Nov3

Introducing “Geben Gives”

by Heather Whaling

Geben CommunicationIf you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m in the process of going out on my own — launching Geben Communication. The word “geben” means “to give” in German. I chose it to reflect my commitment to nonprofits and giving back. Geben officially becomes my full-time gig on December 1, and I can’t think of a better way to launch my business than by announcing the winner of what I’m calling “Geben Gives.”

Here’s how it works:

  1. Tweet the following: I nominate [insert nonprofit here and be as clear as possible. If space permits, include a Twitter handle or URL] for #gebengives http://bit.ly/4GAZtu
  2. Leave a comment on this post with the name of the organization (be as specific as possible) and its current URL. Then, if you’re on Twitter, tweet the following: “I just nominated [insert organization name] for #gebengives.”
  3. Toward the middle of the month, I will announce the finalists, which primarily will be determined by the number of nominations. (However, I do reserve the right to use some personal discretion.) At that point, you will vote for the winner.

The winning organization will get to choose one of the following “packages,” whichever meets their specific PR/marketing/social media needs:

  • Let’s Get Social includes an audit of existing social media initiatives, as well as the competition’s social media; brainstorming session with the organization to identify ways to begin (or improve) their social media presence. The deliverable is a social media strategy.
  • The “Write” Stuff package is  just what it sounds like. I’ll draft copy for a website, brochure or other collateral piece of the organization’s choosing.
  • Art of Storytelling will provide the winning organization with a media relations strategy — including compelling storylines and a customized, targeted media list (which can include bloggers where appropriate), as well as other creative ideas to increase strategic media coverage. Think of this as a media relations toolkit that will help the winning organization hit the ground running.

Nominations are being accepted now through November 18. The winner will be announced on December 1, coinciding with the Geben launch.

A few rules:

  • Nominate as many nonprofit organizations as you like. Just provide a separate nomination for each entry.
  • You can nominate your own organization. Follow the format above.
  • Prior to making an announcement, I will contact the finalists to be sure they want to participate. (Feel free to help me out by leaving the contact’s email in the comments section.)
  • The winning organization needs to be able to work with me during the month of December to complete the work.

That’s it. Simple, right? So start nominating your favorite nonprofits!

(P.S. If you’re a for-profit business, you’re not eligible for this contest. But, I’d still love to work with you! Email me at heather [at] gebencommunication.com, and let’s get started!)

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I'd love to nominate Epic Change (@epicchange & http://epicchange.org) for #GebenGives for their tireless work in helping to educate underprivileged kids the world over. They're kinda awesome. :)

It's all about giving back - kudos to you! I'd like to nominate a non-profit I help called Children's Safety Centers in St. Paul. They help with safe exchange and supervised visitation so children are able to spend time with their non-custodial parent. @kathyswanson

Heather, you rock! I'm nominating Camps for Kids (@campsforkids), a charity my wife has been heavily involved in for the last six years. C4K works to assure that no Kansas City kid is denied the benefits of summer camp due to disability or low income.

Love this idea!

Just wanted to add my nomination, also for the American Lung Association of Florida- Central area (www.lungfla.org / @alafcentral). I'm actually helping out with the organization's PR on a volunteer basis as it is not a staffed position and know firsthand how much we would benefit from some additional resources/expertise in the area. Thanks for your consideration!

@Jodi_Kiely

Hey Heather,

This campaign is fantastic! You are so creative. I just nominated the American Lung Association of Florida- Central area (www.lungfla.org / @alafcentral) for Geben gives. I currently work there as their Development Manager.

The ALA needs SO much PR/marketing help! Lung cancer is the #1 killer of all cancers COMBINED and there is a low rate of survival (thus few supporters). The ALA also fights all sorts of lung disease including asthma, TB, COPD, etc. We definitely need help with what direction to take especially since we have just touched the surface of social media in the past few months.

@annngo

This is a great idea! I'm nominating Homegrown Lacrosse www.homegrownlacrosse.org @homegrownlax
Founded in 2003, Homegrown Lacrosse is dedicated to encouraging positive change in the lives of youth lacrosse players and supporting the growth of the sport in Minnesota. Through community-based programming, HG uses lacrosse to provide opportunities for individuals to get involved and cultivate the skills and relationships necessary to succeed on and off the field. Led and staffed by experienced collegiate lacrosse players, Homegrown Lacrosse holds clinics, leagues and K-12 educational programming throughout the year.

What a smart idea. I continue to be amazed by how the people I've met via social media are always looking to help others and give back. Another great example.

this is a great and generous idea! i'm nominating
Remote Area Medical
http://www.ramusa.org
Company Overview:Remote Area Medical was formed by Stan Brock in the mid 1980s with the goal of delivering healthcare to people in need in remote places of the world. It initially operated internationally, but as time passed, more and more of RAM's expeditions have been here in the USA. Mission:To deliver high-quality health care without cost to people who cannot otherwise access it. (they're doing one of their gigs in palm beach county fl next spring)

Products:No-cost medical, dental, and vision care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Phone: 1-877-5RAMUSA
or 865-579-1530
above pulled from their fb page...

i'll do the tweeting, etc tomorrow. :)
roberta

What a fantastic idea, Heather. Can't wait to see the lucky organization who gets to take advantage of your big brain...

arikhanson

I nominate "Triton Sailing & Maritime Foundation".
We are a nonprofit that allow youth from 14-21 years to experience sailing, regardless of the ability to pay, physical challenges,gender, or ethnicity. It's a scout run organization that teaches self-confidence, leadership and teamwork in a real world sailing environment.
No website or twitter handle yet.
for more questions, please email janebayer@earthlink.net
Thank you!

I nominate the Project on Justice in Times of Transition, www.pjtt.org for #gebengives http://bit.ly/4GAZtu

I nominate Lee's Place Grief and Loss Counseling Center (www.typingbug.com) for #gebengives http://bit.ly/4GAZtu

prtini I nominate Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton NJ for #gebengives! www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org.

Thanks for giving back to deserving nonprofits! I nominate CaringBridge, provider of free websites for patients to connect with loved ones during a serious health event, care and recovery.

Trackbacks

  1. [...] The list could go on and on. And, count me in. To mark the Dec. 1 launch of my own company, Geben Communication, I’m running a contest to identify a worthy nonprofit to which I’ll donate my PR services in December. (Take a second and nominate your favorite nonprofit here!) [...]

  2. [...] Communication, my socially aware, brilliant and generous daughter, Heather Whaling, introduced Geben Gives.  She acccepted nominations of non-profit organizations, used various social media outlets to [...]

  3. [...] you and your work? Hopefully like they did when my #pr20chat co-moderator, Heather Whaling, ran a contest to pick the most worthy cause to be her first client after launching her agency, Geben [...]

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