We wanted to provide that same service for the wild birds that frequent the Lawson Nature Reserve, giving people an opportunity to ‘Adopt-A-Wild Bird’. This is a simple concept, which goes to help a great deal of birds who are in need of snack. Sound like something you would be interested in? Allow me to continue…

All you have to do is send a cheque made out too:

Ruth Bucknell, Club Treasurer

Ingersoll District Nature Club

R.R. 1, Salford, ON N0J 1W9

You can spend $15 dollars (for a specific bird), or you can spend $100 and feed the entire flock of wild birds. You can choose which kind of birds you wish to feed, are you partial to blue jays? mourning doves? chikadees? Well they’re all options, and you can make sure that they spend the day on a full stomach!

Not only does adopting some wild birds bring with it a whole host of new friends, it also helps support us and our mission of keeping the Reserve as beautiful as it can be. That way, our birds can continue to fly, eat, and rest safely within our forest.

For me, it’s a double whammy. Not only do I not enjoy being in a room for 40 other people (4 is about my limit), but I have such a high degree of cynicism when it comes to team building that I find myself coming up with various schemes which may get me out of this exercise.

As for networking, I’d rather poke myself in the eye with a stick.

Thankfully, the facilitator of the session – the value of networking – was remarkably sensible. Sandra Wood ran the session. The timing was perfect as there was a supporters event the following week. When asked about how I felt about networking, I freely admitted that the idea made me feel rather ill yet I also knew there was no way of escaping the function I had to attend.

Sandra’s advice was practical. Eat before you go. Hold your drink in your left hand and keep your right hand free for shaking hands. And my favourite – if you need to join a group, go for a group of 3 not 2. Her practicality won me over. Here was a woman who took the time to acknowledge that this is something many people do not want to do; something people dread and then set about trying to ‘lessen’ the dread. Over the years, I’ve met many facilitators of professional development and in particular ‘team building’. Nearly all of them seem to have the opinion that introverts just need to become team players. Few acknowledge the challenges and for that I really do give Sandra credit.

Through the workshop, Sandra tried to get us to re-interpret our thinking. I was sceptical to say the least. However by the end of the session, I had realised that given I had to go to this event, I might as well try to make it more bearable for myself. Could I feel comfortable in myself doing this – definitely not! Did I feel proud of the work my employer does – absolutely!

That was my key which took off the edge. If I just focused on the positive feelings I have about my job, then that would negate any lack of confidence in a crowd.

I’m pleased to say that I survived the function and even managed to have a couple of good conversations with a some major donors! For that I have to give credit to Sandra Wood Consulting. I certainly won’t be volunteering myself for such events in the future however when I do need to attend, I think I now have a few tricks to get me through them with better results.

Don’t let an unsuccessful application put you off applying again.  There are steps you can take for future funding success.

Subscribe to Adele’s BIG blog for regular funding updates  www.adelegoodfellow.wordpress.com

Don’t let an unsuccessful application put you off applying again. There are steps you can take for future funding success.

Interested in other funding sources? Check out my previous post on ‘The best funding programme for your project’… http://wp.me/p2Dx2g-2m

Any questions? Feel free to contact adele.goodfellow@biglotteryfund.org.uk

                                                                  Good luck!!  

Stay tuned for news, views, inspiring images, quotes, random stuff, things that will make you laugh, and things that won’t.

Aside from giving musicians the foot in the door that they will need to make it big, The Nashville Connection is also a not-for-profit. All proceeds from this event are given straight to our veterans and military personel. 

Any participant will be able to have their music heard by a panel of prestigious judges from the music world. There have been several participants that have gotten their break from this 4 day event.  

If you would like to become a sponsor of this event, sign up to attend this event and have the opportunity of al lifetime. Please go to http://www.thenashvilleconnection.com/ for more information

Everyone is worried about the price of energy and that Europeans are paying so much more than in most other regions of the world.  But the eceee paper points out the simple fact that energy prices are not necessarily the cause of high costs.  But more importantly, the investing in measures to improve energy efficiency reduces the volume of energy used and since costs are the product of price and volume, energy efficiency mitigates accordingly the disadvantage that higher prices may have.  This is a simple concept that so few seem to grasp.

