Back in July I discovered a recycled denim line, Reco Jeans, and coined them as the Einstein's of sustainable fashion (read the blog entry here). I've been working with their wonderful and fun team to collaborate on doing some more good.

Not only are they sustainable, but they have big hearts to help out families with rare diseases. They've partnered with the Global Jeans Project to help those families and to kickstart their campaign with YourCause -- Reco Jeans is offering $50 off their denim for anyone who makes a donation to their cause.

Help the earth and family with rare diseases, not bad!

Donate here to make a difference today.

- Amy Chait

With one-fifth of Pakistan under water, nearly 900,000 homes have been engulfed and damaged.  A total number of 47,000  Pakistans are displaced and the death toll rose to nearly 1,500 civilians.

This is the worse natural disaster to happen in Pakistan.  Yet, where is all the aid?  Why isn’t Pakistan getting any relief?

Thousands of towns and villages washed away with what looks like the muddy Mississippi river waters.  Roads, buildings, bridges, crops and peoples livelihoods are simply gone.  People are marooned on tiny islands drinking dirty water.  Time is ticking until deadly water borne diseases spread.   About $27 million funds have been distributed to Pakistan, but there is still a serious lack of funds.  Why??

Reasons include: the relatively low death toll of 1,500, the gradual flooding (compared with more immediate and dramatic earthquakes or tsunamis) and a global “donor fatigue” and…. in my opinion, a Pakistan preconceived notion. Because I’m just going to come out and say it.  America and Pakistan don’t have the best relationship (as if we didn’t already know).  But if you can look past the political or religious views, you can simply just help.  Feel free to read an AP article about lack of funds here.

Sad thing is, 14 million people or 8 percent of the population,  are being affected.  Going off of those numbers alone, the disaster is worse than the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined, the U.N. says. However, international aid for those disasters came with an actual emergency-like response, aid experts say.

If you’d like to help, visit YourCause.com.  We have a red disaster alert on our homepage.  Click it to find charities that support the Pakistan flood relief.  As always, thanks for reading.

- Lizette

We all know web design isn’t cheap and with online giving growing 50% each year – there’s a greater demand for nonprofits to have an effective online presence.

The YourCause team is always developing solutions that not only comply with market needs, but pursues the direction with the most impact. Along with our partners NetworkForGood.org and GuideStar.org, we utilize the web to help the non-profit world meet their objectives.  So, we’ve decided to launch a web service for nonprofits.

Nonprofits can forget the $5,000+ invoices and dependency on tech teams to maintain their content anytime they need an update. We are providing a full web 3.0 service to enrich online content with donor friendly tools in a budget that makes sense for NPOs.

Features include:

•         Gives you a turn-key, state-of-the-art website in less than 14-days;

•         A system that allows non-tech people to edit content, photos, and manage the site;

•         A system that is less than $1,500 – fully delivered, and only $200/yr in future hosting! 

•         A fully hosted and supported site that is super easy to administer;

•         Donation tools integrated within your website to stimulate donations

•         Hop in the driver’s seat – you choose your content, layout, design, photos, etc!

One at a time, we build solutions for individuals, nonprofits and corporations that influence the greater good on the World Wide Web and landscape the way for online impact.

If you’re a nonprofit looking to find more creative ways to drive awareness and action – contact me at achait@yourcause.com for more information!

You can download a copy of our general overview here.

- Amy Chait

1. Carlos Slim Helú
2. William Gates III
3. Warren Buffett
4. Mukesh Ambani
5. Lakshmi Mittal
6. Lawrence Ellison
7. Bernard Arnault
8. Eike Batista
9. Amancio Ortega
10. Karl Albrecht

These are the richest people in the world, according to a Forbes March 2010 article.  Now, let's see who is part of a new type of billionaire's club, for true philanthropists only, called 'The Giving Pledge."  Created by Bill and Melinda Gates, the Giving Pledge is an effort to involve the wealthiest individuals and families to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropic efforts and charitable organizations. Each person takes the pledge and makes a public statement, along with a short note explaining their decision to give more than receive.

Again, the same list, with only those who have taken the pledge:

1. Carlos Slim Helú
2. William Gates III
3. Warren Buffett
4. Mukesh Ambani
5. Lakshmi Mittal
6. Lawrence Ellison
7. Bernard Arnault
8. Eike Batista
9. Amancio Ortega
10. Karl Albrecht

That's right.  Only three of the top ten wealthiest people have pledged to give the majority of their wealth away for positive change.  And not everyone on the Giving Pledge list is a billionaire, but at least thirty billionaires out of the forty have signed it.  You can view the complete list here.

