Get On Board The Giving Program Train

Shoshana Fanizza from Audience Development Specialists (ADS) posted an article at her business blog on 9/27/2013 about the value of contributing to sources of free information, ideas, and data throughout the field of culture blogging. As a result, she decided to lead by example by means of “deciding on a person to donate or contribute to based on how often I visit and read their information.”

I’m honored that Fanizza chose Adaptistration as the target of her very first contribution and I’ve decided to follow suit and not only adopt her Giving Program but recommend to all of Adaptistration’s readers.

If nothing else, the real value of the program is letting people know that what they do makes a difference.

“I am making sure to value the people that are making a difference and showing them my appreciation with this gift.” said Fanizza.

For October, 2013 I decided to make my first donation to SoundNotion.tv; the new music and music news podcast. I’ve watched the SN crew (Patrick, David, Sam, Nate, Timothy, Kevin, and William) grow from their early days when they were graduate students of “hey, this sounds like fun” campus based broadcasting to becoming a polished, high quality video podcast. Excellent production values, a dedication to content, and a seemingly bottomless limit of curiosity make the program one of the most refreshing additions to the culture blogging community.

If everyone already in the field took as much interest in what happens as these guys, we’d be in a much better place. I gave them a donation and nominated them in the Cultural/Arts category for the 2013 People’s Choice Podcast Awards.

I’ll be posting something each moth featuring the latest Giving Program target, although for obvious conflict of interest reasons, I’ll have to exclude what would otherwise be my shortlist of authors at Inside The Arts (plus I’m pretty sure they already know I love them).

I hope everyone considers giving the program a try; all you have to do is follow Fanizza’s four point guideline:

1. I will keep track of the blogs and other free information sites that I have come to rely on.
2. Every month I will decide on a person to donate or contribute to based on how often I visit and read their information.
3. I am making sure to value the people that are making a difference and showing them my appreciation with this gift.
4. I am making note of what happens to me during this program.