It should be remembered that when industries in different parts of the world compete, energy price is only one component of production.  A higher price for the input of energy can and almost invariably will be offset by higher security of supply and less exposure to risks the paper argues.  It also has to be remembered that Europe has always had high energy prices, in large part because of taxes and factoring in externalities such as the environment, while other countries have taken a much more hands off approach.

“Competitiveness is to a considerable degree an issue of quality rather than of price for the products”, says Hans Nilsson, Swedish energy efficiency expert and an eceee board member.

Europe’s competitiveness is very much a major discussion point in the corridors of power these days.  This is not a time for knee-jerk reactions, but for sound, deliberate policymaking.  This is an opportunity to re-affirm our commitment to long-term sustainable policies but we have to appreciate what it takes to create the necessary policy framework.

As the report states, “energy efficiency is not a panacea for all economic and industrial concerns but it can play a vital role. But, without an energy-efficient approach and commitment at a high level, the inefficiencies within a plant, an industrial sector or an end-use sector, place too high a burden on an economy. Energy efficiency is recognised to be the most cost-effective way to address energy demand and environmental issues.”

 EiD welcomes this initiative by eceee and looks forward to the ensuing discussion.  The report is available here.

Blender

Pedal mill/thresher

What do you do with crapped out bicycles nobody wants anymore?

You turn them into pedal power.

A Guatemalan NGO in San Andrés Itzapa, called Maya Pedal, reconditions donated bicycles to make a whole raft of pedal-powered machines they call Bicimaquinas, which are designed to help local communities in all sorts of ways that would normally require electricity or hand power.

Coffee depulper

Rope pump

These Bicimaquinas range from a mobile water pump to a bicycle nut sheller, a kitchen blender (yep!) and a bicycle mill/corn thresher. They are easy to maintain, produce no pollution, free the user from rising energy costs and provide exercise.

What a great idea!

Maya Pedal relies on the help and work of a mix of locals and volunteers in their Guatemalan workshop and their goal is to be …“a center of pedal power research and development and an information resource for NGO’s promoting appropriate technology and small scale, sustainable agriculture.”

Maya Pedal Guatemalan workshop

Carlos demonstrates the machines to local farmers

It’s also got me thinking about the developed world with its rising obesity and rising costs of electricity … Can you see where I’m going here?

What if, household members shared a daily cycling routine (say, half an hour to an hour each a day) that would help power their home’s electricity (or, maybe, power the dishwasher or make a smoothie), which would, in turn, reduce their bills and improve their health and fitness …?

What do you think, too far-fetched?

This got me thinking about the power of words and the positive or negative affect that our words have on others. The same is equally important with advertising campaigns, no matter how small or large. If you want to hit your target market, you need to consider how your words and language will affect them. Consider what your words are asking or saying and whether your target market has the capacity to relate to these words. Find a way to connect with your audience through stories, words and actions that they can relate back to their own lives somehow.

Consider the man in this video. He is still blind and homeless and nothing has changed in his life except that he now understands the power of changing his words. The message here is not to accept whatever situation you are in, but to analyse it and continually learn new ways of improving it.  Appeal to your target market by offering them something that they don’t already know or have (information, mindset, or services), and find ways of relating this back to their lives.

The benefits of being perceived to be socially responsible are varied and many. Understandably brands want to be perceived as socially responsible. Being associated with a good cause is a quick way for a brand to be gain the tag of being seen as ‘socially responsible’. This shows the brand to be responsible and caring and these are indeed good qualities for a brand to have. While some brands are inspired by a genuine sense of social responsibility many brands look at the image of being socially responsible as helping in building brand stature. The conscious employment of resources by a brand to aid charitable causes in order to develop image, associations and identity benefits is called cause related branding.

There are 5 main reasons why brands associate with charitable causes other than from a socially responsible perspective:

Builds brand preference: Marketing sense states and some research studies confirm, that ceteris paribus, consumers would prefer buying a brand that is associated with a good cause than from other brands.

