Critical Exposure, a small D.C.-based nonprofit organization that empowers low-income students through photography and advocacy training, used an array of social media channels — including Twitter, Facebook and crowdsourcing — to mobilize hundreds of supporters and prevail over larger, more-established organizations in the recent GlobalGiving U.S. Open Challenge.
The contest pitted more than 70 charitable organizations against one another for $9,000 in cash bonuses and permanent spots on GlobalGiving.com, an online marketplace for international philanthropy. By strategically leveraging social networking and micro-blogging, Critical Exposure’s staff of four was able to generate the most individual donations and win two bonuses totaling $5,000.
“The GlobalGiving Challenge was a great opportunity for us to engage people through social media,” said Critical Exposure Co-Director Adam Levner. “Our supporters became personally invested in the competition through regular updates through Facebook, Twitter and email letting them know just how close the race was. The other key to our success was asking people to make just a $10 donation, which made it easier for friends and supporters to reach out to their networks.”
By the end of the challenge, held June 8-30, Critical Exposure raised $15,669 from 614 donors, winning an additional $3,000 for acquiring the greatest number of unique donors and $2,000 for finishing second in overall donations — for a total of $20,669.
Crowdsourcing — the act of calling upon a large, undefined group to perform a task — played a major role in the organization’s success. During the competition’s last days, Critical Exposure placed an open call to supporters, providing them with sample Facebook updates to post, Twitter messages to tweet and emails to send.
“The response blew us away,” added Levner. “Our supporters became a powerful fundraising force, taking it upon themselves to reach out to their personal networks, who then forwarded our messages to even more people. As a result, we received 300 donations on the last day alone.”
“On the final day of the contest, my Facebook page overflowed with status updates from dozens of supporters asking their friends to make a donation,” said Critical Exposure Co-Director Heather Rieman. “This contest proved that a small, dedicated group of people comfortable with social media tools can compete with anyone and win.”
Critical Exposure teaches low-income youth how to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for education reform and social change. The money raised through the GlobalGiving challenge will allow Critical Exposure to provide cameras and training to 60 students over the course of a year.
For more information on Critical Exposure, or to receive the “Student Photo of the Month” email, please visit www.criticalexposure.org.
About Critical Exposure
Critical Exposure empowers young people by teaching them how to use photography and their own voices to create social change. By combining art and advocacy, the organization’s unique approach gives youth a way to build public support to address serious issues they face daily, like poor school facilities, teen pregnancy, youth unemployment and homelessness.
Critical Exposure was founded in 2004 and has trained more than 450 middle and high school students in seven states. The powerful images produced by students have engaged the public and helped convince legislators to allocate more than $400 million dollars in new funding for public schools in under-served communities.
The students and their images have been featured on Oprah, CNN, the Washington Post, and other media outlets, reaching millions of people. By helping young people make a big difference with something as small as a camera, Critical Exposure is giving youth a chance to improve their lives and be leaders in their communities.
Daily Archives: August 13, 2009
4 posts
Rinnai Corporation, one of the world’s leading gas appliance manufacturers and the number one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in North America, has launched its first Facebook fan page, adding a new element to the company’s growing social media strategy. The page, entitled “Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters,” is designed for consumers and dealers who are fans of Rinnai’s tankless water heaters and for those who are interested in learning more about tankless technology. The page, which features basic company information, product images and videos, will serve as a platform for Rinnai to announce select promotions and events as they occur throughout the year.
“Social networks have really changed the way Rinnai communicates with consumers and dealers,” said Kelly Matheny, Rinnai’s e-marketing manager. “Networks like Facebook and Twitter allow us to create an ongoing dialogue with online audiences, which is of immeasurable value to our company. We’re not just using social media as another way to advertise; it’s helping us get a feel for what matters most to consumers and dealers as well as their overall impression of the Rinnai brand.”
The company’s foray into Facebook is the second step in a tiered social media strategy, which also includes participation in Twitter. Over the past few months, the company’s Twitter efforts have proven to be extremely valuable in a variety of areas, helping Rinnai address consumer inquiries, dealer requests for marketing materials and customer service issues.
“We branded our Rinnai Facebook and Twitter pages as corporate sites with the initial goal of reaching individuals who are already familiar with our brand. This allows us to provide information to captive audiences who are interested in the latest Rinnai news or are looking to interact with Rinnai regarding a particular product or marketing request,” said Matheny. “The beauty of social networking is that we will be able to leverage these existing relationships by encouraging our online networks to share their enthusiasm for Rinnai with others who may be unfamiliar with our brand. Ideally, we want to reach anyone who enjoys the comfort and convenience that hot water brings to daily life.”
Individuals can become a fan of the “Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters” Facebook page by visiting www.facebook.com/RinnaiTankless and clicking on the “Become a Fan” option. Twitter users can follow Rinnai at www.twitter.com/Rinnai. For more information about Rinnai, visit www.rinnai.us.
About Rinnai
Rinnai America Corporation, a subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Peachtree City, Ga. Rinnai Corporation manufactures gas appliances, including tankless water heaters, a wide range of kitchen appliances and heating and air conditioning units. As the technology leader in its industry, Rinnai is the largest gas appliance manufacturer in Japan and is the number one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in North America. Annual corporate revenues, including those of its subsidiaries, are in excess of $2.5 billion. With a global perspective to create 21st century products for the home and office, Rinnai Corporation commits itself to safety and the pursuit of comfortable lifestyles. For more information about the Rinnai Corporation and Rinnai products, visit www.rinnai.us.
Twittamentary is to be created in the open spirit of the Web and hopes to reveal how it has affected the lives of its many users. Twitter users will be invited to contribute story ideas, rich media and videos to the film via the movie website. When the film is completed, it will be shared online with the Twitter community and the world at large under a Creative Commons license.
The first phase of submissions will culminate in a 24-hour, across the globe event online in which all Twitter users are invited to share a story that answers the question: what is the most fascinating thing that happened to you because of Twitter? They can also rate, comment and tweet about the story ideas and videos that others have contributed.
The filmmaker loves the idea of distilling insights by telling and sharing stories. It is an act that everyone regardless of race, language, religion and age can partake in. According to Siok, when interviewed by Webpronews.com, “We are looking for great stories about how Twitter has affected the lives of real people, stories that have visual potential. This is going to be the first ‘do-it-ourselves’ movie about Twitter! We really need help to get the word of the project out to as many Twitter users as possible. So if anyone who runs a blog, news outlet or technology platform, wants to be our media partner, please send me a tweet @sioksiok.”
In2infinity.com was started as a photography hobby site offering news, product reviews, tips, tricks and how-to’s for photographers of all skill levels. We are proud to announce an expansion of the site to now include social networking and user contribution capabilities that will allow the site to expand into a unique place on the web for creative people to network, communicate and share ideas and experiences.
Unlike most sites which offer static product reviews, in2infinity.com offers real world user reviews which other users can comment on. This gives visitors a chance to get the details as well as the real world experiences of other users with the products showcased on the site.
The social networking components are designed for a broad range of creative people and include tools for instant communication through internal services. There is also integration with other major social networking sites which provide additional networking and communication options for our users. Users can upload photos and video, create and join groups, post to walls, and network with others that have similar or complimentary skill.
The site is free and development is ongoing. We always welcome suggestions on features which will make the site a valuable tool to all people working in a creative field.
Please visit us at http://www.in2infinity.com for more details.