3for5 Blog

50 Launch Gatherings for World Water Day!

2010-03-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

World Water Day is March 22nd, and we're hoping to have more than fifty 3for5 "Launch Gatherings" during that week to raise awareness about the clean water crisis in the developing world.

What's a Launch Gathering, you ask?

Well, it's a fun and easy way to engage your friends in a dialog about clean water by doing what you already do with your friends: hang out! 3for5 Launch Gatherings can be hosted wherever like and are also meant to be a launching pad for your 3for5 Wave.

There's no hard and fast rule about what a Launch Gathering should look like, or what exactly should happen. You might invite some friends over for dessert, a meal, or even a game-night.

Just pick a location that you and your friends will feel comfortable at, and be sure to take some time to talk to your friends about 3for5 and clean water at some point during your event. Remember, you really can get creative here and talk about 3for5 and clean water as much, or as little, as you'd like.

To help make your gathering a success, we've created a Launch Gathering Packet that you can use as a template for ideas, recipes, and handouts.

Finally, share your ideas and experiences with us and other 3for5 droplets on our GetSatisfaction page here.

Improvements to 3for5.org

2010-03-08T11:38:00.001-08:00

We've added some new and updated pages to 3for5.org. Here are the details...

News Page

Our News page will supplement this blog and act as a repository for external news about 3for5.org and the 3for5 Movement. Read more here: http://www.3for5.org/aboutus/news.html

Images, Handouts, and Media

We've added a "media" page where you can download regular and high-res versions of various 3for5 images and handouts. See more here: http://www.3for5.org/aboutus/media.html

3for5 Launch Gatherings

For those new to the 3for5 Movement, we've detailed one more way you can engage your family and friends in a dialog about the clean water crisis: invite them over for a 3for5 Launch Gathering to kick off your wave. Download our 3for5 Launch Gathering packet, and learn more here: http://www.3for5.org/thecause/gatherings.html

Projects & Progress Page

Last, but certainly not least, we've revamped our Project & Progress page to keep you better informed about the projects we're funding. Have a look here: http://www.3for5.org/thecause/projects.html

3for5 Grants $10,000 to Water for People for Projects in Malawi

2010-02-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

The 3for5 Foundation is proud to announce that it has made its first clean-water grant in the amount of $10,000 to Water for People to fund projects in Chikwawa, Malawi.

In 2010, Water For People-Malawi will work with its local partners to provide comprehensive clean water, sanitation and hygiene promotion programs to twenty villages and 5 schools within the Traditional Authorities (TAs) of Makhwira, Kasisi and Maseya, in Chikwawa, Malawi.

The schools are going to receive PlayPumps, a novel solution for pumping water that encourages children to help pump water through play. Check out the video below to see and hear more about Water for People's is using PlayPumps in Malawi.

You can learn more about this and other 3for5 projects here.

Alexis Fedor has a Great Idea!

2010-02-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

Creativity unleashed...it's a beautiful thing and it's what Alexis Fedor is encouraging with her new company which is hoping to bring attention to charities and great causes by engaging the artistic community.

When I met Alexis a few weeks ago, I loved her company's vision:

"...we will hold weekly t-shirt design contests. You [the community] will design the shirts, you will pick the winners, we will donate up to 50% of all profits to charity. Because every drop counts. If you are an artist with interesting work (painting, poetry, photography, wordage, all-around great, creative person) or a charity helping to foster incredible change, let us feature you!"

I resonate with Alexis about more than our common belief that "every drop counts." From the very beginning of 3for5, I've always believed that artists will play a major role in helping to spread awareness about people in need of clean water. Why? Because artists' creations (objects, ideas, music, and more) capture our hearts and minds, engaging us in ways that nothing else can. And for the last two years of 3for5, artists have been integral to the 3for5 Movement and will continue to be as we keep trying to unite communities to help others in need.

That's why it was so great to meet Alexis. She's an artist who is creating...and interviewing other people who are innovating in the charitable and artistic community.

Ok, Ok--it does just-so-happen that Alexis interviewed me on her blog recently (shameless plug: why i started 3for5). But she's talking to many, many incredible people who will inspire you through their creativity in the charitable space.

