everything. It can transform what could have been a happy occasion into the saddest of all.

Wadneicia may never know how lucky she was to open her eyes on January 20 in Saint Pierre Square, on the ground, lying on old packing boxes. It was 9:00 am when Joane Kerez, 20 years old, gave birth to her first child under a cloth tarpaulin with only her mother assisting her. All around, people went about their business. Curious onlookers crowded around the small space just two meters square in size, making it hard for the young pregnant woman to breathe.

"There were people all around watching me. I would have rather been somewhere else, in a cleaner place without all those people looking at my body," she says, embarrassed at the lack of modesty. At least 6,000 people "live" in this crowded square where every square inch of land is occupied by earthquake victims. Children play amidst the garbage and wash themselves in street ditches; women cook in pestilential stench since everyone urinates right in the camp due to the lack of toilet facilities. Joane's mother cut the umbilical cord with a non-sterile razor blade. The only water available was a tank that CARE had installed the day before. Five thousand litres of water was supplied to help meet the victims' needs.

"Thankfully CARE had installed the tank, otherwise I would have to have used water that comes out of the pipe at the end of the road."

Photo: 2010 Evelyn Hockstein/CARE

No soap, no clean towel, no disinfectant, no doctor, not even minimal medical equipment in case of complications. No western woman could imagine even for an instant giving birth in conditions like these! And yet Joane's childbirth story is not extraordinary. Since January 13, hundreds of other Haitian women have given birth among garbage cans in the streets of Port-au-Prince.

To improve living conditions for the homeless, CARE has begun to distribute wheelbarrows, shovels and brooms so people can start to clear away the garbage. "Removing garbage is the absolute minimal requirement for limiting risks of disease," explains Franck Géneus, CARE's Health Director in Port-au-Prince. "We are going to set up a network of volunteers among the people living in the area to transmit hygiene awareness-raising messages. We can limit the risks considerably by providing everyone with information about this crucial and fundamental issue."

Saluka Francia's child was born a month ago in a hospital. But since the family has had to move to this camp, the little boy’s health has deteriorated. "His tummy hurts, he has diarrhea and has caught a cold," his mother explains to me. I look at the abnormally small infant and can only worry because of the sad and sickly face that looks back at me. The baby winces and his appearance betrays his precarious health. When I ask the mother if he has been examined by a doctor, or if he is under medical care, I already know the answer: "No."

Viergemène Jean who is beginning her 8th month of pregnancy has not seen a doctor since the beginning of December, even though she complains of fatigue. "I feel tired, during the day I'm too hot, at night I am cold because we don't have anything to cover up with and I am discouraged."

For good reason – like Joane, she doesn't know how she is going to give birth and she is worried. "The hospitals have been destroyed, there are many people who are injured, I know there isn't enough place for everyone." Thus, the birth of a child, which should be a source of joy, is rather a time of worry and fear for these women.

Beside her, her friend Marie-Michel Blanc, 32 years old, is expecting her third child. We would imagine she would be more confident since she has already given birth. But her apprehension is not any less, and for good reason: her second childbirth didn't go well and she had to undergo a Caesarean section. Marie-Michel knows that option won't be available to her if she experiences complications this time. "My stomach hurts and I feel something is wrong, I don't know what is happening," she says in a worried tone. I am not a doctor... but I am a woman. So I put my hands on her abdomen, I touch the warm ball in which the child is growing. I quickly understand that the child that is due in less than 15 days is breech. What should I do? Worry her more even though I know there is no doctor that could help her? I encourage her to find a midwife in the camp, I tell her there are women who know what to do, who can assist her and maybe turn the baby around. Maybe ...

Everyone complains of the lack of space and the suffocating heat that burns the little ones' skin when the sun is at its zenith. So they wrap up the babies in cloth and towels to protect them. The children are certainly too hot, and we know that when there is no water, dehydration is a real threat. Thankfully, our teams have distributed water purification tablets.

Photo: 2010 Evelyn Hockstein/CARE

Life is also made up of miracles, like the arrival of little Sarah, who was born the morning of the catastrophe. Mother and child were in a hospital that was partially destroyed, however they both escaped unscathed. "Everything was shaking, my bed was moving. I was very afraid. I heard noise and then people started to scream. I hugged Sarah tightly in my arms, I was sure we were going to die."

