I am so grateful for the opportunity to exhibit at BlogHer. During the conference, we spoke with hundreds of bloggers about the accomplishments of the five Bloganthropy Awards finalists. We also heard from bloggers about how they are using their influence to support causes and charities they are passionate about through their blogs and Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Hopefully the mainstream coverage of BlogHer 2010 will focus on the best of the blogging community instead of the out-of-character actions of a few misguided individuals (like last year’s coverage of what was termed “SwagHer”). What do I mean by “best of the blogging community?”

For starters, check out Tutus for Tanner.

I had the opportunity to meet  Catherine from HerBadMother.com at BlogHer. Catherine is the woman behind Tutus for Tanner. She’s an amazing writer, but (more importantly!) she’s also an amazing person.  Catherine is raising awareness about Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy as well as funds to fight the disease and to enable Tanner to live at home rather than in the hospital. I saw so many people making and wearing tutus at BlogHer in support of Catherine’s nephew Tanner who has DMD. But the most amazing thing happened on Twitter immediately before the conference. Air Canada damaged Tanner’s electric wheelchair and refused to get him a replacement. Tanner would have been without a wheelchair for several days and would have missed the 5k run in his honor. Clearly this was an unacceptable way to treat a dying boy.  Thousands of bloggers took to Twitter to protest, and Tanner received a replacement wheelchair in time. It was wonderful to see how bloggers united in support of this incredible little boys, and I suspect Air Canada learned an important lesson about how to treat its wheelchair-bound passengers in the future.

A highlight of the conference was meeting the Bloganthropy Award finalists. I am still in awe of their accomplishments, and I thrilled to see this group of women receive some recognition for their accomplishments. (Click here to read more about them.)

Did you know that the team behind Passports with Purpose is going to build a village in Southern India? I’m not kidding here. They built a school last year are actually building an entire village this year! Please check out their site and contribute to their fundraising effort if you can.

Kristine Brite McCormick of Cora’s Story has already saved the lives of several babies by raising awareness of congenital heart defects and educating parents about the importance of pulse oximetry screening. How many of us can actually say that we’ve saved a life? Kristine can, and I think she is truly heroic! As her organization grows, I know many more lives will be saved through her efforts.

Maggie from Violence Unsilenced gives survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault a voice. During the conference, I met several women who told me how Violence Unsilenced helped them heal and thanked us for honoring Maggie for her incredible work building the community and raising awareness about the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in our country.

Megan from Velveteen Mind wrote a post saying she was honored “but distinctly out of place” compared to the other nominees. Her numerous admirers at BlogHer would disagree. Megan has used her blog to bring attention and donations to Hurricane Katrina survivors and the people impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf. She promoted Tide Loads of Hope and worked on a recent campaign to donate nearly 70,000 meals to Feeding America.

Long before Brooke Shields wrote her famous book on her experience with PPD and had her famous battle with Tom Cruise, Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress was working tirelessly to help women with PPD and other perinatal and antenatal mood disorders. Postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders affect over 800,000 women annually in the United States alone. Increased awareness of PPD is critical to early diagnosis and treatment. For six years, Katherine Stone solely supported Postpartum Progress, helping countless women through her efforts. She recently incorporated as a non-profit with the goal of expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness. We hope that recognition as the first annual Bloganthropy Award Winner and the prize money donated by P & G GIVE HEALTH will help Katherine Stone to accomplish this worthy goal.

Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress won the first annual Bloganthropy Award at the awards dinner sponsored by Child’s Play Communications on August 5th. Stephanie Azzarone of Child’s Play Communications was the “fairy godmother” behind the Bloganthropy Awards dinner. I cannot thank her enough for all of her hard work on the event, contributions, and pro-bono PR support. She has been incredibly supportive of our efforts to build Bloganthropy.

I had a chance to share the stories of all these amazing women with Jennifer Brandt of Momversation, thanks to “performance with a purpose” from PepsiCo. Click here to see Momversation’s excerpts from this interview.

And I was so proud to see the efforts of the ever effervescent Lori Holton Nash, a member of our Bloganthropy Blogger Advisory Board, for Go Red for Women, which “celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke”.

BlogHer is truly a community of women, lifting each other up.

You might also be surprised that many bloggers donate the infamous “Swag” to charities or to people in need in their community. For example, I’m donating mine to a local family who just lost their house to a fire. This family had five children and no fire insurance, and they needed help. I actually found out about them from a friend of mine, via her blog.

