It’s Official, Carter and Olivia have been chosen as finalists in the Oceana “Oceans Hero” Award (CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE).  We are so excited and honored.  There were apparently hundreds of nominations from all over the country and the judges picked 6 adults and 6-kids as their finalists.

Many of you had submitted your nominations on behalf of Carter and Olivia and we are very grateful for all the support.  Now it’s time to rally all our supporters and ask that everyone consider casting their votes.  All the finalist deserve to win.  Each one is doing amazing work and we are so proud to even be considered as a finalist.

We are asking everyone to take a few seconds and follow this link to the voting page and after reading the accomplishments of all the kids and adult groups, that you please cast your vote for your favorite finalist.  You have the ability to vote for your favorite kid and for your favorite adult.  Oceana will announce the winner of each category in early June.  Overseas supporters wishing to cast a vote for Olivia and Carter should enter the following zip code (30215) since the system does not recognize non-US postal codes.

Since starting OMG, Olivia and Carter have been actively working towards making a difference with regards to our oceans.  From collecting Animal Rescue Supplies after the Gulf Oil Spill to help save the many sea birds and sea turtles caught-up in the mess, to lobbying for support from our Congressman Lynn Westmoreland for the H.R.-14 Ocean Acidification Act, to raising awareness about the horrible Shark Finning which kills an estimated 75-100 million sharks every year, to launching their “Say No To Plastic Bags” Coalition in and effort to help America reduce their dependancy on Single-Use Plastic Bags which end up sitting in our landfills for over 500-years and clog our streams and oceans.  Each year an estimated 1-Million Sea birds and over 100,000 Marine Mammals die from ingesting plastic pollution.

Carter and Olivia know that many of these problems will not be solved overnight, but they also know that unless you start, none of these problems will ever go away.  They work hard to make this world a better place for us… and for all of God’s creatures.  We hope you will take the time to vote for your favorite Ocean Hero and that you too will help make a difference for the future.

Also, if you have not already done so, please “Follow” us on Twitter (@1moregeneration) and “Like” us on Facebook so we can keep up with all that you are doing and so you can see what Olivia and Carter are up too as well.

Photo by ED BLOCHOWIAK

As an event planning professional, I have seen all types of non-profit fundraisers. Some I have produced myself, and others I have helped organize for other groups.

There are many things to consider when putting together a non profit fundraising event. Sometimes you can control the situation, and sometimes you can’t.

Some of the biggest factors that add to the cost of events are:

Venue- Try to find an offbeat venue that is cheaper. Look for school district facilities such as a gym or hall, universities, and club halls tend to be less expensive than a hotel. A great source for finding a good venue is http://www.uniquevenues.com/

Catering- If you are having a fundraising meal, try to find cheaper alternatives for food. Meat is the most expensive thing that adds to the cost of catering. Choose cheaper options such as pasta or vegetarian dishes, or less meat oriented dishes such as spaghetti or lasagna. Steak and lobster aren’t necessary for a nice dinner. You can choose chicken instead. Here is a link to a great article, which supports this point.

Time of Day- Usually dinner is the most expensive time of day to rent a facility, and it’s also the most expensive to feed people at. If food is expected at the event, perhaps you should make it at an odd time of the day, in between meals. So you are only expected to serve light refreshments. Take the focus off the food, and put it into the actual event such as the 5K Run, or the Guest Speaker for the event.

Seek Donations- Often you can solicit donations of food to support your event from local bakeries, local farmers, local grocers and so on

Be Green- Not only is it great for the environment, but being green is a great way to save money as well. You don’t need to send out paper invites, use technology. Eventbrite and Evite are great sources to spread the word, (and you can use Social Media to send links) without the extra cost of postage and printing. Nowadays Evite and Eventbrite are linked to your social media accounts.

Scour Online- Ebay and Craigslist are great ways to find gently used tablecloths, vases and decor items. When I was planning my wedding in 2008, for example, I used Craigslist and found some great deals on tablecloths and vases. Then after the wedding, I recouped my money by selling them again!

Just remember, you don’t need a big budget to have a special event. Use your networking skills to get donations, and find things others may be willing to sell for a discount.

