Blogs and Stories
The Blogosphere Charity Bake-off
Many of the competitors have huge readerships: fun-stuff aggregator BoingBoing.net; technology superblogs TechCrunch and Engadget; and venture capitalist Fred Wilson’s blog, A VC, which won the technology category of the challenge last year, raising $18,538.
“This is the future of philanthropy,” said Wilson, who knows a thing or two about raising cash. “I have been committed to doing everything I can do (within reason) to put the rubber-chicken circuit out of business. What Obama has shown, and Dean before him, is that the Internet is the most powerful fundraising tool ever invented, and we have to harness it to do more and do better.”
But Tomato Nation’s Bunting, perhaps more than most of her competitors, goes above and beyond to get her readers to pony up. “I produced a video with a Don LaFontaine-like voiceover with pictures of the Lincoln Memorial and people drinking out of ‘I Love You This Much’ coffee mugs, and the voiceover said, ‘Our once proud nation has lost its way, but the Tomato Nation is here to help!’ I had bumper stickers made up that had flag graphics and ‘Tomato Nation’ instead of a candidate’s name.”
But the most intriguing explanation for Bunting’s success is what Best calls “the Oprah Effect”: one person’s ability to passionately engage an audience of strangers, then employ this engagement to rally them to a pet cause. Best says the Blogger Challenge’s roster of competitors “includes the top 20 blogs in the world, but it’s often blogs like Tomato Nation, which don’t have an incredibly huge readership but do have an incredibly engaged relationship with their readers, that do the best.”
During a period when most charities are suffering, the competition this year attracted twice as many participants as last year. Sweetening the deal was the prize Best secured for the winner: lunch with Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo!
“Last year I gave the prize to one of my readers,” said Bunting. “I think I might take it myself this year, though.”
Will Doig is the Features Editor at The Daily Beast. He has written for New York, The Advocate, Out, Black Book and Highlights for Children.
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Will Doig is the Features Editor at The Daily Beast. He has written for New York, The Advocate, Out, Black Book and Highlights for Children.
Sarah Bunting is one of the founders of the immensely successful site 'Television Without Pity' (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php). As a former writer & chief editor of that site, Bunting rightly gained a legion of fans for her snappy writing and excellent editorial taste. TWoP & Tomato Nation have enjoyed a large and loyal readership, and a couple of years ago she co-authored a fantastic book (http://www.amazon.com/Television-Without-Pity-Things-About/dp/1594741174/r ef=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225678226&sr=8-1). It is remarkable, of course, that she is able to mobilise her many readers towards such great ends. As a long-time fan & a contributor to her DC challenge, I can only say that Sarah's commitment to education is inspiring, and that I (like others) gave because of a similar commitment, but also out of gratitude for the years of enjoyable reading Sarah's given us. It's lovely to see such positive coverage of Sarah's efforts, though the idea of TN & Sarah's work as terribly obscure is a little mystifying. If you peruse the other blogs in the www.damnhellasskings.com network, you'll find a bunch of other sites that supported Sarah in her efforts.
Libellule, thanks so much for pointing out what Sara has contributed online with her talents. I have been a TWoPer for years and continue to follow the ex's on their personal sites now. It was impressive then they were bought out by NBC/Universal, but disappointing when they left.
I also contribute to pamie's Dewey's each year, too. It is amazing what a little from alot can do.
Thank you.
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