nelfie.org

Throughout the ages, especially with the rise of capitalism (I would argue), the million dollar question is something along the lines of…How will it take off? How will it grow? How will it make money?

We’ve seen in recent years the rapid rise of start-up firms going from being run from a bedroom to being among the world’s most expensive companies, with Windows being an early example. We’ve seen start-ups take on an almost previously-monopolised industry and nearly turned the tables so much that it has almost wiped out the original monopolist. Uber taking huge business from the traditional black cabs in some areas, for example. We’ve seen start-ups grow from nothing to become the worlds’ most connected platforms, outgrowing even the highest-funded telecommunication companies, like Facebook has done against say Vodafone.

In my optimistic personal view, I think we’re on the verge of seeing the next wave of organisations, but instead of looking purely at user numbers and profits, some are focusing as much on social benefits. Rather than relying on just charities and government organisations to provide social benefit, we’re seeing a rise in ‘for-purpose’ organisations where the social benefit is really considered.

Thankfully, then, organisations that put people, animals and the environment before profits are seeing some success – I expect this to continue at a greater scale, and we at nelfie.org would love to be a part of this great wave.

So, rather than ‘How will it make money’, we’re now also asking…

How will it benefit the world?  

Tom

Twitter: @nelfiedotorg

I think the reason this is difficult is largely because of what we (The Team) are hoping to happen, or not happen; That we don’t define the boundaries of this project, we don’t say what is and what isn’t going to happen, we don’t tell you / charities / others how this is going to run. Instead, you do.

Our shared philosophy is to build and power the engine (primarily our website nelfie.org) and for you and everyone else out there to drive the project in whichever direction you like. Naturally this vehicle will need refueling and may occasionally breakdown, but that’s why we’re here to get it moving again. 

Many good marketers tell us that rather than telling people who your organisation is, perhaps think about how you’d like it to be described. So on that note, I guess in a single sentence (kinda) it would be great for the project to one day be described as:

An energy-firing action-inspiring people-powered-dreams-machine...and we’re fuelled by a common desire to make a real difference.

Plus it just about fits with Twitters’ 140 characters policy :)

Have a great Tuesday!

Tom

Twitter: @nelfiedotorg

P.S If you thought that was a mouthful to say, my original idea was: 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted but there’s good reason for that, which I’ll mention at the end of this blog entry. Right now though I’d like to share an epiphany I’ve had about this project – what it is, what we’re trying to do and what it can become. Enjoy!

‘Platform’ is such an all-encompassing word, especially in the start-up sector (and even more so in the tech start-up sector). And why not, when it sort of works for so many start-ups?

To date, nelfie.org has been typically referred to as a platform. But perhaps that doesn’t quite fit. With support, ideas and inspiration from so many angles, now we (the Team and I) are building something much more than just a platform. We’re building a stage.

How do you interpret ‘a stage’?

Perhaps you immediately think of a theatre, where you go to see something that may entertain, humour or challenge you. Perhaps you think of a raised podium, where you go to see, listen to and maybe question someone who is there with a point to make. Or maybe you think of a stage in the sense of a metaphor, perhaps as a step in the development, growth and progress of an idea or social issue, for example.

To us, any and all of these and more can apply. With nelfie.org you will be free to participate and view whatever is on the stage, to challenge, to be entertained, to ask for more from and to be inspired. What’s more, you’ll get to engage with those on stage and show your appreciation beyond their performance.

For all of you, especially the bravest, the entertainers, the artists, and the most passionate about social issues…well, you’ll have the chance to take centre stage and to get your message out there to a far wider audience than you could have ever imagined.

What is the nelfie Team’s job in all of this?

Well, like any good theatre manager, we are to ensure that the stage is built, maintained and completely open for anyone who wishes to step up and use it. We are responsible for making it possible for anyone to view, whenever and from wherever they wish. We’re responsible for getting the ‘biggest acts’ up there, for supporting anyone who wants to get involved. We’re responsible for hitting our own extremely ambitious standards, so you can use our stage to boost yourself and your message to the next level.

Where are we right now?

Well, metaphorically speaking (again), the stage build has begun. With a growing team including some excellent developers and other smart people on side already, there’s a really good buzz around the camp. Our focus recently has been on getting the foundations and design for the stage in place – now we’re looking for artists, entertainers, for really passionate people to come and  ‘do their thang’ prior to when we open to the public.