Justifies a premium: Consumers often do not mind paying a premium for a brand that is known to be generous to a well-known charity as consumers feel that the brand deserves the premium. The knowledge that a part of the money paid to a brand is going to a good cause adds to the positive emotional component of the brand.

Reduces negative connotations associated with the brand: Liquor and tobacco brands often associate themselves with causes as a means of negating a part of the disrepute associated with their industry.

Provides the brand with desirable values: Brands that are seen to possess a very commercial and greedy image may wish to develop a softer image by showing a softer nicer side by donating to charitable organizations.

Useful for raising money: Brands that plan to approach the money market for raising money from the public often show the warm side of their personality by publicly supporting charitable causes. Investors who are not doing extensive research on the brand may invest because they believe a brand with good intentions can be trusted.

As is obvious from the advantages mentioned above, cause related branding has a lot to offer brands and therefore this route is being used by many brands. There are several successful examples cause related branding working wonders for brands it must be understood that a poorly developed cause strategy will lead to no little or no benefits for the brand. The days when a brand could merely tie up with a well-known charity and earn brownie points are over and the intricacies involved in making cause related branding work are worthy of careful consideration.

In branding, adopting a strategic perspective is critical. In cause related branding it becomes even more critical as the process of establishing an association with a cause takes significant investment of time, effort and money. Reaping the benefits of the association takes time and delinking from a cause can have strong negative repercussions for a brand and the involvement of the highest echelons of management need to be involved in decisions involving cause related branding.

There are three levels of decisions that brands need to look at and the implications of each category of decisions is to be understood before planning for any kind of cause related branding:

Deciding the category: There are a wide range of categories of causes ranging from care of deprived children to restoration of dignity of seniors. Categories are wide and can encompass a wide range of sub categories. Within the cause category of care for senior citizens there are sub categories addressing issues such as care for abandoned elders, medical treatment of senior citizens, etc. It is important to choose the right kind of category and sub category as a prelude to deciding a relevant issue to back within this category.

Deciding the specific issue: Categories of causes consist of different issues. Issues are specific such as programmes to aid restoration of dignity of senior citizens that feel deprived of dignity following their old age. Focussing on specific issues is important for brands as it helps fine tune the values that flow from the association.

Deciding the specific institutions: Unless the brand is willing to create a trust that handles the responsibilities of the cause it will have to depend on institutions to run the operational aspects involved in the execution of cause related activities. Aligning with an institution that caters to a specific cause can provide a brand with strong associations however there are times when brands need to ensure that they are not overshadowed by charities that are stronger brands than their sponsors.

These are some of the aspects that need to be studied before a brand decides to associate with a charitable cause.

What is the relevance of the cause to the brand’s consumer segment?: Association with a charitable cause does not immediately mean that consumers will immediately hold the brand in high esteem. Consumers must find the cause relevant to their value system before the brand receives any approbation. For example: Not all consumers may be equally supportive of a cause that looks at providing food and shelter to immigrants/refugees. These consumers may be more supportive of causes that benefit their countrymen.

How different is it?: Many people are inured to causes and even associations with a good cause like Cancer Care may neither draw much attention to the brand or to the cause nor would the association be very memorable. Finding a cause that is relevant and yet different would help in enhancing the memorability of the brand and cause. For example: A trust that looks after veteran entertainers suffering from terminal diseases can be seen as a worthy cause to support as it appreciates people who once entertained and gave others happiness.

Can the cause be owned?: It is normally difficult to own a cause as this would require immense investment of resources. A niche cause like the one mentioned in the above example may not require huge investments and may not see many other brands supporting this cause. The task of guarding the cause associations may not be very tough nor may the cost of running such a trust be very high.

Will it hold enduring relevance with this segment?: Some causes are contextual. These causes appear to touch a sensitive chord with consumers and then suddenly seem to lose their appeal. Often charities in India catering to cyclone victims suddenly find their support waning in the wake of a fresh new tragedy in a different part of the country. Public sympathy often veers towards the more current tragedies.

