What is TweetsGiving?
TweetsGiving09: Epic Thanks is a global gratitude celebration organized by Epic Change, a nonprofit focused on raising visibility and support for grassroots changemakers and social entrepreneurs around the globe. During the week of the American Thanksgiving holiday in November, Epic Thanks participants will use online tools and come together at live events across the globe to give to a common cause in honor of that for which they are most grateful.
What will TweetsGiving support?
Funds raised for TweetsGiving09: Epic Thanks will be invested to expand the efforts of Tanzanian Epic Change fellow Mama Lucy Kamptoni, a changemaker who invested her income selling chickens to build a school that now serves over 300 children near her home in Arusha. The original TweetsGiving celebration in November 2008 was a 48-hour celebration of gratitude that easily surpassed it's $10,000 goal to build a classroom at Kamptoni's school. Funds raised will again be invested to expand Kamptoni's efforts and to fund future Epic Change fellows like her across the globe.
What is the purpose of TweetsGiving Celebrations?
TweetsGiving Celebrations are opportunities for people around the world to express thanks for the blessings they enjoy. Gratitude is a transformative force that powers personal growth and creativity, and inspires dramatic change. Epic Change is looking for organizers in cities and on college campuses around the world to lead this reflection and bring these gratitude parties to life.
How can I be a part?
You can organize a TweetsGiving Celebration in your community or college campus. Gratitude parties are designed to bring people together in a positive way for a good cause. If you've ever wanted to make a difference haven't been sure where to start, hosting a gratitude party may be just the opportunity for you.
What do organizers do?
Celebration organizers will lead a team of friends and volunteers to arrange the logistics, promotion, and programming involved in throwing a gratitude party on November 24th or 25th (If those days don't work for your community you can plan your party earlier that week). A thorough logisitics checklist will be available on the TweetsGiving website to guide you through the process. Organizers also reach out to local businesses who are willing to make cash or in-kind donations of venue, food, music, and other resources to make your event a success. Epic Change will facilitate online ticket purchase and promote your event on the TweetsGiving community website.
What happens at a TweetsGiving Gratitude Celebration?
Anything you want! As an organizer, you have the freedom to plan your gratitude party in a way that makes sense for your community. We simply ask that every party provide an opportunity for guests to celebrate and express their gratitude - whether it be for one another, members of your community or unheralded changemakers in the world at large. You can plan an art project, a concert, an act of guerrilla goodness, a letter writing station, a novel way of highlighting the work of a local changemaker, or something else entirely - we'll share our ideas with you soon and we can't wait to see the joyful ideas you all dream up!
Will you be available if I need some help?
Absolutely! The TweetsGiving Team is here to help you at every step of the way - whether you need help connecting with other organizers in your area or gathering ideas about how to make your gratitude party a celebration to remember. Contact Avi Kaplan (meshugavi@gmail.com or @meshugavi on Twitter) with your name, email, phone number, and twitter username (if you have one) and we'll get you started.
We are available to support your efforts and would love to brainstorm or chat anytime with you about how things are going. Here are some of the additional ways we will support local event organizers.
- Connect you with other volunteers to join your organizing team
- Set up a page for your party on the Epic Change Website
- Set up online ticket purchase for your party in early November
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Publicize TweetsGiving Celebrations extensively through online channels
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Lead info sessions about promoting events through social media and provide resources on the topic so you are comfortable responding to people in those channels.
Contact Information
To get involved with event organizing contact Avi Kaplan - meshugavi@gmail.com or @meshugavi on Twitter.
For sponsorship and branding inquiries contact Kira Siddall - kira.siddall@gmail.com or @KSiddall on Twitter.
More information is available at www.EpicChange.org or by contacting Stacey Monk - stacey@epicchange.org or @StaceyMonk on Twitter.