In the September issue of Mindful Metropolis (a monthly magazine connecting Chicago’s conscious community), GiveForward was highlighted as one of five social entrepreneurs making a difference in Chicago. The article, written by freelance writer and editor Christina Galoozis, focused on bringing transformational change to the city–one donation at a time. We are so thrilled to be a part of it! Check out our section of the article:

Where $5 Funds a Kidney Transplant

Desiree Vargas, 27 & Ethan Austin, 28

I told a friend about my idea for GiveForward, a website that connects worthy causes with everyday donors, at a Super Bowl party last year, and she surprisingly knew someone with the same idea. Ethan and I immediately hit it off on the phone, and he moved from California to Chicago a few months later to launch the business with me.

As an intern at a non-profit during Hurricane Katrina, I recognized the desire of average Americans to donate directly to afflicted families, and not through large organizations like The Red Cross. At the same time, Ethan had reached $6,000 through a personal fundraising Web page for his first marathon sponsored by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. With these personal experiences in mind, we wanted to give everyone with a credible cause–from transplant surgeries to mission trips–a place to collect small donations, even as little as $1, and reach their goal.

To start, Ethan and I were able to pool $50,000 in capital, which we spent entirely on site development, and GiveForward.org first went live on Aug. 14, 2008. We now generate revenue through the 3 percent fee charged to every fundraiser once they reached their goal, as well as Google Ads. People are generally honest, but we police the site for fraudulent behavior.

So far the site has done amazing things. The largest contribution has been $5,000 to help fund a local woman’s kidney transplant, which we’re happy to say was recently granted by the hospital for a reduced rate. Her sister raised a total of $32,000 on our site. We also sponsor “Run for a Reason,” where runners can raise money through GiveForward for any cause and run the Chicago Half Marathon and 5K together on Sept. 13.

Like our donations, we started out small. Our ultimate goal is to become bigger–like the eBay for giving.

Here at GiveForward we’re all about making philanthropy fun. So on September 10, we’re giving the community another reason to party. Get a sneak peak of Old Town Social before its grand opening at GiveForward’s “Party for a Reason.” As an awesome pre-race shindig, we will be celebrating the runners and charities involved in “Run for a Reason.” (our fundraising competition and effort to connect with local charities by bringing together runners to participate in the upcoming Chicago Half Marathon & 5k.)

See what Party for a Reason has to offer with two hours of open bar including specialty cocktails, vodka drinks, beer, and appetizers while mingling with young professionals who know how to have a good time.  Doors open at 7pm, and Party for a Reason tickets keep you enjoying the club sans cover for the rest of the night, with a raffle and prizes you won’t want to miss. (Yes, we are offering more than free shirts! Although our shirts ARE pretty cool.) And the best part: ticket proceeds go to various charity partners of GiveForward, including organizations like Chicago Children’s Charities, Chicago Inner City Outings, and Midwest Young Artists. Now who would want to give up the chance to drink and feel guilt free? Party for a Reason promises to be a hangover you can be proud of.

Details of the event:

Where: Old Town Social 455 W. North Ave (on the El: just West of the Sedgwick Brown Line stop)

When: September 10, 2009, 7PM-10PM

Price: $25 for 2 hours of open bar (remember, it’s for charity!)

Purchase your tickets online at Party4aReason.com!

What happens when “Fear Factor” meets the “Amazing Race?” You get a taste of City Chase Chicago, a scavenger hunt style sporting-event taking place this Saturday, August 22. As City Chase describes, it’s time once again “to turn the windy city into an urban playground.” And they mean that quite literally. For most of the afternoon, teams of two attempt to complete ten challenges. They will run, walk and use public transit to navigate their way throughout the city, while calling family and friends for help, accessing the Internet and even employing assistance of total strangers. Last year, you could find teams milking a cow in the middle of the city, completing a boot camp, racing horses in Grant Park, and even stuffing a snake down their shirts. (SNAKES? That’s where I draw the line.) It may sound ridiculous, but hundreds of teams have registered to participate in what’s now “The World’s Largest Urban Adventure Series,” and the chance to advance to the North American Championships, taking place from September 3 to September 5 in Quebec City, Canada.

And the best part? GiveForward is going to be a part of all the City Chase madness! We’re partnering with City Chase and sponsoring one of the event chase points. (Chase Points are the challenges scattered in unknown locations throughout the city. The challenges are supposed to “test mind, body and spirit.”) We’ve designed our own challenge, but since it’s top secret, we can’t exactly tell you what the GiveForward chase point entails. Let’s just say in the spirit of charity, it involves obtaining non-perishable food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

If you’re a brave soul that’s feeling up to the challenge, it’s not too late to register! For more information go to City Chase and check it out.

City Chase may not be a Chicago marathon (we do those too), but it’s a whole new game of endurance that we’re so excited to be a part of!

My favorite status quo that Gen-Y is challenging is in the fatter pocket department. While bottom lines, quarterly reports and profits are important to Gen-Y startups and entrepreneurs, there is something brewing that is gaining more popularity in Gen-Y companies: changing the world. From proceeds based on profits to community involvement and helping each other grow, Gen-Y is fundamentally under the impression that the world will be a better place if we grow together. Helping our friends, neighbors and those in less fortunate situations create jobs and stimulate their economies can impact the world and help everyone grow their bottom line.

