Team up will be on hand supporting a project with UpGarden P-Patch and we’d love to have you join us. Here’s how you can hop aboard and help out:

1.   Got http://www.seattleworks.org/events

2.   Click on Seattle Works Day is Sat 5/19 – sign up now! (2^nd paragraph)

3.   Fill out “Seattle Works Day Registration” (e.g., 1 person or more if you’re signing up a group)

4.   Select “Team Up for Nonprofits (Michael Closson)” from Team list

5.   Fill out your credit card information

Look forward to having a great group and be sure to also RSVP on Facebook to help us spread the word!

Tonight, The Seattle Foundation will be doing what we at Team Up do best, literally teaming up for nonprofits! May 2nd will mark the second GiveBIG event and Team Up is honored to be part of this incredible day of giving.  At 12:01 am GiveBIG will begin a 24 hour period of philanthropic magic, allowing online donations to The Seattle Foundation for a plethora of local nonprofits until midnight on Wednesday. With the power of social media, hundreds of people will connect to hundreds of causes hoping to impact our city like never before.

GiveBIG Facts & Figures

• Nearly 19,000 individual donations were made for the 2011 GiveBIG event
• $3.6 million was raised for the 2011 GiveBIG event
• $60,000 was largest single gift for the 2011 GiveBIG event
• 2011 GiveBIG event was crowned “Best Use of Social Media” for 2011 by Seattle Magazine
• 1,300 local nonprofits are participating  for the 2012 GiveBIG event
• 2012 GiveBIG event goal is to top $3.6 million

Donations Matched: Any of the participating nonprofits will receive a pro-rated portion  of the matching funds (or “stretch”) pool. The amount of the “stretch” depends on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised in total donations on GiveBIG day. For example, if a nonprofit organization receives 3% of the total donations during GiveBIG, then it will receive 3% of the stretch pool.

Golden Ticket Incentives: Throughout GiveBIG, donors will be chosen at random to have an additional $1,000 given to the charity that received their donation. The selected donor will also be eligible to win a Starbucks gift card worth $100!

Team Up’s GiveBIG Mission

Our goal is to raise enough funds to hire at least one part-time Gigs4Good Program Manager. Our organization is entirely run by volunteers and as we continue to experience success and positive feedback from the nonprofit community, sponsors and musicians, our need for a Program Manager is essential.  We hope the GiveBIG event can help us achieve this need!

Donate to our GiveBIG page

Connect for a Cause

The Seattle Foundation Website  www.seattlefoundation.org

The Seattle Foundation Facebook  www.facebook.com/TheSeattleFoundation

The Seattle Foundation Twitter  @TheSeattleFdn

Team Up for Nonprofits Twitter  @TeamUp4NonProf

Join the conversation on Twitter  #GiveBIG

www.matkearney.com

More details coming in the next couple days, but if you are interested in learning more, please send us an email at info(at)teamupfornonprofits.org, or check back here.

We hope to be electing our new Board President at our monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 8.

If you are going to be at our upcoming Gigs4Good show tonight, please say hello and introduce yourself at our table and we can fill you in a little in person!

This is a volunteer board position, with an amazing team, and at an exciting time of growth for us. If you want to be a part of making a difference in the Seattle nonprofit and music community, and building the network of young professionals giving back, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks!

Do you think you can make a difference with a Tweet? We do!

We at Team Up would like to invite you to join us at our virtual #TweetMob Tuesday,
April 10th between 6pm and 6:30pm. If you haven’t heard of our #TweetMob before, think
of it as a Flash Mob where we all get to take over Twitter for half an hour!

Together, we post about everyone involved with the #Gigs4Good for Seattle Works happening Thursday, 4/12 at the Hard Rock Café Seattle featuring Ivan & Alyosha. We hope to spread awareness about Seattle Works and the #Gigs4Good event through the power of social media.

With your help, we can make a fundraising impact by increasing ticket sales and donating more funds to Seattle Works Day, May 19th.

All you have to do to participate, is post Tweets with ingredients such as the link to the ticket page, the #Gigs4Good and #TweetMob hashtags or just copy/paste the content provided below. Every Tweet, reTweet or Facebook share, will bring good to our community – YOU do make a difference, so join our mob, connect for a cause and share a Tweet!

Tags to Use:

#Gigs4Good

#TweetMob

Ticket Page:

http://bit.ly/G4GSW

Connect for a Cause

@TeamUp4NonProf

@SeattleWorks

@IvanAndAlyosha

@KevinLongMusic

@YuniInTaxco

@HardRockSeattle

@SeattleWeekly

Or share on Facebook by visiting: http://www.facebook.com/TeamUpForNonprofits

BIG THANK YOU!! Give our major sponsors Red Diamond Wines, Pod4Print, and Seattle Weekly some love and gratitude; we really appreciate their contributions to the event!

