Regardless of the particular celebration you take part in at the end of the year, there’s no denying that people are more generous and thoughtful during the months of November through January. Volunteering time, donating money or goods, or attending charity holiday parties are only a few ways that people give back at the end of the year. But are there ways to do good all year long, and to do social good as well?
If you’re going to crowdsource for social good, keep in mind a few important things:
- What charity will your current audience care most about?
- Remember to plan out all aspects of your social good campaign like you would any other project.
- Commit the required and appropriate amount of time to a social good campaign. It cannot be an afterthought.
Mashable’s Social Good Page
Mashable is the social media hub of all online news. A blog like no other that demonstrates up to the minute information, has recently launched a “Social Good” page that chronicles all of the ways in which companies are taking up initiatives that help the greater good using social media and reaching large audiences. If you’re company doesn’t know how it can help, it should check
this page for various ideas from the big to the small.
Recent Social Good Campaigns
Everyone is getting in on the location base services (foursquare, gowalla) these days and now foodies will get their chance to participate by more than just checking in at their favorite locations.
Foodspotting is a geolocation guide for food lovers. The campaign it has just recently launched is asking its users to participate in what they are calling a “Spotathon Challenge” that will result feeding families in need. The company, after so many feats are accomplished by the users, will donate a cow, a garden, and/or a pig.
There are a number of organizations that accept donations on line at any time. If your cause is to feed the hungry or to help out low income families in the United States, or even in your own local areas, consider these
4 organizations that can be found nationally – The Salvation Army, Feeding America, United Way, and the Global Foodbanking Network.
Large companies like American Express and Yahoo are getting into the social good spirit as well. American express encouraged people to buy their goods from small businesses on the Saturday following Black Friday. All the participants had to do was to register their card on Facebook on “
Small Business Saturday” and spend at least $25 at a small business and they received $25 back. Yahoo, started the
How Good Grows campaign in a pay it forward kind of initiative. They provided $100 to 400 influencers to encourage them to do a kind act. Since then 21,000+ have shared their acts of kindness in what they’re calling a ripple effect.
If you’re a local group looking to do some good socially, ask a local bar to sponsor a holiday “tweet up.” Have each person in the community bring a donation (money or an item such as a toy or canned good) and donate to a local charity of your choosing. Or contact local shelters and see if there is a family you could sponsor and buy the children Christmas presents with the money you raise from an event you throw. Whatever route you decide to choose, rememeber, even if you show up with one box of food to a local pantry, that’s still one more box of food they didn’t have before. Use Mashable’s meetup system, or meetup.com to create an event. Promote on twitter and local Linked In groups. And use your own influence to get people to come and help out a charity.
