Geben Gives
If you’ve hung around the PR Breakfast Club for even a short amount of time, you know these bloggers subscribe to the “give more to get more” mantra. In fact, I’m amazed at how willing my “online” friends are to share information … give advice … lend an ear.
But, generosity doesn’t stop there. It’s heart-warming to see how many individuals are using their platforms to do some good. As the holidays approach, what’s better than social media for social good, right? Some recent examples:
- Justin Goldsborough is featuring 30 Causes in 30 Days on his blog to raise awareness about a host of causes.
- Ken Burbary recently raised more than $8,000 to help his friend’s family who was going through a tragedy.
- The TechforGood meetup in New York City brings together new media and advocacy professionals to share knowledge
- Shonali Burke helped organize the #shonalitweetup during the PRSA conference, with money raised benefiting Musicians on Call, this month’s 12for12K charity.
- For her 21st birthday, Cheryl Harrison is asking her blog readers to make a donation to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in lieu of buying her a drink.
The list could go on and on. And, count me in. To mark the Dec. 1 launch of my own company, Geben Communication, I’m running a contest to identify a worthy nonprofit to which I’ll donate my PR services in December. (Take a second and nominate your favorite nonprofit here!)
We’re still living in a challenging economy. Times are tough, I get that. But, I honestly believe that each of us has the capacity and resources to help someone less fortunate that ourselves — whether it’s raising money for a great cause or simply tweeting/blogging information about a nonprofit making a difference in your own community.
So, I’ll leave you with this: As the holidays near, what will you do to make a difference in your own community? Let’s brainstorm ideas in the comments.
On December 1, Heather Whaling is launching her own communication firm, Geben Communication, to provide public relations, marketing and social media services to small businesses and nonprofit organizations. An award-winning, seasoned communicator with nearly 10 years of experience, Heather fuses strategic thinking, strong writing skills and creativity to deliver integrated public relations and marketing results to help clients achieve their business goals. Connect with her on her blog, Twitter or via email at heather [at] gebencommunication.com.
- 3 September 2010 : Industry Debate: The Value of Community Managers
- 2 September 2010 : Dreaded Auto-DM #Fails
- 2 September 2010 : Walk the Line
- 1 September 2010 : Anecdotal Evidence Suggests PR On the Right Path
- 31 August 2010 : The Reality of Being a Publicist
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- I signed up - love concept but not enough reporters use to make it helpful yet RT @stina6001: Anyone tried NewBasis yet? #journchat #prbc lmnovo (Lauren Novo)
- RT @Kelly_Growley: Great (and funny) post @PRCog! Dreaded Auto-DM #Fails via #PRBC http://bit.ly/9FQefu #mustread ValerieSimon (Valerie Merahn Simon)
- RT @stina6001: Been checking out NewBasis - has anyone tried it yet? #journchat #prbc #pr CMHollon (Charles Hollon)
- Been checking out NewBasis - has anyone tried it yet? #journchat #prbc #pr stina6001 (Christina Khoury)
- Great (and funny) post @PRCog! Dreaded Auto-DM #Fails via #PRBC http://bit.ly/9FQefu #mustread Kelly_Growley (Kelly Growley)
- @jeffespo invokes some Johnny Cash: Walk The Line http://bit.ly/aWwWvz #prbc mikeschaffer (mikeschaffer)
- Smart stuff from @jeffespo: Walk the Line http://bit.ly/aWwWvz #prbc AmandaOleson (Amanda Oleson)
- Dreaded Auto-DM #Fails http://bit.ly/aIw70L on #PRBC LolaRedxKeegan (Keegan Shoutz)
- RT @jonpetersen @donbeehler: Ad Agencies - Write your own story at CNN’s iReport http://j.mp/95xWMz #smm #pr #prsa #prbc #publicrelations smrsault (Somersault Group)
- RT @donbeehler: Ad Agencies: Write your own story at CNN’s iReport http://j.mp/95xWMz #smm #pr #prsa #prbc #publicrelations jonpetersen (Jonathan Petersen)
Great post Heather and one of the many reasons I am such a fan of you, Justin, Shonali and others mentioned above! And of course another #PRBC friend, Danny Brown and the 12for12K gang… a constant source of inspiration to me!
