Mom bloggers can be a powerful bunch, especially when they put their heart into a worthy cause. That idea is the basis behind Bloganthropy, which hosted it’s first annual award at this year’s BlogHer conference.
Bloganthropy began as the collaboration between Debbie Bookstaber and Candace Lindemann. The women worked together on the blog Mamanista.com, a product review site that worked to raise revenue for charities in need. When they saw just what the blogging community could do, the pair worked to create Bloganthropy, a non-profit collaboration that aims to empower bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities.
During the 2010 BlogHer Conference, Bloganthropy hosted it’s first annual award to recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media effectively to promote a good cause. Several bloggers were nominated for this award, which included a $1000 check to the charity of their choice. So many of the important women bloggers at the conference gathered together to work towards good causes in their lives.
“Postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders affect over 800,000 women annually in the United States alone. Increased awareness of PPD is critical to early diagnosis and treatment. For six years, Katherine Stone solely supported Postpartum Progress, helping countless women through her efforts. She recently incorporated as a non-profit with the goal of expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness. We hope that recognition as the first annual Bloganthropy Award Winner and the prize money donated by P & G GIVE HEALTH will help Katherine Stone to accomplish this worthy goal,” says Debbie Bookstaber, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org.
During the awards, four other nominees were also honored for their work within the blogging communities for important causes. These women were recognized for their commitment to helping others and bringing a voice to areas that are not often seen.
- Kristine McCormick, Cora’s StoryKristine touched audiences and developed a strong following by writing about the tragic 2009 death of her five-day-old daughter from an undetected congenital heart defect. This birth defect affects one in 100 newborns and can often be diagnosed in utero or at birth through simple, non-invasive tests. As a means of coping with her grief and educating parents-to-be, Kristine writes about her process, posts current information about congenital heart defects (CHDs), and advocates for universal screening for CHDs.
- Maggie Ginsberg-Schutz, Violence UnsilencedWhile researching and writing an article profiling seven survivors of domestic violence, Maggie, a freelance journalist, created Violence UnSilenced in February 2009, to shed light within the blogging community on domestic violence and sexual abuse/assault by giving survivors a voice. The site is supported by countless bloggers and also has been featured on iVillage, BlogHer, Momocrats, and mentioned in the Huffington Post, raising awareness of this very important issue. Alltop created a new domestic violence channel after learning about Violence UnSilenced.
- Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy, Pam Mandel and Beth Whitman, Passports With PurposePassports with Purpose unites travel bloggers through an online fundraiser each December. Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick, respectively, launched a travel-inspired fundraising initiative in 2008. Participating bloggers procure travel-related items for an online random drawing. Using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media channels, Passports with Purpose earned $7,500 for Heifer International in its inaugural year and nearly $30,000 in 2009 to build a school in Cambodia. The goal for 2010 is to raise $50,000 to build a village in Southern India.
- Megan Jordan, Velveteen MindMegan Jordan, a blogger and Gulf Coast resident, draws upon her personal experience of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, her lyrical voice, and her highly-engaged audience at Velveteen Mind to help others in her region rebuild. Forming a partnership with Tide detergent and its “Loads of Hope” disaster relief program, Megan hosted a holiday “blogging carnival” about the meaning of hope. Megan and several other bloggers joined the “Tide Loads of Hope” truck in New Orleans, providing laundry services to residents in need during the holiday season.
This year’s award was sponsored by Give Health, a Procter & Gamble’s social sustainability program that provides clean water, vaccines and education to children in need. – Summer, staff writer
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Thank you for featuring these finalists–so many amazing bloggers are doing great things with their social media influence. I hope that spotlighting their work encourages them and inspires others! Maybe one day MSM will write about the things these women do instead of just the free samples!