Philanthropy U welcomed GiveForward’s co-founders Ethan and Desiree as guest speakers to their special Philanthropy In Action teleconference this past Monday. Philanthropy U is a project hosted by the Purposeful Planning Institute and brings together planned giving professionals, community foundation leaders, philanthropic consultants and other advisors who are dedicated to philanthropy for monthly teleconferences and webinars.
During this month’s discussion, Ethan & Desiree spoke about how crowdfunding is empowering small-scale donors to find new meaning in giving. They explored the recent increase in online giving and the role that crowdfunding sites played in allowing individuals to promote a cause or project and allow a greater sense of connection between donors and recipients.
Most importantly, the GiveForward co-founders highlighted the way that crowdfunding sites are empowering donors because they allow people to give directly to the cause they care about, allowing donors to gain a greater sense of impact from their gifts as well as giving them a sense of connection the project, prompting them to share this cause with their network.
Want to learn more about the call, including how crowdfunding sites satisfy three major desires for donors? Click here to downloadthe call and listen in!
Working with the Startup America Partnership, Startup Illinois is a collaboration of mentors, advisors, funders, major corporations, service providers and government organizations focused on helping entrepreneurs start and scale companies in Illinois.
Friday’s launch party included 100 of the states up-and-coming entrepreneurs, politicians and investors, all gathered together to welcome Startup Illinois.
“Innovation is the key to being competitive in the global marketplace, which is why we must do everything we can to help our businesses develop new and innovative ideas and technologies,” said Governor Quinn. “Given our commitment to fostering innovation and helping businesses grow, it is only fitting that Startup America Partnership chose Illinois as its first Startup region.”
GiveForward is proud to welcome Startup Illinois to the entrepreneurial scene and we look forward to the exciting things to come from this collaboration.
Take a look at the video put together by the Illinois Innovation Network and local entrepreneurs, including GiveForward, discussing why Chicago is such a hub for startups.
Promoting your fundraiser with a widget can really help increase traffic to your page. What is a widget and how is this magical creature supposed to help your fundraiser? Good question. A widget is a little box that you can paste in your blog or website that gives people a sneak peek at your fundraiser.
If you don’t have a blog, ask your friends to post the widget on their blogs or websites. This is an easy way for them to show you support and help spread the word about your fundraiser.
Actually getting the widget into a blog or website may seem a little scary to those who aren’t very familiar with ‘code’ or the language that tells your computer what the widget should look like, but I promise it isn’t as bad as it seems. Don’t worry, until I started working with GiveForward widgets and their code kinda scared me too.
So how does it work exactly? Well first go to a fundraiser page and click on the link that says “Grab this fundraiser’s widget!”. That link will lead to a window that looks like this:
Once this window opens, copy the code on the right. Next, go to your blog or website and paste it into your main text entry box. Once you’ve pasted this code, preview it to ensure it looks correct.
Not sure where your main text entry box is? Check with your blogging service. Here are a few links to some of the main blogging services and what they say about adding widgets:
Supraventricular Tachycardia is a type of heart rhythm disorder in which a person’s heart beats faster than it should. When a young woman, Hessed, was diagnosed with this condition she was told that she needed a catheter ablation procedure to remove the extra tissue in her heart causing the irregular heart beats.
When her friend heard about this procedure, they immediately stepped up and put together a GiveForward page to help raise money for her heart condition. In less than two months, Hessed’s Mended Heart Fund raised almost $10,000. Thanks to those who donated, Hessed was able to get the life-saving procedure.
We are happy to report that in April, Hessed had a one month post-operation appointment and her doctor officially declared her heart cured and healthy! Hessed was kind enough to reach out and update us on her progress. Take a look at what she had to say:
“I am truly grateful to have come across such a wonderful website during a time of need. GiveForward made it possible for me to be able to raise the funds I needed to have a catheter ablation done for my heart. The site is so easy to use and the entire GiveForward team was always helpful if I ever had any questions. This is truly a great organization and I will forever be grateful for their help and support… oh and my heart is now cured and healthy!
With Eternal Gratitude,
Hessed”
There is nothing the staff at GiveForward loves more than being able to share one of the success stories of our users. Often, our users are going through a very difficult time and we always try to provide a little bit of hope by sharing the stories of those who have been threre, done that and fought on.
We all want to send a big GiveForward hug to Hessed, her friends and her new heart. Thanks for sharing your story with us, and the rest of the GiveForward users!