New Zealand with a population of about 4.7 million, has been reeling since news of the quake. Christchurch one of the main cities, with a population of around 500,000 was getting back to normal after an earthquake on the 4^th of September 2010.

The earthquake of 22 February struck as people were on their lunch break -12:51pm, and has caused a large section of the central business district to be shut down by cordons as police and rescue workers from across the globe search for survivors.

It’s fairly much acknowledged that there’s only a remote chance that people will now be pulled live from the rubble, but the search goes on. A search being done by New Zealand’s own police and rescue personnel, and with the support from international agencies from Australia, the USA, Japan, China, the UK and other countries.

New Zealand has stepped in and helped with disaster across the globe for years, and the offers of support New Zealand has received at this time have been overwhelming; something the whole country appreciates and is humbled by.

Christchurch, will take years to recover from this disaster, and all of New Zealand are feeling the loss that the city has had, and the losses it will face for years to come.

It has been great to see support coming from both national and international agencies.  Then there’s the support through local, small organisations and communities which is just as great – bake sales, garage sales, items are being posted on local internet trading site TradeMe. Retailers are donating the proceeds of sales of goods, and

Community groups the length and breadth of the country are holding events, fundraisers or other activities to raise support and help for the people of Christchurch.

Mums and dads are opening their homes to strangers, offering a bed, meals and other support to people displaced by the quake. People have posted on Twitter that they couldn’t bear the continued aftershocks and just wanted out – which has been met with offers of airfares and accommodations.

Businesses unrelated to Christchurch have been offering to take on work, others have been offering office space – all out of the goodness of their heart.

Social agencies are pulling together to help, people in Christchurch are humbled, and thankful for the support they’ve been offered; money, food, clothing, accommodation.

The local student population have again posted on Facebook for volunteers to help with the clean up, with over 15,000 people signing up to help – help such as shovelling silt, helping people move precious belongings; anything that they can help with, they will.

FundraiseOnline a local online fundraising facility has stepped in and helped the NZ Red Cross by setting up a fundraising page to help take some of the strain off the Red Cross website, individuals have been using their own resources to tweet and post on their FaceBook pages with the aim to raise support.

Local telephone providers are offering free phone calls so as to allow those in Christchurch to contact loved ones.

People in the nearby area of Rangiora are assisting with the preparation and distribution of food through Rangiora Express – food is being prepare then sent to where it’s needed by helicopter – this is now facing an uncertain future as funds are desperately needed to keep the helicopters in the air.

Christchurch is a tourist destination, with many tourists from throughout the world caught up in the devastation.

The iconic ChristChurch Cathedral which has been devastated is likely to hold the bodies of at least 20 tourists who were inside at the time of the quake.

The international student population hasn’t been left unscathed with students caught in a collapsed building – some who had only just started classes days before the earthquake. The students are from Japan, China, the Philippines, Korea and other countries.

Through the death and destruction, comes flickers of hope; unity in times of turmoil, when help is needed, hands are held out; Christchurch will need ongoing help from local, national and international agencies over the weeks, months and perhaps years to come.

We as a country are grateful for the support we’ve been receiving from around the globe; and I ask you to please help where and how you can, if you see a collection box, or are able to make a donation through any of your local groups or organisations, please do.

When disaster strikes, no matter where in the world you are, be assured that the connections you have, the friends you have will tap into their resources to help; they will hear you in your time of need and use their networks to help, and where possible New Zealand will be there to help where it can.

We’re a global community and as a community we need to do all we can to offer support. The New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, has launched a global fundraising appeal – the need for help is so great that all avenues are being used to raise awareness and help.

If there’s anything you can do to help, we’d appreciate it, spread the word among your connections. When you need help I’ll be watching to see how I can help.

Image: Courtesy of mattinbgn

There’s plenty of options, and yes opportunities for organisations to get out an about among their supporters; whether it’s speaking at business association function, or as a guest at a discussion in your local community; the opportunities are there.

What better way to show your organisation off; be able to explain what you do, and who/what you help than at an event where you have a captive audience. They’re there for a reason, they will know you are coming; and will be more receptive to your ‘message’ than they might otherwise be.

