"We Are All Witnesses" to the rise of a strategic athlete, businessman and nonprofit advocate.
New York – LeBron James’ announcement of his free agent decision to join the Miami Heat confirmed Nike’s LeBron slogan. “We Are All Witnesses”–to the rise of the strategic athlete.
With this one decision LeBron took a pay cut, created a charitable gift, projected to raise $2.5 million for the Boys and Girls Club of America, got the University of Phoenix to donate five scholarships to his foundation, improved his chance of becoming a championship winning player, helped position his new team to become an American basketball dynasty, realized a dream of playing on the same team with two Olympic team mates and primed himself to withstand the mean spirited tirade of a hateful owner, fans and all whom determined he owes them his ability and earned opportunity to decide where he will work.
New York – Celebrity charitable gifts can now be bid on by everyone. Robert L. Johnson, Founder & Chairman of the RLJ Companies, launched ClubCharity.com as a resource for entrepreneurs, shoppers, and fans to find rare collectibles, exclusive one of a kind items and exciting experiences donated by some of the world’s most famous celebrities–for the sole purpose of giving back and helping those in need. 
Johnson’s online auction platform offers for bid charitable gifts like lunch with Chaka Khan; Tom Hanks’ autographed 2004, Plug-In hybrid Prius; the gorgeous white flowing gown Holly Robinson Peete wore to renew her vows to husband Rodney Peete; and charitable gift packages, like 2 golf spots at Michael Bolton’s Golf Tournament, 2 tickets to his concert with Dave Mason and the After Party. Johnson founded Black Enterprise Television (BET) before starting the RLJ Companies and ClubCharity.com in affiliation with CharityBids.org, whose principals are renowned for their global non-profit fundraising and expertise.
New York – Pepsi’s Refresh Project is giving millions away every month to fund great ideas through December 15, 2010. Turn your idea into a compelling submission; get the highest number of people in your virtual community to vote for your idea and you could be awarded a grant up to $250,000. Grant submissions can be made by legal residents of the U.S. ages 13 years and older.
Pepsi is “looking for people, businesses and nonprofits with ideas that will have a positive impact,” in six categories: health, art and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. Pepsi announced a new category June 8, for one month, devoted exclusively to ideas to help Refresh the Gulf.
Crowdsourcing
Pepsi’s Refresh Project used crowdsourcing to get more funding ideas. Oprah’s My Own Show used it to get more show ideas for her soon to be unveiled OWN network. Jeff Howe explains crowdsourcing, a term he coined, in his YouTube video. Crowdsourcing allows companies to get more people involved in helping to identify great ideas. Individuals use crowdsourcing to get more people involved in voting for their submitted ideas. 
Key Strategies
The keys to winning Pepsi’s Refresh grants are crowdsourcing and virtual communities. If you do not have a virtual community to crowdsource your requests for votes to; you need to start one to increase your chance of winning. Virtual communities are made up of Facebook, Twitter and Myspace friends, emails, websites, blogs and any other online contacts you have, like LinkedIn. Through virtual communities you develop and build rapport with large numbers of people, with common interest, who will respond to your request to go to Pepsi’s Refresh site and vote for your idea. An active virtual community, one that you participate in, can make your good idea a grant recipient or you the host of your OWN show.
Mayor Welcomes, NCVS, largest Conference of Volunteering and Service
Manhattan – Mayor Michael Bloomberg welcomed the world’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from nonprofit, government and corporate sectors to Manhattan for their June 28-30, 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. “It is fitting that New York City will host the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. New Yorkers have proven time and time again that they step up and do even more during times of crisis. Service is ingrained in our city’s DNA,” said Mayor Bloomberg, who this year launched NYC Service to dramatically increase volunteerism in the city.
Conference organizers will webcast live, parts of the conference, for those who can not attend the three day event. http://www.volunteeringandservice.org/plan/sessions.cfm
MeetUpNYC - WordCamp, November 2009
Manhattan – Nonprofit organizations willing to step out of their traditional volunteer recruiting box can tap in to pools of techs and geeks where they gather and meet potential volunteers. The newest technology is often unavailable to nonprofit organizations struggling to continue their missions with diminishing contributions. Many do not have funds to hire or contract persons with skill sets to help create or improve their online presence. They do not benefit from technologies that add to fund raising efforts and successfully advance visions and missions.
