Saw this - awesome video, awesome idea, awesome cause. Now take it to the next level show everbody not just WHAT you stand for but WHO you stand for. Wear Yellow & Wear somebody!
February 14, 2011
October 28, 2010
Elizabeth Fallon and Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Sometimes the simplest thing can turn into an amazing phenomenon.
Here's the story of Elizabeth Fallon, a button and why this could change everything!
A friend of mine happened upon Elizabeth on Facebook and asked if I would make some buttons using her profile picture. In our wildest imagination we could not believe what would happen next...
After receiving the buttons (badges) as they're known in the UK - LIz asked friends and family for donations in return for a button. That’s when the magic happened...people started posting pictures wearing the buttons on Liz's Facebook wall (see some pictures at bottom of the post) - over 300 pictures from five continents buttons on celebrities, on babies, on dogs, on statues, on a coconut and even on the top of Kilimanjaro! The Road to Recovery buttons had become a global phenomenon on Facebook!
In liz's words "but it doesn't stop there" remember Liz used the buttons as a proxy for donations to her local cancer charity Harbour cancer Support Centre so far she's raised over $3500 far more then she ever imagined.
So what could this mean for Susan G. Komen for the Cure? First there are lots of Elizabeth Fallons out there eagerly looking for better ways to engage and motivate people to participate and/or donate! It’s not enough anymore to post a donation plea on Facebook or Tweet, Tweet, Tweet - you have to grab people with something different - it’s even better if you can offer them something tangible.
Fundraising is about motivation, inspiration yes but also excitement and fun. Elizabeth’s cause awareness and fundraising success are due to giving people something fun to do, a task if you will - more than just mailing a check. When they order a button people think about where to take the picture and then start spreading it to their followers on Facebook* - at each step in the process they are fully engaged with Elizabeth and her cause. *And because of Facebook they are effortlessly spreading to hundreds and hundreds of friends!
You can see why I think this could be so HUGE for Susan G. Komen for the Cure - imagine over a million of your fundraisers doing what Elizabeth has done! Thousands of their friends, family and co workers spreading the word on Facebook ...well the numbers would be staggering! If 1000 fundraisers made buttons they could reach 130,000 friends...of course those people, have (130) friends too so...well do the math (16.9 million) - OK that may be a little hyperbolic but you get the point!
**average person on Facebook has 130 friends
I’ve always felt making custom photo buttons one a time with no minimums (you really can order one custom button) was a simple yet powerful way to engage, motivate and inspire people to do remarkable things. My friend Elizabeth Fallon is but one of I think millions of people ready to do the same!
So here's some more really cool stuff about ELizabeth's Road to Recovery...
We set up a button gallery just for Elizabeth where people can order their buttons (a gallery like this could be set up for any Susan G. Komen fundraiser) http://budurl.com/LizFallonButtons
In Elizabeth's own words...she captures beautifully what Buttons of Hope is all about
WBTV's Molly Grantham has been one of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Charlotte's biggest fans and advocates. It shows in her wonderful interview of Elizabeth Fallon on day one of her Charlotte visit!
Just some of the over 300 Raod to Recovery button pictures from Liz's Facebook wall...
October 27, 2010
September 29, 2010
Across the Pond : A (very real) Fairy Tale
According to Wikipedia a fairy tale is... "Fairy tales typically feature** such folkloric characters as fairies (princesses), goblins, elves, trolls, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. Often the story will involve a far-fetched sequence of events." **and a happy ending!
Have I got a tale for you..... we have a goblin (cancer), a few delightful gnomes (Scott Helms, his mom Wendy Rawlings, Lisa Moon, Jennifer Sherrel and hundreds of elves) lots of magic (Purple wigs, lots of pink, photo buttons, Facebook, USAir & Susan Komen Race for the Cure | Charlotte
and of course a princess Elizabeth Fallon!
THIS JUST IN: watch & listen to Elizabeth talk about her "fairy tale" on WBTV
Our fairy tale is all about friendship, inspiration and hope, most of all HOPE! Before today only one of the people mentioned has even met Elizabeth - but we have all come to know her through the magic of Facebook - where hundreds of friends have posted pictures wearing Liz' iconic purple wig button (badge) check her out on FB an amazing & growing network of friends and family who support Liz in her continuing battle with the cancer goblin!
As I type this Liz is somewhere over the Atlantic - she is about to learn she is the honored passenger on USAir flight 733 - each passenger and crew all 300 are by now wearing Road to Recovery USA edition buttons of hope - in honor of Liz and every other person battling this goblin. Then Liz will be honored Saturday 10/2 along with thousands of cancer survivors at Charlotte's Susan Komen Race for the Cure
If you are one of the passengers on flight 733 - please drop us a note or maybe share your own story of hope. And please if you have a button of Liz please take a picture wearing it and post on the Buttons of Hope Facebook page. You can read more about Liz in my earlier post Elizabeth Fallon | A button (badge) that changed the world
and watch the short video she made about the BIG impact of these little buttons
August 09, 2010
Who owns blue?
Quick when you see the color blue what cause, non profit do you think of?
How bout pink? yellow?
How bout green, red, brown, white (yes white)?
Looking for a low-cost remarkably effective way to establish your "cause brand" ....what are you waiting for - pick a color, any color.
July 28, 2010
Elizabeth Fallon | A button (badge) that changed the world
Elizabeth Fallon was a stranger; a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook. Then came "the button, the badge" and Elizabeth became a customer and then my good friend!