Hopefully, people take their pledge seriously and it doesn't just turn out to be a public relations gig.  But, it does make me wonder that this could be the new 'IT' thing.  Maybe status will change based on what you can do rather than what you own?  We will see...

By the way - where's Oprah??

-Lizette     

I always appreciate the creativity behind a well-executed marketing campaign -- whether it be witty, humorous, artistic etc.

Cause marketing though, that's a different story. The emerging trend of cause marketing seems to blossom everywhere in my day-to-day life (with that "feel-good" reward for my consumption choices).

With shifting expectations in consumerism, promoting a good purpose can become a gold mine for companies. In 2009, the Global Edelman goodpurpose Study revealed 83% of people are willing to change consumption habits if it can help make the world a better place to live. Cha ching.

So, for those 83% willing to make that change -- where do you go? How do you know your consumption change is really making the world a better place?

I'm an optimist, but it's going to take more than placing a cute fuzzy animal in a TV ad to make me believe you're making an impact for wildlife.

Working with corporate philanthropy programs, I've become very familiar with corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. Companies, who choose to report, provide the public a sneak peak into their annual review of sustainability and social impact.

But who's reading them? I'm not sure they are promoted as well to consumers as they are to those already in the industry.

If you're one of those consumers who want to make responsible choices then challenge cause marketing campaigns with accountable reporting from the company. Making an impact takes more than listening to a 30 second commercial narrating a good purpose.

On the other hand, reporting standards for social responsibility is a current challenge for companies.The 2010 Cone Share Responsibility report revealed 67% of consumers are confused by messages companies use to talk about their social and environmental commitments.

CSR reports commonly communicate their performance in the community-- yet,  lack communication about their goals and providing content that defines their achievements (much less reporting their impact through cause marketing initiatives).

As they say, it takes two to tango. And it's going to take just that for companies and consumers to help make the world a better place to live.

Want to know what is being reported for community impact? Read patterns and key statistics from the Global Initiative Report Reporting on Community Impact!

GlobalReporting.org is a great resource I recommend for consumers, nonprofits, and companies.

- Amy Chait

Do you see the glass as half empty or half full?  Would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?  

If you are so happy in spite of your deprivations; with your happiness so deep that it becomes a sort of faith and philosophy of life then you are an optimist, according to Helen Keller.

I believe most of the YourCause community is filled with optimists, wishing to make a positive impact on the world.  Most of them have saddening back stories, but they've turned their moments of despair into inspiration.  They turn their hardships into an uplifting way to influence and create change.  

Upon browsing CNN.com , I came across this article titled "Eight Feel-Good Websites" that listed  eight websites that can brighten your day amidst a world of oil spills, diseases, violence and more:

1. Happy News - "Real News. Compelling Stories. Always Positive."

2. Gives Me Hope -"GMH is where people share with the world their most hopeful, uplifting moments and allow others to draw strength from their experiences. "

3. 1000 Awesome Things - "1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things."

4. PostSecret - "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard."

5. Cute Baby Fix - Blog all about cute babies, baby photos, baby videos that is guaranteed to make you smile.

6. Christian the Lion - Not even a website but a viral video showcasing the reunion of a owner and his pet lion in the wild.   

7. Today's Big Thing -  "Every day, we find the best thing on the Internet and put it on this site.  Just one thing, for each category, each day."

8. ZooBorns - "The Newest and Cutest Exotic Baby Animals from Zoos and Aquariums Around the World!"

And although these sites bring a smile to your face, do any of them really create a positive impact or change? Or do they simple just cover up the disasters and destruction on the world, creating a temporary band aid to our problems?

Don't get me wrong, these are all great websites.  My favorite being "Gives Me Hope" because I think it does exhibit a "pass it forward" type of effect.  When I read a person was influenced by a simple sweet gesture, it really did inspire me to have the same effect on the next person.  

Nonetheless, I'd like to add one more to the list:

9. YourCause - "Developing Global Good."

Because we've developed the ability to give regular people the tools and platform to not only feel, but create a positive impact in the world.

You want a reason to feel good?? Well, our members have completed more than 6,400 hours of service and raised more than 1.2 million dollars for charities. Thanks and congratulations again for your optimistic efforts!

Stay Happy,

Lizette

Most nonprofits have their hands full these days with social media – it’s high maintenance to manage your website, Twitter, Facebook and more.

When we reach out to nonprofits to get engaged with the YourCause.com community, we frequently get asked: Why should I use YourCause.com?

