Archive for: January, 2012

Getting Healthy….with a Phone?

Jan 30 2012 Published by under Jennifer S. 

by Jennifer S.

We are almost a month into 2012, and I bet many of you made resolutions that you’re no longer keeping or not as enthusiastic about.  To help out those of who made the resolutions of “losing weight” or “getting healthy”, I thought I’d share some of the apps I use to keep myself on a healthy track.

Best of all, these apps are free!

Lose It! (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android)
I’ve been using Lose It! since mid-November and it is the one app I use everyday.  It is a calorie tracker and I really like how simple it is to add in what I ate and how much I exercise.  I like that it gives you a daily and weekly look at your calorie budget and that I can just scan in foods that I eat with a barcode (as long as they are not a store brand).

The app itself is pretty minimal in terms of what data you get out of it:  daily and weekly summary of calorie budget and nutrients, along with an overview of your current weight loss.  The place where Lose It! really shines for reporting is on it’s website (loseit.com) where you can see and export 12 different reports.  You can see how this app is perfect for a data geek like me!

LA Fitness (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android)
I joined LA fitness about two weeks ago and I love that they have an app.  I can look at class schedules for any LA Fitness gym (there are 14 within 20 miles of me) and know how the instructor is, what the class is about and what I need to bring.  It also sets up reminders for classes I want to take and sends it right to Google Calendar.  So, there’s no reason for me to skip a workout!

 

 

 

RunKeeper (iPhone, Android, Windows 7 Phone, Nokia)
I’ve only done two runs with RunKeeper, but I already love this app.  I’ve done some Couch to 5K programs on the iPod, but I really like that this app tracks my route and gives me so much data after I’m done.  I can see my speed for each interval, for each minute, and where exactly I ran.  I’ve also got it set up to automatically send updates to Facebook after each run, for a little bit of extra motivation.

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To learn more from and connect with Jennifer, follow her on Twitter – @JenniferLSpies.
Or you can follow the entire MillennialChat team here.
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Now that I shared with you some of the healthy living apps I’m using, what ones are using?

One response so far

A Millennial’s Guide to Giving

Jan 26 2012 Published by under Sarah B. 

by Sarah B.

Remember when Liz blogged about how Millennials are perfect donors? Sometimes, as a volunteer, you might decide you’d like to begin giving more than time to an organization. But how do you start? And what if you’re on a Millennial budget?

Research, research, research.

How do you want your money to make a difference? Philanthropy is personal, so think about what matters most to you. Once you know the answer, look for organizations that match your goals. If you’re already a volunteer, start with the organizations you trust. You have probably seen some of their success firsthand.  To begin giving, ask questions like:

  Where does the majority of your funding come from?

  What will you use my money for this month/quarter/year?

  How will I know my money has made an impact?

  What will ____ dollars do for you?

If you’re not already familiar with an organization, you can do research on GuideStar.  Once you register (free), GuideStar will give you important information about how much money an organization receives and how the money is spent.

Donations

flickr photo by matthew burpee

Crunch those numbers.

Once you know where to give, decide how much to give.  Just like impulse shopping, impulse giving can make it difficult to stay on track with your budget and your philanthropic goals, so plan your giving this way:

  • Decide how much money you will give overall.
  • Determine a giving schedule that works with your budget. (Monthly, quarterly, etc)
  • Select how many organizations will benefit from your money.

(A recent study shows that 63% of Millennials gave to 3 or more organizations in a year.)

  • Ask yourself: “Do donor clubs, recognition opportunities, or giveaways matter to me?”  (It’s okay if they do! Find out what each organization offers at different levels.)
  • Set aside a little bit of money for impulse giving so that you can give to friends in a charity walk, participate in workplace campaigns, or other surprise charitable opportunities.

Ditch the stamp.

Most Millennials probably won’t be writing a check and mailing it to their favorite nonprofit organization every month.  Here are some ways to contribute without a stamp:

Technology.  Most nonprofits allow you to give through their website, and sometimes, you can set up automatic monthly or quarterly payments. You can even give to some organizations through text messaging or mobile apps!

