#raise5

[rescuecom]

http://www.rescuecom.com/blog/index.php/business/startups/mike-tang-founded-raise5-so-people-could-use-their-skills-to-raise-money-for-charity/

[raise5-blog]

Taking stock of how we've grown

          This week marks six months since we won Sir Richard Branson's Screw Business as Usual contest. Virgin Unite invited us to blog about our journey so far. It was a great experience taking stock of the challenges we've faced and the lessons we learned over the last six months. This is something we don't always have time to do properly so we were grateful for the amazing opportunity to do so. Head on over to the Virgin Unite blog here to read the post and feel free to leave a comment.

Since our win we've been working hard to improve the site's structure and look to make it easier for community members like you to raise money for the causes you love. Some of the changes we've made recently include:

We've simplified the homepage to make it easier to get around. Check it out and let us know what you think.

We want to help unleash the fundraising potential of nonprofits on our site and so created a brand new page devoted to the fundraising community.

You can now browse through the Raise5 marketplace by charity. If you can't find your favourite cause, feel free to share the nonprofit page with the organization and encourage them to sign-up so you start supporting them on Raise5.

We've also dropped the $5 price limit on the things you choose to sell or share on the website. You can now set your own prices and raise even more money for the cause or organization you're passionate about. Click here to learn more and get started.

Our community is growing every day and this means there's an even wider range of talents and skills being offered to help raise money for the causes that people truly care about. Come join us on our Facebook page and give us a like if you're so inclined. You can also follow us on Twitter @Raise_5. We try to post a variety of content on our social media channels so it's worth checking them all out. We love getting feedback from our community members so please don't hesitate to drop us a line, a tweet or a facebook post.  

[raise5-blog]

How are Today's Youths Supporting their Causes?

A great report came out recently, called The Millennial Impact Report. This report outlines the response of over 6500 'Millennials' (those between the age of 20 and 35), with some very encouraging findings!

First of all it should be mentioned that these millennials have historically been downplayed by charity organizations. Generally, younger people aren't established enough to be able to make significant contributions. However, it's also the case that most charities have structured themselves to be attractive to the older generation and are in some ways missing out on what the youth can provide. Of course Raise5 is hoping to contribute to the change in this landscape, but reports such as the one mentioned above are helping to educate the non-profit sector on how the younger generation can make a difference. Did you know that:

65% of the youth have learned about charities through their website and 55% learned through social media, while only 18% learn through print and 17% through face to face.

58% of the youth prefer short-term volunteering, only 12% are looking for intensive volunteering

81% of the youth prefer learning about volunteering from their peers

When asked how they prefer to volunteer, 48% responded that they'd like to volunteer in a way that uses their background experience

The report itself is filled with many more statistics and case studies about the attitude of the youth toward volunteering. But in the end, it shows a need for more online presence on the non-profit's part, along with short-term peer to peer volunteering opportunities that incorporate the volunteers' skills and talent.

If only there were a platform that offered that!

[devonvipond]

I tried out a new Toronto startup's charity service Raise5, in which people donate small tasks or services for a $5 donation, to the charity of the service-provider's choice.

I asked @GimmeSumJava to make me into a cartoon Ginja Ninja. His charity of choice - and where my donation went to - was the Red Cross.

What do you think?

Love the Raise5 concept - it's give-give!