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HOW TO: Do Good on Facebook
This series is supported by Toyota Prius and presented by harmonytweets, a Twitter-based platform for filtering conversations around design, sustainability, eco technology and philanthropy. Leverage Twitter to communicate around ideals you care about at harmonytweets.com.
We’ve taken a look at using your blog for good, how to do good on Twitter, and how to change the world in only 15 minutes a day, but what about using other platforms to help social good?
Today we’ll look at how you can use the popular social network Facebook to help contribute something positive back to the world. Do you have other great tips for using Facebook for social good? Please contribute your ideas in the comments.
1. Use Charity Applications
We already know about the power of Facebook’s application platform to enable us to do far more frivolous things, from playing UNO to managing a virtual farm. Why not put the app platform to use for social good?
Luckily, a number of applications can help you do just that. Let’s look at a few here, and we’re sure there are a number of others we don’t know about yet. Know of a great Facebook charity application? Let us and other readers know about it in the comments!
Causes — Perhaps the best known, the Causes app allows users to join or start causes on any number of activist topics or positions. Causes can be used to raise money, accumulate support, or simply to advocate a particular position or point of view. You can join as many causes as you like and choose one cause at a time to feature and promote on your Facebook profile.
Willy’s Sweet Shop — Playing this interactive game helps raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Track the net amount donated via the aforementioned third-party Causes charity clearinghouse.
Go Go Give — The Go Go Give app is a simple but effective tool that reminds you to visit The Hunger Site daily. The Hunger Site offers a dead simple clickable badge that donates food to the hungry around the world, paid for by the sponsors whose ads you see upon clicking the button. Install the app to get daily reminders, plus keep track of how much food you’ve raised as well as the number of people you’ve invited to join the cause.
(Lil) Green Patch — Using the (Lil) Green Patch app benefits the Nature Conservancy and other Green causes. After expense revenue from the app funds a portfolio of rainforest reforestation projects, with a reported 183,244,167 square feet of rainforest being saved so far via donation to the Adopt an Acre program.
GoRecycle411 — The GoRecycle411 app lets you fill in how much material you’ve recycled and translates your energy saved into barrels of oil, trees, gallons of water, pounds of carbon dioxide, kilowatts of electricity and cubic yards of garbage you’ve saved. It also keeps track of the aggregate total for all those using the app, and donates ad revenue beyond expenses to The Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue! program.
SocialVibe — The SocialVibe site mixes brand sponsorships with charity donations, and their Facebook application allows you to tap into their fundraising network on your Facebook profile page. Essentially, you choose a brand sponsor and a favorite charity, and users who interact with your SocialVibe application help earn you “points” that accrue donations to your chosen organization. It’s an interesting twist that combines ad revenue with charity, with the more “points” you earn increasing the percentage donated.
2. Join Charity Groups
From simply raising awareness to keeping you informed, from displaying your active causes on your profile to donating money to charities on your behalf — there are a number of worthwhile Facebook groups for social good.
Canadian Cancer Society — For every 100 members who join the group, $2 will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. The community-based volunteer organization’s mission is the eradication of cancer and the improvement of life quality for those living with the disease.
Darfur Aid — For every 1000 members of the group, $1 will be donated to an organization working to provide aid in Darfur annually.
Making Poverty History — Join the group to show your support and invite your friends to amplify awareness of the cause. Printing your country’s specific letter and sending it to your government helps put pressure on them to donate 0.7% of the national income to ending world poverty.
One Million Faces Against Malaria — This group holds an annual awareness day every April 25 to raise awareness about this preventable disease.
Fight Global Poverty — Started by a couple in Seattle, the group is one part of raising awareness and funds to fight poverty around the globe. The admins have committed to donating $100,000 to the cause now that the group has eclipsed 100,000 members, and have set up a non-profit group called One Day’s Wages to encourage further donations to global poverty.
3. Become a Fan of Activist Organizations
We can become fans of our favorite celebrities, but why not also show our support for some of the amazing organizations out there working for good? Becoming a fan can also help alert you if and when that group holds specific events or fundraisers around time-sensitive issues.
Check out a few noteworthy organizations that have a presence on Facebook, and let us know about your favorites in the comments.
The Humane Society — Working in the U.S. and abroad to celebrate the human-animal bond and fight animal abuse, The Humane Society is well worth showing your support.
Planned Parenthood — Advocating for women’s reproductive health and rights since 1916, Planned Parenthood’s Facebook Page provides news, health information, discussions and more.