Alexis: we at 3for5 can't wait until the t-shirt competitions begin--creativity unleashed can do amazing things!

3for5 Exceeds $10,000 Raised for Clean Water!

2010-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Way to go droplets! Just a few days ago, the 3for5 Movement exceeded $10,000 in monies raised for clean water projects in the developing world!

This is an exciting milestone because the 3for5 Board of Directors has set this amount ($10k) as the amount required before we make our first project-grant.

So, stay tuned because we'll have another exciting announcement to share near the end of the week! In the meantime, check out the 3for5 Movement in action here.

3for5 Interviewed on WhatGives!?

2010-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

3for5 on WhatGives!?

Dr. Anthony DeBenedet, Board member of the 3for5 Foundation, speaks to WhatGives!? at Blogworld about clean water and the 3for5 Movement.

Help 3for5 Give 500 People Clean Water!

2009-12-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

This is our vision for the future: that millions of people across the developing world would be able to gain access to safe, clean water for the very first time!

To that end, we aim to raise $10,000 by New Year's Day to help fund our first water project and provide water to more than 500 people in Malawi. It's ambitious, but with your help we can get there.

If you haven't already done so, consider donating $5 for clean water via 3for5.org. Every $5 means something incredible for people without clean water.

At the same time, invite 3 friends to join 3for5 with you, and be sure to follow-up with them in a personal way (via phone, email, or in-person) to make sure they have received your invitation.

Last but not least, thank-you for being a part of 3for5--together, we can have incredible impact!

p.s. -- as always, click here to download the 3for5 Friends Handout and give it to your friends when you talk to them. (http://www.3for5.org/docs/3for5_Friends_Handout.pdf).

*Photo courtesy of Water for People

Help 3for5 Give 1,100 People Clean Water!

2009-12-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, 3for5 has been competing to win $25,000 in the Chase Community Giving contest on Facebook. The idea is simple: the 100 charities with the most votes on Facebook will win $25,000 each!!

The really cool thing is if 3for5 wins, we'll use 100% of the $25,000 to fund clean water projects in the developing world! This would mean clean water for more than 1,100 people—and all it takes is a simple click on Facebook to make it happen.

The contest ends December 11th, so act fast and help us help others with 2 easy steps:

1.) Click here to vote on Facebook.

2.) Help us win this contest by telling your friends (especially on Facebook) about how their vote can help 1,100 people get clean water.

Thanks again for your help!

Vote for 3for5 to win $1 Million from Chase!

2009-11-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

3for5 is participating in the Chase Community contest on Facebook. The top 100 vote-getting charities will each receive $25k. After that, a 2nd round will be held with the top 5 vote-getting charities winning $100k each.

Will you vote for us?

Just click the link above, below or click here.

Going Public...

2009-11-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

We're excited to announce two great improvements to the 3for5 Network Browser.

First, you can now navigate and browse the 3for5 Movement without signing into your 3for5 account. This is especially important if you want to show your friends the 3for5 Movement but don't want to go through the hassle of sign-in to do it. To see it in action, click here.

Second, with this new enhancement comes the ability for anyone to "direct-link" to your 3for5 Movement card. That means you can send your friends a link that will take them directly to your 3for5 Movement page. To find your 3for5 page URL, just search for yourself in the public browser, and then copy/paste the URL from your browser's address bar. For an example of how 3for5 direct-linking works, have a look at my page.

Enjoy!

p.s. - as before, you can still navigate to your private 3for5 Movement page if you want to invite friends, donate, or update your profile. Just click the "My Network" button at the top of any 3for5.org page, sign-in, and you'll be there.

Matt Damon Wants Your Help to Move Mountains!

2009-11-03T11:50:00.001-08:00

In the October issue of Parade magazine (inserted in Sunday newspapers across the country), Matt Damon wrote an essay about something he really cares about:

People.

"Here’s something that matters to me right now. Every 15 seconds, a child dies because of a lack of clean water and sanitation. I should probably repeat that: Every 15 seconds, a child dies because of a lack of clean water and sanitation".

Matt's story is incredible, and not because he's a superstar or famous Oscar-winning screenplay writer.

No, his story is amazing because at heart, Matt Damon is actually a regular person just like you and me.

