August 2008 Winner
Share YOUR passion with kids (The Generation Project)
Unlike traditional charities--where donors just open their checkbooks and aren't 100% sure where the money goes--The Generation Project revolutionizes educational philanthropy by giving donors creative control over donations that expand opportunities for kids growing up in low-income communities.
Simply put, tags are keywords used to identify an idea. Just click on one of the tags below to find like-minded ideas.
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Q1: What K-12 educational experiences shaped who you are today?
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by aliyahgirl1108.26.08 | 09:31 PMWell I've been in K-12 for a long time and i would say that the educational experience that shaped me into who i am today is history because it tells me alot of what had happened in the past and of my culture.
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by pkgannon08.25.08 | 02:32 PMthank you. Just a hobbyist musician. I never took music lessons but a teacher recognized my love for it and enouraged me. He gave me some private lessons after school and prodded me to join the band prior to high school. So, it goes back to that teacher that builds a relationship with a student and ENCOURAGES them to do something. I think that is all kids need from teachers or the community. Whether it's donating computers or band instruments we need to encourage kids that they can do anything in life that they want to, providing they also have a plan B. (not everyone can grow up and play professional basketball!)
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08.25.08 | 01:46 PMYour experience in symphonic band sounds amazing, pkgannon. Are you a musician today or just a music-lover?
I love hearing stories like yours about transformative educational experiences. I think that so many of us can point to a single educational experience that shaped us--and many of us also want to replicate that specific experience for a low-income child.
By the way, thanks for your idea on our comments page about getting in touch with major cities and putting them on our website. That's really good!
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by pkgannon08.25.08 | 11:28 AMPlaying in the symphonic band in high school. It wasn't until then that I realized or really started to listen to individual instruments and what they contributed to the overall sound of a piece of music. It also helped me listen for harmony and counter point melodies. A lot of other educational experiences aren't very useful or relevant to me. But when I look back at one thing I am glad I got involved in, it was the symphonic band.
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by ibatista08.06.08 | 04:10 AMTeachers who cared enough to build relationships with their students. This showed that they weren't there because it was their job. They wanted to see me succeed, through the subjects I liked most.
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08.05.08 | 08:46 PMThanks so much for the comments, scientist_entrepreneur! You are so right that it takes rich, formative experiences like those you enjoyed with your neighbor to help kids find the passions that will guide their future academic success.
Thanks for the well-wishes. Let's stay connected as we launch...
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08.05.08 | 08:33 PMI can trace back to the time when I was mentored by a neighbor in engineering projects. He was a retired engineer and professor who had a lot of time on his hands, so he would play a little baseball, some chess, or build a part of a sidewalk with me. The last project we worked was a large magnifying lens for melting metals.
I certainly would not have enjoyed the same academic success without him. It's important for kids to see how they can create and build projects, be it in science or the arts. And I think the key is that they should be free to choose to do it. No one should ever coerce or force a child to do something they may or may not be interested in. I remember working on a robotics team, and I hated it because I always felt bossed around.
Best of luck. Children most certainly need these programs in a world where they are becoming more and more neglected educationally.
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by sevenworld08.01.08 | 04:24 PM
Q1: It was been "involved" in certain projects that taught me the most. I think every person can remember making their own baking soda volcano in elementary school. We should do more of these projects for children and youth.
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Q2: What is the best way to advertise this opportunity to interested individuals?
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by fluidfilm08.28.08 | 11:29 PMClarify how it works. You can't be all things to all people. Pick a target forum (after school programs, donations to schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, tutoring) and who you think would be a good group to get things rolling (professional urbanites? musicians? people who write Linux code?) Then work both ends. Find out what people want to give and where the needs are. Also, how involved does the donor want to be? Do you need to send them a photo and little report with thank you notes from the kids? Should they have an opportunity to see their gift in action?
Do something now on the cheap with your family or a generous friend and take lots of pictures - stage some photo ops! Write it up and make that web site. People love to contribute to a winner, something that's already proven successful.
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by fluidfilm08.28.08 | 11:29 PMClarify how it works. You can't be all things to all people. Pick a target forum (after school programs, donations to schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, tutoring) and who you think would be a good group to get things rolling (professional urbanites? musicians? people who write Linux code?) Then work both ends. Find out what people want to give and where the needs are. Also, how involved does the donor want to be? Do you need to send them a photo and little report with thank you notes from the kids? Should they have an opportunity to see their gift in action?
