We’ve got some great news! And it’s a two-parter.

The first part is a celebration of a goal accomplished.

Most of our summer has been spent with our heads down, preparing the VolunteerBIG web technology for general use. Our goal was to roll out the app in two phases: the first with a small but robust contest registration and invite functionality, and the second being the comprehensive app, with all the bells and whistles.

We’re happy to announce that the first version of our web technology is complete! (::happy dance::) Our code poet, Ryan, has created a web app that allows people to register for a specific volunteer opportunity and recruit their friends to join them using facebook and twitter. It also makes volunteer check-ins super-easy by using SMS technology. (Our non-profit partners are really going to love that!)

This ties into part two of our great news: using the freshly completed web app, we’re working with the non-profit Save Our Beach and the relaxing day spa company Burke Williams to run a contest in support of the Seal Beach Cleanup on September 17^th, 2011. That’s California Coastal Cleanup day for you non-Californians—a day in which over 80,000 people unite to clean up beaches all along the coast of California.

Our goal is to maximize the amount of volunteers by offering sweet prizes like a $400 credit at Burke, tickets to Disneyland, and more. We’ve already got lots of motivated people to sign up which is a huge win. If you happen to be in the Southern California area that day, don’t hesitate to register for the cleanup here and enter the contest here.

With the Seal Beach Cleanup contest underway and the VBIG app version 1.0 complete, we’ll be hard at work getting version 2.0 ready for you.   This next version will be more focused on our main goal:  increasing volunteerism for every cause across the board.   You will enter by volunteering and recruiting your friends for any of the hundreds of great opportunities available in your city.  These larger contests will give us the leverage to work with huge brands and offer even more amazing prizes for participation.

This is getting exciting.

WE NEED INTERNS.

WANTED:

You’re a hustler. A rockstar. A lifelong learner. You’re always bettering yourself and you work to create a better world.

You’re Internet savvy, but also know your way around a stimulating conversation. Skills: you’ve got ‘em. Sales, marketing, customer service, writing, facebooking, twittering, planning, and organizing. You’re also open-minded and desirous to improve the skills that you may not have.

THIS SUMMER:

Your key role will be to assist us as we expand our reach nationally by developing relationships with big-name brands and non-profits, scaling a process that we’ve established and are honing in Philadelphia. You’ll learn from our team as we execute to go BIG—creating massive and measurable social benefit while making substantial profit. See more about VolunteerBIG’s programs here.

This will be the summer that you never forget.

“HOW DO I GET IN ON THIS?”

Email your resume to: summer11@volunteerbig.com

Include a cover letter that answers these questions:
– Why do you want to work with a company like VolunteerBIG?
– Why should we hire you?
– What’s the last thing you bought that you are proud of and why?

Please be yourself and make your strongest case. Include a photo and links to your website, blog, Twitter, and/or Facebook.

“HOW MUCH?”

$3,500 and the summer of your life.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

-Jordan, Obi and the rest of the VolunteerBIG Team

So, we’ve been quiet for a while.

You could say the seeds we planted together last summer have germinated and they’re starting to poke their little heads out of the soil. Or, well, what would be your favorite metaphor? In any event, we’re finally ready to let you in on some secrets here. I will write a follow-up post that describes how we ended up here, but for now, for the curious:

1. What is VolunteerBIG?

It’s a contest platform that drives volunteerism by giving you rewards for giving back while also supporting nonprofits with grants and volunteers. How do we do that? When you volunteer, anywhere, you can enter yourself into our contest and be entered into a raffle to win prizes like ipads and bikes. It’s that simple. Non-profits are also competing to win big cash grants while at the same time growing their outreach lists by turning out their supporters to vote for them and recruit their friends to do so too. And, well, everyone wins.

2. Why is VolunteerBIG?

We know people are busy, and we know that there are a lot of options out there for your time. So, we wanted to lower the barrier to entry into volunteerism as much as possible. We also wanted to add buzz and excitement around community participation, making it a thing to talk about at work, on facebook, or with your friends at the gym. Can you envision more people supporting our community and talking about helping out? Surely that would only create stronger communities. The more that’s happening, the more we can look at one another and be personally satisfied with the way things are going.

The more people who are supporting our community and talking about helping out, the stronger our community is, and the more satisfied we are.

3. When is VolunteerBIG?

We are in talks with a whole bunch of very major, exciting and in their own right amazing companies, and as soon as we have a deal worked out to sponsor a contest, we’re ready to go. So, the answer is soon, and as soon as possible. We’re working hard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help! – if you know someone at a major corporation that may be interested, please email us at info@volunteerbig.com.

4. Why not now?

Without having a sponsor, we can only use some of our tools now- like the ability to challenge a friend to volunteer through their facebook page. We realized from our work this past summer that we need to make sure what we release is supported and gets real traction. If we get enough of a push from you, our lovely supporters, we can release this feature now.

5. How can you help us or your community now?

If you want to volunteer now, all you have to do is reach out to us and we’ll help you find a place to volunteer. If you want to help us, we’d love your support! That may mean working with us to make a video or helping build relationships in cities where we don’t have contacts. Also, if you have contacts within fortune 500 corporations that you think would love to benefit from the groundswell of attention that sponsoring such a contest in Philly, New York, Detroit or any other major metropolitan area would create for them, please reach out to us – that very simple act may end up creating a huge tidal wave of community participation and make your street a better one to live on.

If you want to be a part of getting us to where we’re going:

• Let us know if you would “challenge your friends” to volunteer through facebook, even without any prizes or incentives.
• Introduce us to your friends who work at our large brands with an eye towards corporate responsibility: contact us at info@volunteerbig.com.
• Let some friends know about us. Post this blog to your facebook wall.
• Lend a hand in any other creative way, we can use your help! Just leave a comment and we’ll get in touch with you.
• Let us know what you think about what we’re up to – your feedback helps make what we do better. We’re also happy to answer any question you may have.

For everyone else, just keep on rockin’ and be sure to share with us and with all your friends the good stuff you’re doing. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re an inspiration to the people around you.