Today was a red-letter day for New World Collaborative! We launched our One for One Website Initiative with what we hope will be the first of many successful events in collaboration with TOMS Shoes and TOMS retailers. Wendy Getchell of Lotus Boutique in downtown Sarasota had the same idea at the same time (great minds…) and together we hatched up this event to support the sale of TOMS Shoes and its Decorate Your Sole project while at the same time we identified three small not-for-profits that needed a new website (or a FIRST website). Supporters voted on line for their favorite and came to the store to vote as well, after buying and decorating their TOMS shoes.
The store was jammed with browsers, supporters, TOMS Shoes staff and representatives of Every Child, Inc. , Mothers Helping Mothers and Second Chance Last Opportunity! The video telling the TOMS story played all day and produced a few tears! And many were moved to buy their FIRST pair of TOMS shoes!
By the end of the day we had talked with countless people about TOMS’ One for One business model and how it inspired us to do the same with our business . For every pair of shoes/corporate website, one child/small not-for-profit gets a free pair of shoes/website.
The result?
Thirty five needy children will soon have a pair of shoes.
The most votes – online and in-store – went to SECOND CHANCE LAST OPPORTUNITY!! They will receive a free website, 3 months of SEO/Internet Marketing, Social Media Training and PR support.
The runner-up – only ONE vote behind – was MOTHERS HELPING MOTHERS. Their in-store presence was not as strong, but they made up for it with a last minute blitz of on-line votes. We decided they deserved a website as well.
And finally, with the strongest in-store voting but fewer votes on line, EVERY CHILD, INC. was in third place. Obviously we couldn’t have EVERY CHILD left behind without a website, so the New World Collaborative team decided to work on a website for them as well!!
It was a great day.
Destiny Technologies
Founding member of the New World Collaborative
