Here are tools for success that we support and/or utilize
“Crowdfunding isn’t a piece of cake, but following a few simple tips can help launch a killer Kickstarter project, rack up the pledges, and get your product off the ground.”
We wanted to share this fantastic blog post on crowdfunding. The material identifies Kickstarter specifically, and uses an actual product at the heart of a campaign, but the tips here are relevant for most crowdfunding platforms and situations. We hope you enjoy!
The Designing for Social Innovation and Leadership Course (DSIL) is a global field experience and community for multi-stage entrepreneurs & impact driven changemakers. DSIL is a cutting edge program that leverages quality field based immersion and the convenience of online classes with global thought leaders to create dynamic learning for graduate students, professionals and practitioners interested in creating sustainable impact and systems change around the world through social enterprise.
DSIL is delivered in academic and administrative partnership by the Centre for Executive Education (CEE) of the United Nations Mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) and SE Asia based Sarus. In 2014 DSIL ran from October 1st – December 3rd. In 2015 we will run from August – December. See the ‘Program Block Details‘ for more. We are now recruiting for 2015 – let us know if you are interested here.
An Intentionally Sequenced Program with Distinct Building Blocks:
(1) Virtual Classroom Preparation
(2) Field-based immersion to South East Asia
(3) Field-based immersion to South East Asia + ‘Next Steps’ Synthesis
Why DSIL?
The DSIL experience empowers international participants with contemporary tools, a cross sector knowledge network and analogous field immersions focused on personal and professional development. We believe that those who have the skills to unlock, re-imagine and create solutions to the world’s most daunting challenges will be at the helm of systems level change. Authentic transformation begins within the individual and those who are trained in the principles of design and leveraging empathic collaboration will be best positioned for success.
What is the DSIL Approach?
‘Design thinking’ (or d.thinking) is a tool, mindset or methodology for systems or product design and is one avenue to catalyze social innovation- we integrate this approach in DSIL to unleash creativity for the greater good. All participants will have the opportunity to learn and apply transferable frameworks including The Business (and Lean Model) Canvas, the Liberating Structures facilitation methods and Non-Violent Communication.
DSIL Themes and Focus
⇢ Social (+Personal) Innovation & Entrepreneurship
⇢ Sustainable Development
⇢ Design Thinking
How does an organization ask for funds when they have no data from a prior year to base the appeal off of? This is a tricky situation. Many funders will not look twice. There are alternatives to going directly to a bank of foundation, but sometimes the quickest way are those routes. Social Change Consulting provided a great article on Writing Fundraising Appeals Without Data From Your Prior Year.
Check out the full article for great details and a great list of resources.
Rescue Social Change Group has been working towards creating positive social change since 2001. Based out of San Diego, they have done amazing work in focusing on major public health issues affecting young people. The reason Rescue SCG has been so successful is because they do not work like most marketing firms, Rescue SCG focuses on changing behaviors. By changing the behavior of young people, Rescue SCG can make the world better. This is the realm of Project Kinect and we are so happy to be sharing the same space with Rescue SCG. For more, watch the videos below, check out their blog, and their Facebook.
Here are two campaigns that Rescue SCG created.
Recently Franchesca Ramsey released the video below, 5 Tips For Being An Ally. It is so important to continuously be mindful of how to be a better ally. We need to know how to act in any moment of injustice as an ally, even if it is subtle. As the sign in the cover phote on Franchesca’s Facebook page says, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” In this picture, she tags the Urban Bush Babes who also rock.
The video from Franchesca, or really Chescaleigh how she is known by her fans, identifies 5 steps we can all use to become a better ally. This video also references all of her resources and added resources from people who have watched the video. She uses a metaphor of building a house which is extremely relatable. Her 5 tips are:
For more about Franchesca Ramsey, check out her website and fall in love with her like we have.
Project Kinect is a huge fan of Simon Sinek and Start With Why. One of his most relevant and useable tools is presenting the Golden Circle. We all understand the purpose for what we’re doing, but can’t always answer exactly why we’re doing this. The Golden Circle helps us, while we’re in ruts in our organizations, to figure out why. Here is where to go to find out how to present the Golden Circle.
If you want to learn more about Simon Sinek, check out his Ted Talk in March, 2014.
