The date is almost upon us! In collaboration with Free the Children, Queen's Non-profit Gateway is bringing you an amazing opportunity to use your Commerce skills in a real-world, relevant case competition. Ever wanted to help one of the most recognized charities in the world with issues they face on a day-to-day basis? This is your chance to make a tangible impact on a truly inspirational organization.

Consulting for a Cause 2013!

Join us on February 2nd, 2013 for a spectacular chance to make a difference while flexing your Commerce prowess. This FREE case competition challenges you and your team mates to think outside of the box in order to solve real and pressing issues that face Free the Children. In th

e past, this event has b

een voted “ComSoc Internal Event of the Year (2011)”, so you definitely don't want to miss out! We encourage all students, from 1st to 4th year, to sign up; your ideas could lead to real changes in the lives of children across the world!

Through this one-day case competition, Free the Children will also receive the opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest young business minds to better address their current organizational challenges – you won't find a better chance to network with these incredibly dedicated and inspirational individuals!

Interested?

Sign up at our booth in the Atrium Wednesday (Jan 23rd), Thursday (Jan 24th), Monday (Jan 28th), and Tuesday (Jan 29th). Sign up in teams, or by yourself and meet some interesting new friends! Be the change you want to see in this world, and Consult for a Cause!

Consider the cost of simply dressing for an interview. How important is appropriate dress for confidence and any chance of success? How can low-income individuals properly prepare for an interview without the proper interview uniform? In order to address unemployment, for women in particular, it is important to provide individuals with the resources they need to be hired.

A not for profit, Dress for Success , is combating this problem. It works to improve the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

A woman is referred to the business and must have an interview scheduled before receiving clothing. She will have the opportunity to find appropriate clothing for the industry in which she is interviewing and, if available, accessories upon her initial visit to the store. After a woman finds a job she returns to Dress for Success for additional clothing t

iment – Top Rated Muscle Building Program'>The Muscle Experiment – Top Rated Muscle Building Program

hat can be mixed and matched to make several outfits, providing her with the foundation for a professional wardrobe. The group also provides ongoing support services to help women find and keep jobs.

Founded in 1997 in New York City, Dress for Success has expanded worldwide and is newly serving the local Kingston community. The boutique style store is located at 837 Princess Street and looking for volunteers and donations of suits.

Although at present the service targets only women there is a chance the organization will grow to cater to men as well.

-> Interested in getting involved?

Article about Kingston’s Dress for Success http://www.thewhig.com/2012/07/29/helping-women-dress-for-success

Dress for Success Worldwide Website “http://www.dressforsuccess.org/home.aspx”

HELP OUT

The Kingston Chapter is accepting donations of gently used business casual clothing and looking for volunteers

Contact the chair of Kingston Chapter – Sheri Flint
s.flint@sympatico.ca

Businesses cannot ignore the power of social media. This includes non-profits. With millions of peo

ple using the websites each day, social media has become a powerful tool in the business world. 94% of all businesses with a marketing department use social media as part of their marketing campaign and with good reason. Social media allows businesses to connect on a personal level with consumers. 43% of people aged 20-29 spend more than 10 hours a week on social media sites so it is no surprise that businesses with social media platforms report increased market exposure and sales.
In the non-profit sector, the importance of social media cannot be underestimated. Non-profits’ activities are primarily funded by donations and using social media to increase exposure and heighten awareness will attract more donors.
Businesses can use social media to add a personal touch to their initiatives, get feedback from customers, offer discounts and promote sales.
Let’s take a look at how the top 40 Canadian non-profit organizations use social media.

So next week, take 5 minutes out of the 10 hours you already spend on Twitter, Facebook or Youtube and check out a non-profit!Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl + B)Italic (Ctrl + I)Strikethrough (Alt + Shift + D)Unordered list (Alt + Shift + U)Ordered list (Alt + Shift + O)Blockquote (Alt + Shift + Q)Align Left (Alt + Shift + L)Align Center (Alt + Shift + C)Align Right (Alt + Shift + R)Insert/edit link (Alt + Shift + A)Unlink (Alt + Shift + S)Insert More Tag (Alt + Shift + T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt + Shift + N)?
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Facebook: 1 billion users
Youtube: 4 billion views per day
Twitter: 500 million users
Tumblr: 150 million users
Instagram: 100 million users
Businesses cannot ignore the power of social media. This includes non-profits. With millions of people using the websites each day, social media has become a powerful tool in the business world. 94% of all businesses with a marketing department use social media as part of their marketing campaign and with good reason. Social media allows businesses to connect on a personal level with consumers. 43% of people aged 20-29 spend more than 10 hours a week on social media sites so it is no surprise that businesses with social media platforms report increased market exposure and sales.
In the non-profit sector, the importance of social media cannot be underestimated. Non-profits’ activities are primarily funded by donations and using social media to increase exposure and heighten awareness will attract more donors.
Businesses can use social media to add a personal touch to their initiatives, get feedback from customers, offer discounts and promote sales.
Let’s take a look at how the top 40 Canadian non-profit organizations use social media.

