A return of a great new media confab in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly in September, presented by the UN Foundation and Mashable.

This is Kai, the “front fish” for Project Kaisei to spread the word about the perils of plastic pollution on the planet.  An integrated media campaign launched today using a Facebook profile with LiveStream view of Kai’s swimming tank, a countdown clock marking 30 days to relief, and of course the ammado giving widget for donations.  Each donation to Project Kaisei pulls a piece of plastic from his polluted home, moving him closer to swimming in a clean, plastic-free habitat. 

Beyond raising awareness, Kai’s mission is to encourage donations to help fund Project Kaisei’s next ocean cleanup expedition.  Using ammado, donations in as little as US$5.00 increments (or other currency equivalent) will make a difference, now through World Ocean’s Day on June 10.

This innovative campaign was developed by Cohn & Wolfe, a global communications agency known for its provocative branding (it once attempted to re-brand a New York City rat!).  As part of its pro-bono partnership with Project Kaisei, the agency challenged its offices around the world to create a campaign with almost no money or time and accomplish something rewarding.  And a small goldfish emerged as the fundraising centerpoint….with international donations facilitated by ammado.

We love the creativity! What can you do with the ammado Giving app to inspire action and support to your own cause?

For more backstory to the Save Kai campaign, see the video here and visit Kai’s Home on Facebook.

(also on ammado blog, May 10, 2011)

Supporting relief efforts at www.ammado.com/japanappeal (Japanese Red Cross) and the American Red Cross at www.ammado.com/japanappeal/usdonors

 Review of Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding:  Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series), appearing on Amazon reviews.

Carol Cone, recognized internationally as the mother of cause marketing, once recounted to an eager group of MBA students how she shared a stage with the Dalai Lama. She described how you could relate shared themes of connectivity, collaboration, and compassion to their very different spheres of work, and how companies and their brands aligned with a core purpose could change the world. Ms. Cone and Jocelyne Daw bring the "brands can change the world" spirit and their collective know-how to Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding: Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series). It is an important book, both instructive and inspirational on many levels.

There is a lot to learn about branding, and what that really means, for example, the rational-emotional-engagement dimensions of a brand and how brand meaning serves (or should serve) as an organization's central operating principle. I especially liked the chapter on brand communications and new media tools that socialize brand meaning and tie into business objectives. (Point of disclosure: I work for an Irish internet company, "ammado," whose global engagement and giving technology is designed expressly for this kind of purpose.)

The chapter on brand communications/Principle 4 is representative of the many levels on which the book operates, presenting an overview of the principle, specific how-to success factors (detailed in an exhaustive checklist), and real world experiences of selected nonprofits. It is in the case studies of these exemplary nonprofits that the book's inspirational tone shines through: from the story-telling power of one woman's fight in the "Go Red"/American Heart Association campaign, to Komen for the Cure's voice of empowerment for women, to Goodwill's daily contribution to community enterprise and personal development.

The cumulative effect is a book that goes to the heart of nonprofit leadership and how nonprofits drive social change, and stands squarely as a valued resource for successful change management in any sector. For all of these reasons, Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding: Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) has a wide natural audience of readers who, through their work, daily lives, and values are making a positive difference in the world we all share.





 

 An opportunity (with thanks again to David Smith and team) for ammado to participate in an invitation-only forum on Civic Innovation prior to the National Conference on Citizenship.  A highlighted panel looked at how partnerships across public/private/nonprofit sectors drive public service and philanthropy.

Jean Case of The Case Foundation asked how dots are connected from private sector to individuals and asked "for a roll call of individuals to be philanthropists."  Bravo--that's what ammado offers through its global network and technology tools, a way to connect the dots between the private sector to nonprofits to individuals, all working for positive change.

At the National Conference of Citizenship at the Library of Congress on Friday, Richard Stengel, Managing Editor of TIME magazine, was honored as Citizen of the Year.  His commitment to citizenship transcends his editorial role, but it is here that you can see his influence.  Image posted here is the Sept20 issue of TIME, the annual "Service" issue which Mr. Stengel produces.

A personal highlight was hearing from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is on the precipice of the Supreme Court's new term with three women justices on the bench, a historic first. 

Participating in civic life takes all forms, but in Justice Ginsburg's words, "just do it."