March 19, 2024
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Great Give and social media buddies

LisaBerryVolCenterPhotoThe Great Give – the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County’s (CFAAC) 24-hour online giving event – provides a unique and rewarding way for Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) students to enhance their academic studies. Through the Great Give 2014 Social Media Buddy Program, AACC students with social media knowledge and experience are partnered with participating Great Give nonprofit organizations to assist with the organizations’ Great Give-related social media efforts. It’s all part of AACC’s Service Learning Program.

The Great Give 2014 will take place from 6 PM on May 7th through 6 PM on May 8th during which time individuals, families, businesses, and organizations can go online to www.greatgiveaac.org to make a financial gift to participating charities of their choice. The goal of the Great Give 2014 is to raise $1,000,000 from at least 5,000 donors for 150 or more local nonprofit organizations. To date, 148 nonprofit organizations are registered to participate. (The registration deadline is March 21, 2014.)

“One of the best ways for participating nonprofits to reach existing and potential new donors for this online giving event is through social media,” states Bess Langbein, CFAAC Executive Director. “However, many nonprofits aren’t proficient in the use of Facebook, Twitter, or email marketing, or they struggle to find the right person or the time to participate in this form of communication. Having volunteer assistance from someone with social media know-how can make a huge difference in the success of this event for some organizations.”

Of the 148 nonprofits registered to date for the Great Give 2014, 84 have requested the assistance of a volunteer Social Media Buddy. Stephanie Goldenberg, AACC part-time adjunct faculty instructor and Service-Learning Program Coordinator has volunteered to manage the Great Give Social Media Buddy Program and will partner the service-learning students with the requesting organizations. She estimates at least 70 students will be volunteering as Social Media Buddies. Goldenberg has also incorporated the Great Give 2014 Social Media Buddy Program into the curriculum and homework assignments for students taking her eMarketing and Advertising classes and recruited Teresa Roy, an AACC adjunct faculty member also teaching business management classes to participate as well.

In 2013, one of the Great Give participating nonprofit organizations – Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County – found its service-learning student, Lisa Berry (photo attached), to be so helpful as a Great Give Social Media Buddy volunteer that a part-time social media position was offered to the student, and she still serves in that capacity with the organization.

The AACC Center for Learning through Service connects students to nonprofit organizations for service-learning and volunteer opportunities. Service-learning is a learning strategy that combines academic studies with community volunteer service, enhancing student learning through a hands-on service experience that meets a community need.

“Stephanie and the Anne Arundel Community College students are providing an invaluable service to the local nonprofits participating in the Great Give,” said Langbein. “Their efforts are a testimony to the amazing things that can happen when we come together as a community to help those that need our support.”

For more information on the Great Give 2014, contact Bess Langbein at 410-280-1102 or [email protected]. For more information on AACC’s Service-Learning Program, contact Stephanie Goldenberg at 410.777.2366 or [email protected].

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