LIVESTRONG — Get updates on news and events from world-famous cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong’s organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness about the fight against cancer.
ASPCA — Get news, updates and yet another source of cute cat pictures from the ASPCA’s Facebook Page.
Greenpeace International — Global environmental conservation organization Greenpeace gets you involved quickly with a Take Action tab.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure — This well-maintained Page provides information, alerts and ways to act surrounding the fight against breast cancer.
Oxfam America — Show your support and get news and announcements from Oxfam America’s Facebook Page. The international relief and development charity helps save lives, end poverty and fight for social justice.
4. Give a Virtual Charity Gift
They’re not quite live yet at the time of this writing, but at our own Summer of Social Good Conference recently Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg announced that virtual charity gifts will be coming to the Facebook Gift Shop this week.
Initially the gifts will be available from charity partners Kiva, Toms, (RED) and WWF. Purchasing a $5 or $10 gift not only donates the equivalent amount to the charity sponsoring the gift, but does so on behalf of a friend. Like its real-world concept of donating to a charity as a gift to a friend or relative, it’s almost like giving two gifts in one.
Depending on the results, Facebook may open up the charity gifts program to other partners as well. So not only will you be doing good on behalf of a friend, you’ll be contributing to the continued renewal of the program itself. Be sure to check the Facebook Gift Shop to keep an eye on the availability of the gifts.
5. Host a Charity Event
Why not celebrate the fact that Facebook recently made event planning easier by hosting your own event to raise money or awareness for your favorite cause? Of course, this idea requires quite a bit more legwork than some of the above options, but it also has the potential to have a much greater impact.
AllFacebook has some great tips on hosting a successful Facebook event. Have you ever held a charity event or attended a gathering you heard about on Facebook? Let us know in the comments.
There are certainly pluses and minuses to using Facebook for activism. It may be difficult to convert more casual Facebook activists to the next level of cause engagement. Nevertheless, Facebook offers a set of powerful tools for social good organizations and ad hoc causes to leverage involvement and awareness from the social network’s huge member base.
Do you have other great tips for using Facebook for social good? Please contribute your ideas in the comments.
Series supported by Toyota Prius, presented by harmonytweets
This series is supported by Toyota Prius and presented by harmonytweets, a Twitter-based platform for filtering conversations around key inspirational themes core to the Prius brand including design, sustainability, eco technology and philanthropy. Leverage Twitter to communicate around ideals you care about, including inspiration, hybrid technology and volunteerism at harmonytweets.com.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, IvanWuPl
Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto
Tags: activism, charity, facebook, social good
Organic Food is Usually Higher in Nutrients
Organic Food is Usually Higher in Nutrients Organic gardening involves raising plants without any artificial pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Organic fertilizers like fallen leaves, grass clipping, fruit peels, egg shells and animal manure are used to fertilize the crops. Pest control is performed by using natural repellants (like marigolds and chrysanthemums) and by using predators such as birds and lady bugs to eat insects. Foods raised organically usually have much lower levels of pesticides, herbicides and toxic metals like lead as compared to conventionally grown food. Freshly picked organic food is also often much tastier than food which has traveled many days from conventional farms. Organically grown food may also contain higher levels of nutrients than foods raised with artificial fertilizers and pesticides. A review of over 100 studies comparing the nutrition of organic versus conventionally grown fruits and vegetables was published in the March 2008 State of the Science Reviews (Authors were Charles Benbrook, Xin Zhao, Jaime Yanez, Neal Davies & Preston Andrews). A total of 191 comparisons for various nutrients such as protein, phytochemicals (chemicals produced by plants which have many benefits including anti-oxidant properties), vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and E and minerals such as phosphorus and potassium were made between organic and conventionally grown produce. In 88 comparisons (46% of the samples) the organic food contained significantly more of the nutrients (10% or more) than the conventionally grown food, while in only 23 (12%) comparisons did the conventionally grown food contain more nutrients. In 80 comparisons (42%), the organic and conventionally grown food has similar levels of nutrients On the negative side, organic food is oftentimes more expensive than conventionally grown food, although the price differential has become less in recent years. Many communities have regular farmers markets in which fresh organic produce is sold at reasonable prices. Organic vegetables, fruits and nuts can be grown inexpensively in home gardens. Apartment dwellers can grow vegetables in containers and/or rent out community garden plots. Many vegetables and herbs such as leaf lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, radish, broccoli, cabbage parsley, onions, chives, oregano and thyme are easy to grow and require little space. A Chicago Restaurant called Uncommon Ground grows many of the vegetables and herbs it serves in containers on the roof of the restaurant. Several studies have shown that home and school based vegetable and fruit gardens can greatly increase produce consumption among youngsters.
