Geeking For Good

Earlier this year I attended the ConnectingUp Australia conference and had the pleasure of meeting Peter Deitz, founder of Social Actions. I love the idea of the “open philanthropic web” that Social Actions is creating. The platform provides many opportunities for people wanting to take action relating to the causes they are passionate about.

With over 60 action sources, there is a constant stream of ways for people to change the world. The Social Actions API is where the real beauty of Social Actions lies. Developers can take the data and create any number of mashups – such as web widgets, Wordpress plugins, Facebook apps and Twitter feeds.

The action sources are US- and UK-centric, however that does not stop Australians from using the platform. Two quick ways to take advantage of Social Actions is using Twitter or Delicious.

• Twitter – use the hashtag #takeaction in your tweets.
• Delicious – use the tag takeaction when saving bookmarks.

These will then be picked up by the Social Actions API – I told you it was simple!

My first foray into playing with the Social Actions data was to create @OzActions – which tweets Australia-related actions. It took less than five minutes. You can follow this or any of the other Twitter Action Packs to be alerted of opportunities relating to issues you care about.

Leave a comment, or connect with me at my.socialactions.com.

I have been watching Channel Nine’s The Secret Millionaire over the last few weeks, and while I’ve found it to be quite an inspiring show, the ratings have been rather lacklustre. Why aren’t more people watching? Most likely, the timeslot of 9:30 on a Thursday night. Which is a shame, as there are two very important themes that reoccur in the show that it deserves a wider audience:

1. Australia has many amazing unsung heroes – volunteers.
2. To give, whether in time or money, can be so rewarding, not only for individuals, but for the community at large.

When I was growing up, my mother managed the local Meals on Wheels. Every morning before school I would help the kitchen staff with minor jobs, and during the school holidays, I would go out on the delivery runs. Most volunteers were retired, and often helped those who were their own age (or younger in some cases). One particular fellow was volunteering well into his 80s, and even when he could no longer drive, he would still go on the delivery runs as an aide. Meals on Wheels as an organisation is so important, not only for providing food, but contact. Many of the older folk would greet us at the door, and it was clear in many cases that the delivery was their favourite part of the day, because they got to talk to somebody. Many people had had no contact with their own family for quite some time, so the Meals on Wheels volunteers had taken that place, providing a connection to the community. And this is where I think a show like The Secret Millionaire is so important. We get to see a part of Australian society that many will never be exposed to: those in need, and the organisations and people and that are there for them, despite their own obstacles. An article on Philanthropy.com earlier this week shared research by Thomas J. Stanley indicating that “[w]ealthy people who give away 10 percent or more of their income to charity tend to build a higher net worth — and to be happier — than other wealthy individuals who give less” (Most Charitable Among Wealthy Have Highest Net Worth — And Are Happier, Too). What is stopping the average person from giving 10 percent of their income? Could we all be happier if we tithed our income (or even time) in order to give to others in need? I truly hope each of the Secret Millionaires continue their philanthropic efforts beyond the show, and that the viewers take a moment to think how they could, in their own way, give back to the community.