At the thredUP booth, they took an approach we wholeheartedly appreciate.  A sign on the table said: “Looking for Swag? We’ve got something better… Make a Green School Year Pledge and thredUP will donate $1 to Cradles to Crayons.” Karen told us that bloggers were very supportive of the “no swag”, eco-friendly charity pledge. They are at $840 right now so why not go and add to the donation?

This is what bloggers do best. They use their blogs to reach out and inspire others to make the world a better place.

Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress, is recognized for drawing focus to postpartum depression

NEW YORK CITY, August 5, 2010 – Katherine Stone, publisher of the popular blog, Postpartum Progress, was named the winner of the first annual Bloganthropy Awards, announced at Dinner’s On Us, a special event exclusively for mom bloggers, held today at the 3 West Club in New York City. The event coincides with BlogHer, the largest annual conference of women in social media.

The Bloganthropy Awards recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media effectively to promote a good cause.  Stone became an advocate for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders after experiencing a severe bout of postpartum depression herself in 2001. Her feelings of fear and isolation inspired her to create Postpartum Progress, now the most widely read blog in the United States on postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis and other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth. Stone received an honorary plaque, and a cash prize; a $1,000 monetary donation will be made directly to her cause.

The first annual award event was sponsored by Bloganthropy.org, a non-profit organization aims to empower bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities, and Child’s Play Communications, specialists in connecting companies with moms. Give Health, one of Procter & Gamble’s social sustainability programs, is the inaugural Bloganthropy Awards corporate sponsor.

“We are delighted to honor Katherine Stone and her blog, Postpartum Progress,” says Stephanie Azzarone, president, Child’s Play Communications. “Katherine has shown great dedication to illuminating important postpartum issues over many years and it is our pleasure to recognize and help support those efforts.”

“Postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders affect over 800,000 women annually in the United States alone. Increased awareness of PPD is critical to early diagnosis and treatment. For six years, Katherine Stone solely supported Postpartum Progress, helping countless women through her efforts. She recently incorporated as a non-profit with the goal of expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness. We hope that recognition as the first annual Bloganthropy Award Winner and the prize money donated by P & G GIVE HEALTH will help Katherine Stone to accomplish this worthy goal,” says Debbie Bookstaber, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org.

Candace Lindemann, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org, added: “The Bloganthropy Awards enable us to applaud the work of these powerful women and to inspire others to express themselves using social media.”

In addition to Stone, four nominees were acknowledged for their unique contributions in the blogosphere. They are:

Kristine McCormick, Cora’s Story

Kristine touched audiences and developed a strong following by writing about the tragic 2009 death of her six-day-old daughter from an undetected congenital heart defect. This birth defect affects one in 100 newborns and can often be diagnosed in utero or at birth through simple, non-invasive tests.  As a means of coping with her grief and educating parents-to-be, Kristine writes about her process, posts current information about congenital heart defects (CHDs), and advocates for universal screening for CHDs.  (http://www.corasstory.org)

Maggie Ginsberg-Schutz, Violence Unsilenced

While researching and writing an article profiling seven survivors of domestic violence, Maggie, a freelance journalist, created Violence UnSilenced in February 2009, to shed light within the blogging community on domestic violence and sexual abuse/assault by giving survivors a voice. The site is supported by countless bloggers and also has been featured on iVillage, BlogHer, Momocrats, and mentioned in the Huffington Post, raising awareness of this very important issue. Alltop created a new domestic violence channel after learning about Violence UnSilenced.

(http://violenceunsilenced.com)

Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy, Pam Mandel and Beth Whitman, Passports With Purpose

Passports with Purpose unites travel bloggers through an online fundraiser each December. Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick, respectively, launched a travel-inspired fundraising initiative in 2008. Participating bloggers procure travel-related items for an online random drawing. Using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media channels, Passports with Purpose earned $7,500 for Heifer International in its inaugural year and nearly $30,000 in 2009 to build a school in Cambodia. The goal for 2010 is to raise $50,000 to build a village in Southern India. (http://www.passportswithpurpose.com)

Megan Jordan, Velveteen Mind

Megan Jordan, a blogger and Gulf Coast resident, draws upon her personal experience of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, her lyrical voice, and her highly-engaged audience at Velveteen Mind to help others in her region rebuild.  Forming a partnership with Tide detergent and its “Loads of Hope” disaster relief program, Megan hosted a holiday “blogging carnival” about the meaning of hope. Megan and several other bloggers joined the “Tide Loads of Hope” truck in New Orleans, providing laundry services to residents in need during the holiday season. (http://www.velveteenmind.com/)

About Bloganthropy.org

Bloganthropy.org aims to empower bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities. The annual Bloganthropy Awards recognize those who have made a difference by using social media to effectively promote a cause or charity.

