Introducing “Geben Gives”

If 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!)