Often the best way to promote the great work you’re doing is by telling the stories of the lives you’re touching, and we want to help. How are your Amplify Austin dollars changing lives? We want to know….but more importantly your donors want to know.
Last week, I was thrilled to receive a postcard in the mail from Umlauf Sculpture Garden telling me that their Amplify Austin dollars will provide free admission to all visitors from May 1 to August 31, 2013. Great! I’m now thinking about the field trip a day camp for at risk youth might make to Umlauf, because admission is free. And I hope to learn about Keisha, an 8-year-old girl in the day camp, who was intrigued enough to ask questions about how and why some of those sculptures got there, which then led her to ask questions about the possibilities of getting into an after school art program for HER. You see where I’m going with this…..
In our monthly eNewsletter that goes out to the general public (over 6,000 Central Texans), we want to highlight our Partner nonprofits that participated in Amplify Austin by sharing the life changing stories and put a face on how you’re impacting your clients with your Amplify Austin dollars. Each month we will pick one story and then once it’s published in our eNewsletter, we will share it with our friends in the media, with hopes that they will then be inspired to share the impact Amplify Austin continues to have on our community as a whole.
Amplify Austin doesn’t just have to be a 24-hour giving day, but with your help, we can show the impact to make it last 365 days a year. Send me an email or give me a call with your exciting stories and impact.
Thank you for all of the great work you do,
Karen
Karen@ILiveHereIGiveHere.Org
(512) 432-1946
see the full entry
Many of you have already started to strategize for Amplify Austin, 2014. Trust us, we're as excited for 2014 as you are! But, wouldn't it be nice to develop a relationship with those new donors you received during Amplify Austin, 2013?
You can! The BIG Give is fast approaching. Our annual party with a purpose allows you to reach out and touch your donors. Based on what your donors tells us, your nonprofit could win a $5,000 Little Prize or $10,000 BIG prize!
If you are a Partner organization of I Live Here, I Give Here and would like to be considered for theRetailMeNot $5,000 or the Mercedes-Benz of Austin $10,000 prize, join us as we discuss strategies to motivate your donors to vote for you based on your excellence in donor relations. The training will take place May 8th from 9:30-10:30am in the first floor community room at 98 San Jacinto Blvd, 78701. To RSVP to attend, send an email to Blaire Kniffin at Blaire@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org!
Why should you join us? Because reaching out to your donor base to secure these BIG and Little prizes provides you with three things:
- An opportunity to connect to your donors without making an ask
- Useful feedback for you regarding your donor perception of your relationship
- An opportunity to win $5,000 or $10,000 thanks to prize sponsors, RetailMeNot andMercedes-Benz of Austin.
Another benefit to The BIG Give is the opportunity to highlight one of your star donors! The BIG Giver is awarded to a donor who exemplifies the best in philanthropy among 28-40 year olds in Austin. Rusty Morrison, nominated by the Boys & Girls Club of Austin, was last year’s BIG Giver for the time, giving, and fundraising efforts he dedicated to the organization. Rusty’s video is here. The deadline to nominate The BIG Giver is May 10th. Nominations forms can be found here.
Take advantage of The BIG Give to showcase the work you do and steward your donors.
Once you’ve nominated your BIG Giver and put your strategy together for the BIG and Little prize, then you can begin thinking about Amplify Austin, which will be March 3-4, 2014. That said, we’re still in the evaluation process of Amplify Austin, 2013. Details about nonprofit participation in Amplify Austin, 2014 should be available by the June eNewsletter.
More to come and thank you for all the work you do.
Warmly,
Karen
see the full entry
Does your nonprofit focus on EDUCATION and TRAINING in Austin and the surrounding area?
Please join us Tuesday, April 16 from 3-4:30pm and be prepared to talk about your work and how Central Texans can help you change lives. To RSVP please send Blaire Kniffin an email at Blaire@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.
Each nonprofit in attendance will be highlighted in our July 2013 issue paper. Attendees will also receive the chance to be one of the three nonprofits that receive a promotional video and be considered for Austin Involved's Charity of Choice that month.
see the full entry
Don’t look now, but it’s Easter Weekend.
“What? It’s still in the 50s outside”
We know. We can’t believe it either. Groundhog Phil is a little furry felon for lying about spring coming early, don’t ya think?
But, somehow, Easter is here. So, how are we celebrating this chocolate bunny filled holiday?
With our fantastic friends at RetailMeNot, Inc who’ve graciously signed on as our $5,000 Little Prize sponsor for this year’s BIG Give!
Taking place on Friday, September 27 at The Hyatt Regency Austin, our annual party with a purpose allows us to honor the best in philanthropy here in Austin.
The RetailMeNot $5,000 Little Prize will be awarded to the nonprofit whose donors say they do the best job at thanking them… a critical part of the giving process.
Last year we saw the Little Prize go to Little Helping Hands, while People’s Community Clinic claimed the $10,000 BIG Prize.
Who’s eligible to win? Nonprofit partners of I Live Here, I Give Here with budgets of $500,000 or more are eligible for the BIG Prize, while small nonprofits (under $500,000) compete for the Little Prize.