As she holds Sarah, her third child, Emy Merci has a blissful smile. Her face shows her gratitude for being alive. She talks of the same difficulties that the others have, but seems to be ready to endure it all because she has her baby by her side. Emy is even more thankful because today CARE gave her a hygiene kit with soap, toilet paper, tooth brushes, toothpaste, laundry soap, sanitary napkins and other products that will ensure better hygiene. "Thanks to this, I will be able to wash Sarah and wash her diaper. I didn't have any laundry soap and her clothes weren't clean. This will change everything," she says. Joane, Saluka, Marie-Michel and 1,000 other women received the same products and express the same gratitude.

In a situation this difficult, pregnant women and infants are even more vulnerable. In seeing these women, life seems more fragile than ever, hanging by a thread that could break any second. Sometimes just the infinitely small things make it easier for mothers and children. That is why we will continue to distribute these basic goods and help strengthen the thread of life during the women's childbirth and the children's first steps.

-Nicole Schneidman, Citizen Effect Project Manager

Updates from Haiti: Dispatches from CARE

Here's a round-up of the dispatches.

January 18th Update: CARE Targets Women and Children
by Nicole S. on January 19, 2010

Disaster-relief teams in Haiti are now facing a ticking clock. Ruptured water lines, growing waste, and the lack of a sewer system are escalating the threat of disease outbreaks and infection in the devastated nation. CARE warned on January 16th that pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and young children are at the greatest risk of being compromised by these conditions. Team members have already hit Port-au-Prince’s streets to give women a crash course in using the 600,000 water-purification packets CARE is distributing in the capital. In addition, CARE is organizing to provide those women and children most at-risk with emergency food rations, hygiene kits, and infant kits. CARE is also partnering with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to address the urgent needs of pregnant and lactating women and prevent further loss of life. Read more >>

January 16th CARE Update: Distributing Water in Port-au-Prince
by Nicole S. on January 19, 2010

Emergency relief teams in Haiti are now prioritizing providing earthquake survivors with safe water and food. Sanitary conditions in the region are continuing to worsen. Desperate survivors have resorted to drinking any water is available, placing them at risk for serious illnesses including cholera. In response, CARE is focusing on distributing water purification (PUR) packets that once dissolved, make any water safe for drinking. On January 16th, CARE reported that one of its convoys was transporting enough packets to supply 75,000 people with 3 liters of clean water for 10 days. Read more >>

Haiti Relief: January 14th CARE Update from the Ground
by May Y. on January 15, 2010

As our partner CARE continues to respond to the tragedy in Haiti, Citizen Effect is working to keep abreast of the conditions on the ground and the impact CARE’s work is already having. The CARE team’s first priority is to coordinate with U.N. agencies and other aid organizations to obtain food and water for Haiti’s affected areas.

CARE has already shipped water purification sachets from nearby Panama to Port-au-Prince and today, deployed additional emergency relief staff to the city. This personnel includes team members who responded to Haiti’s devastation in 2008 in the wake of Hurricane Hanna. In addition, CARE is planning to distribute an initial 10-tons of high-protein biscuits from warehouses in Haiti, enough food for 60,000 emergency meals. CARE is also working with the World Food Program, which is airlifting 86 metric tons of additional biscuits – enough for half a million emergency meals – from its satellite logistics hub in El Salvador. Read more >>

Celebrate MLK Holiday as a day of service - with Citizen Effect

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you're interested in participating, there are many ways to serve. Here are some ideas from www.mlkday.gov:

Why Serve?

Strengthen communities
Empower individuals
Bridge barriers

How to Serve

Volunteer on the day of service (check out our friends at www.VolunteerSpot.org for ideas)
Volunteer throughout the year
Get your organization to support the day of service

What to do

Start early
Set realistic goals
Build partnerships
Involve your partners

Serve as a Citizen Philanthropist
Mlk.gov has some great ideas on their site, but you'll have to do all the planning and coordination - like setting realistic goals, building partnerships and involving your partners. We hope you'll embrace this call to serve. But you don't have to go it alone!

At Citizen Effect we've worked hard to bring you a complete platform that makes it easy to serve and help others. We've taken care of all the planning and coordination, so you can focus on service. The concept is simple: pick a project commitment, then leverage your network to raise the money. We have over 30 projects focused on critical needs such as clean water, food, education, and the environment. We also have easy to use tools to help you pick a project, then raise money by leveraging your network of friends and family to see the project to completion.

Here's a sampling of projects started by Citizen Philanthropists, just like you:

Dana Jill and Robin are raising $2350 to repair wells in Devki Village to give 320 people access to clean water http://www.citizeneffect.org/projects/danajillrobin_devkiwr

Matt and Dana F. are raising $2610 to provide a childcare center for Sedla Village and will impact 192 lives. http://www.citizeneffect.org/projects/matt-danas-wedding-registry-sedla-village-childcare-center

Coral Z raised $1200 to build a multi-purpose classroom in Subtanjalla Cae and impacted 300 lives.