Magnesium Helpful for Many Conditions.
Magnesium Helpful for Many Conditions. Magnesium is a mineral involved in over 500 reactions in the body. Magnesium in the diet is found in many foods including green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains. Magnesium is also available in inexpensive food supplements. A typical US diet rich in sugar, fats and white flour tends to be low in magnesium. Various studies in the US have reported that about 75% of children and adults do not consume the recommended amounts of magnesium (400 milligrams daily for adults). Among US adults over age 70 years, over 90% do not meet the recommended levels of magnesium in their diets. Numerous published studies have found that supplemental magnesium is useful for many conditions including asthma, migraine headaches, and improving blood sugar control in type 2 diabetics. Magnesium has also been shown to reduce the risk of some forms of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia). Magnesium supplements are often given to pregnant woman and have been shown to significantly reduce risk of seizures in preeclampsia and also significantly reduce risk of leg cramps during pregnancy. Magnesium supplements have also provided significant relief for chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia patients. High doses of magnesium supplements can be used to treat constipation. Many experts recommend taking 200 to 400 milligrams of magnesium supplements daily- in addition to eating a good diet. Taking too much magnesium orally can cause diarrhea and can be hard on kidney failure patients. A good review of the health effects of magnesium can be found in the July 15, 2009 American Family Physician.
iPhone Solar Charger Will Keep You Twittering in the Sun All Day
Usually, I’m not that crazy about iPhone peripherals, but since my main activity on all the smartphones I own always has to do with the Internet (and thus, it sucks up the juice from the batteries in a matter of hours), the idea of an iPhone solar charger sounds really appealing.
The folks over at Inhabitat have found out about the first Apple-approved solar charger for the iPhone, created by a company called Novothink. Without going into the device’s design and color choice, the important thing it can get your iPhone fully charged as long as that big fiery ball is in the sky.
Check out some more pictures and details after the jump.
The Surge, as this thing is called, also features a USB cable (for those awkward times when the Sun is absent), and a LED indicator which shows if your iPhone’s batteries are fully charged. The price for the Surge $70, and it’ll become available later this fall.
Tags: iphone, solar charger
Family fun, wine, and ciders from Uncle John’s – Examiner.com
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Family fun, wine, and ciders from Uncle John's
Examiner.com Fruit Desert Wines (We start with a fruit wine, then fortify it with brandy made from the same fruit.) St. Johns is a nice drive from southeast Michigan. … |
Wonder drug in development to let dieters eat whatever they want … – Daily…
Will this be a good thing!
 Daily Mail |
Wonder drug in development to let dieters eat whatever they want …
Daily Mail Others are trying to capitalise on the health benefits of red wine to create a fat-burning pill that protects against diabetes. But obesity experts caution … and more » |
Wonder drug in development to let dieters eat whatever they want … – Daily…
Will this be a good thing!
Daily Mail |
Wonder drug in development to let dieters eat whatever they want …
Daily Mail Others are trying to capitalise on the health benefits of red wine to create a fat-burning pill that protects against diabetes. But obesity experts caution … and more » |
Neighbors: Wine, Women and Chocolate; West Michigan birth … – MLive.com
 MLive.com |
Neighbors: Wine, Women and Chocolate; West Michigan birth …
MLive.com GRAND RAPIDS — The third annual "Wine, Women and Chocolate Event," a fundraiser for Women's Resource Center, which provides comprehensive employment … |
Neighbors: Wine, Women and Chocolate; West Michigan birth … – MLive.com
MLive.com |
Neighbors: Wine, Women and Chocolate; West Michigan birth …
MLive.com GRAND RAPIDS — The third annual "Wine, Women and Chocolate Event," a fundraiser for Women's Resource Center, which provides comprehensive employment … |
Inexpensive wines for Napa Valley-style picnics – St. Helena Star
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Inexpensive wines for Napa Valley-style picnics
St. Helena Star Amid acknowledging chuckles, the recent St. Helena Star/Napa Valley Vintners Tasting Panel knew their task in finding the best red picnic wines priced $25 … Ag tours expand appealCapital Press (subscription) Leadership Napa Valley names applicants for Class 23Napa Valley Register Visiting Napa Valley? Fall activities aboundSeattle Daily Journal of Commerce (subscription) Napa Valley Register all 5 news articles » |
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