Filed under: Nonprofit, Social Media | Tags: aaron strout, charity auction, chris brogan, geniusrocket, geoff livingston, greg verdino, hubspot, joseph jaffe, leukemia and lymphoma society, team in training, tnt
It’s been a little over two weeks since the close of the Social Media Charity Auction to raise money for Team in Training / Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Many have asked me who won and how much I raised but I wanted to wait until we had all of the back-end details sorted before I said anything. And now it’s time.
Two companies won the services of five social media gurus who were on the auction block:

GeniusRocket, which enables its clients to generate creative content by harnessing a distributed network of creators, purchased three of the experts:
Joseph Jaffe - Brainstorm/consulting dinner in the New York City / Connecticut area
Geoff Livingston - Two-hour phone consulting and brainstorming session
Aaron Strout - Two-hour phone consulting and brainstorming session

HubSpot, an Internet marketing software firm, captured the two biggest opportunities that were up for grabs:
Chris Brogan - Speaking engagement anywhere in the U.S.
Greg Verdino - Speaking engagement or keynote anywhere in the U.S. or Canada
So how much did they help raise? The auction brought in…
$6,582.51
Hooray!
Bringing the total raised thus far to…
$8,122.71
Can I get another hooray? Hooray!
Big thanks again to the five gents and two companies listed above for their participation in the auction. My goal is still to raise $10,000 by October and I’ll be trying to think of some creative ways to do so. Any ideas? Please share them. Donations are always welcome, too. :-)
Filed under: Nonprofit, Social Media | Tags: chris brogan, team in training, greg verdino, joseph jaffe, geoff livingston, aaron strout, leukemia and lymphoma society
There are less than 24 hours left until the Social Media Charity Auction for Team in Training / Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ends. There is still time to bid on Chris Brogan, Joe Jaffe, Geoff Livingston, Aaron Strout and Greg Verdino for a host of activities, from phone consultation to full-blown speaking engagements!
I am so thrilled and excited about the support that this endeavor has received from the social media community, as are my counterparts TNT and LLS, and the honorees for which I am completing this marathon — TNT’s biggest fundraising event! The bids are rising, and in typical eBay fashion, I am hoping lke a little kid on Christmas Eve that with all of the watchers there will be a battle to the end (er, to the win) for these guys, if the below is any indication:
To access all of the auctions you can visit the master auction list page. Remember, all proceeds go directly to the LLS through Team in Training. As I mentioned in other blogs and on the auction sites, please check with your personal or company tax professional regarding what you can claim in regard to charity auctions.
Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!
Filed under: Nonprofit, Social Media | Tags: aaron strout, cancer research, charity auction, chris brogan, geoff livingston, greg verdino, joseph jaffe, leukemia and lymphoma society, lls, nike women's marathon, Nonprofit, team in training
If you’re buying them, I’m selling them. Social media folks, that is, for a great cause and for a good price. Some of the industry’s top names have agreed to auction their consulting time order to raise much needed money for Team in Training, the fundraising arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which funds medical research for blood cancer cures and provides patient and family support programs.
On Oct. 21, I will participate in the Nike Women’s Marathon, which is Team in Training’s largest event, in order to raise money to support this incredible organization. The fundraising minimum is $2,500 but my goal is to raise $10,000. All winning bids can be paid directly to Team in Training through my official marathon fundraising site and may be tax deductible (be sure to consult with your tax professional re: charity auction laws; however any individual donations made through the fundraising page ARE tax deductible).
The Players
Chris Brogan uses social media and technology to build digital relationships for businesses, organizations, and individuals. He has merged his experience in technology (enterprise IT and wireless telephony) with his passion for social media, such that he’s showing organizations how to use these tools inside the firewall, as well as to build authentic conversations between coworkers, customers, and even competitors. Brogan is cofounder of the PodCamp unconference series (with Christopher S. Penn), exploring the use of new media community tools to extend relationships and build value.
Auction: Speaking engagement anywhere in the U.S. valued from $5K-$10K. Bidding begins at $700. Full details available on the Chris Brogan eBay auction site.
Joseph Jaffe is one of the most sought after consultants, speakers and thought leaders on new marketing. He is president and “chief interuptor” at crayon, a strategic advisory group that helps companies “join the conversation” through the power of community, dialogue and partnership. He has spoken to audiences in North America, London, the Netherlands, Turkey and South Africa and to companies including Yahoo!, JWT, Modem Media, Conde Nast and iVillage. In 2007, Jaffe authored the book Join the Conversation: How to Engage Marketing-Weary Consumers with the Power of Community, Dialogue and Partnership.