Click here for a complete list of projects >>

Do you want to participate in this national day of service? Then let us help you achieve your goal. Apply to be a Citizen Philanthropist today >>

Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have a great holiday! And thanks for taking part in this national day of service.

CARE: Deploying Humanitarian Aid to Haiti for Earthquake Victims

"We currently have 133 personnel on the ground in Haiti and are deploying additional staff immediately to distribute food, hygiene kits and water, as well as to deliver emergency health services.'' - Dr. Helene Gayle, CARE president and CEO

Please consider making a donation right now, to help CARE provide critical services >>

Around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck 10 miles off the coast of Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince and triggered a tsunami warning for the region. A series of more than 30 aftershocks measuring 4.5 and higher on the Richter Scale, followed throughout the night and into the morning. The combined effect of this earthquake and its aftershocks has devastated Haiti and in particular its capital, potentially leaving thousands dead and many more without shelter or access to basic necessities.

As with all disasters, clean water, shelter, food, and medical aid are urgently needed in Haiti. Because of their special needs, and the fact that they are often less able to flee, women and girls are especially during emergencies, and they will require immediate assistance. Mothers with infants and pregnant women will also require special supplies and health care services in the wake of the disaster.

"The immediate need is to rescue people trapped in the rubble, then to get people food and water. We're particularly worried about the children, because so many schools seem to have collapsed. Children were still in school in the afternoon when the earthquake hit, so there are many children trapped. It's horrifying." - Sophie Perez, CARE's Country Director in Haiti.

CARE plans to start food distributions using stocks of high-protein biscuits from warehouses in Haiti. In addition, the 133 CARE staff who are already on the ground are coordinating with U.N. agencies and other aid organizations to gather more detailed information about the damage and will rapidly scale up their response based on these assessments. CARE's staff in Haiti has extensive experience responding to disasters, and CARE is also immediately dispatching humanitarian crisis experts from around the world to address the crisis facing Haiti.

What CARE is doing

CARE is deploying additional emergency team members to the devastated city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti to support the 133 staff who are already on the ground in Haiti. These staff will be selected from around the world for their expertise in emergency relief. Together, this team will work to coordinate with U.N. agencies and other aid organizations to gather more detailed information about the current conditions and quickly develop an effective, coordinated response. This effort will include providing earthquake victims with basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and emergency medical aid.

Why?

Haiti and its capital, Port-au-Prince, have suffered the worst earthquake in the country’s history, a disaster that has devastated the Western hemisphere’s most impoverished nation. Although exact numbers are not yet available, the death toll is expected to be catastrophic. Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands may be dead. Without immediate assistance, conditions in Port-au-Prince and Haiti’s other affected areas could significantly worsen. The few health and humanitarian resources that were formerly available in the region were likely destroyed during the earthquake. CARE has begun responding to Haiti’s urgent need by providing critical relief in the country where the organization has been operating since 1954.

How?

CARE will draw upon its existing resources stored in Haitian warehouses to immediately begun assisting Port-au-Prince’s survivors. In addition, with the help of Delta Airlines, selected CARE staff are quickly being flown into the region. The combined CARE team will then perform assessments in concert with other aid organizations and U.N. agencies that become the basis for the response plan that the team will subsequently help institute.

Visit the project page today and make your tax deductible donation >>

Make and Keep Your New Year’s Resolution to Volunteer

Positive actions and starting positive habits should always be on your resolution list - exercise more, finish The Economist. I invite you to also add personal outreach to the community -- plan the positive action to start and maintain a regular volunteer commitment. A survey conducted in November by Kelton Research, a New York-based organization, revealed that 59 percent of Americans are resolving to volunteer in 2010 – please join us!

For some of us that’s weekly, others bi-weekly or monthly, others four weekends a year. Why volunteer? It’s not just a selfless act; it’s also a selfish act. I say that because giving freely of our time to help others, without any monetary payment is selfless. But based on the level of satisfaction most volunteers feel at the end of their shift, the friends you make, the lives you touch, the good you do -- you might say it’s pretty selfish when you get to feel that good.

The key to keeping your resolution – and having a great volunteer experience – is planning. Make a list of three organizations that you really feel excited about helping or have a passionate interest in their work. The trick is it only has to matter why YOU like it – it’s your choice. So if you really want to help out in the community recycling center, the afterschool sports program, or the antique tool museum doing school outreach, that’s up to you. Get a little excited.