Our question to you is - will you take a seat and watch, or do you have a burning passion that you want to stand up and share with the world?

 Tom

Follow us on social media:

Tw: @nelfiedotorg

FB: /nelfie.org

One question.

 Hey gang,

Here’s a question for you. What is the single greatest good cause of them all?

OK OK, it’s Friday afternoon and your brain is pretty frazzled from a busy week, right? I mean, how on earth can you choose just one good cause to focus all your attention, energy and perhaps your cash on when there are so many great ones out there?

This is an eternal question that we face too. Perhaps you support ones that are close to your heart because they affect you, your family and your friends. Perhaps you care deeply about a particular injustice in this world and will do everything in your power to help stop it. Perhaps one good cause is leading something that is simply so inspiring that you just cannot help but admire and desire to be a part of it.

If you’ve been following our progress at nelfie.org from the very start (*happy face if you have*), you’ll probably know that the question ‘which good causes are you supporting?’ is one that a) we get asked a lot and b) we ask ourselves a lot.

It’s a hard question to address, clearly.

Just as this project itself is always evolving, so are our thoughts on this. Right now we believe that the best solution is to find and partner with some great causes for users to choose from (with stories and content to back up our belief) AND yet, leave the option there to nelfie for an unlisted good cause. Further, we believe that the key to early partnerships is to work with small and local causes who perhaps are in greatest need of what this community can offer:

A gigantic loudspeaker of goodness!

What are your thoughts on that?

 *****Attention fundraisers, charity workers and social enterprises*****

 P.S - we are about to kick off the process of finding good causes that wish to be featured with us. This would simply be them giving us their blessing for a user to run a nelfie campaign with that good cause nominated – then all funding and awareness would go directly to that good cause. If you know anyone at a charity who is looking to improve awareness and funding of their good cause, or you are yourself in this position then please get in contact.  

Have a great weekend people!

 Tom

(photo credit: enigmaticexistence.com)

Follow us on social media:

Tw: @nelfiedotorg

FB: /nelfie.org

Hey gang!

In our last blog entry I introduced the concept of how nelfie.org is going to work.

In this entry I want to begin a series of postings with something that many businesses do not typically share (well not enough of them do, at least in my opinion). I’m going to share with you regular updates on the plans for the pre-launch phase of the website and beyond. After all, transparency is one of our core principles!

Hopefully by now you have a good idea of what we’re looking to do here at nelfie.org. Content is key for us, as are the partnerships, goodwill and social media channels we will be using. Additionally, the support and creativity of our Tribe is going to make a huge impact on our ability to support good causes and be successful in general. So, we’re going to start co-creating and collecting content right now!

We’re going to build a basic site at an alternative domain (we’ll share this with you when it’s ready) and ask you and a select few others to get involved – by being amongst the first in the world to nelfie for your favourite good cause with nelfie.org. If that accolade isn’t good enough, we’re also going to provide you with one of the very original nelfie.org T-shirts! Who knows, these tees could one day be collectors’ items.

What is the purpose of this approach?

We’re going to do this for several reasons. First of all, engagement is another one of our core principals and we want to get this running from the get-go! By having you good people involved from the very start, we know we’re all on to a winner. The feedback and testing that will be part of this will further help us -> to help you -> to help others.

Then there’s content – we will need content to start, grow and prosper. Collecting it pre-launch will enable us to ensure that launch runs smoothly and really starts with a bang!

The third major purpose of this is quite simply to create a buzz. We hope this whole mini-plan helps to create bit of friendly commotion, to start a song and dance, to commence a… oh ok, but you get the idea.

So how do I get involved?

Good question! The answer is simple – stay tuned for now and be sure to tell others about this project. Then, when we’ve got the sub-site up and running, we’ll let you know and the fun can really begin. We’ll tell you what we need from you for your campaign, as well as what we’re going to do with the content and how it will help make a difference.

So, stay tuned…

Tom @nelfie.org

 Oh and P.S, if you still haven't quite decided if you like the idea, we were delighted to see this pop up on LinkedIn the other week. It seems even the big man himself realises the power of the nelfie!

Follow us on social media:

Tw: @nelfiedotorg

FB: /nelfie.org

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s…well it looks like an old dude having his picture taken and he’s hiding nearly-naked behind a lamppost!

OK. So why is this chap, let’s call him Bob, hiding nearly naked behind a lamppost? The answer is that he is trying his best to raise awareness for his favourite good cause.

