GoodCause: Erin Stryker for Leukemia and Lymphoma

Erin is at it again, her determination to help end cancer shouldn't go without notice.  Her story will inspire you:  When a friend first asked me in November of 2009 if I wanted to participate on a team for Team in Training and train to complete a half marathon, I thought she must be out of her mind. I am not athletic, had never been, and really had no desire to be. I'd come to grips with the fact that I just wasn't an athlete. However, she gave me some information about the program and I did a little research. I'd been volunteering with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and many of my wish kids had leukemia, which is the most common cancer found in children, as well as the #1 disease killer in children. I saw it as a great opportunity to get involved and maybe make a difference. Never in my life did I imagine it would be a life changing turning point for me. Four seasons later, here I am training for a full marathon, and setting my fundraising goal at $10,000. FundGiving will help me get there!

DoGood Ideas of the Week

This week the DoGood Ideas are:

Thing: Office Supplies-  Do you have boxes, shelves and drawers full of office supplies?  There could be someone out there that's looking for exactly what you have too much of.  List it on FundGiving and raise some money for your favorite GoodCause.

Time: Mow Lawn- Tis the season, what a great way to raise money for your favorite GoodCause!!! 

Talent: Cut Hair- Are you a hair stylist?  Well then this is your Do Good Idea for sure!!!  Donate a hair cut, color or even a style.  Everybody gets their hair cut!!

The list of DoGood Ideas is endless, what's your DoGood Idea?  Don't forget... 

Buy Stuff. Sell Stuff. Do Good.

Go Forth and Do Good,

Your FundGiving Friends

Feature GoodCause: One Child At A Time

One Child At A Time is a non-profit aid organization dedicated to meeting the needs of children all over the world. Medical supplies, clothing, health needs, school supplies and various other items are collected by volunteers and shipped or hand carried by escorts, volunteers or adoptive parents to be donated to hospitals or child care facilities.

FundGiving News: FundGiving makes the Easter Sunday Paper

We interrupt or regularly scheduled program of our Monday Featured GoodCause with this very important announcement......  We made the Sunday paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  GoodCause feature and regular blog posts will continue tomorrow.  Help us celebrate and get that MarketPlace Rockin' we need donations DoGooders!!

Nashville company aims to put the fun in fundraising

An emergency clown nose is the perfect photo shoot accessory. At least it is if you are Amy Wolanski, one of two chief do-gooders at the new Nashville company FundGiving.

Before posing for the camera, the 33-year-old entrepreneur pops on the spongy adornment, which is a few shades more intense than her apple-colored shoes.

Just so people don’t think she’s crazy, she makes it clear it’s part of her overall message: “Giving is fun.”

Reinforcing that message can be difficult, particularly in a tough economy. As an alternative to opening their wallets, givers often offer volunteer services or to donate an item. But more essential to charities is cash.

FundGiving attempts to bridge that gap by matching a do-gooder’s deeds with a nonprofit’s needs. On the company’s website, which launched April 1, people can sell their items, time and talents and donate the money raised to the charity of their choice.

It is a solution for many organizations struggling to find ways to raise money, and it offers a way for people who can’t afford cash donations to still benefit their causes.

“It’s kind of like Craigslist for charities,” said Matt Clark, programs assistant at nonprofit Blood: Water Mission, which has partnered with FundGiving.

“It’s a great way to reach people of a whole wide range of backgrounds, and also it can give our supporters an alternative way to give to us — a different way than just writing a check.”

Community service

The business idea was born out of a beehive.

While raising funds for Flying Kites Global, Wolanski received a call from a friend who wanted to help but hated asking for cash. Her solution? Sell her services: washing windows, mowing yards, cleaning houses and more.

“She said, ‘I don’t care what I have to do as long as I don’t have to ask for money.’ ”

A week later, the friend received a $250 donation for removing a beehive, and Wolanski was buzzing with an idea. She approached Ann Taormina, a fellow Belmont University MBA student, with the concept last fall. The women launched the business earlier this month.

Sixteen organizations — or good causes, as the company calls them — use FundGiving’s site. Each cause pays an annual fee of $300, then encourages individuals to sign up to sell goods and services to support it.

