CAN A BUTTON REALLY CHANGE THE WORLD?

Missing People | Social Media Mashup with a Twist!

Missing Children and Twitter Beth Kanter's post got me thinking [her posts always do]. I have been meaning to share my thoughts about photo buttons as "personal billboards" in the search for missing children and adults -- Beth & Nate got me to thinking of this as a social media mashup.

Social media Facebook, MySpace, Twitter & the like hold great promise in the search for missing people. After all an outlet like Facebook is perfectly designed to spread news amongst an ever-growing network of friends -- the wall is the town crier on steroids.

So here is the social media mashup idea with a twist & [in action]

Kyle Fleischmann went missing here in Charlotte NC last November - immediately friends set up a HelpFindKyle website but I think more importantly they also set up a Facebook Group that thousands joined  eventually growing to over 65,000 members. Social media at its best - people posted sentiments, leads, and information about searches, events and fundrasiers. One of those fundraisers|tools was photo buttons of Kyle available through Buttons of Hope.

The buttons were "search tools" worn as personal billboards that walk and talk to drive awareness and conversation about Kyle. We figured on average wearing the button might generate five conversations a day, conversations about Kyle that would not have happened without the buttons! The photo buttons are the tangible tool in this intriguing mashup between cutting edge social media & simple pin on buttons that have been around forever.

Alas, Kyle is still missing but I know there are hundreds of buttons out there -- anyone of them could be the one to generate a lead to bring Kyle home. Wear the button|Start a conversation.

Photo Buttons Serve Many Causes, Focus on People

I am honored to be chosen as South Park (Charlotte NC) magazine's Snapshot for March 2008! Buttons of Hope is my passion & I hope this helps everyone understand just how powerful custom photo buttons & putting a face on your cause can be! | read full the article here

This would be a good time to give a nod and thanks to some remarkable organizations --  I am honored & excited about working with the following groups in 2008:  Charlotte Catholic High School | Lance Armstrong Foundation | Live Strong Challenge |NC Special Olympics | Memory Walk South Carolina | Polly Klaas Foundation (missing children) | Kristen Foundation (missing adults) | Memory-Of.com | Memory Jar |  Adopt A US Soldier | Free to Breathe | Hope & Hearts | Carolina Breast Friends | Mother's day Central | & 24 Hours of Booty cancer fundraiser.

Buttons of Hope are Simply Powerful

AAA Amazing Angels Avon Walk 2007

It doesn't surprise me any more, no I am not jaded. I just now believe. Believe in the power of people like Karen & Jane and their Earthbound Angels Avon Walk NYC team err... juggernaut! I don't know these angels yet and they have not made buttons but something tells me I will (meet them) and they will (make buttons) because they seem a lot like Pamela & Karen the "Walking Warriors" who in 2007 completed what I call the breast cancer Triple Crown of fundraising! These are my kind of people!

I look forward to learning more about the Earthbound Angels and their plans for the Avon Walk 2008!

From the looks of last year's result their is nothing at all earthbound about their spirit!

(from Karen's Avon Walk Training Log Blog)

Avon Walk NYC 2007

pushmi-pullyu | this one's for you

It's been driving me crazy. This blog recently has been a lot like my life how you say..."all over the map". I need two blogs (at least).

(Dr. Doolittle & pushmi-pullyu I presume)

So. I am going to keep this blog Behind the Button focused on everything to do with my Buttons of Hope "business." You'll find stories from my customers, innovative fundraising ideas using photo buttons , buttons as powerful memorials, buttons as personal billboards to help find missing people and of course lots of thoughts on active charity fundraising for events like JDRF Walk to Cure, Relay for Life, Race for the Cure and more...

For all the rest of my right brain stuff like my recent (ongoing) infatuation with Skitch, my Squidoo network, my new blog/squidoo consulting biz YouBlog and some random rants and raves about stuff like girl scout cookie sales, stuff that interests me -- that will be over on makehope, thoughts from a passionate fundraisier.

Will there be overlap -- sure -- occasionally I might even post the same post on both blogs -- but this is mostly for you the reader -- maybe the easiest way to explain it is makehope is for me & Behind the Button is for you!

So enough about me, what do you think of me? haha

Buttons of Mom | Custom Photo Buttons for Mother's Day 2008

Buttons of Mom is...

Do something different this year for your Mom on Mother's Day! Make & wear a custom photo button with her beautiful picture. If you're blessed to have your Mom here to celebrate with -- she might get a kick out of it seeing all the kids wearing her buttons at church or brunch!

