Who needs sleep?  In just 29 days, 16 hours and counting... a group of self proclaimed nerds will gather to make an incredible impact on the nonprofit sector at the Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge.  Appropriately sponsored by Red Bull, Peace Coffee and Chipotle, “the nerds” will gather for 24 hours to create a brand new website for 16 nonprofits in Minnesota.  Ultimately one will be named the best website, but clearly all 16 nonprofits, as well as the nerds, are the real winners  (even if they end up with a burrito coffee hangover).

I had the honor - and the enormous challenge - of serving as a judge to select 16 finalists from a field over 40 organizations whose heart-felt and strategic applications made our job very, very difficult.  Kudos to all the organizations for your resourcefulness in applying for this phenomenal opportunity and for your innovative thinking about how technology can further your organization’s mission.   

I will be excited to see how the nerds create technology that will:

• connect more migrant farm workers in Southern MN (Centro Campesino)
• raise awareness for the need for pediatric medical equipment that will ultimately save children’s lives (DesignWise Medical Incorporated)
• help preserve a dying Native language (Dakota Wicohan)
• engage more retirees in volunteer service (MN Senior Corps Association)
• connect students to advocate for international children’s rights (Child Protection International)
• work with more inmates in Duluth to transform condemned properties into green homes (Common Ground)... just to name a few.

How inspiring can it get?!  What an incredible difference 24 hours will make to the clients, staff and communities around the globe - thank you nerds!  And thank you Nerdery Interative Labs and Sierra Bravo Communications for your leadership to inspire such powerful pro bono work.   If you see a sleep deprived nerd on March 21, give them a hug.

Check please...

And MORE gratitude to share - special thanks to the Minnesota Community Foundation team who processed and cut over 3500 matching checks from Give to the Max Day.   And thanks to those of you who had very small checks... for your patience.  The last checks went out in late January, which was later than we had hoped.  If you still have questions about Give to the Max Day payouts, please email us at info@givemn.org.

Webinars went well

Yet another GRACIAS -  to the team at MAP - Amy Wagner, Kevin Kenneavy and Lori Jacobwith for leading a successful webinar for 501c3 education organizations.  Be sure to check out the slides on the previous blog post.