How will the relationship be positioned?: The nature of the brand’s relationship with the cause can influence consumer perceptions of the brand. A brand that extends it relationship beyond the financial support to also provide investments of time and talent would most likely stand to gain greater credibility from the relationship than would a brand that only provides money. Brands that appear to only offer financial support may be seen as ‘forced’ or ‘insincere’ and this could in some cases prove counterproductive.

Controversial issues: Brands need to be careful while handling causes associated with controversial issues. For example: A ‘euthanasia’ support foundation campaigning for change in legislation towards euthanasia may be seen by some as a worthy cause but association with this cause may lead to the brand supporting it being embroiled in controversy at some stage of its association if public opinion suffers from the occasional mood swing. While some brands court controversy through short term associations with controversial causes this could be risky as well as counter productive as the issue could turn ugly and taint the brand or it could grow far bigger than the brand.

Cause related branding works best when it is driven by the core values of the brand. Like anything else that is forced, cause related branding could prove counterproductive if it is not a ‘natural’ facet of the brand. When it is not ‘natural’ to the brand then the cause related activities are de-prioritised and lose focus often with corresponding effect on the brand.

In an increasingly cynical world, the value of genuinely sensitive acts is extremely high. There are several cries for brands to show greater responsibility and to share a small part of their wealth with the less privileged. The current economic strife created by schizophrenic brands that show dissonance between their different actions has led to lower levels of consumer belief in brands. Cause related branding performed with genuine intent can help restore consumer trust and build brand equity

Like this short article?  Please comment.  And have a look at other articles  in our sister blog http://smartamarketing.wordpress and checkout the smartamarketing posts on SlideShare. (http://www.slideshare.net/bmonger)

EpicYYC isn’t the first in the accelerator/incubator space in the city. And Calgary’s social venture partners have run some fantastic pitch events over the past 12 months. Terry Booth from Collins Barrow and I ran a similar dog and pony pitch show in Edmonton for The Edmonton Social Enterprise Fund last year. In all close to 100 social ventures and not for profits have attended these pitch sessions, so it is a growing space in the province.

The message being delivered is simple: In the investment space social ventures have an equal chance to their for profit counterparts of raising investment capital.

In one sense the premise seems silly… A deal providing a 10 times return in the Internet space or the 100^th hole in the ground that will be turned into black gold should always be where an Investor puts their dollars. But on the other side of the coin, if you’re a member of a group like VA Angels and have already invested in six “for profit” deals, there is always interest in a different type of deal.
These other deals are the ones that will change the world or leave a lasting legacy that an investor and their family can be part of.

There is a caveat to this of course, social ventures and not for profit companies do not get extra brownie points or investment dollars based on moral superiority. The reality is the same rules apply to social ventures as they do with “for profit” companies. The quality of the opportunity and the quality of the team will dictate investor’s interest. Additionally, whether the social venture likes it or not, the quest for capital is competitive in the same way as the push for donors. As an example, what makes one donor choose World Vision over CARE or Plan is as important as trying to determine why an investor would choose a social venture over a mobile app company.

Some of the criteria reads like a standard venture capital list:

• - What is the impact of my money on the community?
• - Does the team have credibility or are the simply bleeding hearts?
• - What is the track record of the team with regards to their past use of funds?
• - Am I the only one in this deal?

What is interesting to me is when I have pitched this premise to the social venture community in Alberta I often get pushback, which is understandable. After all as a social venture you probably have been on the street looking for money. It’s a hard business no matter who you are. Guess what? For profit companies go through the same pains and successes in trying to raise capital. Notice I am avoiding calling it fundraising, I believe this is a different exercise. Raising capital has everything to do with the bullet points above and very little to do with the product or the concept you are pitching.

The other premise that is lost in the capital raise is that investors, unlike those depicted on TV, have souls, have causes they are desperately passionate about, and they recognize the importance of their ability to cause change. I always tell social venture groups to imagine they are an investor, and I ask them if they would stop working in the SV space. The obvious rhetorical answer ensues – vision. But ask the NFP worker what it would take to get them to write a cheque as an investor and the answer is interesting. They tell me that vision isn’t enough. Instead, when they put themselves in an investors shoes, they always want to know; “What are you doing with my money? And who is in charge?” These questions trump vision every single day.