So next week, take 5 minutes out of the 10 hours you already spend on Twitter, Facebook or Youtube and check out a non-profit!
Path:

On November 19^th, 2012, Donald Trump tweeted about his outrage a

nd disagreement with the salary received by the CEO’s of both The Red Cross and Unicef. These (interesting) tweets are shown below.

Following this outburst, Jason Linkins and Timothy Stenovec frorm the Huffington Post quickly responded with an article called “Donald Trump Uses Twitter To Show The World How Little He Knows About Charities”.

Here are some of my favourite parts of the article:

The CEO of the Red Cross, Gail McGovern, received $501,122 in compensation in 2011, a salary that amounts to 0.01% of the Red Cross’ total expenses. According to Charity Navigator, McGovern has provided substantial bang for the buck, earning a perfect rating for “accountability and transparency.”

It is awfully odd, anyway, to hear anyone talk of a CEO salary that’s not even seven figures as worthy of outrage. Ralph Lauren made 66 times the amount that Donald Trump thought McGovern made when he started raging on Twitter, and Lauren’s recent accomplishments include the universally reviled, made-in-China uniforms worn by American athletes competing in the London Olympics. JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon, who oversaw a hilarious $4.4 billion loss on what’s been nonsensically described as a “hedge,” took home 42 times what Trump thought the Red Cross had paid to its actually effective CEO.

Trump was not merely content to blither like a cotton-headed ninny about the Red Cross. He decided that he was also going to ineffectively stick it to UNICEF as well, tweeting: “.@unicef Caryl M. Stern CEO is driving around in a Rolls Royce…”

Stern, appropriately, shot back: “.@realDonaldTrump sorry no rolls; only a prius. Fire your fact checker and help us save kids lives.”

Looking beyond the fact that Trump simply was silly in thinking he could outsmart the twitter world by not using factual information, he is not the only person who has ever questioned the salary received by successful CEO’s in the non-profit world. Often, it is seen as irresponsible when CEO’s of non-profits are getting paid a large salary. But should it?

I question the logic behind thinking that those working in the non-profit world should not be compensated for their hard work. Often, they work harder than those CEO’s of multinational for-profit corporations but are not compensated in the same way. It seems like a silly approach to maintain high quality talent.

If society wants its non-profits run by successful, smart, and dedicated individuals, it must be understood that they too must be compensated for their hard work. Otherwise, the non-profit sector is not going to be filled with the appropriate and necessary talent to ensure future growth and success.

But maybe I am completely wrong on thinking this way. Maybe it is part of the commitment you make when deciding to work in the non-profit sector. Although, my gut tells me that this is not a sustainable approach to attract and retain high quality talent.

Thoughts?

PS: if you are interested, here is the link to the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/20/donald-trump-twitter-charities_n_2166053.html

“Voluntourism” has been popularized by organizations like Me to We, the sister organization of Free the Children. Me to We offers 3-week student trips, as well as adult and individual trips, to Kenya, India, China, Equador, Arizona-Mexico, Nicaragua, and Ghana. The volunteer aspects of the trips vary, with most dedicated to building schools or clean water projects. All trips also include some tourism aspect of travel in the country, like safaris in Kenya or cooking classes in India, but which are relatively small parts of the programs.

Critics of voluntourism argue that volunteers travelling overseas are taking away jobs from local people, and therefore risk creating unemployment. As well, many say that it would be more effective if the money spent on the often expensive volunteer trips was instead just donated.

Yet these trips are still growing in popularity. Why? Because participants are returning inspired, having contributed something tangible to helping others. Instead of just hearing about issues like poverty, sanitation, health care and lack of education, going right to the roots to help other people can be a life-changing experience, which will have a multiplied effect as participants continue to contribute to causes after returning home.

Feel free to share your thoughts on Voluntourism!

November in Canada, as in many countries around the world, has become synonymous with Movember. Movember is a global campaign to raise awareness and educate people on men’s cancer. “Mo Bros” are encouraged to grow moustaches in support of the cause.

The campaign began nearly a decade ago in Melbourne, Australia, when a few friends decided to bring the moustache back into fashion. In 2004, the Movember Foundation was created with great success.

Since Canada’s first Movember in 2006, the campaign has exploded across the country. Last year, Canada’s campaign raised just under $42 million with nearly 80% of the funds going to Prostate Cancer Canada. This compares to 2012, when the charity received less than $8 million.

Despite originating in Australia, Canada, yet again, is topping the global leader board this year with the most financial donations so far. Support “MoBros” across the country in the fight against men’s cancer.

Stressed about buying Christmas presents?

Check out Plan Canada Gifts of Hope. You can buy a gift for someone you care about while making a difference in the world. Plan Canada offers tons of different gift idea

s like buying a mango tree that will be planted in a schoolyard so that students can focus on their schoolwork instead of hunger or buying a checkup for a newborn baby or even literacy training for two women. Gifts range in price from $12 and up and many of them are matched by Plan Canada so their effect is doubled. Plan Canada also provides corporate gift options for organizations to give to their clients, employees, suppliers or colleagues. So this Christmas, instead of struggling to find a present for someone who already has everything they need, check out Plan Canada and give the gift of hope.

