Wired Causes

You are browsing the archives of 2009 November.

I just gave them money.  Good job, Imagination Stage.  I often get asked by arts organizations how to make a case during tough times.  I think this appeal is a great example.

What’s to love?

1. The gratitude
2. The clear demonstration this is an organization that has tightened its belt and will stretch my dollar
3. The tangible sense of where the money goes
4. A reminder of why we love the arts and what it does for kids
5. More gratitude

Dear Friend of Children and the Arts,

Thanks to your commitment, we were able to ride out last season’s financial storm. The combination of your generosity, and our internal prudence and resourcefulness, enabled us to end our fiscal year on August 31st in the black and $400,000 below our original budget. Thank you!

Despite our best efforts to maintain ongoing programs and operations, we still have tremendous needs. Over the past two years our funding from the Maryland State Department of Education has been cut substantially from $300,000 to $161,000—a 46% reduction.

This cut in funding has a direct impact on the 15,000 Maryland students and teachers who receive free or subsidized tickets to attend Imagination Stage field-trip performances each year. This concerns us, as studies have shown that exposure to and participation in the arts results in heightened academic achievement and greater life successes for children of all backgrounds.

Please consider making a generous year-end gift to Imagination Stage to ensure these opportunities continue to be available for our most under-resourced schools.

Consider giving $30 for our 30 years of service, but a gift of $100, $250 or even $500 will have a significant impact. We are grateful for any amount. Please donate now by clicking here.

With a gift of $100 or more, you will become a Friend of Imagination Stage and enjoy exclusive benefits, including invitations to Opening Nights, opportunities to meet the actors, private backstage tours, $20 off an Imagination Stage class, and much more!

There is nothing like the excitement, inspiration and joy on the faces of children who experience theatre and the arts at Imagination Stage. Making those special moments possible is our passion and mission. Please help us continue opening hearts, inspiring minds, and igniting imaginations by making a generous gift today.

Thank you for your support of children and the arts and for being an important part of Imagination Stage.

Gratefully,

Mark Richardson                     Bonnie Fogel

President, Board of Trustees         Founder and Executive Director

P.S. Your gift – large or small - is deeply appreciated and will help more children experience the magic of theatre and the arts at Imagination Stage. Thank you.

Google Web History is a service that stores your Google searches and the results you clicked on. This can be helpful if you can’t find a site anymore which you found useful earlier.

What Google Web History is not supposed to do is to continue to log searches from a computer that you haven’t been using in months! But that is exactly what has been happing to me! Read more: http://sm4good.com/2009/11/30/unforgettable-privacy-hole-google-web-hist…

The positive power of mistakes, plus more: Monday’s roundup

Does so-called microvolunteering hurt charitable efforts?

The first major round of the NetSquared site redesign is now live, but as you click around the site you might be thinking, “Where’s the beef?”

Much of this upgrade was focused behind-the-scenes and not as much on the side of the site you see; though that will flip-flop in the next round in a couple weeks.  Below is a run through of what we’ve implemented so far that you can see, an overview of the dramatic back-end improvements we’ve made, and a preview of what is still to come in the first half of December.

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Spencer Brodsky Spencer Brodsky is 17 and he is spending his time online to raise money to bring Green Stoves to Rwanda, something he’s been doing for the past 2 years. Spencer wants to help Stoves for Rwanda leverage matching…

I recently wrote about the British documentary “Us Now” and what I thought about its content. In my latest blog entry I’m talking about what can be learned from the web site and why it provides an excellent lesson in how to make advocacy films that extend beyond the screening room: http://sm4good.com/2009/11/24/open-source-documentary-advocate

Are you concerned about creating computer access for everyone? If so, you may want to consider using assistive technology. Not sure what this is or how it’s applicable to a public computer setting? This is the webinar for you! Kami Griffiths from TechSoup will interview Jane Vincent from Center for Accessible Technology. We will discuss hardware and software solutions, their costs and what it takes to get started.

This webinar is ideal for anyone who manages or volunteers in a public computer center, either in a library, housing development or social service agency. But also applicable to IT managers looking to better address staff needs.

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