Next, contact those organizations via phone or email and find out what kind of help they need. See if you find both a skill match and an interest match. See if it feels like it will feel meaningful. What do I mean by that? Meaningful to someone who wants personal contact might mean volunteering to read books to kids in protective custody and making that a regular part of their schedule. Meaningful to someone who just wants to labor but not work directly with needy individuals could mean stocking inventory in a food pantry.

Warning: Don’t proceed if you either don’t get good guidance from the organizations as to what they can have you do OR it doesn’t feel right to you. I hate doing taxes – would I feel great about helping people file their forms as a volunteer job? No. And since this is a New Year’s resolution you want to keep, and is supposed to make you happy, make sure you connect with something meaningful to you.

Once you’ve identified your group, your role and your time commitment – plan it, schedule it, block the time on your calendar. (That’s also the key to losing weight, or quitting smoking, if those are part of your suite of New Year’s resolutions, too.) And don’t let anything knock those commitments off your calendar. And then, show up.

Happy New Year, it’s 2010. Fast forward to April. You may have lost the 10 pounds (you may have gained it back…it’s okay!) and I really hope the quit smoking program worked! The volunteering? It’s part of who you are now, it’s a great part of your identity, your self-image, you’ve widened your social circle, maybe gained new skills and new connections and you feel like you’ve really accomplished something after every volunteer shift you work.

So please – make and keep your New Year’s Resolution to Volunteer. And enjoy it!

About the author: Mary Firme regularly volunteers at schools and in the community and has helped thousands of groups and individuals as part of team VolunteerSpot (http://www.VolunteerSpot.com) the creator of innovative, web-based, super easy yet powerful tools that take the hassle out of volunteer coordination and make it easy to say YES to volunteering.

Year of the Citizen Philanthropist

New Trier High School (Illinois): Built 6 Biogas Plants for clean cooking gas and organic fertilizer

This year, 4 teenage girls from New Trier High School in Illinois showed Citizen Effect teen power - bringing music together for to help a community in need. Alison, Neeha, Leyla, and Nasreen, part of the Amnesty International Club at New Trier helped solve the energy Crisis in Sonalnagar Village this year!

The girls sponsored a concert, “Jamnesty” at their high school, bringing together friends, family and community. Jamnesty successfully raised the funds need to build 6 biogas plants to produces clean cooking gas and organic fertilizer for the families of Sonalgar. With the construction of the biogas plants, members of the Sonalgar community no longer need to spend many hours searching for firewood, and presence of biogas stoves improves their health as they are no longer inhaling dangerous smoke.

We love the girls quote, after the concert and successfully raising their funds – they commented. “I feel like Bill Gates!” What the girls of New Trier show us is that you don’t have to be Bill Gates to directly impact a community in need. It is, however fun to feel like him! You too can successfully bring your friends and family together. Read more >>

Coral Z. (Arizona): Provided education to 50 high-risk children

Coral Zayas, partnered this year with Coprodelli to fund a multipurpose Classroom in Peru. This classroom serves 50 high-risk children and 30 parents and provides the 50 children and their families with a space for tutoring, studying and community development workshops.

Coral’s approach: Coral showed Citizen Effect this year how to be a truly creative Citizen Philanthropist! She raised the funds for Subtanjalla by incorporating many aspects of her life, in a true Citizen Effect way.

An amateur photographer from Flagstaff AZ, Coral is an Americorps Vista alumni and also works in the nonprofit world. As you can see giving is a large part her life. For her Citizen Effect project ,she sold her photography prints online. To promote her photography locally, she approached restuarants, and coffee shops to show off her work and raise money. She is also getting involved in local art walks. The great news, some establishments liked Corals work so much, they have invited her photography to be a permanent fixture for sale! Her Citizen Philanthropy project has now blossomed into a growing opportunity to sell more of what she loves, and be part of the local art community!

To bring her friends and community for some Charity fun, she also held a Dancing for Charity event, a Holiday Dessert Party, and a white Elephant Holiday party. Coral is all about having fun for a cause!

Coral was also the recipient of a great “random act of kindness” when a complete stranger supported her project, completing her goal. She immediately chose another project and is now building a Mulitmedia Classroom in Chinca Baja! Coral’s attitude and ferver is admirable, never ending for the kids of Peru. Read more >>

Henry & Erin (Illinois): Improved the health of at 1,586 refugees in the Meheba, Zambia

Henry and Erin partnered with FORGE this year to Improve the health of at 1,586 refugees in the Meheba community in Zambia, through the FORGE Health Services Project – combating HIV, Marlia and other health care issues for the Meheba commuity.