You see, Bob’s done plenty of fundraising marathons in his time and has exhausted his social group and former work colleagues who now suffer from ‘donor fatigue’. However, Bob still has a burning desire to support his local charity and help them grow in name and impact. That’s why Bob is doing a nelfie – and he knows that the more daring it is, the more attention it’s likely to get for his charity.

So here’s how it all works:

He uploads his nelfie and a real life photo (Bob in normal life) to nelfie.org

He logins via Facebook and he chooses his favourite charity

He selects a start date and a fundraising target

If he wants, he can add a story to his campaign for added promotion

And that’s it for Bob as we do the hard work of stitching it all together and promoting his fine bit of do-goodery for his favourite cause. Instead of just going out to his small group of friends and former co-workers, Bob’s campaign goes out to the world. As money comes in, Bob’s real life photo fades out as his nelfie photo comes into focus. At 100% Bob’s nelfie is there to see, as is his gigantic smile at the good he’s done by simply having a bit of fun.

  Thank you Bob, you mythical genius!

 Tom @nelfie.org

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Calling all back-end / full-stack developers,

We’re looking for an enthusiastic back-end / full-stack developer to support our front-end developer on the build of  our ‘eye-brow-raising’ Social Enterprise tech start-up nelfie.org. It's going to be a whole load of fun and you'll get paid a good wage too!

The work itself is likely reasonably minimal and might suit someone (particularly a student(s)) looking for perhaps 2-3 weeks’ worth of work through the summer. We're Manchester-based and it would be ideal (though not essential) if you are in/near the city too.

On top of the excitement of working for a cool startup and the warm fuzzy feeling of working with charities, we're also paying for the work. In addition, we are offering to pay for shared-space membership for the duration – most likely at SpaceportX.

We are sure it’ll be a lot of fun, look great for your portfolio, you'll get a good wage and know that your work is all to support good causes locally and globally.

With a project as whacky and exciting as this, who knows where this road may lead?

Contact [email protected] for more details​.

We’ve all heard that phrase “If you don’t start something now then you’ll never start it at all”. As with many things, starting something new is often easier said than done. But what about doing things differently? Does that have to be so difficult?

Old laws are amended, old cars are redesigned and old, existing markets are ‘disrupted’ by newcomers preventing industries from going stale. We see the model of simply giving to a charity, having little engagement and then not knowing what impact this donation has had, as, well...kinda old. We’re not looking to be different for the sake of being different, but times have changed.

Reports, surveys and public opinion from across the globe suggests a change is beginning to occur. The old way of previously just giving is changing for the better. That’s why we’ve built into our ethos 5 key principles that we aim to include in all that we do:

-          Social good

-          Transparency

-          Engagement

-          Innovation

-          Fun

We’ll address each of these in forthcoming blog posts, as well as provide you with updates on how the project is shaping up and what it’s all about.

We want to disrupt the market. Our reward? Social good. If there is a way to make something that’s good even better, then we’re going for it!

Tom @nelfie.org

Follow us on social media:

Tw: @nelfiedotorg

FB: /nelfie.org

Hey, I hope your day is going well.

You’re reading the very first blog entry from us here at nelfie.org. 

We’re trying to create something revolutionary and we would love for you to be a part our journey. The vision? A platform that empowers anybody in the world to do something spectacular for their favourite good cause.

I’ve personally been inspired by charities and social enterprises around the world and from organisations and entrepreneurs who believe that ‘there is another way’ to do business. Take Toms shoes for example; Unlike the average corporate, founder Blake Mycoskie decided that his organisation would exist partly to help others in world by providing a free pair of shoes to the underprivileged for every pair of Toms sold (The Toms blog). Or Charity:Water, a non-profit who work to provide clean water facilities to people across the world. But they don’t just stop there where other charities might. They connect donors to the people they have helped, so they can see what their donations have enabled even after projects have finished (Charity:Water)

At nelfie.org, we exist as a Social Enterprise which means that our primary focus is on providing social good; to charities, to good causes, to other social enterprises and to people, animals and environmental projects worldwide. The vast majority of our revenue will go into supporting good causes, with the remainder being used to ensure that the project is sustainable; so it continues to benefit others now and in the future.

We’re looking to do things very differently too.

How will this all work? Well, we’re not giving it all away in our first entry – but do check back again soon as ‘all will be revealed’.

Tom @nelfie.org

Follow us on social media:

Tw: @nelfiedotorg

FB: /nelfie.org