Scott Helms asked me to make some buttons for Elizabeth who is battling breast and now liver cancer in the UK - Scott wanted to surprise Liz after coming to know her story through his Mom and a crazy purple wig. Suffice to say all this changed everything for Buttons of Hope and as you can tell for Elizabeth too!
Liz asked friends and family for donations in return for a button. She didn't expect people to take pictures wearing the buttons and then post them to her Facebook wall (see some pictures below) - over 300 pictures from five continents including celebrities, babies, dogs, a lonely coconut and the top of Kilimanjaro! The thing is with each button, each picture Liz' spirits are buoyed and of course the word gets out about her cause! If that weren't enough Liz has raised over $3500 for the Harbour cancer Support Centre
I didn't know it at time (November 2006) but Elizabeth Fallon was the reason I started Buttons of Hope - if I had known her then she would have been the inspiration now she is my muse. I always believed people would do amazing things with these buttons - here's proof!
Elizabeth took these little buttons and she changed things.
I could go on...and...on but I think I'll let Elizabeth tell you why "these little buttons really can change the world"...thanks Liz!
Buttons of Hope - It's amazing how powerful small things can be! from Mike Gibbons on Vimeo.
June 12, 2010
There's a story....
I made twenty buttons of this beautiful little girl yesterday...no name on the button just that little "light up the room" smile. There's a story there......
May 13, 2010
Pepsi Refresh Everything | Too Good to Be True
It's no secret (what a surprise) that I have some serious misgivings about the Pepsi Refresh Everything competition. When I first learned about it (though) I thought wow this may be just the break Buttons of Hope has been looking for...we seemed like a natural fit...
"...looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Look around your community and think about how you want to change it."
Putting a face on fundraising is a unique idea and given my infamous "social media" bearing (Facebook , Twitter and this blog) I was confident I could marshal and motivate the forces necessary to compete - YOU - my friends, family, customers and acquaintances did your part voting and spreading the word (thank you) - honestly I am shocked that with our amazing effort we never moved an inch! Maybe I could not have hoped for the top ten but #170 - come on somethin's up??
I"m proud and appreciate all your efforts - we did it the right way - but I fear it will not be near enough. With our best efforts the project languishes in the #170s (dropping to #180 today - the top 2 win). Therefore I have decided to "pull the plug" to end the voting campaign - the project will remain on the site but I would prefer that you not spend any more of your time or energy voting or promoting the project. I don't like to give up and if I thought we had even the slightest chance to make a difference I'd hold on - but candidly I am not thrilled with how the whole project is being handled and specifically with what I think are voting anomalies - it's just my gut instinct that something is fishy - and given that YOU and I have better things to do.
Let me say again how much I appreciate everything you have done to support me, Buttons of Hope and our efforts here - Buttons of Hope will go on - I love this idea and will never stop believing that these buttons can change the world - because they already have (see)!
May 07, 2010
"people actually cared about my story" | #7 of 31 reasons to vote for Buttons of Hope
I stumbled upon one of my favorite customer letters -- Nicole was a wreck trying to figure out how to not only do her first HeartWalk fundraisier but how to motivate her coworkers at Bank Of America to walk and raise money along side her...another example of what Buttons of Hope is all about
in Nicole's words...
Dear Michael,
When Crissie from the American Heart Association first mentioned your website, Buttons of Hope I thought it was a great idea to make buttons to wear on the day of the walk. I knew just which picture I wanted to use. I did have a little trouble using the website, but was so glad when you called and offered your help! I felt like I was getting special treatment, which just solidified my decision to get them done. And you took the time out to find out exactly why I was walking and why I wanted to get the buttons made, which made me excited that people actually cared about my story. It was a nightmare that my family went through in losing my brother, but I finally felt like something good was coming from it: being able to educate others on the dangers of heart disease and spread the word on prevention.
The buttons were something that my team would wear, to support me, my family and the spirit of my brother to help raise awareness. My mom even cried when she found out that I was getting buttons made.The day of the walk, I felt like I was a small part of something really big. I could just imagine my brother smiling down on me and being proud of me. Both my mom and I wore two buttons each – one on the front, and one on the back, holding our sign in place (see the pictures for a better idea). Now, my mom wears her button almost everywhere with her, and I wear mine pretty frequently too. I have one sitting on my desk at work also. We recently went to a mass where my brother was to be recognized for All Souls Day, and we both wore ours there too.
Nicole
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If you'd like to help us refresh fundraising then please vote* for us in the Pepsi Refresh $250K grant competition May 1 though May 31 - click on the pink button or this link http://www.refresheverything.com/buttonsofhope
*feeling inspired? yes you can vote 31 times - once each day for Buttons of Hope! THANK YOU....
May 06, 2010
An Inspiration to Herself! | reason #6 of 31 to vote for Buttons of Hope
Diana Wiles is what Buttons of Hope is all about...she took on a big fundraising challenge - the 2009 Avon Walk! She became an inspiration to herself!
I met Diana a few weeks ago preparing for the Avon Walk, Washington DC - actually I did not meet her in person but I'm not sure that matters because we have become fast friends. Diana stumb
led upon my Buttons of Hope website and sent me an email with a pretty common request...read the rest of the story here
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If you'd like to help us refresh fundraising then please vote* for us in the Pepsi Refresh $250K grant competition May 1 though May 31 - click on the pink button or this link http://www.refresheverything.com/buttonsofhope
*feeling inspired? yes you can vote 31 times - once each day for Buttons of Hope! THANK YOU....
