The word “Start” stood out in my mind as I sat in a crowded restaurant
surrounded by loving friends and family. The room was filled with echoes of dishes
clinging and joyful voices while I casually scanned the room.
I could feel my ears tingling from over hearing a variety of
different discussions within ears reach of my table. People where celebrating the start of new
business ventures, or the start of new schools, along with the start of new
relationships and even starting over in a new city. Each individual seemed
excited and consider the new experiences the “start of something good.”
Suddenly, I felt the burden of frustration hanging on my
shoulders. It was if it just appeared out of the air. I couldn’t put my finger
on the reason but there my mind just started to drift. There I was sitting in this
beautiful Ethiopian restaurant thinking about the current condition of human
nature. It seemed as if everyone was so focused on their personal interest that
they blocked out the needs of the rest of the world.
I gazed into the eyes of my beautiful wife and instantly
time stood still. Immediately, I returned to my normal relaxed and calm state.
With a quick inhale and then slow exhale I felt a renewed since of clarity.
That moment was only a glimpse into the lives of every person within ears
reach.
There was however a profound truth that could not be
ignored. Compassion just might be one of the most devalued gifts none too
mankind. Hidden beneath the massive pile of misinformation, ideological
debates, political propaganda, and entertainment in much of mainstream media
news and it’s various platforms there are compelling stories of compassion.
With all of the negative press the youth are getting nowadays
it’s nice to get a fresh perspective every once and a while. There are still people who value compassion greatly
and they are using their lives to “start something good.” Listed below are a few articles on young people all over the
country sharing their gift of compassion.
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How Kinyei raised 1.8 times more money on StartSomeGood than on Kickstarter to create employment, opportunity and great coffee in Cambodia
Kinyei are a social enterprise based in Battabang, Cambodia. Comprised of a coffee shop, bike tourism business and employment training, they were originally founded by two Australians and an American but are now in the process of handing over ownership to locals. But to do this they needed additional funding to see them through the transition period and to allow them to upgrade the coffee-making facilities of the café.
Kinyei had previously run a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter but decided for their second go round to work withStartSomeGood due to our unique focus on social impact initiatives. And the metrics proved their decision right. Not only did they attract more donors on StartSomeGood (147 to 116) but the average pledge was 44% higher than during their previous campaign, allowing them to raise over $18,000 to fund this crucial transition period.
The founders had this to say about the next steps: “Our focus for 2013 is to support Kinyei's local management as they launch into their first year of independent operation, and we're excited to see how the projects evolve as they take the reins and really make the projects their own.” – Katherine Hallaran, Melina Chan and Justin Lorenzo, co-founders, Kinyei.
Kinyei had previously run a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter but decided for their second go round to work withStartSomeGood due to our unique focus on social impact initiatives. And the metrics proved their decision right. Not only did they attract more donors on StartSomeGood (147 to 116) but the average pledge was 44% higher than during their previous campaign, allowing them to raise over $18,000 to fund this crucial transition period.
The founders had this to say about the next steps: “Our focus for 2013 is to support Kinyei's local management as they launch into their first year of independent operation, and we're excited to see how the projects evolve as they take the reins and really make the projects their own.” – Katherine Hallaran, Melina Chan and Justin Lorenzo, co-founders, Kinyei.
How The Do Good Bus raised $100,000 to take altruistic adventurism on the road
The Do Good Bus raised $100,000 and created impact right across the United States in the name of altruistic adventurism.
The team behind this Los Angeles non-profit had a big vision. They wanted to take their bus on the road with the band Foster The People, visiting 22 cities and involving thousands of young people in active citizenship. They would support local non-profits. They would help with programs for at-risk youth, music education, gardening, and soup kitchens. And they would fill their bus with local do-gooders, again and again, to foster community everywhere they went.
When Rebecca Pontius first made the agreement to go on tour with Foster the People, she and the Do Good Bus team had just over a month to raise their funds. At first, Rebecca thought raising the funds would be a no-brainer. A brilliant idea plus Foster the People's fanbase would equal instant corporate sponsorship. She'd go visit Coke, then cash the cheque.
But as Rebecca discovered, corporate giving can involve huge amounts of delay and red tape, two things her team didn't have time for. Enter StartSomeGood.
While these guys had ambitious targets, their campaign also packed some seriously covetable rewards. But it wasn't just the exclusive Foster the People swag that drew backers. In fact, the most popular reward was having your photo printed on the bus. With an idea this cool, people just wanted to be a part of it.
And like most of our largest successful campaigns, the Do Good Bus remembered to take their efforts offline, combining real world events (in their case, gigs) with social media outreach.
With contributions from 680 backers ranging from $1 to over $10,000 the Do Good Bus reached their goal with just a few hours to spare. And they hit the road.
Inspired? Take some advice from Rebecca. “For me it was very much about taking that first step. A lot of people have big ideas and they kind of put them on a shelf. If you really believe in your idea and have the courage – whether that means putting the blinders on and focusing on the end goal or taking a friend's hand to get you across that line and not giving up - it works, and we're proof of that. Take that firs step.”