First, he truly does care about his work for children:

"I went to Tanzania a couple of years ago...I visited a clinic where a young woman came in with her horribly sick 5-month-old son. His eyes were rolling in his head, and I thought he would die in front of me. I was shocked. I asked the doctor, 'Is he going to be okay?' And the doctor said, 'Yes, we gave him the medication to reduce his fever.' Relief ran through my body, and I got this adrenaline rush. That’s a very cool feeling: hope".

Second, Matt Damon acknowledges that helping people in need...saving people from literal death by providing them clean water when they can't otherwise get it...these are things that even superstars can't do on their own. Matt Damon recognizes that helping millions of children and billions of adults get something as simple as clean water will require the attention and efforts of millions of people who can do something to help: that's me and you (and Matt Damon, too!).

At the end of his article, Matt summarizes a vision of the future like this:

"If you give $5 and talk to your neighbor about giving $5, that's a big deal. If that conversation goes on across the country, we'll really start moving some mountains."

This is the essence of the 3for5 Movement...a united community of people who are willing to contribute a small amount of money ($5 is all it takes) and then engage friends, family, and community in a broader conversation to move mountains!

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of people without clean water, but we need to work together to get there. 3for5 is a start, and there are countless other incredible initiatives with the same goal.

Let the conversations begin!

To read Matt Damon's entire essay in Parade Magazine, click here. You can also read about Matt's trip to India with water.org CEO Gary White here. This story follows the July trip that Matt and Gary took to India to visit project sites and assess the progress of water.org's WaterCredit programs there.

3for5 at TEDxDetroit!

2009-10-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

David and Anthony were very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend and exhibit on behalf of 3for5 at the first TED conference held in Detroit on October 21st!

TED is a small non-profit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading." It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. It has since become a global movement! There's tons of great video from TED's throughout the years at: http://www.ted.com.

The TEDxDetroit event was truly awesome and was organized in large part by Charlie Wollborg at Curve Detroit. Everyone was very excited about 3for5 and we're happy that so many TED attendants took an interest in the 3for5 Movement for clean water.

The next TED Michigan event will be somewhere on the Western part of the state (we're guessing Ann Arbor) so stay tuned!

What happens in Vegas...

2009-10-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we had the honor and privilege of attending the 2009 Blogworld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas.

We made it to Blogworld (the only industry-wide conference and trade show for blogging and new media) by placing in the Top 10 of the NameYourCause.com contest. Thanks to everyone who voted for and supported us!

Blogworld was a great experience. We had the chance to learn about many new (and some not so new) aspects of online media, especially as they relate to non-profits.

Community/Cause Sessions.
On Thursday we attended an entire day of educational sessions relating to "Causes and Community". Cause leaders and nonprofit experts shared their stories about successful non-profit campaigns. Examples included Twestival, Stand Up to Cancer, Blame Drew's Cancer, and Live Earth. Thanks to the Kompolt team for putting this together!

The eBay/PayPal Pavilion
On Friday, 3for5 was given a table at the eBay/PayPal pavilion on the conference floor. This was prime space at the convention, and the big 3for5 sign was one of the first things people saw as they entered the exhibit space!

We met lots of interesting people, demoed the 3for5 Network Browser, and spoke with many people about clean water. Overall, it felt great to be generating awareness for such an important cause and it was amazing to be associated with two of the biggest brands in the world while doing it: eBay & PayPal!

Our New Charity Friends
We weren't the only charity represented at Blogworld. In fact, there were 9 more great non-profits that participated in the Nameyourcause competition, each of which were co-located in the eBay/PayPal space throughout the Blogworld expo.

This was perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of Blogworld: To meet people who are dedicating their lives to great causes in order to help others and improve our world. We encourage you to check out each of these charities and learn more about their causes.

Meaghan, Bryan, Dominique & Laura (Spirit Jump) (Winners of the Charity Smackdown! Congratulations!)
Noland and Brian (Heifer Portland)
Rocky and Jeff (Mother's Fighting for Others)
Vickie, Darin & Lisa (Surfrider)
Jay and Melissa (Alex's Lemonade)
Allison and Zainab (LAs BEST)
Jon (Best Friends Animal Society)
Sally (Stepwise)
Canine Companions for Independence

We're Off to Blogworld!