Companies like Kiva (on the cusp on Gen-Y) are using crowdsourcing technology to connect investors with business entrepreneurs (yes, young and old) in developing countries to get off and running. Kiva now finances loans in 48 countries and in June 2009 supplied over $4.6 million in loans.

Others, like GiveForward, a privately held social venture (i.e., not a non-profit) are focused on helping existing non-profits and organizations find funding and make donating a better experience. Co-founder Desiree Vargas says, “Generation Y has the opportunity to live their entire career spans expecting to work for companies that treat their employees well, give back to their communities, and create a product or service that brings value to the world.”

New Gen-Y business values are helping to make the entire world a better place to live and do business.

Gen-Y has a long way to go to reach the heights of the mega-conglomerates that occupy the current Fortune 500. But changes in technologies and communication have allowed young people to find needs and niches and provide solutions for the problems they face in ways that are very exciting for the growth of global business. Gen-Y is learning first hand that climbing existing corporate ladders does not mean building a better company and that technology will allow them to stay small yet powerful, informed, and in touch.

What status quo can we shatter next?

Guenter Stoeffelbauer- “Koenig of Communications” (Koenig means King in German.)

Guenter is our newest addition to the GiveForward team! From Vienna, Austria, Guenter has joined us in Chicago to be our miracle marketing and communications strategist. He is a volunteer paramedic for the Red Cross Austria, and his hobbies include music, music, and more music. He’s even turned his hobby into a profession. Guenter specializes in music event marketing, management, and consulting.  While also working for radio stations and other businesses, he works on various marketing strategies that will work best for them. Guenter is currently writing his master thesis in communication. At GiveForward,  he will mainly be working on developing our communication/marketing strategy, and helping to organize GiveForward events. (i.e. Run for a Reason!)

Sheila Barden- “President’s Right Hand, Vice President’s Left Hand”

From preparing meetings to returning phone calls, Sheila does a little bit of everything for GiveForward. As a  senior at Loyola-Chicago, she is studying Public relations and Advertising. She grew up in Gaylord, Michigan, where she says being raised in the family business developed her work ethic. She’s obsessed with Michigan State sports, and would definitely go to a sporting event over a concert. Her current favorites are the color pink, chicken gyros, the Food Network, and Uncle Fatty’s Bar. She finds her free time consumed by her new puppy, Roo, who has her running from training classes to walks to the doggy beach. After Roo, her next love is her husband. These high school sweethearts will be celebrating their one-year anniversary this September. (Congrats!) When she “grows up” she aspires to be a special events coordinator for large-scale events and corporations. But that’s nothing compared to her goal for this summer: to buy a two-pound burrito from Chipotle and consume it in one sitting.

“Working for GiveForward has been amazing thus far. I learn about new charities everyday and have fun working in the office. It is heartwarming and makes me look at the world a little differently everyday,” said Sheila.

Erin Sherwood- “Social Media Maven”

Ever notice the GiveForward Twitter or Facebook accounts? That’s all Erin. Among other things, Erin is responsible for everything social media related with GiveForward, so you can thank her for the great Tweets and Facebook messages sent out. She was born in Florida and moved to Buffalo, NY, where she attended the State University of New York in Buffalo for her B.A in Communications. She then moved to Chicago to attend graduate school at Roosevelt University, and is on her way to obtaining her M.S in Integrated Marketing Communications. She hopes to one day move to Miami to work in a Sports & Entertainment Public Relations firm. Erin is a huge fan of shopping, spur of the moment vacations, and feasting on crab legs. (Mmm…)

“The experience thus far has been nothing short of exciting, between scavenger hunts through the city to setting up lemonade stands by the bike path. I enjoy getting to have hands on experience in helping to create a buzz around the organization while experimenting with new ideas to gain new fundraisers and donors. I enjoy the idea that everything we are doing here can easily be applied to any position I may hold in the future,” said Erin.

Erica Trzeciak- “Fundraising Guru”

Most GiveForward users know Erica. (or at least know she’s the girl who sends them all those nice emails) As our fundraising coach, Erica works to make sure users get the most out of their fundraising experience and guides them on the road to a successful project. Holding down as the only true Chicagolander currently on the GiveForward team, Erica grew up in La Grange, IL. She graduated this year from the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. in Psychology. Her current obsessions are the color green, her nine-month old nephew Lucas, football (Bear down!), gummi worms, gummi bears, and gummi peaches. (basically anything in gummi form) She watches travel shows religiously with hopes of one day visiting every continent, and maybe even every country, if her future finances allow it. She has an adorable pet bunny named Pancakes, who gets along well with her 14-year old black Labrador retriever, Trixie.

“I chose GiveForward because I wanted new perspective on giving back to the community.  I’ve done so much work with philanthropy, community service and fundraising on my own, that it’s nice to be helping on a large scale now.  Helping other people help the causes they care about so much is more rewarding than I could have ever imagined, ” said Erica.

