Entries For: December 2007
2007-12-26
Ending the Year Anew
December, and the whole of 2007, is coming to an end. When I was younger, this time of year had me filled with anticipation of candy and gifts and celebrations. Since founding FORGE, however, the end of a year has come to symbolize another end – the end to the cycle of war and poverty.
Some people say that problems beget problems and that the cycle will never end. They say that war will forever rage and that for some bellies to be full, others will remain empty.
Collectively with our staff and the communities of Meheba, Kala, and Mwange, FORGE knows differently. We look back each year and we see measured success. We see goals reached and targets achieved. We see full classes, bustling computer centers, thriving businesses, and communities full of growing leaders. This is our beginning and these are our ends.
At the end of your 2007, please think about what ends and new beginnings can mean. Think about children, for the first time in their lives, being able to attend school. Think about entrepreneurs building the infrastructure from which peace is born. Think about leaders, free from persecution, driving their communities toward prosperity. Think about how these things CAN happen and think about a cycle that must end. Then, think about the means to this end and what you can do to help.
Happy Holidays.
-Kjerstin Erickson
www.FORGEnow.org
Happy Holidays.
-Kjerstin Erickson
www.FORGEnow.org
2007-12-04
"Tactical" leveraging of online networks
Perhaps it's because I'm young, but I have great faith in the power of 'new media' as a tool for social change. Building engaged listservs and a strong presence in online social networks can pay huge dividends in quick, easy communication and mass mobilization. The web 2.0 revolution has changed the way that even small nonprofits can spread the word, build and mobilize networks, and create a large presence and 'brand' without spending a penny.
FORGE experienced the strength of such networking first hand yesterday. And it required only a few keystrokes and clicks.
Last week, I ran across a great philanthropy blog called Tactical Philanthropy. The blogger, Sean Stannard-Stockton, was running a contest called the "One Post Challenge", where, in essence, the guest blog post that generated the most comments would win $500 for the nonprofit of their choice. As the contest developed, one post promised $500 to the non-profit organization that simply got the most "votes" via comments on that post. When I first saw it, the blog author estimated that 50 votes would win. The leader at that time had about 60 votes with one week remaining. We thought it a good way to use our international network of volunteers, so FORGE threw its hat in the ring.
Once we started voting, however, the competing organization turned up the heat as well. With 12 hours remaining, FORGE found itself behind by 55 votes. That's when we put our plan into action. Twelve hours, a few email blasts that were forwarded around cyberspace, and one huge Facebook "event" later, FORGE had won by a landslide, about 450 votes to 230.
This morning, when the winner was announced, I marveled at the power of a strong online network. Not only can FORGE reach thousands of people through the internet, but we can engage them for support. Overall, the contest was fun, we witnessed the power of our network to self-mobilize with a simple call to action, and we gained a lot of attention for FORGE. More and more nonprofits are realizing that they have to "get into the game" online, but as a whole the nonprofit and philanthropic community has only begun to touch upon what is possible with engaged web-based communities.
FORGE looks forward to being at the forefront of that movement!
- Kjerstin Erickson
www.FORGEnow.org