Tweets to share about #Gigs4Good:

Some love for #Gigs4Good sponsors Red Diamond Wines, Pod4Print, @SeattleWeekly
Really appreciate their contributions to the event! #tweetmob

Spread the Word: #Gigs4Good tix on sale NOW: http://bit.ly/G4GSW w/ @SeattleWorks
@ivanandalyosha @KevinLongMusic @YuniInTaxco #tweetmob

Not many tix left for @TeamUp4NonProf #Gigs4Good for @SeattleWorks 4/12 – Get
yours now! http://bit.ly/G4GSW #music #tweetmob

Don’t miss @TeamUp4NonProf #Gigs4Good 4/12 w/ @IvanAndAlyosha
@KevinLongMusic @YuniInTaxco @HardRockSeattle http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Seattle #Music: 4/12 #Gigs4Good: Doors at 7pm, Get tix to support @SeattleWorks:
http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

The headliner for @TeamUp4NonProf #Gigs4Good 4/12 for @SeattleWorks is
@IvanAndAlyosha Listen: http://bit.ly/ziHQYQ #tweetmob

Seattle band @YuniInTaxco will rock the mic @HardRockSeattle for @SeattleWorks
#Gigs4Good 4/12: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

The opener for @TeamUp4NonProf #Gigs4Good 4/12 for @SeattleWorks is
@KevinLongMusic Listen: bit.ly/GWL0Hp #tweetmob

Seattle bands hit the @HardRockSeattle stage 4/12 for #Gigs4Good! Get tix: http://bit.ly/

Date Night: Grab 2 tickets to see @IvanAndAlyosha and support #nonprofit
@SeattleWorks! #Gigs4Good: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Huge thank you to pod4print! They have generously donated #Gigs4Good event posters
since 2010! http://bit.ly/GEfuj2 #tweetmob

Listen: NPR Tiny Desk Concert w/ #Gigs4Good band @IvanAndAlyosha: http://bit.ly/
GEZjC7 #tweetmob

Listen: Slow Charade by #Gigs4Good 4/12 band @YuniInTaxco: http://bit.ly/GACOw8
#tweetmob

Watch: Down on the Corner, Brandi Carlile w/ #Gigs4Good 4/12 band
@IvanAndAlyosha: http://bit.ly/GH0sIz #tweetmob

Watch: @IvanAndAlyosha! Hit PLAY: http://bit.ly/ziHQYQ For tix to see them LIVE at
#Gigs4Good http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Kevin Long – 27yr old singer/songwriter from Spokane, WA: http://bit.ly/GAorNK See him
live at #Gigs4Good: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Tweets to share about @SeattleWorks:

Nonprofit @SeattleWorks connects volunteers to nonprofits w/ Hot Projects and Bridge
Program! #Gigs4Good http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

You can make a difference in ONE DAY with @SeattleWorks Hot Projects! Support
#Gigs4Good http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

1,300 people every year join a team and dig in at service projects all over the city while
supporting @SeattleWorks #SWDay #tweetmob

May 19th join @SeattleWorks to complete over 4,000 hours of service in one single day!
Donate: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #Gigs4Good #tweetmob

Give four different ways with @SeattleWorks: Volunteer, Lead, Influence, Invest –
Support them at #Gigs4Good http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Rebecca from @TeamUp4NonProf shares her experience w/ The Bridge Program
@SeattleWorks: http://wp.me/pB9dO-Do #Gigs4Good #tweetmob

#SWDay Countdown Begins: http://bit.ly/Hgbsuf Are you joining @SeattleWorks
#Gigs4Good: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Volunteer opportunities coming up that you join http://ht.ly/9ZdfF Or, support
@SeattleWorks #Gigs4Good: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

3 Reasons to Support @SeattleWorks #Gigs4Good: 4/12 http://bit.ly/
G4GSW

In their last Annual Campaign @SeattleWorks raised $13,585!! Support their efforts at
#Gigs4Good: http://bit.ly/G4GSW #tweetmob

Image credits:  cincodenada06 via flickr

Over the past two and a half years almost every day I’ve gone to bed and woken up  thinking about Team Up for Nonprofits, the 501(c) organization I founded. As you might guess it takes a lot of time and energy to launch and grow a nonprofit organization, energy a founder gladly gives for his or her (metaphorical) baby. But every founder also knows that at some point the organization they created will grow beyond their capacity to manage all of its aspects.

For Team Up for Nonprofits that time is now and I believe the ingredients for a successful transition are all present; a great Board of Directors that includes a wonderful leadership team, a successful platform of achievement to continue to grow from, a loyal network of supporters of the cause, and strong external relationships with people important to the growth of the organization. Given those key factors, last night I resigned as President of Team Up to focus on my duties as Founder of the organization. This decision will strengthen Team Up, allowing me a sustained involvement with the organization and the ability to better manage my time and energy between it and my real priority in life, my family. As Founder I’ll still sit on the Board of Director’s, I’ll be more relationship-focussed and represent the organization at events and speaking engagements. I will no longer be responsible for the daily goings on of the BoD’s or the Gigs4Good program.

The reality is Team Up has grown beyond the point where all roads can successfully run through one person. By dividing the roles I’ve been juggling and by adding an additional person to the leadership team the organization will be strengthened. Make no mistake that it’s hard for every founder to give up “control” and it’s been no different for me, but I also want what’s best for Team Up and of course my family.  It’s actually become a pretty easy decision the more I’ve analyzed it.   For those on “the outside” it’s important for me to point out again (as I’ve done at events when speaking) that Team Up was never a one man band, we have an extremely impressive group of very talented and motivated young professionals who I’m looking forward to working alongside as we move forward.