Maya Walker- “Lord of the Fiesta”

From creating fliers to choosing table decorations, Maya is kept busy at GiveForward with our huge upcoming fundraising event, Run for a Reason. She’s planning the event, along with an awesome pre-race party. She grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (home of Krispy Kreme and Ben Folds!) and is a junior at Northwestern University in the Creative Writing program. She loves to spend her time sailing, cooking, and dancing, and she is currently in the process of learning how to parallel park. Some favorites include the movie “The Graduate” and Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Ice Cream. (clearly, we GiveForward interns have great taste in food.)

“So far, my experience with GiveForward has been an absolute blast! It’s been great working with the other interns and Ethan and Desiree, and I’m looking forward to connecting with some of the smaller non-profits around the city,” said Maya.

Ranjani- “PR/Marketing Extraordinaire”

That’s me! Well, if you’re reading this, you can see that my job entails anything Public Relations related…i.e. things like writing blogs and newsletters and preparing marketing strategies for GiveForward. I grew up in a huge family just outside of Houston, Texas (yes, I say y’all) and am now a sophomore at Northwestern University studying Broadcast Journalism, Political Science, and Religion. I hope to one day become an international news correspondent or documentarian. (i think that’s a word?) I’m a fan of random dance moves, quoting movies, the colors hot pink and bright green, mint chocolate chip ice cream, shoes (what girl doesn’t love shoes?), drawing and painting, theatre, and anything chocolate. Buy me a Three Musketeers bar and I will be your best friend.

My time at GiveForward has been amazing. I’m so glad I can put my skills to use and work for a company that’s redefining the idea of fundraising and giving. It’s been a great learning experience, and as you can see, the intern team, along with Ethan and Desiree, are absolutely wonderful to work with.

Now you know a little bit more about the people who have been working this summer to make GiveForward YOUR fundraising site.

To help out with his medical expenses, Chuck’s friends have decided to walk (or bike) from the Taking Action For Animals Conference in DC to the Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down in Watkins Glen, NY this July. They set up the “300 Miles for Chuck” project through GiveForward, and are doing great with fundraising! So far, friends and family from all over have raised close to 34% of the $25,000 goal.

We’re so happy that GiveForward is enabling fundraising for causes like Chuck’s, and hope everyone in the community can be inspired by stories like his. With a supportive community, Chuck Pappas is on his way to enduring the expensive road to recovery. Our thoughts go out to Chuck and his family, and good luck to all participating in his 300-mile walk.

Why not get involved? Runners get to choose a cause they care about, and use the site to fundraise towards their goals. You get the satisfaction of raising money, finishing a 5K or half marathon, AND a kick-ass GiveForward t-shirt. (Who could resist that?) Also runners are invited to attend the official GiveForward Run for a Reason party to celebrate with raffles, food, and lots of alcohol.

If you know anyone training for a race this season who might want to participate and make their run more meaningful, be sure to tell them about GiveForward’s Run for a Reason! To get started join our group page at giveforward.org/runforareason or if you know of any Chicago nonprofits that want to start their own fundraising team tell them to email us or visit giveforward.org/groups.html

How do they work? It’s simple. Groups can set up a page on GiveForward so that any individual can start their own fundraiser to specifically benefit their cause…i.e. marathon runners can choose which GiveForward group to start a project in, and any money raised would go directly to the non-profit of their choice. Even fraternity/sorority members could utilize group pages to easily fundraise directly to their philanthropy.

The purpose of GiveForward groups is to help both institutions and fundraisers. Established institutions have a permanent page, where they can send supporters to start projects for their cause. Fundraisers have one place where they can choose a group they care about, and easily start a project to directly benefit them.

We are so excited and honored to receive this grant, and it’s going to be put to great use! The award comes at an especially perfect time for us, since we are in the process of promoting the new version of our site.

On the new site, which launches this July, we are starting specialized “group” pages, where it will now be easier for nonprofit organizations, college and grade school clubs, and other institutions to fundraise for their cause and have a permanent place here at GiveForward.

This award will also help expand our user outreach. With the grant, we can help more individuals fundraising directly to friends and family for meaningful causes, such as medical expenses.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about the changes to come with GiveForward. We’re growing fast and we couldn’t do it without the support of our awesome community!

Quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Obama spread motivation to take action in the initiative, and volunteer in service projects throughout the summer. And we at GiveForward couldn’t agree more with taking the opportunity to serve.

“Imagine the changes that happen with the creation of this park,” Obama said. “Kids who were never able to play on a swing set will get the opportunity to play.”

Later, in a keynote address to the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, Obama stated, “We have an administration that understands that service is the key to achieving our national priorities.”

This call to action is seen as a way for more Americans to address their own community’s problems, from education and health to energy and the environment.

The initiative will run through Sept. 11, which the administration has designated as the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

To help you get involved, Serve.gov was created as an online resource for finding volunteer opportunities in your community, as well as designing your own projects. This tool makes it easy to find a way to do your part.

As the President has stated, “volunteer this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America, one community at a time.” And given the current challenges America faces, there hasn’t been a more perfect time to roll up our sleeves and get to work!