About Child’s Play Communications

Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency has launched an exciting array of proprietary services to engage this influential market through traditional media, online and in-person. Recent company awards have included Social Media Innovator of the Year (2010) and PR Innovation of the Year (2009).  When it comes to marketing to moms, Child’s Play Communications is the agency to call. For more, visit www.childsplaypr.com.

About Give Health

P&G is committed to improving the lives of people around the globe. Through P&G’s GIVE HEALTH program, the Company provides clean water, vaccines and education to children in need. At BlogHer 2010, P&G’s GIVE HEALTH is showcasing the power of female “change agents” to help provide clean drinking water to children in developing countries. Partnering with P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, GIVE HEALTH and female bloggers are using the power of online communities to touch lives and give water. To learn more and get involved, visit www.GiveHealthBlogivation.com on July 23.

We want to hear your ideas and to help you promote your philanthropic projects, so be sure to come say “hello”!
As an additional incentive to stop by, Corolle is also offering prizes at our BlogHer Bloganthropy booth–watch @Bloganthropy during the conference for details.

Even if you are unable to visit with us in New York City, we want you to be part of this movement to use our social media influence to build a better world.  Stay in touch by checking out our facebook page, following us on Twitter, subsribing to our RSS feed, and taking the Bloganthropy pledge.

Procter & Gamble’s Give Health is Inaugural Sponsor

NEW YORK CITY, July 21, 2010 – Publishers of five outstanding blogs have won recognition as finalists in the first annual Bloganthropy Awards. Event sponsors — Bloganthropy.org, a non-profit organization that combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving, and Child’s Play Communications, specialists in connecting companies with moms – announced these finalists today. Give Health, one of Procter & Gamble’s social sustainability programs, is the inaugural Bloganthropy Awards corporate sponsor.

The Bloganthropy Awards recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media effectively to promote a good cause.  “We are thrilled to partner with Bloganthropy to recognize bloggers who have channeled their passion and commitment to worthy causes through social media,” says Stephanie Azzarone, president, Child’s Play Communications. “It is inspirational to see their dedication and influence.” 

“Bloganthropy.org’s goal is to encourage bloggers to use their social media influence to make the world a better place. We seek to amplify their efforts by promoting their projects and connecting them with corporate sponsors,” says Debbie Bookstaber, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org.

Candace Lindemann, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org, added: “The Bloganthropy Awards enable us to recognize these strong voices and to empower others to join and lead this growing movement.”

The winner of the first annual Bloganthropy Awards will be announced at Dinner’s On Us, a special event exclusively for mom bloggers, to be held in New York City on August 5th. The event is scheduled to coincide with BlogHer, the largest annual conference of women in social media, which begins the following day.

2010 Finalists

The five 2010 Bloganthropy Award finalists are:

Kristine McCormick, Cora’s Story
Kristine touched audiences and developed a strong following by writing about the tragic 2009 death of her six-day-old daughter from an undetected congenital heart defect. This birth defect affects one in 100 newborns and can often be diagnosed in utero or at birth through simple, non-invasive tests.  As a means of coping with her grief and educating parents-to-be, Kristine writes about her process, posts current information about congenital heart defects (CHDs), and advocates for universal screening for CHDs.  (http://www.corasstory.org)

Katherine Stone,  Postpartum Progress
After experiencing a severe bout of postpartum depression in 2001, Katherine became an advocate for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Her own feelings of fear and isolation inspired her to take action to help others. In 2004 she created the blog Postpartum Progress, now the most widely-read blog in the United States on postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis and other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth. (http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com)

Maggie Ginsberg-Schutz, Violence Unsilenced
While researching and writing an article profiling seven survivors of domestic violence, Maggie, a freelance journalist, created Violence UnSilenced in February 2009, to shed light within the blogging community on domestic violence and sexual abuse/assault by giving survivors a voice. The site is supported by countless bloggers and also has been featured on iVillage, BlogHer, Momocrats, and mentioned in the Huffington Post, raising awareness of this very important issue. Alltop created a new domestic violence channel after learning about Violence UnSilenced.
 (http://violenceunsilenced.com)

Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy, Pam Mandel and Beth Whitman, Passports With Purpose
Passports with Purpose unites travel bloggers through an online fundraiser each December. Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick, respectively, launched a travel-inspired fundraising initiative in 2008. Participating bloggers procure travel-related items for an online random drawing. Using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media channels, Passports with Purpose earned $7,500 for Heifer International in its inaugural year and nearly $30,000 in 2009 to build a school in Cambodia. The goal for 2010 is to raise $50,000 to build a village in Southern India. (http://www.passportswithpurpose.com)

Megan Jordan, Velveteen Mind
Megan Jordan, a blogger and Gulf Coast resident, draws upon her personal experience of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, her lyrical voice, and her highly-engaged audience at Velveteen Mind to help others in her region rebuild.  Forming a partnership with Tide detergent and its “Loads of Hope” disaster relief program, Megan hosted a holiday “blogging carnival” about the meaning of hope. Megan and several other bloggers joined the “Tide Loads of Hope” truck in New Orleans, providing laundry services to residents in need during the holiday season. (http://www.velveteenmind.com/) 

About Bloganthropy.org
Bloganthropy.org is dedicated to connecting social media users with corporate giving and PR departments, to encourage and facilitate charitable donations. The organization also empowers bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities.

About Child’s Play Communications
Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency has launched an exciting array of proprietary services to engage this influential market through traditional media, online and in-person. Recent company awards have included Social Media Innovator of the Year (2010) and PR Innovation of the Year (2009).  When it comes to marketing to moms, Child’s Play Communications is the agency to call. For more, visit www.childsplaypr.com.

About Give Health
P&G is committed to improving the lives of people around the globe. Through P&G’s GIVE HEALTH program, the Company provides clean water, vaccines and education to children in need. At BlogHer 2010, P&G’s GIVE HEALTH is showcasing the power of female “change agents” to help provide clean drinking water to children in developing countries. Partnering with P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, GIVE HEALTH and female bloggers are using the power of online communities to touch lives and give water. To learn more and get involved, visit www.GiveHealthBlogivation.com on July 23.

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 10, 2010 — Child’s Play Communications and Bloganthropy.org, a non-profit organization that combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving, are proud to announce a call for nominations for the first annual Bloganthropy Award.

The Bloganthropy Award aims to recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media to effectively promote a good cause.

Finalists will be featured on Bloganthropy.org. The winner will be announced at the Child’s Play Communications Dinner’s On Us event held on August 5, 2010 in New York City. Bloganthropy founders Debbie Bookstaber and Candace Lindemann, along with Child’s Play Communications president, Stephanie Azzarone, and the company’s Team Mom™ blogger-network Director, Marie Baker, will consider all qualified candidates and select the winner. The deadline for nominations is Monday, June 28, 2010.

Bloganthropy.org is dedicated to connecting social media users with corporate giving and PR departments, to encourage and facilitate charitable donations. The organization also empowers bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities.

NOMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
To nominate yourself or another blogger, please fill out the nomination form located at: http://childsplaypr.com/bloganthropy/.
About Bloganthropy.org
Bloganthropy combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving. Bloganthropy is a non-profit organization. (501c3 status pending).

About Child’s Play Communications
Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency has launched an exciting array of proprietary services to engage this influential market through traditional media, online and in-person, including the award-winning Team Mom™, the agency’s own network of mom bloggers. Recent company awards have included Social Media Innovator of the Year (2010) and PR Innovation of the Year (2009). When it comes to marketing to moms, Child’s Play Communications is the agency to call.

Valentines for Veterans is a project to boost the morale of Veterans during National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week (February 7-13).

Sew Much Comfort provides adaptive clothing for wounded veterans, through the volunteer efforts of seamstresses and donations of clothing and fabric.

Dollar Days will sponsor a large clothing donation to Sew Much Comfort in honor of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week.  Dollar Days will donate $50 retail value in clothing for every post that is officially part of the project, plus, to encourage your community to talk about the cause, $50 more for each post that receives at least 10 comments.