Hashtags are a great way now to bring awareness to your cause. If you are unsure why hashtags are useful, here are a couple reasons why.
1. Hashtags are an excellent way to search out who and when people are talking about the hashtag. Just Google it, search it on Facebook or Twitter, or our favorite vehicle for hashtags, find it on Instagram.
2. Hashtags bring a virtual community together to find your cause/event/purpose and gives those followers the tools to help increase your impact.
Hashtags really give us all though a tool to do a little bit more. Right now, #good30 is accomplishing this. Yes, it may not be a huge impact, and it may not be focusing on a systemic problem, but it is challenging people to do a little more. Any time humans do a little more for the greater good, it leads to positive social change. Our founder wrote an article around doing better.
#Good30 allows everyone to share something they are doing to help others out. Take 30 seconds, create a video, and share what you are doing. The more participants in this campaign will create a greater awareness to how easy it is to #bebetter. There is always room to provide a #good30 in our lives every day. Why not start now.
Pass It Down just wrote an article with some amazing ways to #good30’s. Check it out for some ideas or just to put a smile on your face.
Please add your #good30 videos in our comment section.
Early this month, Cynthia Sylva Parker gave a Tedx Talk titled Racism–What Will It Take To End It? It is an extraordinary twelve minutes looking at racism objectively and giving every person ideas to how they can work on themselves and their own pre-wired brains.
Cynthia Sylva Parker is a Senior Associate at the Interaction Institute for Social Change. The institute is also an organization we love, but that is another time. This post is all about Cynthia and her voice (Click here for the post on IISC). We love you and please keep spreading the word. Project Kinect is here to help!
The midterm elections are finished. Republicans are in control of the senate and the house, many governor races went in the favor of republicans and certain counties in Arkansas still do not sell alcohol. We all have different opinions on what this means and where it leaves the state of the union. To bridges the differences, let’s establish some facts.
Fact one: No matter how it turned out, the change this country needs to happen would not have happened. Fact two: In two years, we will have an opportunity to repeat this sorry dance. It will be a presidential election year, the amount of money donated to candidates will surpass what was done now, and we will still be baffled by it. Fact three: The amazing turnout in many polls throughout the country. This was a midterm election and many areas saw a turn out equivalent to presidential elections. People are voting.
In order for real changes to happen in this country, the people must be active. Our voices and our votes must be in unison. Our politicians and their funders need to experience fear. This fear isn’t “sitting through a scary movie” fear. It needs to be “I don’t know how I’m going to feed my family” fear. That fear comes from losing and not having backers or a constituency. Everyone must vote and educate themselves on candidates and issues. Unfortunately there is an absence of a major mobilizer for people to take action.
What catalyst must there be for our country’s citizens to take charge? This catalyst must cross party lines and appeal to everyone on the same level. Most importantly, a sense of loss has to be created to mobilize millions to speak up. A hunch is that if our freedom has been taken away; that might do it. The last year has defined topics that could never be that catalyst. Sadly, these include raising the minimum wage, health care to everyone, racial and wealth inequalities, and a general apathetic blanket that has been draped over the entire country.
The first step though is exercising our vote. Vote in every election. Bring everyone you know to vote. Bring voting into casual conversation. Make voting the center of our culture. Challenge the candidates you are or aren’t voting for. The brilliance of the universe is that the next year, the next day, the next minute, we can change the future. Absolutely nothing is set forever.
Or maybe, it is as simple as this clip from HBO’s Newsroom. “It’s not the greatest country in the world.”
Daily bike use is on the rise. Biking is no longer just a luxury and a sport, but a necessity in many urban cities. People for Bikes is doing an excellent job of making biking more convenient for everyone. Whether it is for recreation, or you want to create and enforce protected bike lanes in your city, People for Bikes contains resources that can help you.
Created in 1999 as Bikes Belong, People for Bikes has now become a center for the biking community. Our favorite feature on the website is the “Get Local” section. In this space you can look at individual states and find a comprehensive list of biking resources in the state. Project Kinect LOVES this because it brings people together with technology.
We leave you with this fantastic video that advocates for protected bike lanes. Enjoy!
The Rise of Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S. from The PeopleForBikes GLP on Vimeo.