I love how the PRBC has made such an effort to give back to the PR community… along with the daily gifts of knowledge and friendship, programs like Jess's “Pitch Yourself” are creating new opportunities for those in PR. .
While giving back certainly should be a a daily practice, the holidays are a great time to reflect upon what we are contributing… what we can contribute. As you said, times are tough, but with some time, creativity and support we can work together to create new opportunities. While it is easy to become frustrated with limited resources, I am a firm believer that you give what you can. “I am only one, but still I am one. And just because I can't do everything, does not mean I'll refuse to do the something I can do.”
PS Congratulations and good luck with the launch of Geben Communication! I am excited to know that soon I will be able to say “I knew her when…”
Valerie,
Thanks so much! You should throw yourself in that group of people giving. Among other things, what you and Dierdre to with the student chat is incredible. I've been so fortunate to connect with up-and-coming PR students through the chat online networking. I only wish there was something like that when I was in school. You rock too
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by arikhanson and Heather Whaling, Tom O'Keefe. Tom O'Keefe said: I'm loving this post by @PRtini on #PRBC. How are you making a difference? http://bit.ly/XO5em [...]
I love this post from @PRTini at #prbc about giving more to get more. As a Comm Assist. at a non profit in NJ, we are worrying about the amount of donations to our services decreasing this year. It is wonderful to see how others are still willing to give, including you Heather, in a time of economic crisis. Love it!
Hi from Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. My PR Writing class is conducting a social media experiment for a local non-profit — the Our House Shelter for the Working Homeless. Using Twitter, Facebook and a blog, the students are generating product donations for the shelter — diapers, laundry detergent, soap, sippy cups, shoes, even underwear. It's been a great learning experience for them — I've never seen students as excited about a project. You can follow us on #projectourhouse or Project Our House on Facebook.
Amy Barnes, APR
Assistant Professor
UALR School of Mass Communication
Great post Heather and one of the many reasons I am such a fan of you, Justin, Shonali and others mentioned above! And of course another #PRBC friend, Danny Brown and the 12for12K gang… a constant source of inspiration to me!
I love how the PRBC has made such an effort to give back to the PR community… along with the daily gifts of knowledge and friendship, programs like Jess's “Pitch Yourself” are creating new opportunities for those in PR. .
While giving back certainly should be a a daily practice, the holidays are a great time to reflect upon what we are contributing… what we can contribute. As you said, times are tough, but with some time, creativity and support we can work together to create new opportunities. While it is easy to become frustrated with limited resources, I am a firm believer that you give what you can. “I am only one, but still I am one. And just because I can't do everything, does not mean I'll refuse to do the something I can do.”
PS Congratulations and good luck with the launch of Geben Communication! I am excited to know that soon I will be able to say “I knew her when…”
Valerie,
Thanks so much! You should throw yourself in that group of people giving. Among other things, what you and Dierdre to with the student chat is incredible. I've been so fortunate to connect with up-and-coming PR students through the chat online networking. I only wish there was something like that when I was in school. You rock too
I love this post from @PRTini at #prbc about giving more to get more. As a Comm Assist. at a non profit in NJ, we are worrying about the amount of donations to our services decreasing this year. It is wonderful to see how others are still willing to give, including you Heather, in a time of economic crisis. Love it!
Hi from Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. My PR Writing class is conducting a social media experiment for a local non-profit — the Our House Shelter for the Working Homeless. Using Twitter, Facebook and a blog, the students are generating product donations for the shelter — diapers, laundry detergent, soap, sippy cups, shoes, even underwear. It's been a great learning experience for them — I've never seen students as excited about a project. You can follow us on #projectourhouse or Project Our House on Facebook.
Amy Barnes, APR
Assistant Professor
UALR School of Mass Communication
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