Shop here: http://plancanada.ca/GiftsofHope/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1&cat=All+gifts

On March 5^th, when KONY 2012 premiered online, the world went a little bit crazy. Facebook and twitter were buzzing with #Kony2012 hashtages and changing profile pictures.

From the moment the film premiered online it garnered 100m views in under a week. In fact, it was the fasted video to ever reach the 100 million mark. As of October 2012 it had reached over 93 million YouTube and 16.6 million Vimeo views respectably. (Want to see more facts – check them out here at : http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/4/20/1334929057518/Kony-2012-in-facts-and-fi-009.jpg )

General public opinions about campaign seemed to shift following the premiere of the film. The flood of support turned into a flood of accusations, many of which reference a single blog article (which has since grown into a complete blog known as “Visible Children” that claims to have a following of 17, 322 . Check it out here : http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com). These accusations blossomed into numerous attacks and defense of the organization and the movement. The statement “do your own research” plastered debates over the organization’s legitimacy,the accuracy of the portrayal of the conflict involving the LRA, and why this conflict had not been recognized sooner.

Then what happened?

A sequel to Kony 2012 : The Hague (KONY 2012: Beyond Famous) was released. It garnered significantly less views than the original, but provided some quick public responses to accusations.

The movement known as “Cover the Night” was not as massive as may have been expected after the movie’s premiere but was still represented in most major cities.

3.7 Million (3,729,816 to be exact) signatures of individuals supporting the statement calling on leaders to arrest Joseph Kony and his top leaders were collected and delivered to the United Nations on June 26, 2012.

So…. What Now?

While some may believe the group to have had their moment in the spotlight, Invisible Children remains a dedicated organization. They recently released a new movie “MOVE” (see the trailer here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDm5w-z6GBI) . It addresses the concerns of the campaign and provides an update on their next project. ” MOVE : DC. ”

The year of 2012 is not yet over and the objective of the entire KONY movement was to stop him within the year.

On November 17 they are looking to gather as many supporters as possible to march on DC and attend a summit with world leaders from global institutions and from around the conflict area to discuss progress in stopping the LRA conflict.

They have confirmed the attendance of Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the UN, the Chief Prosecutor of ICC, Fatou Bensouda, the Presidents of Uganda, Sudan, Central African Republic, and South Sudan along with the Chairperson of the African Union at this event. Obama has yet to confirm attendance.

The LRA conflict and Invisible Children may have faded from the public eye, but the organization is continuing to work towards ending the conflict. They will continue to “Stop At Nothing”.

Interest Peaked?

Learn more about Invisible Children http://invisiblechildren.com

Check out MOVE:DC http://invisiblechildren.com/movedc/#contact-leaders

‘Do your own research’ on the Organization http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429

The Commerce Society Outreach Commission has recently launched ‘Queen’s Gives the Gift of 8’, which will run from October 29^th to November 16^th. The Outreach Commissioners are three commerce students, Natalie Fisher, Jacie de Hoop, and Brendon Holder.

The campaign has been off to an amazing start. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the campaign video, I strongly encourage you to do so. Right now!

There are several different ways to get involved in this campaign. Currently shirts are being sold all around campus for only $5! This is such a great way to show your support. As well, find out what your blood type is at the ARC on Oct. 30 and Nov. 8 and sign up to give blood in the Nov. 26 clinic!  On Nov. 13, you can get swabbed for the Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Network.

I think the most powerful thing about this initiative is that it is entirely student run. It is amazing to see the ability students have to rally others and make a difference.I hope that this initiative inspires you.

I encourage everyone to get involved with this event. Show your support for a great cause and get ready to make a difference!

scussion of the year!
In case you missed out, here are some key takeaways from the discussion of students’ involvement in not-for-profit organizations:

- Start getting involved with not-for-profits as early as possible. Oftentimes, volunteers have the wonderful opportunity to create and mold their very own volunteer position within a non-profit. Research organizations that have special meaning to you and determine if there is an opportunity for you to volunteer. It’s a win-win situation – you’re adding value to the organization and you’re strengthening your own personal set of goals.
- Consider joining a variety of non-profit Boards of Directors in the future. Sitting on a variety of Boards can provide you with tremendous networking opportunities that can be leveraged from a business standpoint.
- Remember: money isn’t everything! Sometimes it is essential to forgo certain material pleasures to ensure you are working in an industry you are passionate about. Non-profit involvement can provide you with so many rewards that are totally unrelated to money and material goods. Keep this in the forefront of your mind as you decide upon your future career path.
- Continue to hone your transferrable skill-set. You will acquire different skills at every job – the skills acquired from your work with for-profit firms will correlate with the skills necessary for non-profits as well.
- And finally, powerpoint skills come in handy in ANY industry/career path.

Feel free to visit the H’art School Website and the Plugn’Drive Website to learn more.

Thank you again to Katherine and Josh for an outstanding panel discussion.
Stay tuned for more info on our next QNP panel discussion!