Do something now on the cheap with your family or a generous friend and take lots of pictures - stage some photo ops! Write it up and make that web site. People love to contribute to a winner, something that's already proven successful.
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08.26.08 | 09:59 AMGet involved with Linkedin, create a Myspace page for the site, and also create a blog about the experience. Best of luck!
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by JeremyAmes
08.11.08 | 04:04 PMFirst of all, I think this is a fantastic idea. In my experience I’ve seen little effort given to inspiring disadvantaged youth by exposing them to different occupations and interests. Now on to the marketing question…
Stories sell. Right now you have a great idea, but lack the emotional story to really hook people that are considering donating their time and/or money. It would go a long way if you were able to kick start your idea by helping coordinate a couple of donor gifts on a shoestring budget. This could help provide the stories, pictures, etc. that could really create a compelling, emotional display of the good The Generation Project can do in the community.
Once you have a couple of success stories to share, there are several ways you could market. I think you have a great opportunity to bring in contributions from small business owners. Not only are they potentially great contributors, they also tend to be well networked. You won’t need to spend a lot of money marketing if you can build a good donator referral network. Here are some thoughts …moreabout where you could reach them:
• Contact your local rotary club or chamber of commerce. If you’re convincing, they may allow you to speak for a few minutes in front of their membership.
• Contact an organization like your local chapter of EO (www.eonetwork.org). Find out who is on the Board and see if you can sell one or more of the board members on making a personal contribution of time. If you can hook the key influencers, it may open an opportunity for you to speak to the entire group.
I also see an opportunity in finding charitable organizations that appeal to the same demographic. One organization that comes to mind is Summer Search (www.summersearch.org). They work with students in low income areas and have an extensive donor network. They may be able to help you with marketing ideas and/or collaboration to get your project off the ground. They also do an excellent job of selling their story as part of their marketing efforts.
Ultimately, your most effective initial marketing technique is utilizing your passion. Get out there and network. Meet with anyone and everyone you can. Every forest fire starts with a spark. You never know when you are going to meet and inspire a key influencer that, by making introductions or speaking about your organization, opens doors that were previously hidden or closed.
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by sevenworld08.01.08 | 04:53 PMQ2: 1st Keep on doing what you are doing; you are getting the word out here. It is like a ripple effect. 2nd Share your idea with people of influence they will want to help you succeed. 3rd Write your dream down on paper and look at it every day and it will become a reality, I promise you. 4th All the expensive stuff you put into marketing can come later.5th Don’t stop give yourself six months to a year for your program to really take off, that is how long it has taken me.
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Q3: If you were given the opportunity to design a gift for a high-need student based on your personal passions and priorities, what would that gift be?
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by pkgannon08.25.08 | 09:03 PMA computer with software and accessories to create music and videos. This would show kids the usefulness and power of computers as a tool and just how easy it is for anyone to make something creative. It might inspire future computer scientists, graphic artists, musicians, music producers, video/audio production, web developers etc.....
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What advice do you have to help me grow my idea?
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by KooDooZ
08.31.08 | 07:25 PMI’m loving your idea! Micro-philanthropy is just about the most compelling form of giving that I have ever seen. How great is it that the Generation Project can leverage direct interaction between “helpers” and “doers” by opening the door wide to accommodate a broader range of activities such as volunteering, mentoring, items as well as monetary donations? Good for you!
The last guest advisor nailed it when he said that you need to get people emotionally engaged right away to make this work.
Since philanthropists enjoy knowing that they are answering a particular need, it would be very compelling for you to model a web site where humanitarians could post what they have to offer (music instruments, expertise, etc), and allow the classrooms or schools to “apply” for that help. Engage the kids in the process of applying! It would be a valuable life tool!
Also, if your web portal was designed to engage the viewing audience to “vote” for which classroom they believed were most deserving of the charity, then I believe you will pull …morea higher caliber of supporters. In addition to which, it will further differentiate your site from that of DonorsChoose.org which you may know to be a significant player in the same space.
