When ThinkImpact won $62,000 from Chase bank as part of its Community Giving contest on Facebook, we were overjoyed. It set in motion a series of improvements and developments for the organization and it helped us achieve our mission in a significant way. Today we have 33 people living and working in rural communities in Kenya and South Africa and this weekend we will host a Village Cup tournament to bring the World Cup to Manyeleti, South Africa.
While Chase was cutting the big checks, it was also asking big questions: What can we do to improve the contest next time? What changes would you make after the experience? In short, Chase wanted to make the biggest impact possible and do it in a way that made sense for the potential beneficiaries.
I welcomed their inquiries, but I didn't expect them to listen. But they did. They listened closely to the feedback and as a result they have launched a second contest. The changes they have made include posting a leaderboard, have limited the eligible organizations to those with budgets under $1 million, and are providing the opportunity for a whopping 195 organizations to win $20,000.
This is huge.
If small nonprofits can reasonably compete for $20,000, that is incredible. I know what $20,000 can do for a small, scrappy, hard-working group of nonprofit folk, and I would say, this was brilliant.
The move has unleashed a new coalition -- essentially collaboration -- among a community of remarkable organizations that I cannot say enough good things about. Each member of this coalition is dedicated to the role of young people in shaping our global future. Each should win at least $20,000 in this contest; it's the most game changing coalition I can think of.
Please take two minutes and vote down the line for these great organizations.