Workplace United Way campaign.  United Way campaigns provide the benefit of payroll deductions. You’ll barely miss that extra $10 if it never hits your wallet. You can tell United Way you’d like your money to go to a specific organization (called designating) or let them decide how to spend it (useful if it’s your first time giving). United Way agencies are held accountable to certain standards before they can receive funding, so you can trust them to use your money wisely. Don’t forget to ask your employer if they will match any contributions you make to nonprofit organizations!!  It’s like free money for your favorite cause.

Giving circles.  This is an exciting trend that many Millennials may not be familiar with.  Groups of people pool their money and determine how that money will be used.  In Indianapolis, one great giving organization is Giving Sum.  They combine their members’ money, as well as volunteer time, to give one organization a contribution each year that they could never give on their own. Giving circles allow you to add a social aspect to your giving.

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To learn more from or connect with Sarah, follow her on Twtitter – @sarahkathleen
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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What your advice for first time donors?
How do you manage your giving?

Your feedback about giving is important!  If you’re a Millennial, take the 2012 Millennial Donor & Engagement Survey.

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DAY AFTER: Social Good: Gearing a group in one direction and the tools to use to do so

Jan 25 2012 Published by under Day After


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Do you feel the need to put your brand on every social media site?

Jan 24 2012 Published by under Liz B. 

by Liz B.

Based on last week’s chat, I’ve been thinking more and more about why I have this need to make sure Building Tomorrow, the organization I work for, is on every single social media site, when really with a three person staff we’re lucky to maintain consistency on Twitter and Facebook. And I think I’ve found the answer to my nagging question. We continue to create new accounts, research the latest site, and ask our friends to ‘follow’ ‘join our circle’ or ‘pin’ us because we still haven’t received the response from our audience that we want.

Our audience is almost completely millennial therefore I think it might be safe to say that social media for companies, brands, and nonprofits isn’t quite perfect yet. Here are a few things I’m still looking for from social media sites in the what I like to call “friend/brand” interaction.

Just dropping a note 

Here’s my dream scenario. “1. Friend of Building Tomorrow sees a grant or a cool article or a neat-o picture of Uganda or students wearing a BT shirt. 2. Friend then sends it to the brand via social media where others can see it. 3. Brand casually says “awesome” “thanks” “cool” right back. 4. Other people can see this interaction but the ‘friend’ and ‘brand’ don’t have to be formal.”

The truth is that this could happen on Facebook but I feel like unless a “friend” personally knows the staff and people behind the brand they might feel a little awkward encroaching on a brand’s Facebook page. There’s a sense that the page is meant for posts from the brand not necessarily about the brand. It would be almost like creating a page where it’s simply all the things that people say about the brand – but again somehow without being formal and stuffy but still filtered and relevant.

A solution might be in Pinterest here. Although I haven’t explored yet. It would be cool if a friend could pin something and then tag a brand in it so that the pin shows up on that brand’s radar too. And so that when a friend of the friend looks at the pin they could find a link directly to the brand’s page.

Conversation, Discussion, Real Answers 

Here.. I don’t have a dream scenario. My dream is simply to get responses, reactions, and comments from our audience. The reason I have this consistent itch to put our brand on other social media outlets is I think that maybe there more people would respond to us, maybe they would prefer that outlet to talk about x, y, and z in relation to our brand.

The main hindrance with social media outlets today is the lack of a space where people can talk about the brand and the brand can be involved but doesn’t have to moderate or be too present so that people will be honest.

A solution may be in Tumblr. If we could find a way to encourage multiple friends of the brand to post on the page themselves and use it sort of as a public blogging forum but about the brand and their reactions, concerns, questions, and favorites within the brand and what they do.

