Twestival Local 2009

What is a Twestival?

A Twestival or Twitter-Festival is a global series of events organized by volunteers around the world under short timescales, which bring people offline for a great cause.  Twestival is run 100% by volunteers and independently from any not-for-profit; although the organizing teams do work closely to outline an achievable and measurable fundraising target.  Twestival also sets out to identify key skills of volunteers and match these with the needs of the cause; particularly communications strategy, tech integration and social media training.  Twestival Local takes place in cities around the world : 10-13 September 2009.

A Short History of Twestival

In September 2008, a group of London Twitter users hosted an event called Harvest Twestival connecting people offline for a bit of fun and for a good cause.  Organizers held a raffle, collected donations and canned food for a local not-for-profit called The Connection in Trafalgar Square, which supports programs for the homeless.  The organizers planned the bulk of the event in under two weeks and pulled in sponsorship from people on Twitter. The event, which was originally intended for 30-40 people ended up with a waiting list and all 250 attendees wearing @name stickers to identify themselves to others they had met online.  After the enthusiasm of the Harvest Twestival, the team starting planning the next London event, while the idea of hosting simultaneous Twestival events around the world was quietly brewing…

The first Twestival Global was launched with a tweet on 8 January 2009 and barely a month later on 12 February, there were 202 cities around the world hosting events to benefit charity: water.  Over 1,000 volunteers, crowdsourced through Twitter, contributed their skills, over 10,000 people participated globally and countless others donated or used their creativity to ensure 100% of all proceeds went direct to charity: water projects.  The total raised in one day was over $250k through these events and online donations; resulting in 55 wells with more than 17,000 people served in Uganda, Ethiopia, and India.  Eight weeks later, Twestival architect @amanda accompanied @scottharrison and the @charitywater team to Ethiopia to drill the first well; providing daily videos, answering questions direct from the field and sharing the experience with supporters.  The momentum of Twestival created buzz and awareness around the world on national TV, radio, online and print publications including the Guardian, NY Times, Clarín, El Pais; with cnet even coining it ‘Twestival: Live Aid 2.0‘.  For additional background on the origins of Twestival Global : Reflection Interview and Twestival Case Study.

Twestival Local vs Twestival Global

Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but work from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact. While Twestival Global put the spotlight around one cause on a single day, Twestival Local is getting back to its roots and encouraging cities around the world to host events in support a local cause on one day during the weekend of 10-13 September 2009.

100% of the proceeds from these events will go direct to the local not-for-profit selected.  Everyone involved with Twestival is a volunteer.  Cities are asked to set a fundraising goal for their event, but it is much more than reaching a financial target.  Twestival Local is a fantastic opportunity to connect with people in your community.  The aim is to give people a chance to feel they are contributing to a larger social initiative, but bring the cause a little closer to home.

How to get involved.

The first step is to check to see if your city is listed on the world map.

If your city is not listed, please put a team together and register before 25 August 2009.

To find out other ways to contribute, please check out the ‘Get Involved‘ page for ideas and links.

The website is updated daily with new cities, as volunteer teams are constantly evolving.  If you click your city on the map, it will reveal direct links to the blog, Twitter account and details about a city’s selected cause.  If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring a Twestival Local in your city, please feel free to reach out directly or complete this form and the global team will put you in touch.

The process and expectation for a Twestival Local organizing team.

Once you register a new city as a lead organizer of your city’s Twestival Local, you will be assigned an official city blog on Twestival.com and sent an organizers pack to get started.  It is important to update your blog immediately so other potential volunteers and contributors can discover you.  Ensure your city has a pink dot on the map by updating basic details.  The next thing to do is to set up a separate Twitter account for your city Twestival, if you haven’t already, and follow @twestivalteam for organizer updates.  An important area of the website to point out is our ‘Organizer Tools‘ page where we put special partnership links and other hints and tips for upgrading your blog.  It is valuable to note our global partnership with @amiando, to provide event ticketing and registration with all fees waived ensuring that 100% of sales go to your cause; so follow these instructions to take advantage of this great offer.  Other exciting news for organizers coming soon from @gotomeeting and @blurbinc!

As an organizer, you will be asked to work with a team of volunteers in your city found via Twitter and emails forwarded directly from the Twestival site.  A regional coordinator will liaise with your team to ensure things are on track and connects you with our fundraising, marketing/pr and event management teams when you need some support.  Consider reaching out to your local community via Twitter to find a venue, source donations, encourage sponsorship and raise general awareness of Twestival Local among potential donors and participants.

The most important role of an organizing team is to select which cause your Twestival Local will support.  There is not a strict format for deciding your cause but you must meet the Twestival guidelines and give proof of your selection process.  Many cities are deciding to engage with their Twitter community for nominations by using a special account from @uservoice or other online feedback services.  Please note that the charities must be vetted by the community to ensure the fundraising objectives are sincere and match with the Twestival Local principals, so the final decision may be decided amongst the organizing team.  Once you have decided which cause your city will be fundraising for, please submit this form to @causecast for Official Twestival approval.  Once this is finalized, your city is all set to start working directly with your selected cause to identify a specific fundraising objective and other ways your team can support.

Follow @twestival for updates

36 Comments on “Twestival Local 2009”

Thanks to the generosity of EF/AVHHF all donations and ticket sales are being matched through March 25 up to $100,000.

100% of proceeds support Concern Worldwide

Help us spread the word!