Sometimes it may take some imagination on your part to ‘find’ groups, organisations that you could approach to speak to.

What groups are in your area that you could approach? Here’s food for thought:

Schools, offer to speak at school meetings, not just to the students, but to the teachers and parents as well.

Business and service clubs; contact and arrange to speak at business and service clubs, these two groups are often interested in what is happening in their area. This would give you the potential opportunity to raise funds and awareness.

Retirement homes; visit your local retirement home and speak about what it is you do in the community. Not only will you give the residents something new to learn about, but you may connect with someone who is keen to support, either directly or through some association.

The ways in which you can connect with your community are limited only by your imagination and willingness to try new things.

What you can do:

• Speak at local schools
• Speak at business and service clubs
• Speak at retirement homes

Don’t be deterred by the time involved, you need to invest time into making your organisation seen in ways others aren’t. Get out there and be the voice of your organisation.

Although it’s just the beginning of 2011, there are some people that are already getting ready for Christmas 2011. This week’s Cause of the Week is a wonderful charity that helps children in need. The charity is called Christmas Exchange.

How did the whole idea come about?

We are a charity whose mission it is to provide assistance to families and individuals who face economic hardship. This includes helping these families with the purchase of school supplies. Education is a major factor that plays into the future success of an individual, and since public education is a right, we felt it was our duty to help ensure that children of low-income families have a positive experience when attending school. For some children, attending school can be very difficult due to economic reasons. When their parents cannot afford to purchase even the most basic school supplies, these children can feel different from their schoolmates. This sensation of not “fitting in” can cause these children to begin attending school on an irregular basis, to drop out of school, or to decide not to enroll at all. So we chose to provide programming that would help these children have a positive school experience by providing them with school supplies. We decided that the first fundraiser we would hold to support this program would be our 3^rd Annual Caring and Sharing Charity Auction on March 8th.
Why is this cause close to your heart? Why should others support it?

Have you ever seen the face of a child when a light-bulb finally goes on because they have learned and understood something new? Their eyes light up and moments later, they are off, eagerly sharing their discovery with the world. This is an experience that should be had by children no matter their financial situation in life. And in order to have the opportunity to experience these types of discoveries, they need to know that they are equal to the students within their school community. If they feel at all different because their parents cannot afford to purchase new school supplies for them, these children may become negative about their school experience. By helping children from low-income families receive the proper tools they need for school, we can provide them with the opportunity to experience discovery, and the confidence they need to be motivated about school. With confidence, a child feels like they can do anything or be anyone. Every child deserves to feel this way. That’s why our programming includes helping children from low-income families, and that’s why others should support our cause by attending the 3^rd Annual Caring and Sharing Charity Auction. Our goal is to raise $70,000 for our school program, and we need all the help we can get!

Do you have any other events or fundraisers that you would like others to know about?
In March we will be kicking off our 2^nd Annual Christmas Ornament design competition. Artists can submit their designs to this competition, and in April, a well-known artist within the Ottawa community will choose the top three ornament designs. After, these designs are uploaded to our website so the public can vote for the best design. The winner gets their design produced into ornaments, which we then sell to raise funds for the other programs that our charity runs.

What advice would you give to others that might like to take on such an amazing endeavor?
You need to be passionate about your cause, but you also need to be a good planner. Holding an event like a charity auction takes a lot of planning—to schedule the venue, the speakers, to solicit donations for the silent and live auctions, and especially to encourage people to attend your event. So you should be an organized individual. Having a large social network can really help your cause as well.

How has social media helped your organization?
Our organization has only recently started using social media to promote ourselves. Twitter and Facebook have certainly helped us to get our name out there, and it has allowed us to connect with a younger generation. We still have a lot to learn regarding the effective use of social media though.

What do you have planned for the future of Christmas Exchange?