Be Comfortable

Comfortable

We want you to be THIS comfortable. (flickr photo by David~O)

Finally, my biggest reason for continuing to put our brand on other social media sites is that we still haven’t found the perfect balance needed for comfortable conversation and posting. We certainly post on Facebook and respond to those few who comment or post other thoughts on our page and we definitely retweet any praise or comments about us on Twitter. But as our brand gets more and more attention on Facebook and Twitter I fear that it will become more and more formal simply because of the size of the following. And maybe I’m old school in this fact, but I would not be comfortable posting on a 1 million followed brand Facebook page. I’ve tried to send some tweets to big names on Twitter but the problem here is that they get too many and about too many topics. Even if they respond to each one there’s no single conversation that many are participating in.

I don’t have a solution or dream of solution for this. I know that most people will say the brand just has to act casual and be normal and show personality, however I kind of cringe when I see a brand tweet or Facebook “What’s your most embarrassing moment” or “Its so cold here. What’s the weather like where you are?” They may be showing their personality but its not relevant, people won’t be talking about their brand in response, and its just plain cheesy and kind of creepy.

So for now, I will continue to explore every nook and cranny that is social media until I find the perfect forum for our audience to Just Drop a Note, Converse, and Be extremely Comfortable in chatting with and about Building Tomorrow.

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To learn more from or connect with Liz, follow her on Twitter — @LizBraden33
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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What are your biggest anxieties with promoting your brand online?
What advice would you give to Liz?
Comment below, join the discussion on Facebook, or tweet us!

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Leader Tomorrow? Work on These Skills Today

Jan 23 2012 Published by under Lowell A. 

by Lowell A.

Whether you are involved in a volunteer position today or hope to be a CEO or President in the future, there is no time like the present to start working on developing useful leadership skills.  Each of us have our strengths and areas where we could grow – so whether these are areas where you already shine or have never tried, take some time to think for yourself – what could I do today that will help me gain some new skills…

Public Speaking – How do you feel presenting in front of 5 people?  How about 50? 500?  If you would rather write a 100 page report than speak in front of an audience, this may be the undertaking for you.  While I have spoken to colleagues that say great things about toastmasters I have never tried attending a meeting.  Instead, I have accepted any speaking opportunity that was provided to me – whether at work or in my volunteer life.  Was it always comfortable? No.  Has it become easier over time? Yes.  (And as for that whole picture everyone in the room in their underwear theory – let me know how that works for you – has always just seemed weird to me.)

PowerPoint Does Not Kill

flickr photo by cogdogblog

Give AWESOME Presentations – For most of us, the longer we work and the higher position we attain, being able to give engaging and effective presentations will loom larger in our roles.  So what not to do?  There was a great video posted on youtube – if anyone has the link please post it in the comments below (the link I had makes it seem it was taken down).  Some top points though – don’t make your slides copy heavy and then read from them, don’t include obscure quotes that have little to do with your topics.  While new presentations tools are developed every day (trying pinterest anyone?) as long as you use powerpoint, remember you are the one presenting, not your powerpoint.

Find your Passion – The best leaders are those who care about the cause they lead.  What speaks to your heart?  When you run into a difficult situation, what will keep your fire burning to fuel you onward?  When we can connect our professional and volunteer obligations to our personal passions, those are the times that success becomes more than something to check off of our to-do list.

Meet your Fellow Leaders Today – Do you already know the field where you want a career?  Don’t wait for professionals to find you – go meet them.  Join the LinkedIn pages and participate in any weekly twitter chats.   Share your thoughts and engage professionals in the field in discussion (and if you get a response, add them as a contact on LinkedIn!).  Is there a chapter in your area from the profession’s association?  Go to a meeting and network.  These are your mentors and colleagues, references and friends – the more people you know, the more people you can help, the more that will think of you in kind.

There is no point when any of us are done becoming a leader – start building the foundation of your skills today for a lifetime of growth, development and success.

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To learn more from or connect with Lowell, follow him on Twitter — @Lowellmatthew
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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What have you done lately to better your leadership skills?
Have you learned how to be a leader from POOR leadership?
Comment below, join us on Facebook, or tweet us your thoughts!

