A Pepsi grant would fund five more Let's ALL Play Camps.
Inclusion Project Targets Top 10
While Clay Aiken fans are counting down to an exclusive one-night-only concert in Chicago on 10/14 and the 10/16 Champions Gala in Raleigh, they are also determined to make October the month the National Inclusion Project secures a $50,000 grant in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge.
The Inclusion Project was co-founded in 2003 by the North Carolina singer and Diane Bubel so that children with disabilities can experience life with their peers.
During the September campaign, supporters learned much about partnerships, alliances, and recruitment and are this month putting into practice a variety of new strategies.
Below are suggestions for enlisting friends, relatives, associates, organizations, etc., to help the Inclusion Project's October cause:
1. Ask everyone who visits, stops by your desk, etc., to text in a phone vote. You can even do it for them. (queenmama247)
2. Having a birthday party, work, school, or family gathering? Group text the NIP number -- 102308 to 73774 (Pepsi) -- together. (queenmama247)
UPDATE: At Saturday's birthday party, queenmama247 had 12 people text together for the NIP, four of whom added the Pepsi Challenge so they can text daily. In addition, she enlisted three people at church and will probably have more after today's doctor and hairdresser visits.
3. Offer to bake a cake for those in your office, circle, etc., if everyone will text votes for the National Inclusion Project. (ncgran4clay)
4. If someone doesn't know how to text, do it for them. (ncgran4clay)
5. On vacation? No problem, according to Beanblossom, currently at a knitting retreat where she has everyone texting daily NIP votes.
6. International fans, send the voting/texting information to eligible friends in the US so they can vote daily for you. If you own a US-based cellphone, you can text votes yourself. (FromClaygary)
7. Learn from September's very successful winner -- RETT Syndrome, #1 in last month's $250k category after failing to achieve the charity's goal in August.
Quite by accident, I discovered these next ideas when I noticed on Carolina's live feed that someone had arrived at this blog via a Google search for 100842 to 73774.
A curious creature anyway, I followed the link and was amazed at the vast number and variety of people/organizations contributing to RETT's September success. Page after page, the Google results reveal many facets of this organization's campaign, some of which NIP supporters might consider adopting:
* Facebook and Twitter: Constant reminders by individuals and organizations for "friends" to vote all three ways: text, Facebook, at the Pepsi site.
* Blog after blog by individuals and celebrities on MySpace, LiveJournal, Blogspot with the request to "take a second and send a text vote to Pepsi for RETT Syndrome." The Carolina blog appears multiple times because voting info for RETT, an NIP alliance in September, was listed in several entries.
* Daily voting reminder on a high school home page. Three girls in the community have the disease.
* Voting reminders from related organizations such as Carobell, a North Carolina-based non-profit providing care for developmentally disabled individuals.
* Celebrity, radio/TV station websites urging fans to vote. See WKRQ-FM in Cincinnati.
* Similar blog posts a voting reminders from a young man whose cousin has RETT Syndrome.
LET'S ALL PLAY - Children with and without disabilities participate
in a variety of activities at Inclusion Project-sponsored camps.
In communiques with others, fans need to personalize the National Inclusion Project and sell the impact Let's ALL Play Camps have for children with and without disabilities nationwide.
At camp, my son does not have Down Syndrome, wear hearing aids, or have difficulty with his speech. He is simply a camper. - A mother
In reality, each person has 30 votes to use daily via text, Facebook, and through the Pepsi site. That's three votes a day for the National Inclusion Project.
By registering at the National Inclusion Project home page, you will receive a daily voting reminder and be eligible for an iPad if the foundation wins the $50k grant this month.
In less than 10 minutes a day, early risers can easily vote through the National Inclusion Project's alliance list, as well as a second or third set of partnerships fans formed in September.
NIP + Alliances
National Inclusion Project - Text 102308 to 73774 (Pepsi)
1p36 Deletion Syndrome - Text 101439 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Ella's Hope (autism) - Text 100288 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Oakland Children's Hospital (Rett) - Text 103134 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Int'l Foundation for CDKL5 Research - Text 102973 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Center for Courageous Kids - Text 102408 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Lake Reba Playground (handicapped) - Text 102102 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Congenital CMV Foundation (childhood disability) - Text 101692 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Be sure to copy/paste a message similar to the one below so the organizations will know the Inclusion Project is supporting their cause:
National Inclusion Project just voted for you. http://www.refresheverything.com/nationalinclusionproject. Text 102308.
Throughout September, NIP supporters exchanged votes with other charities. Choose Group A, B, or C (extra accounts) for your second/third rounds of voting. Leave a message similar to the one above so a vote for the NIP will be returned.