And if your Mom has passed away then this would be a beautiful way to honor her memory by wearing a button with her picture on Mothers Day.

I am sure my Mom will be getting a kick out of this button....

My vision for Buttons of Mom is to take the standard $1 donation from each button and direct it to a Mom Friendly charity. My goal is to make 11,000 Buttons of Mom which would result in $11,000 in donations! I have set up a special informational website @ Squidoo Buttons of Mom There you can learn more about the project. Please suggest a charity and we will add it ti the list!

So I hope you like the idea please visit my website Buttons of Hope to make your button NOW or the Buttons of Mom squidoo site if you would like more info! ....and don't forget if you make a button please share your Mom story and I'll post it here on behind the button!

Happy Mother's Day | May 11, 2008!

I will not spend all my time on Flickr or Skitch or Second Life or Twitter or...

Beth Kanter is one of the best on Social Media and Non Profits. Whether it's Second Life, fundraising by mobile phone, RSS , Twitter or  Click to Give FREE mammograms -- she is your maven (def: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field!) & she's busy too writing about all of these already in February!

So I am having a bit of fun with Beth's post yesterday "Seeking Stories Examples & Tips from Non-Profits About using Flickr" (and yes it is a reflection of my sudden obsession with Skitch) I Skitched Beth's Flickr photo (courtesy X2 of Locator) here...

There is a point to all this -- one more great way for non-profits to get their WORD out is Squidoo FREE -- I can't say enough about the utility and promise of this platform especially for Non-Profits. (btw Skitch FREE makes it soar!) I have made many lenses  on behalf of charities like Susan G Komen, Relay for Life, Ride of Silence and Walk for pkd [what's that?] to name a few -- each provides another avenue of information and awareness (and Google live bait) for these worthy causes. As Squidoo founder Seth Godin says, in his FREE eBook Unique Useful & Updated

"It's not that difficult, but it takes some strategy to build web pages that attract traffic...not just today, but for a long time after they're built."

And I think Beth would agree with Seth that all the social media in the world is at best whipped cream on a meatball unless you do the hard work -- it's OK your website is probably not dead....YET! (see :58 seconds in!)

WalkAmerica is now March for Babies

Since Catharine was 16 weeks early, her eyes were fused shut and she fought for every breath, facing daily challenges caused by a heart defect, bleeding in her brain, jaundice and a heart murmur.

I think that bears repeating...

Since Catharine was 16 weeks early, her eyes were fused shut and she fought for every breath, facing daily challenges caused by a heart defect, bleeding in her brain, jaundice and a heart murmur.

Catharine Aboulhouda the 2008 March of Dimes National Ambassador "is (now) a healthy 5-year-old with the energy of a firecracker — she loves singing, reading with her grandparents and swimming with her brother Michael." Catharine is testament to the remarkable work of the March of Dimes & the health care professionals** supported by the new March for Babies (formerly WalkAmerica).

**Mostly Catharine is testament to herself and the incredible strength and will of our littlest ones -- won't you help them (over 120,000) this year by walking in one of the March for Babies in your town...you can't miss it one! March for Babies, WalkStrong. 

And be sure to watch this video about Catharine Aboulhouda...

Apparently you'll need one of these to Skitch!

Its a (very) good thing.

Just do it.

Skitch & Squidoo & How to make a Custom Photo Button

Yesterday I fell in love with Skitch! (my wife Rhonda is appropriately concerned internet love affairs and all)

With the help of a really cool, seductive, addictive, incendiary internet tool called Skitch I have just released a new Squidoo lens: How to make Custom Photo at Buttons of Hope

Here's what far more geeky (in a good way) than me folks are saying...

Merlin Mann - MacBreak Weekly in his podcast ...bone-rattlingly awesome.... Skitch, by plasq.... Oh my God, it's such a cool application for capturing screen stuff....

Scott McNulty, TUAW I have a new love, and its name is Skitch ... I can say this is the coolest thing I have seen at Macworld that isn't an iPhone

Here is just a taste of the amazing graphics (again thanks to Skitch). Who knew? Making ONE custom photo button for 5 bucks ($1 to charity) is a remarkable thing & I think this will make explaining it as easy as it is remarkable!

I learned to do stuff like this in a half hour....really I did!

An idea for Beth Kanter's Cambodia for Kids Project and partner Citizen Space

And here's my Bike Team MojoRiding at the 2008 MS150 all buttoned up for our friend Susie Phillips!

And you thought toys were only for children. Be Different Today!