OCGood

We are planning a couple great launch events in Jan. 2010 (see the previous post), and the time has come to work out the details for those events.

Volunteers needed!

Here’s the pitch: There is this great new nonprofit group in Orange County (OCGood) which helps other local nonprofits deliver on their missions. They need help organizing and producing a big fundraising event and conference. Are you willing to chip in?

Here is a link to a document on a wiki site where we’ll manage the process of planning and gathering volunteers for specific tasks for the 1-day conference. Please visit this site and create an account for yourself — once you do, you’ll be able to edit that page… specifically, add your name to be a volunteer for tasks, and add your notes about things we need to do.

http://barcamp.org/OCGoodCamp

Also, please look around the BarCamp.org site and read some of the pages with advice about how to host a successful BarCamp… like these: http://barcamp.org/OrganizeALocalBarCamp

And tell your friends, neighbors, colleagues, stalkers and networks about OCGood…

Everyone is welcome and we need help! So, whether you’re a social media guru, ajax ninja, graphic designer, blogger, event-planner, copywriter or an all-around good egg willing to chip in, please chime in and feed your service-minded soul, and do some OCGood.

*IMPORTANT*
Scheduling request: let’s keep our Wed., Nov. 18th meeting 6pm for sure! I for one will be missing the camaraderie and good vibes of spending some time with you all… Please block off your schedule for 6pm-8pm that night if at all possible… we’ll announce a location closer to the event.

The Orange County online citizenry is stepping up to the challenges our communities face.

This group, OCGood, is boldly launching a process of social innovation. And, we want to meet you.

OCGood will officially launch in January 2010 with two great events:

• a one-day unconference (also called a BarCamp) for local nonprofits and those of us who want to contribute in a meaningful way to our local struggling social enterprises (nonprofits and charities)
• a very special high-profile evening launch event to debut OCGood as a social force for social good

There’s a lot more to say about what’s coming down the pike with this effort; so please sign up for the RSS feed here, click on the “JOIN” link here to register your email with OCGood (which we’ll protect carefully and use respectfully), and please tell your friends, neighbors and anyone who might be interested.

We also have an open-door policy: we want to meet you and everyone who could contribute to our efforts, or who might benefit from our support and guidance about how best to use Internet technologies to help deliver on their good efforts.

So, please, spread the good word.

Here’s a decidedly unpolished, casual, impromptu video invitation to do some OCGood, thanks to Darin R. McClure at Ready To Go IT, http://rtgit.com…

To stay in touch:

• sign up for the RSS feed
• click on the “JOIN” link here (email signup)
• Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=155064927938
• Search the Twitter hashtag: #OCGood

OCGood is a collaborative of local people who want to share, give, engage, create, collaborate and be of service by offering time and talent to struggling local non-profits.

Let’s get together again to talk some more…

WHEN: Monday, Oct. 5, 12:30PM to 1:30PM
WHERE: Bonehead’s Grilled Fish, Lake Forest, CA
WHAT: Please come with a desire to help, and a willingness to ask for help.

I know it’s short notice, sorry… we’d like to plan a few meetups in the next couple weeks (despite the short notice) and build momentum rather than languish too much because of scheduling friction.

So, here’s a list of some coffee-ups, and lunch-ups to account for various scheduling issues…

PLEASE take a second to RSVP (so we can be sensitive to the planning needs of the restaurant and waitstaff).

And tell your friends, neighbors, colleagues, stalkers and networks to come to any or all of these events…

Everyone is welcome and we need help! So, whether you’re a social media guru, ajax ninja, graphic designer, blogger, event-planner, copywriter or an all-around good egg willing to chip in, please come and feed your service-minded soul, and do some OCGood.

[ UPDATE: invites expired. ]

Thanks!
Ross

Dumbfounded.

I hope you’ve experienced feeling dumbfounded… To feel confounded, astonished by something to the point of being left dumb, unable to speak.

Dumbfounded. Specifically, dumbfounded by the generosity of others. That’s the best description I can muster of how I felt coming out of last week’s meetup for OCGood. Dumbfounded. I couldn’t even write up a quick description of the get-together at first; unable to speak.

Why is that a good thing? Because it’s a another way to describe feeling overwhelmed by generosity. I hope you all feel that at some point, and I hope you all experience dumbfounding someone else with your generosity. That’s the powerful, virtuous circle of giving and receiving.

Give your help. Ask for help. That’s the foundation of conscious living. Ohana.

What has happened so far with OCGood?

Last week under this little cabana, around a big square table, some exceptional professionals from a broad range of disciplines sat down to talk. What emerged during the conversation was a river of good will and generosity. We did some brainstorming, dreaming and visioning. We talked about some nonprofits we know, and we shared some food, drink (and of course, technical recommendations like Hahlo.com and uservoice.com).

Ted Nguyen even whipped out his iPhone and did a couple Audioboo interviews, (boo.fm). Darin McClure shot a video. Needless to say, both were posted and tweeted before the conversation was even over.

Then, we turned our attention to next steps. What is the next indicated step?

We agreed to firm up our mission statement (connecting service-minded internet professionals with struggling local nonprofits), and set a course for how to collaborate and deliver valuable services to those nonprofits.

OCGoodCamp and Launch Event

Our short-term vision is to create a free, one-day unconference (barcamp style event) for nonprofits in South Orange County, followed by an official launch event for the OCGood initiative.  We also envision a regular, periodic evening lecture series of stellar keynote speakers combined with valuable social networking, fueled by good food, drink and ohana.

We are currently looking to do the following:

• Recruit OCGood members
• Meet and inform OC nonprofits of our mission
• Solicit corporate sponsorships to support this mission
• Gather an unbiased assessment of the online technology needs of local nonprofits
• Partner with individuals, companies, foundations, or agencies to help local nonprofits use Internet, mobile and social media tools
• Embody and model best practices for collaboration and transparent operation

It is only just beginning. Tons of great ideas are just starting to take form, and even more haven’t entered the conversation yet. Please, jump right in… Let’s do some OCGood.

What are your thoughts, suggestions, hopes, and dreams for OCGood?