Local nonprofit organizations including Brown Dog Foundation, Special Olympics Tennessee and Safe Haven Family Shelter are the main users now, but the idea is to create a platform for companies and individuals to sell services to benefit church and school groups.

“We really see this business model not only as a great way to raise money and awareness for good causes everywhere, it’s a great way to bring community service back to neighborhoods,” Wolanski said. “We envision dads going to cut the neighbor’s yard with their child rather than knocking on the door to sell them wrapping paper.

“We want to challenge people to dig deep and think of things that they are good at but never thought about marketing.”

Now available on the site are everything from quilt creation and photo scanning to spreadsheet-making and sober-driving services. People sell items such as old bikes or furniture.

As on Craigslist, buyers can search the site’s marketplace for specific needs. Fifteen percent of each sale goes to FundGiving as a transaction fee. The other 85 percent goes to the cause.

In the past, Carol Smock, board chairwoman of Brown Dog Foundation, has had supporters offer to hold yard sales. But Smock didn’t have time to coordinate such events.

FundGiving appealed to her because it was the same idea, without the work.

“It’s like a virtual garage sale,” Smock said.

Other online services promote similar concepts. EBay has online auctions for charity, as do sites such as biddingforgood.com. Facebook and Twitter are often used as fundraising avenues.

That approach makes FundGiving a good option for organizations looking to move fundraising to the Internet, Smock said.

“I think time will tell, but I am cautiously, extremely hopeful (of its fundraising power). It looks like an easy way to motivate people to do something different.”

And if you do, expect to receive a red clown nose in the mail, courtesy of the chief do-gooders.

DoGood Ideas of the Week

Nothing submitted this week so FundGiving will provide the inspiration.  Keep in mind: We really want these ideas to come from our FundGiving Friends.  Please submit your DoGood Ideas to info@fundgiving.com and we'll feature them and YOU weekly in our Blog.  This week the DoGood Ideas are:

Thing: Frequent Flier Miles- Do you have extra miles or hotel points that might expire if you don't get to use them.  Give them a dollar value and put them in the FundGiving MarketPlace to raise money for your favorite GoodCause.

Time: Babysitting- Are you trying to build up your babysitting business.  Donate a few hours to a GoodCause.  You'll find a new family to help and raise money for a cause in need. 

Talent: Fix Computers-  Do you have the gift of being able to fix the machines that none of us can live without?  Donate your talent to your favorite GoodCause, you'll enjoy the work and they'll get the cash!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The list of DoGood Ideas is endless, what's your DoGood Idea?  Don't forget... 

Buy Stuff. Sell Stuff. Do Good.

Go Forth and Do Good,

Your FundGiving Friends

FundGiver of the Week: Parrish Ravelli

Parrish Ravelli a project director at Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!) has taken the FundGiving ball and started running with it.  His creative donation of Spreadsheet Development or Repair/Data Entry/Administrative Work to Flying Kites was quickly purchased by a FundBuyer out west.  As soon as his service sold he did what all good FundGivers do, he got right back in the MarketPlace and posted the same item again, this time one for 5 hrs of work and one for 10 hours of work.  Way to be a DoGooder Parrish!!!  It's as easy as that...
Buy Stuff.  Sell Stuff.  Do Good.

GoodCause: Ride for Reading

Featured GoodCause of the week is........

Ride For Reading's mission is to promote literacy and healthy living through the distribution of books via bicycle to children from low-income neighborhoods. In low-income neighborhoods, the ratio of books per child is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children. *Reading is an integral part of education, and without books it is hard to build a strong academic base. Our children need materials to read at home and it is our goal to provide the means.

There are ways to get involved, of course you can donate on FundGiving or if you are in Nashville and would like to help with a delivery, here are the details:

We have scheduled our next delivery for Thursday, April 21, 2011!  We will be delivering books to the children of Glenview Elementary .  Like all of our other deliveries, this one will be filled with excitement, books, screaming children, and bikes!  I cannot imagine you will need any more convincing!
We will meet at Two Rivers Greenway parking lot behind McGavock High School at 11:45am on Thursday, April 21, 2011.  This delivery will require intermediate skills and helmets are required.  The route is about 15 miles round trip and has a few hills.  If you are interested in helping out please fill out the volunteer form below.  GLENVIEW ELEMENTARY VOLUNTEER FORM