I was initially going to just write an article about why non-profits might want to use Gather.com -- which has been described as a "MySpace for grownups" -- to find volunteers, and then I found this nifty tidbit in their press release section:
Gather.com bloggers can earn cash or Gather PointsTM that are redeemable for gift cards from valued partners. Gather.com pioneered the concept of social networking sites sharing advertising revenue with members based on the quality and popularity of the content they contribute. Compensation can also be earned through site use and by inviting others to join Gather.com.Gather.com members have been accumulating points and cash since the site's launch. Once members earn the equivalent of $50 worth of Gather Points in a month, they can opt for cash compensation going forward. Those earning less than $50 can now redeem their points for gift cards from a variety of merchant partners.
Based on results to date, it is estimated that the top earners will earn nearly $1,000 in May alone, while at the current rate, hundreds of bloggers will earn hundreds of dollars annually. Gather.com members will also have the option of donating their Gather Points to specific charities, providing a valuable fundraising tool for non-profit organizations on Gather. Several members have already established Gather GroupsSM for their favorite charity.
Why should you care?
First of all, by listing your nonprofit as a group on Gather.com, you can potentially "gather" more volunteers and its an easy way for you to share articles, video, photos, or praise written about your organization.
Secondly, only registered non-profit can receive the donation. Sign up on Gather.com is easy, and once you've created a profile, you can select the Groups tab, and the "Create a Group" button. ***Make sure when creating your personal profile, that you use your non-profit's name as your username. It will create a profile page with its own address. You can see my example here: http://taprootdancer.gather.com
You also need to be actively participating, so I would add a few of your most recent press releases and/or your volunteer opportunity job descriptions with links so that they can sign up on your 1-800-Volunteer.org account.
Then you just need your supporters to join and create posts about their favorite book, comment on a news article, or talk about their favorite movie and designate that you should get their "points".
Based on their traffic rank, this site is more popular than VolunteerMatch and Idealist.org, but not as popular as Facebook or Myspace, but since this is a site reaching the older NPR listening demographic, I still think it's worth using to promote your nonprofit's mission and perhaps raise some funds along the way.
Besides, you can receive Starbucks gift cards for your contributions, so at the very least maybe you'll get a cup of coffee for your effort.
2 comments:
Also consider iYomu.com, which is also a social network for grownups. The community is going to vote for one person to get $1 million in the New Year, as part of their launch challenge.
A non-profit could get someone to signup, play in the challenge, become a finalist and promise to donate the $1 million. You get points for referring people, so if an entire organisation got behind it a non-profit would stand a good chance of being a finalist. The community will then vote who gets the money - and a good cause stands a better chance than any individual person.
Just an idea...
It's a nice design, but it's not clear to me why anyone would want to use Gather.com and not a Web site with a more establish social network like Facebook.
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