In celebration of Day 3 of National Volunteer Week, I’m hoping you’ll find in the list of ten below, an opportunity that’s perfect for you. Just click on the title of a particular opportunity that interests you, and you’ll be able to view the detailed role description from Idealist.org:

#1 Creative Project Manager: For artists & creative types like Amanda

Amanda May is our newest creative project manager. She has a background in photography and graphic design, and currently works as a fashion photo retoucher in New York City. While searching for info about Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, she found Oprah’s site which links to VolunteerMatch, where she just happened to find us. Coincidence? I think not. Right now, she’s working on several amazingly creative ideas to transform the stories of children in Tanzania into interesting products that you’re going to crave.

#2 Accountant/Auditor: For human calculators

#3 Social Media Strategist, #4 Social Networkers & Web 2.0 Fiends or #5 Web 2.0 Designer: For web 2.0 junkies

#6 Local Chapter Heads: For social fireflies like Emily

Emily Morrow-Fick is one of our chapter heads in Canada. She is currently a student and previously volunteered with Sanjay and Stacey in Tanzania in 2007. In her own words, “I had the pleasure of working with Sanjay and Stacey in Tanzania. [Gee, thanks, Emily!] Their enthusiasm has been contagious and now I am so excited to be working with Epic Change here in Canada. As a student, there are so many opportunities open to me to make change happen. Epic Change is doing great things in Africa right now, and I’m proud to be a part of that. I can’t wait to go back to Tanzania and see all the amazing changes that Epic Change has been able to fund at Shepherd’s Junior.” Emily’s currently working on planning a huge sale of consignment clothes, a poker tournament and a band performance at a local club. Like them, she rocks!

#7 Kids to Create Epic Change: For kids like Zoe

Zoe’s a third grader who’s leading the kid-powered revolution at Epic Change. Already, she’s personally raised hundreds of dollars with her lemonade stand and at her birthday party, which she threw in honor of her new friends in Tanzania. She’s also You can read more about her efforts and, if you’re a kid, learn more about how you can get involved at http://www.EpicChange.org/kids.

#8 International Volunteers: For adventurers like Eoin

Eoin’s a photographer and graphic designer who traveled to Tanzania last year and, during his trip, taught a photography class to some of the children at Shepherds Junior. He also donated two digital cameras and a solar charger that the children are now using to take photos that will be used for greeting cards and postcards. Later this year, Eoin plans to publish a book of his photos from his trip to Arusha and a portion of the proceeds will be dedicated to Epic Change.

#9 PR & Marketing God(dess): For spin doctors

#10 10-Minute Volunteers: For those with more passion than time

Even if you’ve only got 10 minutes a week, I’m hoping you’ll commit to volunteer them with Epic Change. Just leave a comment below, email me at stacey@epicchange.org or call my cell (415.630.0631) with the role in which you’re interested – or pass this post to a friend who might be looking for a way to make a difference. Of course, if you’re the type who prefers to color outside the lines (aren’t we all, really?), and you’ve got a great idea for how to use your unique talents in support of Epic Change, let us know; we love new ideas!

Just yesterday, a musician named Lauren Hayworth reached out to me with an offer to write music for our YouTube videos, a need which we had, but certainly hadn’t conceptualized. Her effervescent song of hope & optimism, Look Up, is already featured on our video of Gideon. You can check out the video here, and, if you’re in the mood to feel totally inspired, listen to Lauren’s song:

[audio:http://epicchangeblog.org/wp-content/audio/look_up_hayworth.mp3]

In short, we need YOU, in whatever brilliant capacity you’re able, to contribute the most valuable thing you have to offer – your time – to this effort. I so look forward to working with you!

---

PS: For those of you who may have missed it, this week Epic Change is participating in National Volunteer Week by asking each of our supporters to volunteer 5-10 minutes each day this week to Epic Change. If you’re just starting, you all you need to do is read and comment on this blog entry or this Youtube video and answer a couple of these 20 questions to catch up!

Posted: April 30th, 2008 under The Foundry.
Comments: 3

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, this week is National Volunteer Week. At Epic Change, we believe that anyone can make a difference in just a few minutes a day, so every day this week, we’re posting a 5-10 minute volunteer opportunity in which we hope you’ll participate.

Today, we present a game of 20 questions. Epic Change is your organization, and your ideas and collaboration are the keys to its success. Here we’ve posted 20 questions on which we’d like your input. While we certainly don’t expect you to answer all of them, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to scan the list and choose one or a few that are particularly relevant or interesting to you. All you need to do is post your responses as a comment to this post, and refer to the number of the question you’re answering.

Here’s our questions:

About You

1. What about you makes you the type of person that supports an effort like Epic Change? Where would we look to find more people like you?
2. If you could ask one question of the children, teachers or parents in Tanzania (or of us!) what would you ask?
3. What are the top 3 reasons that you personally support and/or are interested in Epic Change?
4. What other causes do you support? Why & how?
5. Have you asked anyone to get involved with Epic Change or donate funds? If so, share your experience. If not, why not?

Your Great Ideas

6. If you could offer one piece of advice or feedback to Epic Change, what would it be?
7. Do you have a great idea for a product – that you would personally buy – that could be designed based on the stories and/or artwork of children in Tanzania?
8. What ideas do you have for spreading the word about Epic Change?
9. Do you have an interesting idea for a fundraiser?
10. What could we do to make you feel even more connected to the school you’re supporting in Tanzania? What could you do?
11. We’ve currently got 18 great computers waiting for shipment to Tanzania. Do you know of any inexpensive (or free!) alternatives for shipping, or do you know someone in the cargo/shipping business that might be able to help?

