Is Anger the Secret Ingredient?
Yesterday’s article in Forbes suggests that online donations are growing thanks to social media activism. That isn’t altogether surprising information. Online donations have been slowly but steadily growing over the years, even though online donations are still a small portion of charitable contributions overall. But social media hasn’t historically been a great place to...
Read MoreCan “Hunger Games” Movie Fight Hunger?
This week is all about “The Hunger Games.” If you haven’t read the book, you’ve probably seen the movie, or at least one of the billion trailers that have been airing for the past month. In “The Hunger Games” Panem, only the citizens of the capital are treated with respect. Citizens of the outlying district are starved, overworked, and forced to compete...
Read MorePay-What-You-Can Restaurants
Though I haven’t seen it hit Austin yet, there’s a nonprofit trend that’s bubbling at the surface that I have to imagine will hit here soon. Nonprofit restaurants are all the rage, with Bon Jovi himself launching one earlier this year in New Jersey. The usual concept is simple: Pay what you can for what you want to eat. There are no prices on the menu. In fact, Panera...
Read MoreIs SXSW Exploiting the Homeless?
It’s been all over the news, and not just here in Austin. Several homeless people have found a job for the week of South By Southwest, serving as human mobile wireless hotspots. The debate is raging: is this degrading? Is it a novel solution to give someone a job? Is it safe? Is this the modern version of the daily newspapers the homeless used to sell? I would LOVE to hear what...
Read MoreOnline Donation = No Validation?
Do you feel thanked when you give a donation online? That’s the question that was tackled this week by the Humanising Technology blog. They looked at landing pages thanking donors after they made a donation, and what elements of a thank you page were successful. First, a landing page your donors see after making a donation HAS to say “thank you.” That sounds like a...
Read MoreLocal Coeds Break Volunteer Record
Over the weekend, University of Texas students and Texas Ex alums volunteered together during the largest-ever day of service in the University’s history. More than 2,000 participants gathered at 12 local work sites to lend a hand with community beautification projects like painting and gardening. This year’s volunteer day (titled “The Project”) attracted more volunteers...
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