Vote for an Epic Idea at IdeaBlob

I've mentioned Epic Change a couple of times in this blog (here & here to be exact) - they are one of my favourite charities - mostly because they are a wonderful example of how a group of committed individuals really can create epic change.

This month they are finalists at IdeaBlob and in the running for $10,000.

Here's a note from Stacey Monk - founder of Epic Change - telling what the funds will be used for and how you can help them win the $10,000:

We plan to use those funds to create a technology lab at the school in Tanzania so that children, teachers and parents in the community can access a whole new world of information enter global conversations by using social media to share their stories online. Already, Mama Lucy is blogging on our site, and has just gotten a Facebook page where she's already posted a note asking folks to begin voting tomorrow ;)

So far, we've had 20 great laptops donated and have procured basic software through TechSoup - now we just need to get the computers to Tanzania, build a facility that will also serve as the school's first library, and imaginatively get this remote classroom access to the web. This award could be very helpful in moving us closer to these goals - especially in economic times like these where small nonprofits like ours are having a more difficult time raising donor funds.

We Need Your Help!!
Here's how you can help if you're so moved (and I really hope you are!):

1. Vote! Beginning tomorrow, you can vote for Epic Change on our IdeaBlob entry or on the front page of Ideablob. If you haven't already voted on the site, you'll just need an email address as they'll send a registration confirmation email before allowing you to vote.
   
2. Write a post on your blog sharing why you support our work and asking folks to vote for Epic Change on IdeaBlob. Remember, voting begins tomorrow and ends on 5/31, so posts between Friday and Tuesday especially would be SUPER helpful.
3. Help us win even more! Another company, Zemanta, is currently hosting "Blogging for a Cause" , an effort to get bloggers to spread the word about their favorite causes. If you include the following copy in your blog post, we could win a share of the $6,000 they're giving away to the most "blogged" causes. Just include this text at the bottom of your post:

This blog post is part of Zemanta's "Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

4. Spread the word to friends, colleagues, family, fellow bloggers and other folks who have a few minutes to spare to change the world ;) Use Twitter, Facebook & Email!!

If you plan to blog about us, please send me a tweet (@StaceyMonk) or jot me an email (stacey@epicchange.org) so I know to look out for your post and can create a link to it from a summary post at the Epic Change blog.

This blog post is part of Zemanta's "Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

Epic Change Needs Your Help

Epic Change needs your help to win a $25,000 social media makeover from MindComet!

Inspired by a volunteer trip to Tanzania, Stacey Monk and Sanjay Patel created Epic Change in 2007. They realised the power of the local stories they heard during their journey, and believed that they might be a means to raise funds to support the impoverished communities they visited and others around the globe.

Epic Change uses donations to provide interest-free loans to local partners to finance their community improvement efforts. They then facilitate loan repayment by helping their partners to share their stories through projects that generate income. Finally they "pay it forward" by recycling repaid loans and creating Epic Change in other communities.

Their first project is with Shepherds Junior, a small primary school in Arusha, Tanzania. So far, Epic Change has provided loans that have enabled the school to purchase land, build 5 new classrooms and a refurbished school bus. The school roll has doubled in size and in November 2008, Shepherds Junior participated in national exams for the first time. The school ranked #1 out of 117 participating schools in the Arusha district.

Through the sale of a line of cards and gifts that share the stories of the children of Shepards Junior, the school has been able to pay back over 15% of their initial loan in just over a year!

Every year, Mindcomet chooses a non-profit organisation to work with and provides free-of-charge agency services and donations. So far they have worked with Orlando History Center, Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society, Race for A Cure, and Toys for Tots.

This year, they couldn't choose a favourite. So they launched CommuniCause to help them select the organization to receive their pro bono social media services. So you get to nominate and vote for your favorite charity to help them win the grand prize of a Social Media Makeover valued at $25,000.

A winner will be randomly selected from the top ten charities that receive the most votes and upon awarding the winner, MindComet will provide the winner with expert consulting services to help improve their social media presence and fundraising outreach.