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10 Ways to Make a Difference by Sunday

Jan 20 2012 Published by under Larkin G. 

by Larkin G.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Many are inspired to volunteer during the holidays. But needs are not one-day events. They are ever present and on going. True service is year-round. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., one of history’s most inspiring servant leaders, here are 10 ways you can make a difference by the end of the weekend. The only question is, will you?

10 Ways to Make a Difference Before Sunday

1. Use your voice: Find a local nonprofit on twitter and RT their posts. Free tools like Twitter are a critical way that nonprofits, especially local ones, spread the word to their supporters.
• Action Tips: Use Search.twitter. It can help you find nonprofits to follow. Use the terms nonprofit and your city name.

2. Pro-bono work: Nonprofits do a lot of good with few resources. They always need skilled volunteer help. Are you a CPA? Offer to help with finances. Do you take great photos? Offer to take pictures at an event. Not sure what to help with? Find a charity and visit with their Volunteer Coordinator, they will find the perfect place for you. I always did.
• Action tips: Visit Charity Navigator to find a nonprofit in your area that can use your help

3. Turn passion into action: Passionate about a cause? Find a local organization that’s working on it and get involved today.
• Action Tip: Websites Volunteer Match and All for Good will match your area of interest and location with a nonprofit

4. Clean out your house! Donate the winter clothes you haven’t worn to a local homeless shelter. If you didn’t wear it last winter and haven’t this winter, you’re not gonna, so give it to someone who will appreciate it.
• Action Tips: Search Volunteer Match

5. Collect: Work in an office? Hold a food drive. Just put a box in a common area to collect caned goods and drop them off at a local shelter or food pantry. November and December are great months for nonprofits because everyone is extremely generous during the holidays but nonprofits experience a huge drop off in donations during January and February.
• Action Tips: Find food bank in your area here

6. Charity starts at home: Brighten your co-workers day. Get up a bit early and stop in at your local coffee/donut shop and pick up donuts for the office.
• Action Tip: Obviously if you work at a mega corporation, this would be mega pricey. If that’s the case just grab donuts for your cubby buddy or the team you work with.

7. Donate: There is no such thing as a small donation. Your $10 combines with someone else’s $10, and another person’s $5, and so forth. That is how change happens.
• Action Tips: Visit Charity Navigator’s donation guide for smart donation strategies. You can also look up nonprofits and make sure they are in good standing with the IRS.

8. Get your company involved! Set up a day of service for your office. (OK this may take longer to set up but its still worthwhile)
• Action Tips: Websites like Causecast can help you set up and manage workplace volunteering.
• Another option is contacting your local United Way or HandsOn Network. Both organizations have experience setting up large volunteer days and can recommend nonprofits that need volunteers.

9. Micro-Volunteering: Love all things technology? Think you don’t have the time to volunteer? Try micro-volunteering!
• Action Tips: Sites like Sparked take in projects that can be completed collaboratively and entirely online. They break up these large projects into separate tasks that can be completed by different individuals. The organizations get their work done much more efficiently.

10. ….Your turn! How will YOU make a difference before this Sunday?

My personal philosophy is to never ask someone to do something unless I’m willing to do it myself. Here are some of the ways I’m inspired to serve in my local community:

Making Faces: Junior League Volunteer Day at a local elementary school

Hard labor! Painting at a local group home

Using my skills! Mingling at a local YP event, where I served on the board of directors

 

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To learn more from or connect with Larkin, follow her on Twitter — @LarkinGrant
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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If it wasn’t a New Year Resolution already, how did MLK Day change your outlook on volunteering?
Let’s keep adding to this list… comment below… maybe we can get 100 ways to make a difference by 2013?
Join the discussion… hit up our Facebook page or join us on Twitter!

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New Year… still looking for a New Gig?

Jan 19 2012 Published by under Tristen S. 

by Tristen S.