Our Online Presence

12. Which blog posts have you found most/least interesting? Why?
13. Which Youtube video has been most/least interesting to you personally? Why? (You can check out all of our YouTube videos here.)
14. What improvements would you suggest to our website or blog?
15. Do you have a question or topic that you’d like us to cover in a future blog post?
16. If we set up a “twitter” account for the children in Tanzania, would you follow their conversation? Why or why not?

For the Nerds

17. I’ve read about a tweeter recently who had problems setting up twitter on his cell phone in Delhi. What will be the challenges of setting up twitter on cell phones in Tanzania? How can I avoid complications?
18. I’d like to get several cell phones that would work in Tanzania for the children to use for tweeting. Do you know of anywhere I could get free or cheap cell phones that would work (or could be easily adapted to work) in Tanzania?

For Everyone

19. Do you have a question that you’d like to ask fellow supporters and followers of Epic Change?
20. If you’ve suggested an idea for Epic Change to implement, would you personally be willing to participate in its implementation? Alternatively, has anyone else contributed a great idea with which you’d like to help?

Don’t forget, too, If you missed Monday’s 5-minute opportunity, it’s simple to catch up: just check out one of our recent blog entries about Gideon, a fourth grader at Shepherds Junior, and his dad Gidori, post your personal response as a comment, and, if you haven’t already, subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.

I look forward to hearing from you – and am excited to hear all your great ideas. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for another quick opportunity to create Epic Change!

Posted: April 29th, 2008 under The Foundry.
Comments: 7

You are amazing.

You can’t imagine how many people told me it would be impossible to build a school in Africa in three months. Apparently, they didn’t know about you. They said I needed to get someone rich or famous involved, that they’re the ones with the power to make a real difference. Apparently, they didn’t realize just how much power you have when you’re passionate about something. Maybe you’re not Angelina Jolie, perhaps you’re not Bono or Bill Gates. But you have power beyond measure; just look at what you’ve accomplished.

Admittedly, we’ve only just begun – but what a beginning: 6 months. 350 people mobilized. Nearly $40,000 raised. $1000 grant awarded. 4 classrooms constructed & open. 200 smiling faces.

Now, though, we face the challenges of the road ahead. Over the next 3-4 years, we’ll need to raise over $200,000 to complete the school with more classrooms, its first library, cafeteria, solar power, flushable toilets, a playground and a school bus. Concurrently, we’ll be developing products based on the stories of the children at the school in an effort to successfully prototype our unique approach to story-based pay-it-forward social innovation. These will be no small feats. Having seen what you’ve accomplished already, though, I’m not worried a bit, just excited to see where this journey will lead.

Serendipitously, this week is National Volunteer Week. Since you’ve demonstrated so clearly what you can accomplish when you work together, I’m asking you, this week, to expand your collaboration. Each day this week, I’ll be posting to the blog a 5-10 minute volunteer opportunity. I believe that if we each continue to do a little, together, we have the power to create truly EPIC Change in Tanzania and, after this project is complete, in many other hopeful communities across the globe.

Today’s activity is simple: Immerse yourself in the story. Not only is today the beginning of National Volunteer Week, it’s also “Reading & Commenting Day” in the blogosphere, so today’s effort is about participating in the story that’s unfolding on our blog. Here’s all you need to do:

• Check out our blog. Learn more about this incredible story in which you’re participating by reading a few blog posts. Most recently, we’ve posted this story about Gideon, a student at the school, and this truly compelling video interview with his Dad. Get to know their story, so you can pass it on.
• Post a comment. We’d love your ideas, input, feedback & suggestions, and since our friends in Tanzania keep track of the blog too, they’d love to hear from you. Make yourself heard.
• Subscribe to the blog. If you haven’t already, you can have each blog entry come straight to your email by entering your email here or, if you prefer an RSS feed, subscribe to ours here. This will enable you to easily provide input on an ongoing basis, communicate with those you’re helping in Tanzania and follow the story you’re helping to write.

If you’re not a techie & this doesn’t make sense, or is confusing, please don’t opt out. We can’t do this without you. Just call my cell at 415.630.0631 or call Sanjay at 415.748.2152. We’d be more than glad to walk you through the process personally.

In the spirit of National Volunteer Week, we’ll of course be publishing some great opportunities this week to get even more involved in Epic Change, if you’re interested and able to make the time.

For now, though, I’m asking for ten minutes every day this week, less than one hour.

Are you in?

---

PS: If you’ve got extra time today (or are in a long, boring meeting), here’s some extra credit:

• Stumble us. Register for StumbleUpon, and stumble the posts you read; a link appears at the bottom of each post. You only need to register once, and then each time you find an interesting story on our blog, stumble it. By doing so, you publicize our blog, and get more people interested in our story.
• Share our blog. If you’ve got a blog, post a link to our blog (http://www.EpicChange.org/blog). If you don’t have a blog of your own, find a post you really like on the Epic Change blog and forward it to your friends. Let them know that you’re participating – and why.

If you do the extra credit, and you let me know by posting a response on our blog, I shall find some sort of prize for you. It will be good.

Again, don’t hesitate to call with questions!!! 415.630.0631 or 415.748.2152.

Posted: April 28th, 2008 under The Foundry.
Comments: 2