A dedicated husband, father and caregiver, Stephen Hensley was diagnosed with end stage liver disease on January 1st of this year. Told a liver transplant is his only chance of survival, Stephen’s family has gathered together to show their support to their ‘hero‘.
This is not the only illness the Hensley family is wrestling with, Stephen’s wife has Multiple Sclerosis, which means insurance coverage is stretched thin. Despite working full time as Deputy Jailer, Stephen does not have STD or LTD insurance coverage through work. This means that without the support from friends and family, the Hensleys will not be able to cover the medical costs and related out-of-pocket expenses.
Beyond just a support system, Stephen’s daughter, Gina says her father’s love as a caregiver and adopted father ‘essentially rescued my mom, my sister and myself’. It is Stephen’s love and dedication over the years that prompted his family to rally the troops and show their support by starting a GiveForward page for Stephen with the intention of rescuing him right back.
With the money raised, they will cover all of the out-of-pocket medical expenses associated with this transplant and help give Stephen a second chance. We hope you will join us in sending lots of love towards the whole Hensley family.
Kevin Dodge needed a kidney and when his longtime friend, Matt Oliver, learned of the need, Matt was happy to step up and help. Now, the two men and their journey are being chronicled by a local news station.
The procedure was a journey in more than one sense, as both Kevin and Matt had to travel hundreds of miles back and forth from the hospital for tests in the weeks leading up to the transplant. That is why the friends and family of Kevin and Matt joined together to fundraise to help cover transportation and out-of-pocket expenses associated with the procedure.
Kevin, who works as a Master Control Operator for KLFY in Louisiana, received the kidney last weekend and both men are doing well as they recover from the procedure. Watch here to hear in their own words what going through this journey together means to them: Special Report: A Gift of Life.
After a tragic accident in March, Jennifer Quach passed away on April 25th, 2011. Faced with the loss of her close friend, Leka Bernard decided to set up a GiveForward page to lift up Jenn’s family during this difficult time.
Jenn was a hardworking biology student at Hawaii Pacific University and the recipient of a full four-year Presidential Scholarship. She was not only valedictorian of her graduating high school class, but very engaged in organizations such as Health Occupations Students of America, Pacific Asian Affairs Council, Chinese Club, and National Honor Society.
In addition to her extracurricular and academic accomplishments, Jenn was a loving friend, daughter, and sister. She devoted her life to helping others and making the world a better place. Leka and her friends are preserving Jenn’s compassion by coming together in support of the family she left behind.
The GiveForward Team chose Jenn’s story as our fundraiser of the week because she and her community truly demonstrate the heart of World Give Day. Please take a moment to visit Jenn’s fundraising page and encourage their efforts!
After handing out hundreds of hugs and donating hundreds of dollars, the GiveForward team is ready to declare World Give Day 2011 a resounding success.
We wrapped up our World Give Day fundraising competition at midnight on May 4th, and with so many amazing donors coming out to support their favorite fundraisers, it was a very close race. Take a look at the winner here.
When we were giving donations, we were giving hugs in downtown Chicago. Need a smile? Watch the video:
Give your heart out! Today marks the second annual World Give Day and everyone here at GiveForward is excited to be celebrating.
While we hand out hugs to random strangers, here are some ways that you can give today as well:
Donate to a fundraiser. Today is the last day of the World Give Day fundraising competition, if you have a favorite fundraiser, give a little something and see if you can put them in the lead for the $750 prize!
Donate to a cause being hosted by a World Give Day partner organization. These groups are all amazing crowdfunding sites that are working to help people in different ways.
Crain’s Chicago Business named GiveForward’s Desiree Vargas Wrigley one of 2011′s Women to Watch. Recognized along with such women as Oprah, Stephanie Izard, Deidra Cheeks Merriwether and Kathleen Brown, Desiree is honored to be among such prestigious company.
The article tells Desiree’s story about the inspiration behind GiveForward, how she met GiveForward’s co-founder Ethan and why GiveForward stands out in the crowd. Be sure to check out the video in which Desiree and her fellow Women to Watch discuss their journeys and the ‘a-ha’ moments along the way.
Women to Watch 2011: Part 6 of 6
Desiree Vargas Wrigley
29 | CEO, co-founder | GiveForward | Chicago
After graduating from Yale seven years ago, Ms. Wrigley was back home in Kansas City, Mo., waiting tables and trying to score a job in corporate philanthropy. A résumé passed to a customer landed her a job with the Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation, where she worked with college-age entrepreneurs.
Her interest in combining philanthropy with new business models was piqued, but it wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina hit that her idea crystallized.
