Television Shows Promote Volunteering - How does this help you promote your own program?

[Daniel Bassill]

Television viewers will notice the week of October 19 – 25 that their favorite characters and actors are promoting volunteerism to a level never before seen in the entertainment industry. The effort is part of a multi-year initiative from the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) titled "I Participate," which will encourage Americans to embrace a new way of thinking about service and aims to persuade millions of people to volunteer regularly. For more information about "I Participate," visit http://www.iparticipate.org. Are you ready to use this visibility to talk about volunteer opportunities in your own program? Are you ready to talk about the philanthropy needed to support effective volunteer-involvement? If you use this media attention effectively, it can help you have a much more successful November and December fund raising effort, and this can enable you to support your youth and volunteers better in 2010. Do you have good ideas on this? Why not do a workshop at the November Conference in Chicago, or share your ideas on a blog, or in a discussion forum such as this one.