Giving Challenges: Atlas Service Corps
[Ed. Note: As you probably know, the Case Foundation, together with Facebook Causes and Parade magazine, is going to award $750,000 to charity. To help illuminate the process and generate discussion and ideas, the NTEN Connect Blog will be posting occasional updates from actual participants in the Challenges.]
Scott Beale, Atlas Service Corps (Atlas Corps)
I heard about Americas Giving Challenge through our partner GlobalGiving. I was immediately excited about the possibility of putting my political and social networking experience to good use for Atlas Corps. We are making this competition a top priority for Atlas Corps. Atlas Corps is a new organization, so we see this as great way to increase awareness and also raise $50,000+.
Some Confusion Regarding the Challenge
I would like to begin by trying to clear up some confusion about the Challenge as best I understand it. In a nutshell, the Case Foundation has put money in three different categories (this is my analysis, neither that of the Case Foundation, nor GlobalGiving). First, Network For Good is a partner that is focused largely on U.S. nonprofits. Second, GlobalGiving is a partner focused largely on international nonprofits. Third, Facebook/Causes is a final category that is a little bit of everything. Atlas Corps decided to focus on GlobalGiving, so we are not in competition with organizations in the Network for Good or Facebook categories (so best of luck to Mark at Children's National Medical Center and Ruby Sinreich at Fellowship of Reconciliation and others who are in other categories!)
So what is Atlas Corps?
Atlas Corps is a new international nonprofit organization that is creating a global partnership for development through an innovative, sustainable, and scalable fellowship program where nonprofit leaders volunteer overseas for one year at other nonprofits to learn best practices, share unique insights, provide important services and return home to create a global partnership for development.
We focus on a global south-U.S. fellowship program, or what Senator Harris Wofford calls, "A reverse 'Peace Corps.'" Our pilot year has 4 Fellows from Colombia and 3 Fellows from India volunteering in the U.S. Their average age is 28 years, they come from five different religious traditions, they speak perfect English, and they are all leaders in their countries.
Our Strategy for the Competition
On Monday, I created a Fundraising Badge and sent an email to about 6,000 people on our list.
I also created an event on Facebook to invite people to give – but the Facebook event confused a lot of people who RSVP-ed saying they were out of town. (How can you be out of town from the 'net?)
I then replaced the Atlas Corps homepage with information about the contest and created a page with more information about the contest and how people can help Atlas Corps. We want to get 100 people before Christmas, so when the leader board gets published we have a chance to be in the top four, and then really push through in January to stay on top. Right now we are in the high 80s.
I am hopeful we have a chance to be in the top four (with your help) and think this is a wonderful Holiday challenge from the Case Foundation, PARADE Magazine, GlobalGiving and all of the partners involved!
Stay tuned for more updates from Scott Beale.