In addition to providing direct assistance, our charity manages a database that tracks the number of individuals and families seeking Christmas and school supply assistance. Over 300 community organizations and social services agencies send us the names of applicants they know need help, which we then connect with organizations looking to provide aid. Other organizations, such as Shepherds of Good Hope, also send us the names of the individuals and families they intend to provide with assistance. With our database, we sort through these names to ensure that all the families and individuals listed are receiving help, and to make sure that they only receive help from one organization at a time—thereby preventing duplicates. This service saves the community over $700,000 each year, allowing all donations to go to where they are most needed. At the moment, we run this service for Christmas and school supply assistance programs, but we would like to expand this service to help organizations that provide other types of programs as well.

In the near future, we will also be re-branding the organization with an overall umbrella name under which our Database and our Christmas and School Supply Assistance programs will run.

More information about the event:

This year the auction will be held on Tuesday, March 8^th, 2011. Our goal is to raise $70,000 in order to provide children from low-income families with school supplies. The event will feature a silent auction, followed by a delicious three-course meal, and ending with an exhilarating live auction led by CTV’s Michael O’Byrne. A list of auction items can be found at http://caringandsharing.ca/items.php with some of the most significant items including a Sunday Brunch for 6 to 8 people with Gay Cook and Grete Hale at their historic home on Fuller Street; two gift certificates (worth $500) for four green fees and two power carts at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club; and two Christmas ornaments of original design depicting the Peace Tower, made from the copper of the Parliament Building roof (limited edition, sold out item). We will also be holding a raffle, which, for the winner, will mean two tickets to anywhere WestJet airlines flies. If people are interested in purchasing tickets to the event, they can visit https://www.christmas-exchange.com/custom/tickets.php

If you have a non profit organization, you should definitely make sure that you are using all of the available free resources out there to market your non profit organization. Just think of Twitter and Facebook as free advertising. Some people may think that Twitter is different because it’s more public, and people can see your profile easier. But that is what is great about it.

Twitter even has tutorials now, so you can learn how to use it right from their home page. It’s a great way to interact quickly and spread the word about fundraising activities, or even special events. You can post links, and they can spread to many users that you wouldn’t have connections with otherwise using a different type of social medium.

Here are some quick tips on getting started with Twitter.

1) Go to Twitter.com and setup your “Twitter Handle” this is going to be  your username, and it’s also going to become your new profile website. (ex: www.twitter.com/username)

2) Find people to follow. Search through Twitter, using the people search, topic search etc. You would be surprised to see how many people and businesses are on there.

3) Setup your Twitter account to sync with your mobile phone. So you can tweet from your phone. This is great for posting a quick note, and keeping in touch with your followers. You can just text to 40404 from your phone which is the number code for Twitter. You don’t need to even have a data plan on your phone. The only down side is you have to log on to see what people respond to you on Twitter.com or another medium.

4) Check out our application for putting Facebook and Twitter all on one platform, it’s called Converse. This will enable you to have everything on the same program. For more info, and to get started visit our page here best of all it’s free.

5) Make sure you post at least a few times a week, if not at least once a day. This will help to build up your followers and interactions. You can schedule your tweets to post ahead of time with Converse.

6) Use the hashtag symbol as much as possible. The # symbol allows people to search under a specific topic. So for the topic of cancer, they would put a hashtag that looked like this #cancer. There are so many ways to sort them, but what is really neat about it, is that these # symbols will come in on Twitter feeds and post on other people’s websites, if they have installed that feature on their website. So it’s a great way to get your post on other people’s websites. For an example of what I’m talking about click here.

7) You can do a query and post it to your website. Sometimes it will show a lot of info, like if you use a very general one like “Seattle” or “Dallas” or a big city, or other times it won’t show much. But what is wonderful about it, is that it’s customizable and you can change it as often as you want.

Most of all, have fun with Twitter. Use the @reply feature to interact with other Tweeps (that’s what people that use Twitter are called Twitter + Peeps = Tweeps) and have fun with it. You would be amazed how many fun people are on Twitter that you just can’t find on Facebook.

On April 18th I will be running in the 2011 Boston Marathon. Competing in a marathon is something I’ve always wanted to do. Now that I’m healthy and have time to train for such a demanding sport – I’m going to do it! I’m fundraising for an awesome organization, Playworks, which helps to make recess a constructive time for kids to get exercise, learn, and play.