Hank and Erin’s approach: This couple decided to have a holiday with an impact this year. Turning what they would normally do, reaching out to friends and family during the holiday season, the two completed a holiday card campaign and asked for donations to their project instead of traditional Christmas gifts. Henry also got clever, learned about traditional Zambian food, and started bringing in Zambian lunches for his colleagues at work. Erin supplied a gift of art for those friends who made certain minimum donation. Support from friends and family have continued to pour in, and Hank and Erin celebrated the season thankful for what they can create together. Read more >>

Citizen Effect Impact

With the Citizen Philanthropists, we've had impacted thousands of lives. We have some great initiatives planned for 2010, beginning with our new online platform for social change. If you haven't been back to our site lately, please take a look. We've worked hard to bring you the easiest and most capable tool for becomming a Citizen Philanthropist.

Let's work together to make 2010 a great year by increasing our impact!

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Citizen Philanthropy Named One of Top Four Social Good Trends of 2009

The top four trends highlighted in the article include:

Citizen Philanthropy
Social Action Video
Micro-Activism via Mobile Apps
Transparency, Cause Marketing & Real-Time Search

Read the original article here >>

The Top Moments of the Decade in Social Entrepreneurship
Nathaniel Whittemore does more than look back over the last year. He's taken the long view. His list covers the technology, the people, the publications and the organizations that really sparked a revolution in social entrepreneurship.

Some of the highlights include discussions of the role of the iPhone, the financial crisis, even the rise of eBay.

Read the original article here >>

Beyond the Classroom - Micro Goodness! Part 1 and 2
From Nelle's blog. Nelle's a good friend of Citizen Effect, but that's not the only reason she's on this list. Her two part post is chock full of great links on the topic of micro-goodness - what Nelle describes as, "things you can do, offer, think of or add– that contribute positively to your day and to positive energy… and mine… and our community." Part one contains the discussion. Part two has all the links to resources, articles, sites and organizations.

Read part 1 >>

Read part 2 >>

How to change the world with a gift card

Imagine a world where you could make a difference just by doing what you already do: shopping. Gifts that Give made this a reality. When you shop at giftsthatgive.com 20% of the purchase price is donated to one of the causes on their list.

This holiday season, Citizen Effect partnered with Gifts that Give to support the families of Jogad Village in India to solve Jogad's water crisis. Help us get clean water to Jogad Village.
Buy a gift or gift card from Gifts that Give today.

Currently, families depend on government tankards for their water supply. Unfortunately, these tankards cannot reach Jogad’s commune of tents. Instead, the community must pay for private vehicles to deliver their water. This is a massive expense for a community where 95% of the families live below the poverty line.

Gifts purchased at Gifts that Give will help ensure that 50 of Jogad’s families are supplied with 200-liter water tanks for safe water storage and distribution. The durable, lightweight tanks will allow the villagers to easily transport water back and forth to their homes.

To be a part of this solution, choose Citizen Effect's Jogad Water Project from the drop down menu when you shop at Gifts that Give.

You can also buy a Gifts that Give Gift Card. Just ask your gift card recipient to select Citizen Effect during check-out. It's that easy.

Buy a Gifts that Give Gift Card

Thank you for your support!

-The Citizen Effect family

Featured Project: Jogad Village Desert Water Tanks

Jogad Village is in the Kutch desert and is made up primarily of salt farmers, 95% of which live below the poverty line. They live in burlap tents and currently have two options for getting clean water. First, they can pay a private vehicle to drive to the government tankards to pick it up and transport it back to Jogad. This is an expensive means of obtaining a necessity of life, usually costing villagers 375 rupees a month, about 42% of their monthly income. The other option, have the women and children walk between 6 and 9 miles through the desert.

After the families obtain the water they face another problem, where and how to store it. Generally there is no clean, sanitary place to store water. Many times this results in people not having access to clean water and being forced to drink whatever they can find. This causes transmission of disease, which in turn hinders the communities’ productivity.

Lindsay, from San Francisco, CA understands the importance of this project and through Citizen Effect has partnered with Jogad Village to help provide the tanks to the people who need them the most.

Lindsay is raising money for her project by teaching a holiday karma yoga class. Lindsey describes the class as, “[a] special 2 hour heart opening yoga workshop.” There is no set price to attend, but instead it is a pay-what-you-can donation to help her reach her goal of $1,550.

You can help Lindsay change the lives of the Jogad village community members. Donate now and help her give the gift of water this season.