It’s worth taking a long hard look at their site. 5 years after their start-up launched, DonorsChoose distributed $12M worth of books, art supplies, technology, and field trips) to school- teachers in 8 states & 3 metropolitan areas. Their model is to have a teacher post items they need and how they are going to use it in the classroom. Once gifted, the students write thank you notes so that the donor can measure the lives the affected. (Kiva.org has a similar model). From the last report, there were 23,000 public school teachers with 25,000 projects.
There’s strength in requesting that your recipients circle back with the success stories around the gifts they received. Not only does it encourage repeat applications, it will also encourage repeat donations.
The key to a successful approach to Micro Philanthropy is the ability to deal with a large number of small interactions efficiently. Consider embracing RSSA for a site advantage as well.
Good Luck!
~Lee Fox
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by JeremyAmes
08.11.08 | 11:03 AMFirst of all, I think this is a fantastic idea. In my experience I’ve seen little effort given to inspiring disadvantaged youth by exposing them to different occupations and interests. Now on to the marketing question…
Stories sell. Right now you have a great idea, but lack the emotional story to really hook people that are considering donating their time and/or money. It would go a long way if you were able to kick start your idea by helping coordinate a couple of donor gifts on a shoestring budget. This could help provide the stories, pictures, etc. that could really create a compelling, emotional display of the good The Generation Project can do in the community.
Once you have a couple of success stories to share, there are several ways you could market. I think you have a great opportunity to bring in contributions from small business owners. Not only are they potentially great contributors, they also tend to be well networked. You won’t need to spend a lot of money marketing if you can build a good donator referral network. Here are some thoughts …moreabout where you could reach them:
• Contact your local rotary club or chamber of commerce. If you’re convincing, they may allow you to speak for a few minutes in front of their membership.
• Contact an organization like your local chapter of EO (www.eonetwork.org). Find out who is on the Board and see if you can sell one or more of the board members on making a personal contribution of time. If you can hook the key influencers, it may open an opportunity for you to speak to the entire group.
I also see an opportunity in finding charitable organizations that appeal to the same demographic. One organization that comes to mind is Summer Search (www.summersearch.org). They work with students in low income areas and have an extensive donor network. They may be able to help you with marketing ideas and/or collaboration to get your project off the ground. They also do an excellent job of selling their story as part of their marketing efforts.
Ultimately, your most effective initial marketing technique is communicating your passion one-on-one. Get out there and network. Meet with anyone and everyone you can. Every forest fire starts with a spark. You never know when you are going to meet and inspire a key influencer that, by making introductions or speaking about your organization, opens doors that were previously hidden or closed.
Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
08.05.08 | 08:44 PMThanks so much for the comments, scientist_entrepreneur! You are so right that it takes rich, formative experiences like those you enjoyed with your neighbor to help kids find the passions that will guide their future academic success.
Thanks for the well-wishes. Let's stay connected as we launch...
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08.04.08 | 05:53 PMI honestly just got chills reading your post. That type of experience is EXACTLY what we are aiming for with The Generation Project. Your students, and millions like them all across the country, have the potential to do amazing things but because they were born in rural Louisiana, the Bronx, or Watts, didn't experience the educational opportunities they deserve. By engaging donors in creating rich educational experiences like the trip you made with your students, we can bridge the gap, empowering kids to empower themselves. I am so impressed by what you did for your kids. Your students were very lucky...and, like most of us who teach, I'm sure you felt even luckier to be their teacher.
Thanks so much for the question. Let's definitely stay in touch as The Generation Project gets off the ground.
**If anyone else has related questions, please let us know!
Idea Description
Children in low-income communities don't enjoy the range of educational opportunities they deserve. Meanwhile, today's philanthropists want to exercise their creativity, not just their checkbooks. In response, The Generation Project allows donors to create personalized gifts for high-need students. Donors' gifts are shaped by their own passions: A musician might give a school drum sets, a writer might sponsor a poetry contest, a cancer survivor might sponsor hospital internships for students interested in medicine. Donors dramatically and immediately expand opportunities available to high-need students. Long term, donors build meaningful and lasting relationships in low-income communities.