2009-10-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

The 3for5 team is heading off to Las Vegas for Blogworld to talk about clean water and the 3for 5 Move ment!

If you'll be there, too, then come see us in the eBay/PayPal pavillion on Friday, October 16th. We'll be talking clean water and social fundraising from 10:30am to 1:30pm.

Otherwise, send us a tweet (@3for5) if you'd like to meet-up and learn more about 3for5, clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and more!

New Updates to the 3for5 Network Browser

2009-10-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Haven't browsed around your 3for5 Network lately?

Well give it another go, because we've made some updates to the Network Browser to help you get around and be more productive when it comes to helping spread the word about clean water.

New Facebook & Twitter Buttons
We've added Facebook and Twitter buttons on your 3for5.org My-Network page so you can tell all your friends that you just donated for clean water. Plus, when you invite a new friend to participate with you on 3for5, you can share that as well.

3for5 Friends Handout
We've received a lot of feedback wondering if we could produce something that droplets could "give" to their friends when they sit down and discuss 3for5, clean water, and making a difference in a personal way. Our first response is the "3for5 Friends Handout", which can be found on the 'Add a Friend' popup in the NetworkBrowser. For posterity, you can also link directly to that document here.

Network-Browser Tutorial Video
To help you make the most of the updated 3for5 Network Browser, we've created a new screen-cast that guides you through some of the most important features of the 3for5.org Network Browser. Watch and enjoy here (and feel free to let us know if you think our narrator sounds like the guy who speaks in the PBS FrontLine videos).

New Tools Section
You'll notice a new rectangle at the bottom of the Network Browser that says, "Rollover Here for Helpful Tools". Inside this box are convenient links to the 3for5 Friends Handout, the Network-Browser tutorial video, and the 3for5 support page.

Enjoy!

3for5 Reaches 193 droplets and $2,000 for Clean Water!

2009-10-05T13:19:00.001-07:00

193 reasons to get excited! We've just broken the $2,000 donation barrier, and have just under 200 droplets supporting 3for5's vision to give clean water to millions of people in need in the developing world.

This might seem like small potatoes when our ultimate goal is to get 20 million people on board, but the beauty of 3for5 is just that: you don't have to be Oprah or Bono to make a global splash; regular people can do it too, and perhaps on an even greater scale.

Why? Because 3for5 offers a way for the common citizen to take on some of the world's most pressing problems by getting connected to a cause and involving personal friends in the process.

Over the next several weeks, these 193 droplets will each invite 3 friends, who will also invite 3 friends, and so on. After only 15 iterations of this, we'll be well on our way to our goal of uniting a community of 20 million people for clean water!

Let's get moving!

Will you help?

You Did It!

2009-09-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of our supporters who voted for 3for5 Foundation on http://nameyourcause.com!! We ranked number 7 out of over 260 organizations, and have won a free trip to Blogworld!

This is a major deal -- Blogworld attracts some of the world's top online writers and journalists, so the coverage (both online and off) is sure to be incredible for spreading the word about people in need of clean water.

We're excited to attend the conference, and plan to blog about our experience throughout.

Thanks again to everyone who took time out to click your support for 3for5--you're amazing!

Vote for 3for5!

2009-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Vote for 3for5 on nameyourcause.com and help us get lots of great attention in the blogging world! Voting closes on September 22nd, so get your votes in now!

http://www.nameyourcause.com/view-charity/149.html

Introducing the 3for5 Movement!

2009-09-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Did you know that millions of people die each year because they lack clean water for drinking, hygiene, and sanitation?

We want to help change this reality.

Our vision is a united community of 20 million people, each giving $5 and inviting 3 friends, to provide sustainable access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education to millions of people in the developing world!

So how are we going to do this?

The idea is simple: become a droplet by donating $5 for clean water. Then, invite 3 friends to do the same: donate $5 and invite 3 more friends.

We're calling this social interaction a wave. What's amazing about this is that if every droplet in the mix follows through and invites 3 friends...we need only 15 waves of friends inviting friends to involve more than 20 million people!

So here's the deal. Go to 3for5.org to get informed about the clean water crisis in the developing world. Then, join us in this important movement to save lives.

Together, we can do this.

Are you in?