Auction: Dinner and brainstorming session in the New York / Connecticut area valued at $10K. Bidding begins at $1K. Full details available on the Joseph Jaffe eBay auction site.
Geoff Livingston has worked as a marketing strategist in the Washington, DC region for 15 years. Dubbed a “local blogging guru” by the Washington Post, Geoff’s Buzz Bin blog is nationally recognized, and is the top ranked independent PR blog in the Washington, DC region. He successfully launched FortiusOne’s GeoCommons using an aggressive social media strategy, and marketed Godsmack lead singer Sully Erna’s bio using a diversified My Space and blogosphere campaign. Geoff’s book on new media Now is Gone was released last autumn by Bartleby Press.
Auction: Two-hour phone consulting / brainstorming session valued at $1K. Bidding begins at $100. Full details available on the Geoff Livingston eBay auction site.
Aaron Strout is vice president of social media at Mzinga, a Burlington, Massachusetts-based provider of online communities and social networks for businesses. In his role, Aaron focuses on blogging, podcasting, webinars, blogger relations, and evangelizing the benefits of social networks for business. In addition to his knowledge of the interactive and new media landscape, Aaron has more than 15 years of online marketing and advertising experience, with a strong background in integrated and online marketing.
Auction: Two-hour phone consulting / brainstorming session valued at $1K. Bidding begins at $100. Full details available on the Aaron Strout eBay auction site.
Greg Verdino is a recognized expert on business and marketing innovation, emerging technologies and Web 2.0. Equal parts marketer and futurist, Greg has made a career of identifying key trends and helping companies turn disruptive changes into a real, sustainable business and marketing advantages. He works as Chief Strategy Officer at crayon, a strategic advisory group that helps companies ‘join the conversation’ through the power of community, dialogue and partnership. He has been profiled in and quoted by a wide variety of business and news media including Advertising Age, Adweek, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Marketing News, New York Times, Newsday and the Wall Street Journal, as well as on television news outlets including CNBC and Fox News Channel.
Auction: A 60-minute keynote speech or 1/2 day workshop anywhere within the U.S. or Canada valued from $5K-$7.5K. Bidding begins at $700. Full details available on the Greg Verdino eBay auction site.
Let the bidding begin!
Note: Contributions outside of the charity auction are gladly accepted at the official marathon fundraising site and are also tax-deductible. A receipt will be immediately e-mailed to you.
Filed under: Nonprofit | Tags: america's giving challenge, beth kanter, fundraising, Nonprofit, sharing foundation, social giving, Social Media
This just in from Chris Brogan’s camp:
Beth Kanter, who runs a blog on how nonprofits can leverage social media, is down to the wire with her push to win an Americas Giving Challenge that will provide $50,000 to the Sharing Foundation — a cause that cares for children in Cambodia. Read her most recent plea for support.
For those not familiar with the America’s Giving Challenge, it’s a unique competition in which individuals or groups can champion causes, and the causes that receive the most unique donations of $10 or more will win a cut of $500,000. What I find most moving about this particular giving model is the opportunity for those people who truly can only afford to donate $10 can actually see their money build into a life-changing amount for an important charity.
There’s no time to hem and haw, however. I wish I’d learned of this earlier but only did tonight. Beth and her team only have until Noon PT/3 p.m. ET tomorrow, Jan. 31, 2008, to win this $50,000 for their charity. Currently they are in fifth place with a need for 28 more donors to move into one fourth place, which would earn them the “prize.”
To quote Chris:
$10 is two latte drinks at Starbucks.
$10 is an appetizer at a restaurant.
$10 is six or seven sodas out of an office vending machine.
$10 is part of someone’s future in your hands today.
For some of my friends:
$10 is just about the cost of a beer at a hockey game.
$10 isn’t even the price of a movie ticket.
$10 is less than 10 percent of what we pay to get our hair cut.
$10 is, fortunately for us, a small amount that not a lot of us would miss.
But it means the world to these kids, and to Beth, and to the men and woman who have been tirelessly driving toward supporting this cause.
Have I convinced you yet? Good. Donate here.

