winwinner Wednesday: The Hicks Foundation

The idea: The Hicks Foundation was founded to eradicate cervical cancer in Vermont by providing free screenings, grants for medical care, and education and policy development about Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

In 2009, the foundation asked men in the Burlington, VT community to donate their professional or leisure time, and produced “Cinderfella,” a benefit event that auctioned off the men’s donated services.

How it started: In October 2004, Allison Hicks was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer at the age of 29. Within days of the diagnosis she underwent radical surgery. Although she made a full recovery, the surgery left her unable to bear children – particularly difficult given that she is a trained doula whose work is caring for mothers and babies.

Allison saw this experience as a call to action. Within months of completing chemotherapy and radiation treatment she started the Hicks Foundation, a 501c 3 organization dedicated to eliminating cervical cancer in Vermont.

The winwin: The Cinderfella 2009 event was a huge success; over 60 men walked the catwalk and the Hicks Foundation raised over $24,000 to help eradicate cervical cancer in Vermont. In the meantime, attendees got to bid on unique, fun opportunities (taking the stage with a rock band, ski lessons with an Olympian, a private meal cooked by a professional chef, and more).

How they used winwin apps: The Hicks Foundation was one of our early beta testers, and theirs was the very first event produced using winwin apps. In addition to offering us great feedback, they successfully managed the pre-registration and auction & payment processes for Cinderfella using winwin apps.

More info: You can learn more about the Hicks Foundation by visiting their website, at www.freepap.org, and keep up with future events by becoming their fan on Facebook, or following them on Twitter.

Click here for a gallery of great photos of the Cinderfella 2009 event, or click here for a 2-minute video recap of the evening.

About “winwinner” Wednesday: Each week we profile one of the nonprofits using winwin apps to make the world a better place. If you’d like to be featured on our blog, drop us a line!

winwinner Wednesday: CarShare Vermont

CarShare Vermont is cool nonprofit on a mission to provide Vermonters with an affordable, convenient, and reliable alternative to owning a car.

The idea: If more Vermonters skipped owning and driving cars in favor of using shared vehicles just when they needed wheels, we’d reduce greenhouse gases, save money, and create a stronger community.

How it started: In 2002, a group of Burlington residents caught wind of “car-sharing,” an innovation that was growing in cities across the country. The group reached out to the San Francisco Bay Area’s nonprofit City CarShare, where by chance, Vermont native Annie Bourdon answered the phone. Annie collaborated with the group over several years, and when she finally moved back to Burlington, she helmed a grassroots effort to get the initiative off the ground. By 2008 many volunteers (individuals and businesses) were involved, and the service launched in December 2008 as CarShare Vermont.

The winwin: Area residents use one of 5 Priuses and 4 Imprezas parked throughout Burlington, VT to get around town, do errands, etc. Residents don’t have to bother with the expense and hassle of owning, maintaining or parking a vehicle the city has less traffic congestion, and the air has fewer greenhouse gases. Now that’s a winwin!

How they used winwin apps: CarShare Vermont’s 1 year anniversary event, “Share the Love,” was a fundraiser at the Main Street Landing in Burlington, VT. CarShare was a tester of winwin apps’ early software, using it to promote the event, register attendees, and manage their fundraising auction.

More info: CarShare offers memberships for individuals, families, and businesses with rates starting as low as $4.95 an hour and $0.25 per mile, including gas and insurance. Users can reserve by the hour or day and only pay for what they need. For more info, visit www.carsharevt.org.

About “winwinner” Wednesday: Each week we profile one of the nonprofits using winwin apps to make the world a better place. If you’d like to be featured on our blog, drop us a line!

winwinner Wednesday: The Clothes Exchange

A fundraiser that doesn’t feel like one, The Clothes Exchange raises money for women’s charities with its annual shopping extravaganza.

The idea: Get women and area retail stores and manufacturers to donate desirable clothing and accessories, then sell them for a great price. A fun evening of shopping with friends, The Clothes Exchange has become one of Burlington, Vermont’s most anticipated annual events. Last year’s event attracted over 500 women and raised $55,000+ to benefit Vermont Works for Women. This year’s event will take place at a new, bigger venue – the DoubleTree Hotel – and will benefit King Street Center of Burlington.

How it started: Founded by Leslie Halperin, the event had modest beginnings, starting as a simple clothing swap with 20 friends in her living room. But as she realized how much people enjoyed it, it became clear the concept could be bigger, and raise money for women’s causes.

The winwin: Women keep their clothes out of the landfill, find great affordable stuff to wear, and enjoy a fun event. Nonprofits that improve the lives of women get a boost to their bank accounts. ($150,000 has been raised since the event’s inception in 2001.) Now that’s a winwin.

How they used winwin apps: The Clothes Exchange was one of only a few beta testers who got access to the very first version of winwin apps. They used it to promote their event, register attendees, run checkout, and manage their silent auction – and they gave us good feedback on how to make the tool better.

More info: To learn more about The Clothes Exchange, visit www.theclothesexchange.org. You can also check out the video below to see the 2008 event, which benefitted the Hicks Foundation. (You’ll even see winwin apps founder Anna Palmer in the video, who volunteered at the event.)

About “winwinner” Wednesday: Each week we profile one of the nonprofits using winwin apps to make the world a better place. If you’d like to be featured on our blog, drop us a line!