So it’s a new year and that means job opportunities are starting to open up! Last we met you were busy cleaning up your online profiles and had your eyes set on finding a sweet new gig.

Here are some more quick tricks to help you land your next (or first) job:

1) Make a business card: There are a bunch of sites out there such as vistaprint.com or moo.com that allow you to make a couple hundred free business cards and you’ll only have to pay for shipping and handling. They’re a minimal investment and will help you out when you’re meeting people in your industry. No need for some weird title like, “CEO, biatch.” Try something along the mature route of “Recent Marketing Grad” or “Young Tech Pro”. I included info like my major, interest, email address, blog link, and social media links.

Having a business card is incredibly beneficial and you’ll have no idea how helpful they really are unless you follow the next steps…

2) Networking: This might seem like the obvious one in the bunch but it’s imperative for someone who is not working to quit sulking, get off their butt, and actually get out there to meet people. Look up different associations in your field such as PRSA (for those out there interested in public relations) or check out sites like Meetup.com where you’re bound to find an event of interest. A lot of networking events provide free or discounted booze as an incentive to attend so don’t feel silly if you spent the night schmoozing with a little extra liquid courage but don’t get completely sloshed.

I recommend having 1-2 drinks – seriously.

3) Follow Ups: So you spent a night passing out your fresh new business cards and collecting a few for yourself. It’s incredibly important that you follow up with everyone that you meet. Send an “it was nice meeting you and talking about ____” email and add the people on LinkedIn. Make sure any messages you send helps you stick out – bring up whatever interesting topics you discussed, even if it’s about your common love of border collies.

Social Media Camp 2009- Social Media for the Job Search

flickr photo by deanmeyersnet

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To learn more from or connect with Tristen, follow her on Twtitter – @TristenS
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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How are you beginning your search for a job this year?
What steps are you taking?
We would like to hear it! Join the discussion on our Facebook page, or tweet at us!

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DAY AFTER: How to manage your social media footprint & use these outlets to network effectively

Jan 18 2012 Published by under Day After


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I AM SOMEBODY!

Jan 17 2012 Published by under Megan E. 

by Megan E.

These were the words that most stood out to me from the double feature movie event I attended last night at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.

This event, showcasing one film about the Watts Music Festival and another about the Black Power Movement, served to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by educating others about how the movement changed following his assassination.

It’s events like this one that truly celebrate the impact that MLK had. It seems to me like a lot of people think of yesterday as just another day off and don’t think about why we get that day off.

Instead of taking the opportunity to go on a mini vacation or lounge around all day, Millennials should take time to think critically about King, his impact, and the state of the movement today.

To be blunt, King’s work is by no means over. Racism is not a thing of the past, as much as we’d like to believe it. And until every child of color grows up with the same chance of succeeding as a white child, we must continue Dr. King’s fight. Racism stems from so many factors, it’s impossible to go through them all here. But the quote “I am somebody”, suggests an exceedingly important one.

It has always been my belief that the key to ending racism both personally and on a larger scale lies in understanding the person behind the label. It’s incredibly easy to judge someone based off their appearance instead of taking the effort to see them as something more. Underneath it all, we are all people.

Regardless of our pasts, our socio-economic status, the choices we make (or don’t make), the clothes we wear, the way we style our hair, our politics, and our skin color, we are all people. We have fears, dreams, anxieties, successes, and failures. We are all somebody.

And we all deserve the freedom to be ourselves without judgement nor condemnation. A person’s skin color should never affect the jobs they are offered, the neighborhoods they live in, the schools they attend, and the way they are treated everyday. Every child should grow up, proud of who they are, proud to be somebody incredible.

At the end of the day, that’s what Dr. King hoped for. Once that concept is embraced by all, everything else will begin to fall into place. Once we all understand and appreciate the humanity within the individual, we can begin to truly make Dr. King’s vision a reality.

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To learn more from or connect with Megan, follow her on Twitter – @MeganEmme
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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