Archive for Social Ventures
Zazengo and the Social Resume
February 19, 2009 at 4:50 pm · Filed under Platforms, Social Ventures and tagged: Barack Obama, Platforms, Social Ventures, Zazengo
Last month around the inauguration of President Obama – and the day of the service centered on the celebration of Dr. King’s life - there was a ton of focus on creating a lasting online movement for citizen-powered change. As the economic crisis deepens and the new Administration deals with that challenge on a day-to-day basis, some of that January enthusiasm has been tempered by the reality of February – but during a recent conversation with the CEO of online social venture Zazengo.com brought back a bit of last month’s spark.
“This concept of challenging others, of making people do something, of a very focused call to action – that’s a big part of this call for national community service,” said Vicki Saunders, a serial entrepreneur and chief of the two-year-old online social change platform.
I think Vicki is exactly right, and that there’s an opportunity – even in the downturn – to create that “focused call to action” on the Web. And Zazengo is a very interesting platform: its motto is “What happens after the call to action?” and the emphasis is very much on impact. In Zazengo’s case, impact of members – in volunteering, raising money, taking actions and the like – is measured through a handsome user interface that favors graphs over pure numbers. This recognizes, I think, the idea that activism isn’t always about pure metrics (dollars raised, for example) but about impact over the longer term. Zazengo’s cool graphics offer a kind of friendly and light feedback loop that emphasizes encouragement over spreadsheets.
But Zazengo is also highly cognizant that the world may not need another destination website, with actions focused on a single URL. “People looking at destination sites, but that’s old thinking,” says Saunders. “It’s really all about getting your unique value proposition out to other sites, to where people live. We really want to be about tracking the impact.”
Telling the Story with Short-Form Video
October 18, 2008 at 11:53 pm · Filed under Activists, Microfinance, Social Ventures and tagged: Lend4Health, Social Ventures
I’m incredibly impressed by this accessible video produced by Lend4Health, a new peer-to-peer microlending startup aimed at helping struggling families provide live-changing treatment for children with autism. Why? Flat out: it tells a story. I’m a total sucker for effective case-making for causes – it’s what I work on professionally, and I really care about folks doing it well. Kudos to Lend4Health on this…wish I’d had it for the book. And thanks to Christine Egger at Social Actions for the tip. Here’s the skinny of the model from founder Tori Tuncan:
Lend4Health facilitates community-based, interest-free “micro-loans” as a creative funding option for individuals seeking optimal health. Currently, Lend4Health is facilitating loans for the “biomedical” treatment of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Other health issues may be included on Lend4Health in the future.
And Lend4Health is competing to win $10,000 on IdeaBlob this month – pledge your vote here.
Philanthropy and nonprofit management expert Susan Carey Dempsey is the editor-in-chief of onPhilanthropy.com. 
Veteran consultant, journalist and entrepreneur Tom Watson is the author of CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World, a new book about online social activism. 
Social media and philanthropy evaluation expert Allison Fine is the author of Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age. 
Veteran development consultant Stephen Manzi is a recognized national leader in nonprofit management and fundraising strategy. 