Why I’m running the Boston Marathon:
My collegiate athletic career was cut short when I began experiencing health problems after my freshman year. After sitting out several seasons, I finally learned I had Lyme disease and a hole in my heart. I was able receive treatment, and after two years, I’m ready to get back into athletics. I’ve set the April Boston marathon as my personal goal to return to running.

Why I’m Fundraising for Playworks:
I grew up playing sports. Whether it was basketball, cross country, track, or lacrosse…I was always on the go. My history with athletics has shaped my work ethic, ability to participate in a team enviornment, desire to always improve, and above all – it was fun.

I would have never known I was a capable athlete if it weren’t for having the chance to play and learn during recess. Unfortunately, not all children have this same opportunity to develop, learn, and play. That’s where Playworks comes in – Playworks is dedicated to supporting learning by providing safe, healthy and inclusive play and physical activity to schools at recess.

Why is Playworks important?
- Recess is the single biggest opportunity to raise the level of physical activity for all children

- Children in urban, low-income schools are less likely to have recess than students in other schools. Teachers cite improved behavior in the classroom when students have recess.

- Recess helps kids stay focused in the classroom

- Play is essential to child development and an invaluable tool for improving school climate. High quality recess helps children return to the classroom focused and ready to learn.

Please help me support a truly meaningful organization providing great value to kids across the country by donating to my Boston Marathon team. You can do so here.

How did the whole idea come about?

The idea of Heifer started in 1944 from our founder, Dan West. He was a Midwestern farmer who was working as a relief worker handing out rations of milk to hungry children during the Spanish Civil War. After being forced to decide who would receive the limited rations and who wouldn’t – he knew this kind of aid would never be enough.

West then decided that the only way to end hunger permanently would be to provide families with the training and livestock they needed to become self-sufficient. Here is a link to their founder’s story.

• Why is this cause close to your heart? Why should others support it?

Heifer’s mission envisions a world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet. We work very hard to teach others how to live with the resources that are given to them.

• Do you have any other events or fundraisers that you would like others to know about?

We have a program called Team Heifer where we encourage our supporters to help raise money by involving others. You can join a current team or start one of your own. Each team sets a monetary goal to raise money for Heifer. This really encourages and excites supporters to get everyone they know involved.

• What advice would you give to others that might like to take on such an amazing endeavor?

Think big! It’s amazing how many people you can get involved in a Team Heifer project when you announce it to groups and activities you are involved in. We offer funding raising ideas and can help you spread the word to everyone you know.

• How has social media helped your organization?

We have been able to use social media to listen and engage with our donors. The timeliness of social media helps keep our supporters immediately updated on projects and events going on in the US and around the world in an instant.

• What do you have planned for the future of Heifer International?

We are very fortunate that Heifer keeps growing even during tough economic times. Our supporters, volunteers and staff work hard every day to help spread Heifer’s mission. We know one day we will see the end of hunger and poverty.

“Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I try to use that as my daily motto. It also should be considered when you are evaluating what you can do for others. Sure, it’s not easy to start your own charity or non-profit business. But if you can’t do that, what about donating to a charity? If you already are involved with a non profit organization, ask yourself: “How can I help my organization grow?”

Our website has wonderful resources to show non profits how to promote yourselves online via social media- best of all social media is free to use. Make sure that you utilize every opportunity to network and showcase why people should donate or volunteer their time with your cause.

The opportunities are abundant. Despite these tough times, people always have love in their hearts and time on their hands. Even if they can’t donate monetarily to your cause, they can possibly volunteer.

Don’t leave your cause in the dust. Make sure you breathe life into it on a regular basis by promoting your blog posts, tweeting on Twitter and posting on Facebook. Other ways you can participate online is by commenting, or networking with other blogs and causes.

A great resource for finding lists of blogs is called Best of the Web. Then you can type in the subject area and find lists of similar blogs. Network with these other bloggers, and if they have a blogroll, then ask them if they can add your cause’s blog to it. Maybe they will ask you to post something on their blog too!

I would like to also end this post with another great quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, that will hopefully inspire you to speak out for your cause:

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ”
Martin Luther King, Jr.