Beyond being a business that saves consumers money, RetailMeNot, Inc. firmly believes in being active in communities. In doing their part, the company donates more than $200,000 a year to a number of charitable organizations. With a core focus to help more consumers become financially literate, RetailMeNot, Inc.’s offices around the world fund local charities and not-for-profit organizations that help improve education, increase access to social services and support the arts.
Yeah, they're some good folks, and we couldn't be happier! Now, if only the Easter Bunny could bring us some warmth and sunshine!
see the full entry
Want this picture? Head to our FB to make this YOUR FB Cover photo!
Can you feel that? It’s the tension, worry, and excitement of Amplify Austin.
Four days from now, we expect this city to be on its feet. Why should you want to donate money to help us reach the $1 million goal?
Simple.
Your money will go directly to any of the 300 participating nonprofits you choose. Want to help animals? Donate directly to Austin Pets Alive. Love healthy living? Donate directly to Marathon Kids. Want to help others battle breast cancer? Donate directly to Komen.
What’s better is, if the nonprofit you choose raises the most money or most donors in a one hour window, they win a $1,000 prize thanks to our Bass Booster sponsors.
All three of today’s Bass Boosters being recognized will be awarding $1,000 to the nonprofit who raises the most donors in a given hour. Amplifying 12am-1am’s nonprofit will be Scott & Jennifer Donaldson, while Jeanne & Lew Little and The Garden Room will be amplifying the 5am-6am and 5pm-6pm hours, respectively.
It’s a blessing to have Scott & Jennifer Donaldson participating in Amplify Austin. The couple is active in the cancer community, with Scott being the founding chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s Youth Leadership Cancer Council and also serving on the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Central Texas. While currently a stay-at-home mom, Jennifer previously worked with Texas Medical Assocaition where she served as Specialty Society Manager.
When it comes to Austinites Jeanne & Lew Little, they are quick to remember their roots and the art of giving back. Lew founded Harden Healthcare, an Austin-headquartered healthcare services provider that today serves more than 35,000 patients a day in 13 states. Aside from that, he serves on the board of the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation. Along with his wife, Jeanne, the two continue to give back to the community through various donations, most recently with Breakthrough Austin and The Trail Foundation.
The Garden Room, amplifying the nonprofit that raises the most donors from 5pm-6pm on March 5, is a chic boutique with over 25 years of fashionable roots. The boutique carefully edits a fine selection of classical clothing while adding a bit of the unexpected with new designers and trends each season. Aside from sponsoring Amplify Austin, The Garden Room has previously sponsored events such as The Rise School of Austin’s annual Heart & Soul fundraising event.
With four days left until the big show, be sure to check our blog, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest info on Amplify Austin!
see the full entry
For the past two years, we have been working tirelessly on Amplify Austin, what we expect to be an unforgettable day for our beautiful city.
The fact is, Austin needs this. With Austin listed as the fastest growing city in the U.S., our community needs to be growing with it. We need to eliminate poverty and hunger while preserving our culture, including everything from art and music to parks and nature.
Our sponsors appreciate what we are doing. And, boy, do we appreciate them too!
Maxwell Locke & Ritter, one of our 48 Bass Boosters, will be giving $1,000 to the nonprofit who raises the most dollars from 2pm to 3pm on March 5. The largest locally owned and managed accounting firm in Greater Austin, Maxwell Locke & Ritter helps dynamic companies and people achieve their dreams. Individually and collectively, their staff continues to make a huge difference in the community and is proudly involved in over 160 different organizations, which can be seen here.
Breed & Co. has been an Austin institution for the past 40 years. Originally a small hardware store adjacent to the University of Texas, Breed & Co. now has two locations that provide not only hardware products, but some of the finest tabletop, housewares, garden and season décor, and gourmet food in the area. Aside from giving back to the community by joining in on Amplify Austin as a Bass Booster (most dollars donated from 9am-10am March 5), Breed & Co. has been involved with several other philanthropies, most recently Austin Food Blogger’s ‘Cupcakes & Cocktails’ event that benefited Bake A Wish.
For the past fifteen years, Johnston Made To Measure has been providing Austin’s best-dressed men with the finest apparel from around the world. Along with their apparel selection, Johnston Made To Measure provides first-class service. Their professional efforts have carried into their community involvement, most recently as a donor in the Austin Bar Foundation Gala as well as with Imaginarium In-Kind with Austin Children's Museum. Johnston Made To Measure will be amplifying the nonprofit who raises the most dollars during 6pm-7pm March 5.
Another Austin-owned business looking to continue giving back to the community by joining Amplify Austin is Fiat of Austin, who signed on for two $1,000 Bass Booster sponsors (nonprofit who raises most dollars AND nonprofit who raises most donors from 7am-8am March 5). Fiat of Austin holds ten core values that we see not only in their business but their community-involvement. From pursuing growth and learning to embracing and driving change, we are so thankful to have a company such as Fiat of Austin join Amplify Austin Day. It is just the latest community endeavor for the company, whose previous involvement includes sponsoring HAAM’s 2nd Annual Holiday HAAm Jam benefit album, The Fader Fort, and Stilleto Stampede.
With five days left until the big show, be sure to check our blog, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest info on Amplify Austin!
see the full entry