The team behind this Los Angeles non-profit had a big vision. They wanted to take their bus on the road with the band Foster The People, visiting 22 cities and involving thousands of young people in active citizenship. They would support local non-profits. They would help with programs for at-risk youth, music education, gardening, and soup kitchens. And they would fill their bus with local do-gooders, again and again, to foster community everywhere they went.
When Rebecca Pontius first made the agreement to go on tour with Foster the People, she and the Do Good Bus team had just over a month to raise their funds. At first, Rebecca thought raising the funds would be a no-brainer. A brilliant idea plus Foster the People's fanbase would equal instant corporate sponsorship. She'd go visit Coke, then cash the cheque.
But as Rebecca discovered, corporate giving can involve huge amounts of delay and red tape, two things her team didn't have time for. Enter StartSomeGood.
While these guys had ambitious targets, their campaign also packed some seriously covetable rewards. But it wasn't just the exclusive Foster the People swag that drew backers. In fact, the most popular reward was having your photo printed on the bus. With an idea this cool, people just wanted to be a part of it.
And like most of our largest successful campaigns, the Do Good Bus remembered to take their efforts offline, combining real world events (in their case, gigs) with social media outreach.
With contributions from 680 backers ranging from $1 to over $10,000 the Do Good Bus reached their goal with just a few hours to spare. And they hit the road.
Inspired? Take some advice from Rebecca. “For me it was very much about taking that first step. A lot of people have big ideas and they kind of put them on a shelf. If you really believe in your idea and have the courage – whether that means putting the blinders on and focusing on the end goal or taking a friend's hand to get you across that line and not giving up - it works, and we're proof of that. Take that firs step.”
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2013
Youth Board Member of International Youth Leadership Institute Shares Why She Gives Back
By Akira Barclay, Contributor
On May 8, 2013, The International Youth Leadership Institute (IYLI), an organization that prepares African American and Latino secondary school students for leadership roles, will celebrate global understanding during their 24th annual celebration, Opening Doors to the World. IYLI will honor famed photographer Chester Higgins, Jr. with the Global Citizenship Award and proceeds of the event will support scholarships for New York City high school students traveling and studying in Africa.
A success story of the organization is Jadayah Spencer, who began college at New York University at the age of 16. The IYLI alumna and board member shared her experience with us and explained why supporting their work is so important.
BGB: What is The International Youth Leadership Institute?
Spencer: IYLI is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 that prepares African American and Latino secondary school students to assume active leadership roles in their communities and global society. The way we work is that over the course of the school year, fellows attend seminars held at Columbia University on various issues pertinent in society today, ranging everywhere from the AIDS epidemic, to Art and Activism. These seminars culminate in a trip during the month of July to a country in the African diaspora, which also includes Latin America. Because we're a college-level program for high school students, they don't just go for vacation or relaxation. While the students are in the host-country, they attend classes at a university there for a week, learning the language of the land, then they proceed to travel throughout the country, visiting government offices, meeting non-governmental organizations, doing community service, conducting ethnographies, and facilitating seminars of their own, all with around ten other young people and their group leaders traveling alongside them.
Because IYLI wants to make the world accessible to all fellows, IYLI heavily subsidizes the cost of travel, such that some fellows are able to have this entire experience for merely $300. The effect of IYLI on these students is evident in the fact that 98% of IYLI fellows have gone on to attend post-secondary institutions. IYLI has somehow managed to provide all this for the Fellow, and somehow still serves as a community of love, where any and everyone involved is appreciated and respected as part of the IYLI family.
BGB: What motivates you to give back to IYLI?
Spencer: IYLI is primarily a volunteer run organization, with only one full-time staff member. I am a volunteer, a member of the Board of Directors, and also an IYLI alumna, having participated in the 2011 Summer Fellowship Program to Tanzania, East Africa. I loved the experience so much, and I grew as a person exponentially over the course of that month-long trip. As a result, I was so grateful to IYLI that I resolved to never stop being involved. No one else but an IYLI fellow gets to experience the world the way IYLI does. Through the loving family atmosphere within IYLI, along with the environment that requires critical-thinking and analysis (IYLI uses history, culture, geography, and environment as a framework), IYLI Fellows thrive both spiritually and intellectually. I consider it my honor to help in that process.
BGB: How can others support IYLI's great work?
Spencer: Others can support IYLI's work by attending our May 8th event and spreading the word about our indiegogo campaign! We are trying to raise $2 million to help our fellows continue to travel. Donate and tell your friends about this wonderful opportunity to help the world's next leaders and change-makers.
Tickets for Opening Doors to the World are now on sale. To purchase, visit http://www.iyli.org/benefit.html or contribute to IYLI’s indegogo campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/opening-doors-to-the-world. Learn more about the organization by visiting the website atiyli.org.
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