(typically commenting thereafter that they already use Facebook Causes and Twitter)

Our innovative technology stands us apart from any other online cause-related network. We provide donors and volunteers a one-stop shop for information about nonprofits while offering immediate engagement opportunities.

On the other hand, we offer nonprofits free administrative rights for their charity page within our total database of 1.4 million nonprofits where they can update charity information, demonstrate impact, upload opportunities and directly connect with each potential/current donors.

 It’s not enough to update individual websites and hope that people will come and find it. Intermediaries have to provide timely, accurate information where the potential donors are.  *

Affluent donors are already active internet users with growing expectations of transparency of an organization’s impact and a desire for active engagement. We’ve developed a platform with powerful tools that fit a more strategic donor and create tangible connections that can turn a potential donor into a passionate individual seeking long-term goals with an organization.

YourCause.com may not be the size of Facebook, but we are a growing community that has fundraised over $1,200,000 for nonprofits of all sizes and directly connecting them with supporters.

Facebook Causes is great for engagement, but we are looking to implement effectiveness and investing donors. With Causes, nonprofits don’t have access to the data of donations that come through and unable to connect directly with donors to build valuable fundraising relationships.

We’re aggregating a community that attracts all type do-gooders on the web, why would one miss the chance to attract a potential donor to invest in their organization?

Some examples of success through YourCause.com:

• Sankara Eye Foundation raised approximately $36,700 in a month during an online campaign

• To Write Love on Yours Arms provided YourCause.com as a resource to their supporters, resulting in over 500 members directly linking their cause profiles to the organization within the first month (multiplying awareness through rich networks)

• The Stanford Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center raised $1,500 for their Bring-It! 49ERS PUSH-UP CHALLENGE within 48 hours

• The YourCause community created viral fundraising campaigns totaling $275,000 to aid Haiti quake victims within the first two weeks it struck

I hope you will join us. Contact us today to learn more and be a featured charity in our community by e-mailing us at charity@yourcause.com!

- Amy Chait

Dirty water now in the hands of America! You can choose flavors such as: Malaria, Cholera, Typhoid, Yellow Fever and more!

As appetizing as that sounds, UNICEF has planted a dirty water vending machine to raise awareness of those who suffer from lack of clean water sources. Did you know just $1 can give a child clean water for 40 days?

Thirsty people can choose their favorite infected water to support the charity – each dollar goes to UNICEF’s efforts to provide clean water to those that need it.

Watch the video below to see how well the awareness worked!

and don't forget to support UNICEF on YourCause by clicking here.

- Amy Chait

If you don't know already...Hi! We're YourCause, a social networking site empowering millions to raise billions! On the other hand, we also provide corporations with social responsibility solutions.

We provide corporations with the CSR Connect employee engagement platform, an innovative deployment of a holistic approach that centralizes all CSR-related programs. Our CSR Connect product is a fully hosted and manageable web-based platform that provides a flexible solution to custom applications suitable for each company’s needs.  It easily adapts for extensions, captures all activity for reporting purposes and abides by corporate branding standards.

We develop technology that empowers individuals and companies with the necessary innovative online tools to connect to their favorite nonprofits, facilitate fundraising/volunteer activities and, ultimately, harness the web to make a positive impact throughout their corporation, community and the world!

We are pleased to announce our latest success - going global! All our CSR Connect tools, including everything available to the average internet user on YourCause.com, will have multi-lingual capabilities.  That's right, you now have the ability to change language settings to Portuguese, Spanish, English or Chinese-Mandarin. In addition, international credit card donation processing is available along with the ability to add or search intercontinental volunteer opportunities.  No matter what features or tools are administered, the ability to track and centralize global employees in real-time reports is always at your fingertips within the CSR

We hope you enjoy the improvements.  Please stay tuned for further updates as we deploy more language capabilities throughout the year!

-Lizette

Know somebody who is making extraordinary contributions to help others? Nominate them as a CNN Hero!

CNN Heroes started in 2007 and continues with an All-Star Tribute televised annually in November.  Anybody can be nominated, but remember, it's your words and description that determine whether your nominee advances in the competition.

A few perks of being a CNN Hero include the ability to get up to $25,000 to further inspire, achieve and succeed!

In the past, viewers truly become inspired by CNN Heroes' stories.  Whether their cause is to defend the planet, champion children, protect the powerless, or anything else - their stories and passion remain resilient and remarkable. 

So, think about what makes your hero special.  Then submit your nomination online.  Explain in your best ability as to why their accomplishments need to be watched and heard around the globe.  

Submission deadline is August 1, 2010

-Lizette