Did you know Americans donate 3% of their income to charity and 38% of Americans donate only during the holiday season? That’s why the UN, in partnership with the 92^nd Street Y, has created #GivingTuesday to follow hot on the heels of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, people pick the charity of their choice, go online, and donate. GivingTuesday raised more than 10 million dollars since its inception in 2012 and nineteen million in 2013.

Discussing digital philanthropy and charity crowdfunding online during today’s Dot Complicated were Danae Ringelmann, co-founder of crowdfunding site Indiegogo; Leila Janah, co-founder of Samahope, the first global crowdfunding site for medical treatments; and David Howitt, author of Heed Your Call and CEO of Meriwether Group, which provides social mission growth strategies to businesses.

This week’s Product of the Week is about the LACK of ass-kicking toys for girls as Glynnis MacNichol, co-founder of Thel.ist and author of the recent post “Where the Fuck is Princess Leia” joins later in the show.

Here are some choice quotes:

Pope Francis spoke up against the unbridled consumerism around the holiday:

Leila “The holidays are about spending time with friends and family.”

David “Consumerism is healthy if it’s done with thoughtfulness and mindfulness.”

Danae “We’ve turned money into the end as opposed to the means.”

Danae “I witnessed the struggle of raising money and realized that finance was broken. Indiegogo was born to put the power back into the hands of the people with the ideas.”

Leila “We raised Samahope’s money on Indiegogo, the only platform that let us raise money as a non-profit.”

“99% percent of childbirth deaths of women are preventable.”

David “We believe the entrepreneur is one of the modern-day heroes to disrupt the status quo. We support them with social mission.”

“The Power of AND: You can be profitable, run a financially sound business AND have a socially responsible company.”

Danae “Giving Tuesday is the global day of giving back. We’ve raised over 5 million for social causes already.”

Ritu Sharma, CEO of Social Media for Non-Profits called in: “There’s a 60% rise in online giving. Make sure non-profits have a clear & concise campaign, editorial calendar, organized messaging, and supporters and volunteers.”

“Visual content is performing far better than just text messages for crowdfunding campaigns.”

“People aren’t interested in a lot of stats. Communicate emotions and impact in a compelling way.”

SM4NP.org 

David

“It’s never too late to incorporate service and meaning. When you adopt a social message just to check a box it doesn’t work. Businesses that are authentic from the heart will be successful. Avoid green-washing.”

“The best companies are the ones that don’t sell products, they sell experiences.”

Danae

“Four Ps of motivation for successful campaigns: 1) People. People fund People. Put yourself in the video, why you care about this project.

2) Passion. Align with values.

3) Participation. So few contributions are listed as anonymous because people want to be public.

4) Perk. Impact.”

“I donated to BeMissPossible to get girls excited about STEM.”

Leila “We highlight doctors rather than patients. You’re funding an entrepreneurial person.”

“Honor Your Mom is for Mother’s Day to donate in mom’s name.”

“Hope Cards can save lives. We’re trying to get Jimmy Fallon to share them on his show. A $5 card funds a medical treatment for the poorest of the poor.”

David “Millennials are a great example of the Power Of And. They want to have successful careers, enjoy their lives, AND create change.”

“It’s about wanting to be in the world and be part of the solution.”

Danae “We started Indiegogo to democratize the access to funding and give everyone an equal shot.”

“The 50% of successful Indiegogo campaigns being run by women is the stat I’m most proud of.”

“When you connect anybody to anybody the biases go out the window. The ones that are successful are the ones who are willing to work hard.”

Rachel Sklar co-founder of Thel.ist and creator of the DonorsChoose campaign for Ferguson, MO which raised $25k in ONE DAY joined the show:  “Social media has been a wonderful source of information and education since the shooting of Michael Brown.”

“There’s a sense of helplessness for people who want to do something.”

“The kids of Ferguson are being affected. This campaign is about them.”

Leila ” The US is the most giving nation, tied with Myanmar which donates in Buddhist tradition and for monks who can’t work for a living.”

“We partnered with Mobile Medic that helps keep track of medical records on phones.”

David “Align what’s important to you with your giving. That’s where you see the most impact in the world.”

Glynnis MacNichol, co-founder of Thel.ist and author of the recent post “Where the Fuck is Princess Leia” spoke about the LACK of smart toys for girls.

“My nephew is drowning in Star Wars merchandise. Why can’t my niece have Princess Leia dolls? Disney is losing HALF of the market with women.”

“The girls toy department is drowning in a sea of pink.”

On the over-sexualization of strong female products: “In the 80s, the Leia Slave was never issued as a doll or a costume, and now it’s the only option. It’s revolting.”

“Even the Frozen figurines look a lot like Barbies.”

“I’ve been hearing from single fathers also on the hunt for things for their daughters that aren’t about princess-y things.”

“Hopscotch teaches your kids to code. The earlier they start the better off they’ll be.”

“I didn’t enjoy going into the toy section and having it so divided. It should be one toy section.”

Join Randi and “Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg on SiriusXM” next week as she discusses Broadway and the business of show business with the producer of Tony Award Winning Kinky Boots and new musical An American in Paris. Only on SiriusXM Channel 111 Wednesdays at 9am PST/12EST.

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