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
As a start-up non-profit, The Generation Project will use the much-needed $10,000 to design a professional and interactive website, enabling donors to engage in the process of creating personalized gifts for high-need students. Remaining funds will be used to create brochures and other literature. This will allow The Generation Project to begin advertising this charitable opportunity to individuals who are both interested in educational philanthropy and passionate about making a difference in the lives of children in low-income communities.
For more information, please visit our website at www.thegenerationproject.org.
You like it. You’re confused by it. You want to know more. Ask questions and post comments here.
Post a commentI like your idea; I want to improve your odds of getting funding I will vote for your idea if you will vote for mine. My idea is for a web site that raises money for inventors and entrepreneurs called New Idea website Check out my idea blob submission and visit New Idea Website and see what I can do for you. http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/4060-NEW-IDEA-WEBSITE The need for jobs is one of the biggest problems that a democratic government faces because creating jobs is an unwanted byproduct of business and industry. The reason I say its unwanted is the more jobs a business creates the more its expenses are and the smaller it’s bottom-line. If business and industry have their way they would run their companies with no jobs at all no management or labor. To deal with this dilemma I pr…moreopose a federal venture capital carrot fund that literally pays entrepreneurs to create jobs. The investment bank would be expected invest in seed level startup projects like yours and to lose money at a specified dollar per jobs ratio for example during hard times that figure may be as high as $20,000 per job and good times the figure may be as low as five dollars per job, by controlling this ratio the fed could roughly control unemployment. The bank will be expected to fund novel products and services and stay away from things like restaurants that will simply draw jobs from other restaurants or moving factories from one part of the country to another. If you like this idea vote for it and send the congressional letter from the website. Sincerely Frank Scruggs
i saw this on Marie's blog.. your project is great.. i'm glad someone like you exists to help children.. keep it up!
this will be an incredible organization that will allow for our children to have a better education!
Jessica, I am so proud of you. You are making a differnce in children's lives. I can see your project is a big hit. Love, Dad
thanks for all your hard work... keep it up, the kids need you!
You have my vote....wish you the best here and in getting this up and running no matter the hurdles. Thank Marie as she pointed me your way :)
This sounds very similar to Donor's Choose. (Which is an amazing organization in the running for American Express Members Project funds --- vote for it there!)
Thanks so much for your enthusiastic support and words of encouragement, everyone!!!
I can't tell you how happy I am to see your project; it's like Kiva for education. Wishing you all the best! natalie - The Earth Garden Project
The Generation Project is an intelligent idea and makes perfect sense. Good to use reason. Marié sent me btw :)
The Generation Project is a fantastic idea. It puts the equivalent of forming a foundation in the hands of anyone. Give a little, give a lot, direct where your money impacts society. Keep some or a lot of control over how your contributions are used. I may want to help an existing charity, or augment its contributions, but not be totally in alignment with its charitable purpose. This gives me a meaningful alternative. Horace J. Digby
This is a fantastic idea. The more time I've spent thinking about it and thinking about the challenges I saw facing our students when I was teaching, the more I believe this is truly a great idea.
i like it !!!
Love this idea! It is not just some unrealistic ideas like most out there and this one just looks and sounds so real.. so promising and encouraging at the same time. Fantastic! Hope to see it turns into a real project. This idea totally deserves to win.
Get in touch with major city websites to have them provide a link to yours website off their main page. You in turn can list those local low-income community schools for that city so that hometown people can donate their personalized gifts back to their own community.
I absolutely adore this idea. It is so realistic for the donor and makes people want to get involved. You definitely have my support.
love it love it love it! i want to be involved too!
amazing idea..you deserve to win!! lots of love to the generation project
WOW! Thank you so much, each and every one of you, for all of your supportive comments!!! Please reach out if you have any suggestions!
Love this, I am always looking for programs that make a direct impact on educational opportunities for kids!
I think this idea is great! It is the kind of project people want to participate in. The freedom and creativity with the gifts are great! You have my full support!
One of a kind idea...I like it!
It's ideas like these and energy like yours that make all the difference--way to go guys!
Haha! Excellent work, Generation Project. Sounds like a terrific, professional, really forward-thinking plan. I'd love to see great things come of this. Good luck!!
Very well put together...and clearly written....
awesome idea. anything that can really expand opportunities 4 kids has my vote.
What a fantastic idea! If it "takes a village" to raise a child, The Generation Project will surely get the village involved!