We are looking for bloggers who will:

1. Make and deliver at least 12 Valentines for your local Veterans’ Hospital.  You can do this with friends, as part of a playgroup, with a classroom, with a blogger meet-up or tweet-up–have fun with it!  Canada also salutes its veterans on Valentine’s Day and has some great tips for making Valentines for Veterans.
2. Blog about the project by February 8. You can explain your craft project, share photographs of making the Valentines, focus on the idea of helping hospitalized veterans, or let your readers know more about Sew Much Comfort.  Please remember to thank Dollar Days for their donation and explain the mission of Sew Much Comfort.

During Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week, we will be sharing more about how people can volunteer with and donate to Sew Much Comfort and will link up to all of the wonderful bloggers who post on this project.

Please click here to fill out this form (by February 4) if you are interested in participating.  Feel free to share this information with your friends and community if you know of other bloggers who would like to get involved!

Photo Credit: US Government

That is why we are asking you to take the Bloganthropy pledge to choose your own charitable campaign, spread the word on at least two social media networks, and dedicate at least three hours to volunteering.

We believe those three simple steps will build the foundations for a better world.

And we’ll even help you spread the word–just send us your links on Facebook or Twitter (@bloganthropy use the hashtag #bloganthropy). We will also hold a carnival of philanthropy on the last Friday of every month, starting in January 2010.

Click here to take the pledge, today!

Photo by Eric the Fish

In 2007, Debbie Bookstaber and Candace Lindemann started Mamanista.com, a product review blog for moms, with the hope that they could raise revenue for charities.

Impressed by the energy and compassion they saw in their fellow bloggers, Candace and Debbie began brainstorming ways to build on their initial fundraising goals and involve all of the brilliant and committed bloggers they had met.

After BlogHer 2009, people took to Twitter and their blogs to discuss proposed FTC regulations, free products (aka SWAG) abuse and obsession. Debbie and Candace were dismayed by the negative perception so many had of bloggers. Since Mamanista’s creation, they had donated thousands of dollars as well as products to charity. This was not the blogging community they knew and loved.

Through conferences such as BlogHer and online events such as the weekly #GNO Twitter chats, they knew how many other bloggers were committed to charity and to using the influence and power of social media to improve their local communities.

They also understood how eager companies were to connect with bloggers, but bloggers weren’t necessarily going to write about cleaning products and new soups. In many cases, cleaning products and granola bars just weren’t a fit for the blog’s format or readers.

As an online marketing executive, Debbie understood corporate giving initiatives and marketing. Frequently, she had reached out to her contacts to obtain donations for charities and to connect her social media friends with the appropriate resources in the business world.

As the editors of Mamanista, they were inspired by corporate charity campaigns that looked beyond donations to empowering bloggers as philanthropic leaders in their communities. Debbie and Candace wanted to make it easier for companies and bloggers to connect through charity and corporate giving, so they founded Bloganthropy and began the 501c3 registration process to obtain non-profit status.

Bloganthropy combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving. Our goal is to connect companies and bloggers in order to make the world a better place.

Blending social media and philanthropy is nothing new. There are so many instances of Twitter users and bloggers joining together to raise money or to help someone in need.

Bloganthropy, a non-profit organization, aims to help these efforts by connecting social media users with corporate giving and PR departments.

The Importance of Corporate Giving:

It won’t come as a surprise that profit is a primary motivation for corporate giving. Despite the economic downturn, many companies have continued or even increased their corporate giving efforts. According to the Cone Benchmark Survey, 52% of American feel companies should maintain their level of financial support for social and environmental causes and nonprofit organizations regardless of economic conditions, and 25% expect companies to give even more.

A majority of consumers are more likely to buy a product that’s associated with a cause they care about even if the product costs more. Increasingly, consumers are listing corporate responsibility alongside price and quality as a key factor in their purchasing decisions.

According to the Cone Benchmark Study, 79% of Americans would be likely to switch from one brand to another brand if the other brand is associated with a good cause. Amongst Millennials ages 18-24, the percentage jumps to 88%, making cause marketing one of the most effective ways of reaching this group.

Contact Us:
Send us a Tweet @bloganthropy or fan bloganthropy on Facebook.
Email us at info@bloganthropy.org.

Bloggers:
Debbie Bookstaber and Candace Lindemann of Mamanista.com

More and more bloggers are joining the Bloganthropy Team. Stay-tuned for more announcements  as we build our new website.

Public Relations and Marketing Communications Support:
Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in publicity and marketing communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008.