So what comes next? Team Up will be posting the President’s position on our blog in the coming days and for those who are interested in joining our team we will be asking for nominations.  In the meantime I hope you’ll all support our Gigs4Good benefit on April 12th at the Hard Rock Cafe Seattle benefitting our friends at Seattle Works. Tickets are selling fast and given our last event sold out I’d recommend grabbing your tickets now by clicking here so that you don’t miss out.

I’d like to thank everyone who has volunteered in some capacity through my tenure as President, I’m proud of what we have done together and can’t wait to be a part of Team Up’s continued growth as Founder. . .

Lastly, to my wonderful wife, thank you for your patience, love and support… I love you!

Some of the 2012 Team Up Board

If you were lucky enough to catch The Lumineer‘s sold out show in Seattle this past weekend…I’m jealous. For the rest of us that had to live vicariously through the slew of “amazing show, wouldn’t miss it for the world” Facebook status updates, here’s the best we can do. I really dig this band. Please come back to Seattle soon.

There is a reason why you are reading this right now. You need to hear three reasons why you are going to buy a ticket to support the next Team Up For NonProfits event:  Gigs4Good #11.

You should buy a ticket to the 4/12 Gigs4Good featuring Ivan and Alyosha …

#1: Because you don’t have to be rich to be PHILANTHROPIC

The biggest misconception with philanthropy is that it is for really old, really rich people. This is not true. There is a new generation of giving that has evolved and it includes YOU. With the enormous transformation of social media, we have been able to build world-wide communities that can support and build nonprofits across the globe. There is no stopping the amount of giving. It is not about donating a large, undisclosed amount of money – it is about becoming an advocate. Yes, you can donate to your local charity when you are in line at the grocers or perhaps spend a five on Girl Scout sweets and be considered philanthropic.

If you picked ONE nonprofit, let’s say at 21 years of age, and donated $5 a month until you were 40 years of age, you will have given OVER $1,140 to this cause.

or

If you picked ONE nonprofit, let’s say at 21 years of age, and donated 5 HOURS a month until you were 40 years of age, you will have given OVER 1,140 hours to this cause.

It is not about large checks, as you can see. It is about being a part of something, being involved in a community that gives beyond itself. You can give beyond your own means on a Top Ramon budget, if you consider this way of living.

To start, “Like” a local nonprofit on Facebook, reTweet them on Twitter or show up at an event here or there to volunteer. Realizing that YOU do make a difference, and that your one click spans the globe, can bring our generation to a point where giving is not an option, it’s not just a habit, it’s a lifestyle. So find things you want to improve about your community, join their cause and in the next 20 years, you will have made an impact that is invaluable.

#2: Because you like supporting SEATTLE Works

Your ticket purchase to this particular event supports a local nonprofit called Seattle Works.  The organization connects volunteers, develops emerging leaders and inspires dialogue. Funds raised through this Gigs4Good benefit will support ‘Seattle Works Day’, an event that engages over a thousand volunteers in one day to dig in at parks, schools and community spaces all over the city. Groups of coworkers, friends, professional groups, social organizations and the like, join together for an amazing day of teambuilding and community impact.

This year on May 19th, they plan on having up to 1,300 people participate for Seattle Works Day. In 2011, they had 1,154 individuals engaged in community service all in ONE day – which is over 4,000 hours of combined service!

#3: Because buying and listening to local MUSIC is a good thing

At this edition of Gigs4Good you will hear THREE local, up and coming Seattle bands sing their hearts out at the Hard Rock Cafe downtown. The night will begin with 27 year old Kevin Long from Spokane, WA who has been playing guitar since early grade school and sings it like he means it.  After sweet tunes by Kevin, Yuni In Taxco will jam out as they have for KEXP, Bumbershoot or the Capitol Hill Block Party – keeping it real with surf pop rock. For the final act, the Indie Folk band Ivan and Alyosha will take the stage. As previous openers for Brandi Carlile and a recent hit on NPR, the band is headed for a bright future in music.

All these local bands have spent hours sharing their passion on stage and have chosen to use their talents in support of Seattle Works and Team Up For Nonprofits, to give you a night of good music for a good cause.  Visit Brown Paper Tickets if you would like to attend the event. I will be there giving away free hugs and tweeting #Gigs4Good all night long!

CONNECT for a CAUSE:

Follow the event using #Gigs4Good on Twitter

RSVP to Facebook Event

Team Up For Nonprofits on Facebook

Seattle Works on Facebook

@TeamUp4Nonprof

@SeattleWorks

@HardRockSeattle

@IvanandAlyosha

@YuniInTaxco

@KevinLong

Do you have a background in PR or marketing? Do you love music and supporting local nonprofits? If you’re looking for an opportunity to channel your communications smarts into meaningful and rewarding service to our community, Team Up for Nonprofits may be looking for you!