What Jean posted on Onet...

Onet Connects: Connection Transforms--Please Pledgebank CatComm

Posted on www.omidyar.net/home by Jean Russell

Posted to: Community - General by Jean Russell (485):

What happens when 2 people from Onet connect? For many of us, the connections have been transformative.

Here is one example: Theresa Williamson (Catalytic Communities aka CatComm) connected with Onet members through the Chicago member gathering in late July 05. Through that event, she met several people willing to collaborate to build with/from her organization. See the Local/Global group which contains threads about CatComm.

Theresa historically has spent 30%+ of her time in fundraising. Her organization rests in the space between typical foundation giving plans. What might an alternative be for raising funds for CatComm?

If CatComm needs $100,000, for example, they could get one donor to give the full amount, 2 donors to give $50,000, 10 donors to give $10,000, or 100 donors to give $1000...or many combinations...

Thus, when Theresa discovered Onet Citizen Tom Steinberg's Pledgebank, a new path opened up. What if CatComm used Pledgebank?

http://www.pledgebank.com/catcomm

If 400 people pledge to contribute $120 or $10 a month, and those contributions are matched by a philanthropist ($48,000 matched once with $48,000=$96,000), then the minimum operating budget will be covered. Additionally pledgebank, which started in the UK, will have a very successful launch in the US with this major pledge.

What does this mean?

• Theresa will be able to use what she is uniquely talented to do with Catalytic Communities. She will be able to devote her energy to the org rather than to funding the org.
• Pledgebank will gain visibility as a clear path to giving.
• Onet will, once again, have changed how citizens here do things, one more success story among many for what is unique and wonderful about the space we have here.

What can you do?

Pledge. Show your support of an organization that, much like onet, creates a space for connections to happen, for resources to be shared, for projects to be witnessed and replicated, and seeks to enable more and more people to make their difference in their own way.

Go to: http://www.pledgebank.com/catcomm today.

The more signers we have, the more momentum we build, the closer we get to the goal. The more momentum we build, the better chance we will have of drawing in media attention and sharing the dream with more and more people.

For more about Catalytic Communities, go to http://www.catcomm.org where you can read about it in English, Spanish, or Portugese.

For more about Pledgebank, see http://www.pledgebank.com/explain.

Click here about Onet Citizen Theresa Williamson.

Or find Onet Citizen Tom Steinberg.

See also Sustainability at CatComm for more.