Group A
National Inclusion Project - Text 102308 to 73774 (Pepsi)
She Shall Go Free - Text 102913 to 73774 (Pepsi)
UNC Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - Text 103835 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Courageous Disabled Friends - Text 100058 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Girl Scouts of Eastern SC - Text 103373 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Fox Road Elementary School - Text 102179 to 73774 (Pepsi)
McKemy Middle School - Text 100283 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Saving Shelter Pets - Text 102190 to 73774 (Pepsi)
St. Joseph School - Text 100242 to 73774 (Pepsi)
SWOOP - Text 102191 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Group B
National Inclusion Project - Text 102308 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Libby Tennis Courts - Text 101307 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Rosie's Ranch - Text 101742 to 73774 (Pepsi)
The Bag Ladies - Text 101126 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Marine Science Center - Text 103443 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Cystic Fibrosis - Text 102534 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Blind Cat Rescue - Text 102422 to 73774 (Pepsi)
RATCO Freedom Foundation - Text 100570 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Cedar Fork Elementary - Text 102360 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Earl J. Crowe Purchase SUV - Text 102913 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Group C
National Inclusion Project - Text 102308 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Cal Ripken, Sr., Foundation - Text 102661 to 73774 (Pepsi)
National Federation of the Blind - Text 101913 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Wayne Trail Elementary - Text 102269 to 73774 (Pepsi)
The Blue Shadows - Text 101370 to 73774 (Pepsi)
ADERS (autism) - Text 101217 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Charlotte Peace - Text 100011 to 73774 (Pepsi)
fitMS - Text 100890 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Eagle Wings - Text 102562 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Children's Rare Disease Network - Text 102614 to 73774 (Pepsi)
INCLUSION: Power of the Dream
Montage by LovesClaysVoice, vocals by Celine Dion
View full screen at YouTube
What are your suggestions for enlisting new daily voters for the National Inclusion Project? Those shared in the comments will be added to this blog entry.
In a Friday morning post on her Facebook wall, Scarlett included the phrase "This.Is.The.Month." What a perfect slogan for the NIP's October Pepsi Refresh campaign!
Thirty days remain to drum up the necessary votes for the foundation's $50k goal. Off to a great start, the Inclusion Project currently stands at #8.
Have an awesome -- and very productive -- weekend/new week, Clay Nation!
Caro
RELATED BLOGS:
Clay Aiken Journey: National Inclusion Project and the Pepsi Refresh Challenge
Clay Aiken News Network: Make October Count
Ccol14him's Claymania
Posts
13 comments:
Heck, I'll be lucky if I remember to vote every day (hahahaha!!!)
All great suggestions! I just started a new job, maybe a little later I can talk to some of the parents about National Inclusion Project - some of the kids have various forms of autism. It's a great way to spread the word of inclusion and, hopefully, get a few more votes. I'm also planning on making a school Facebook page - maybe the first thing I should add is a link to the Project's Pepsi Challenge page (with permission, maybe, er, of course)
Great suggestions! We've started out strong, let's keep the momentum going!
Your blog showed up on my google alert for Rett Syndrome. I will continue voting for your cause this month. Good luck!!
Caro, let's hope we can land in the top 10 this month! The Clay Nation is very resourceful so I'm praying we can pull it out!
Thanks for all you do for Clay and the National Inclusion Project. It's such a wonderful foundation! Clay and Diane should be very proud of what they have accomplished in just a few short years.
I think we have the momentum going to do this in October, thanks to all the hard work people like you are doing with your blog. Great suggestions to get more voters involved in this great organization.
We can do it!
I am on board and voting everyday for National Inclusion Project.
I remember the TRL days when we voted and posted about it on our respective message boards.
Perhaps the major boards could be persuaded to get behind this important project, and start a separate thread for members to report how many votes they collected daily.
If ALL of Clay Nation actively participated, The National Inclusion Project would definitely be in the top 10 by Halloween!
Hi Caro,
YOU ARE THE BEST!!!! What would the NIP, The ClayNation and Clay Aiken do without you??? What great ideas by so may and you. I'm not sure I can get 30 votes in a day, but I will sure try.
Another wonderful blog.....
Have a great week Caro.
Hugs,
Marlyne
How wonderful that some members from the "RETT Syndrome Charity" are throwing support their way to NIP! I am still voting but have no way of knowing if they count me or not. Until they give me a message that says I cannot be included because I am not in the U.S.A., I will continue to do so.
Have a great week!
Sandy
I'm am voting for National Inclucion Project and its worthwhile endeavors and also other charities, most of whom were new to me.
Thanks Caro for the excellent suggestions for voting on Pepsi Refresh! Hopefully National Inclusion Project and our other partners win!!
Another great blog! Thanks for all your hard work. Hopefully we will be able to help NIP win $50,000 this month. I hope everyone will get behind this project and vote. It means so much to the children!
Thanks for the links! Got my votes in today!
Hello,
Thank you for your comments and your Pepsi votes. The lists (as well as the recruitment suggestions) have been updated since the blog went up, as the alliances changed on Monday.
If you have extra accounts, I hope you are making use of all the partners reciprocating with NIP supporters. We gained an excellent reputation in September, and charities are asking to be on our voting lists.
It's great to read that so many have enlisted votes from sons, daughters, etc. I sent an email to friends, family, music students/parents; and, hopefully, they are voting/texting for the NIP. One high school friend wrote back, "Count me in!"
As Ariel (OFC blog) and Scarlett (Facebook) posted:
Let's GetR Done ... This.Is.The.Month!!!
Have an awesome week, all!
Caro
Post a Comment