Gena Rotstein at Place2Give has accumulated a big data driven list with over 83,000 not for profits in Canada alone. It’s a staggering number. However, put into a business perspective this number of 83,000 NFP’s becomes a massive competition as each organization fights for both fundraising dollars and to raise sustainability capital. Whether you like it or not, the truth is you need to learn to be aggressive, business like and highly engaged with your customers and user base to succeed. In other words, you had better start acting like the kid who’s raising money for his mobile app.

–Randy Thompson

Photo credit: Open Source Civilisation

R Stewart Thompson (Randy) is a builder of companies, angel investor and angel group leader at Canada’s most active angel group. He is currently invested in seven companies and has been working in the startup venture space since 1992 when he started the first ISP in Alberta. In 1999, he started working on developing angel groups in Alberta, beginning with an organization that matched deals for Western Canada investors on the Internet. In 2001, Randy began to work as a venture capital advisor to the Province of Alberta and started the Alberta California Venture Channel, bringing together investors and companies in both regions. He is founder and CEO of VA Angels. In addition to this work, Randy is an Entrepreneur in Residence at NAIT and a member of the A100.   @VentureAlberta

About VA Angels

For the past nine years VA Angels, formerly VentureAlberta Forum, has supported entrepreneurship and investing around the globe. Investments have been made across Canada, in the US, the UK and Europe. In operation since June 2003, is one of the largest gatherings of angel investors in Western Canada with over 85 members and has chapters in Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna and Winnipeg. Since its inception, the members of VA Angels have done 57 deals for $28.3 million.   @VA_Angels

It would be great if I had one of those fancy portable DVD players but I don’t. So I have to resort to good ol’ car games like the ones I played as a kid. I never had a TV screen in the vehicle on long trips. I didn’t have a smart phone, a tablet, a hand held game console. NO! My siblings and I had to make our own fun. Being it’s the long weekend here in Alberta, and the nicest weekend we’ve had in 10 months, I’m sure most of you are heading on some sort of road trip as well. Some of you might also have children in the car, but even if you don’t sometimes its just nice to play a game to pass the time.

Some of these games we play in ABC Head Start classrooms, so they have been extensively researched and tested on children for their level of fun and excitement.

1. Of course there is the traditional Eye Spy. Where one person in the car chooses an object around them and gives the others a clue by saying “I spy with my little eye, something that is…”

2. SPELLING BEE! A good ol’ fashioned spelling bee where one person in the car picks a word and the others have to try to spell it. For children who are not quite old enough, maybe they can try to get the first letter of the word.

3. Create a family story. One person in the car will start the story with the first line and you build the story line by line, person by person.

4. The alphabet game. This was my favourite and most played growing up. Choose a topic and go through the alphabet naming items that relate to the topic. Some fun topics we played were places in Alberta, sports teams, movies, tv shows, or musicians. To make it easier for smaller children choose topics like animals or foods.

5. Pick-a-colour. Choose a colour and the first person to spot vehicles of that colour yells out the name of the colour. Each person gets points for being the first to spot it.

6. Fortunatley-unfortunatley. The first person will make an unfortunate statement like “Unfortunately an asteroid is going to hit earth.” The second person must make a positive statement like “Fortunately I have a laser beam to shoot it before it hits.” I love that this game gets children thinking positively.

7. Name that tune. One person whistles or hums a tune and the others have to guess it.

8. Count the… can be anything: cows, telephone poles, headlights, train cars, blue pickup trucks — you name it.

9. Would you rather…This is my nephews favourite game. If you can make it rhyme it’s even more fun. For example would you rather kiss a dog? or sleep in a log? The more absurd the more fun!

10. License plate lingo. The goal of this game is to come up with a phrase using the letters on passing license plates. For example, if you see a plate with the letters “EIC,” your phrase could be “eat ice cream.”

There you have it, a whole list of games to keep you and your road trip compadres occupied. What are your favourite road trip games??