Go Where They Gather: Three places to start
Meetups, WordCamps, social media and blog conferences attract large numbers of technology fluent persons to events open to anyone with an interest in participating in Manhattan and cities all over the world.
Manhattan, NY – Meetup.com, an online social networking portal, facilitate offline group meetings, like the 35 persons that arrived at Outside.In in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, for WordPress NYC monthly Meetup. Various members, depending on topics, of WordPress NYC’s more than 700 self proclaimed fanatics meetup for presentations, demonstrations and discussions about all things WordPress. More than 700 persons joined WordPress NYC fanatics for their WordCamp, a super meetup, in November 2009 which brought out WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg.
By Adria Richards. Super Meetup, WordPress NYC sponsored Word Camp, November 2009
Meetup’s 6.1 million members include Mashable, the world’s largest blog focused exclusively on Web 2.0 and Social Media news, with more than 25 million monthly page views. More than 350 persons have indicated an interest in meeting up with Mashable, June 30, for its Social Media Day, at the Mean Fiddler in Manhattan. Mashable Social Media day celebrates the revolution of media becoming a social dialogue. It is also an opportunity for a MashMeet to socialize with the Mashable community.
Techs and geeks are not the only ones meeting up in Manhattan. Porche lovers meetup, people interested in Manhattan’s real estate market, inventors association, business network, speed dating, tribal style belly dance, soccer pickup, new and expectant mothers and Manhattan Millionaires Group also meetup. If you can’t find a Meetup around your interest in Manhattan, or anywhere in the world, start one at Meetup.com.
WordPress!
The one word you need to know to instantly create a website and blog.
Go to wordpress.com and create your website/blog = weblog in seconds. When you know more, WordPress gives you more options at wordpress.org. That’s it, GO!
Really, that is it. WordPress and the WordPress community has already posted answers to all your questions. If you need help finding the answers, post your questions in comments.
One of my favorite pictures is of my nieces and nephews, Kelsey, Jeannine, Nelson and Erica, in Halloween costumes. Erica, the Easter Bunny, is holding the tail of her cousin Cat woman. Three year old Erica wanted to be an Easter Bunny and her support system, directed by her mother, took action to make it happen in the same way they took action to help her become a doctor.
Erica’s godfather, after learning she wanted to be a doctor, had her name, Dr. Erica Patrice Ruger, carved into a 3 feet wooden name plate for her 13th birthday. Dr. Ruger still has her name plate and will complete her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, June 2010. Clearly Erica was a good student and is a good doctor but she needed her support system to encourage her possibilities.
35th Pastoral Anniversary Benefit Tribute Gala features Legendary Gospel Singer Tramaine Hawkins
More and more churches are using technology to spread the word about their missions. Grace Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon, NY use the technology Power of The Pew to create and maintain its website, stream services, stay in touch with congregants, share the ministries of the church and announce the celebration of the 35th Pastoral Anniversary of the Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson.
Members use information technology and social media to schedule meetings and invite family, friends and the community to join them for two weeks of anniversary activities which includes the grand opening of their third housing tower, adding another 133 units of affordable housing in Mt. Vernon; community night service and a black tie benefit gala, featuring legendary gospel singer Tramaine Hawkins, in honor of Dr. Richardson on April 16th for 35 years of servant leadership at Grace.
The gala, an anniversary issue of the church’s magazine Inside Grace and other activities will benefit two institutions created by Dr. Richardson: Grace Community Development Corporation and Grace Educational Trust. A complete schedule of anniversary events and gala tickets are available at www.gracechurchtoday.org.
Photo by Adria Richards: WordPress MeetUpNYC WordCamp, November 14-15, 2009
What is MeetUp? Wikipedia describes Meetup as “an online social networking portal that facilitates offline group meetings in various localities around the world.”
Meetup.com says its goal is a “Meetup Everywhere about Most Everything…We help people use the internet to get off the internet to meetup in person in their local community. Meetups make a difference in people’s lives and can change the world. Meetups help members find and join groups with a common interest.”
Over 700 attendees along with WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg participated in WordPressNYC Meetup group’s WordCamp during a rainy weekend in November 2009.
What ever your interest there is probably a Meetup occurring near you. If not, Meetup will help you start one about your interest. Check it out because Meetup is hiring too.