Blueprint Fundraising

Happy iPhone Day

Even though it won’t be available in Canada for who-knows-how-many months (much to my partner Andrew’s deep deep sorrow), you have no doubt heard that today’s the big launch of Apple’s iPhone. Some people have been lining up for days (literally, like since June 25) to be the first to get their hands on the phones. And a few of these crazy people have managed to turn it into a smart fundraising idea.

Via Boing Boing and The Unofficial Apple Weblog:

Johnny Vulkan of NYC ad agency Anomaly is first in line at the Apple Store SoHo, and has special plans for his iPhone. Instead of coveting his precious new toy like the rest of us, his iPhone will go right up on eBay where all proceeds from its sale will go to AIDS charity Keep a Child Alive. If game console launches like that of the Wii and PS3 are any indication, early iPhone sellers on eBay stand to make a killing, and it’s nice to see that some of that money will be going to an organization working to stop a nasty virus from doing the same.

Keep a Child Alive has also sold sponsorships on some of the people standing in the line with Johnny. You can read more about how others are using the iPhone mania for good.

I can’t wait to see how much they get for the phone. And I hope Andrew stays away from eBay for the next little while.

Don’t walk (too far) into the light!

It’s not easy to balance dark and light messages in fundraising appeals.

It’s obvious when a group goes too far into the darkness and simply turns the reader off (I’m thinking of animal cruelty mailings I’ve received that made me so uncomfortable that I threw the package away, even though I’m supportive of the cause). But it isn’t as obvious when a group goes too far into the realm of light/happy/hope and eliminates the motivation to give.

I think the United Way of Greater Toronto is going too far into the light in their recent re-branding, as graphic designer John Lepp notes in a posting on his blog the Naked Idea.

Compare the old campaign to the new. Which one gives you a real reason to donate? I have to think that they have a well-considered reason for this change in direction, but I don’t think it will help their fundraising. (Not that they really need help with fundraising — the United Way of Toronto raised $106.8 million last year putting them in second place among UWs in all of North America. Seattle came first.)

.

.

Arts Now announces new guidelines

Arts Now had been on hiatus while conducting a review of their granting programs. They’re back and the next deadline for applications is July 11. The program guidelines have been revised. I’m happy to see that the Catalyst program is still there, with a new element: Learning Connections. The Innovations program is also continuing (deadline is September 18), but with two new areas of focus: Creative Ventures and Engaging Communities. Letters of intent for their other program, Arts Partners in Creative Development, are due on September 4.

So many good fundraising ideas come from the UK

In the spirit of yesterday’s posting, with Ewan McGregor as the voice of a homeless gorilla, here is a shot of the recent “Great Gorilla Run” through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It’s a fundraising run organized by the Gorilla Organization which saves endangered gorillas in Africa. There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild.

The San Francisco run was limited in size by the number of gorilla suits available (400) for participants. They chased a banana… “I had to cut out. I feared for my life,” laughed Erin Hillier, a social worker and avid runner. “I got outrun. I’m faster when I’m not a banana.” In London1,000+ runners take part the annual 7K race.

Photos from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ancient forests video from Greenpeace UK

Greenpeace does such an amazing job in communicating the importance of their work. Here is a great video from Greenpeace UK (you can watch all their videos here on You Tube) in support of Forest Stewardship Council products. The story telling and metaphor are very effective.

How would you feel is your home was torn down around you? Sir David Attenborough, Ewan McGregor and Andy Serkis (who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings) lend their talents to this illustration of how forest communities suffer as a result of illegal and destructive logging. Directed by Julien Temple.

I just wonder why they don’t have a website in the video to tell you more about how to buy FSC products or support Greenpeace.

Found via the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group blog.