DoSomething strives to create a culture of volunteerism and activism through social change among young people. According to the organization’s website, “DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the U.S. that helps young people rock causes they care about. A driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism, DoSomething.org is on track to activate two million young people in 2011. By leveraging the web, television, mobile, and pop culture, DoSomething.org inspires, empowers and celebrates a generation of doers: young people (25 and under) who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action.”[3] As the New York Times [4] stated in their article about Do Something and their use of mobile media, “teenagers become members by completing a project suggested by Do Something or one they have created themselves and uploading photos or other evidence of their efforts to the organization’s Web site.” DoSomething has become a leading not-for-profit organization for young people by directly communicating with youth in a way that is normal to them.
Five guidelines of the mission statement[5]
Believe in young people. Young people have the power to lead. We don’t require old people!
Trust young people. We provide reliable, easy-to-access information and activation strategies, but young people decide for themselves what to do.
Celebrate young people. We think all measurable contributions from young people are valuable.
Respect young people. We understand that young people have diverse abilities and constraints
Value young people. Our programs and products are free. We’re not after young people’s money; we want their passion, time, and creativity.
Do Something has monthly causes, sponsored by companies like Staples, Aéropostale, Pepsi and Del Monte, that address issues that concern teenagers, including healthy eating, caring for pets and recycling. The youth-led, web-based organization has over 250,000 members on its website, and it is estimated that through media and marketing the organization reaches over 11 million young people annually.
Campaigns
Do Something motivates young people to get involved by sponsoring campaigns that anyone can get involved in! There is always something to get involved in with Do Something, whether it be the Staples for Students school supplies drive or the Epic Book Drive that was just completed and collected thousands of books for the recovering school districts in New Orleans, Louisiana! Clubs
Anyone can start a Do Something club! Clubs do any projects that matter to the members, DoSomething just gives you the ideas and resources to do them! Clubs have to post a minimum of 2 projects a year, and once you sign up, you’re eligible for a Clubs Grant and monthly prizes! Do Something sends you three packages a year with project resources, upcoming opportunities, and DoSomething swag–for free!
Do Something Awards
The Do Something Awards is the only national awards ceremony for social action. Formerly called the BR!CK Awards, the awards culminated in 1996 to recognize young people under the age of 25 who have done outstanding work in their communities and the world. The Do Something Awards not only include young people involved in activism, but also includes individuals from the entertainment industry who have dedicated their time to activism and charity. The top 5 Do Something Award receive a $10,000 community grant, while the grand prize winner receives a $100,000 community grant to push forward their projects. The Awards were broadcasted for the first time on April 12, 2007, on The CW, making it the first televised awards show about changing the world. In 2011, the Do Something Awards (airing on VH1) will be hosted by Jane Lynch at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, and will be broadcast on August 18th.
Past Award Winners
2007 – Jacob Komar – Created Computers for Communities[6], which obtains discarded computers, teaches prison inmates how to refurbish them and distributes them to local needy. Has distributed more than 1,000 computers and plans to expand his services.
2007 – Kimmie Weeks – Created Youth Action International, which rebuilds war-torn African communities. Thousands of children in post war African countries have benefited from YAI’s centers, micro-credit loans, scholarships, peace schools, playgrounds and agriculture programs.
2008 – Chad Bullock – Trained 45,000 teens to do anti-tobacco projects and has developed an anti-tobacco activism site called helloCHANGE [7]
2009 – Maggie Doyne – Opened up and manages the Kopila Valley Primary School with her life savings. As of 2011, there are 35 children living in the orphanage and over 230 children attending the school.
2010 – Jessica Posner – Co-founded Shining Hope for Communities to combat gender inequity and poverty in Kibera. As the first free school in Kibera, Jessica has helped over 5,700 residents gain education and employment.[8]
Teens for Jeans
Teaming up with Aéropostale, the campaign Teens for Jeans was created in 2008 to raise awareness among teens about the one-third of homeless people who are under the age of 18[9]. People are encouraged to bring their gently worn jeans to Aéropostale , and they are then donated to over 1,000 homeless shelters in the United States and Canada. In 2011, 542,000 pairs of jeans were collected, and over one million pairs of jeans have been donated since the campaign started[10] Celebrities that have worked with the Teens for Jeans campaign include Nigel Barker[11], Jay Sean[12], Nikki Blonsky[13], Chace Crawford[14], Ashley Greene and Justin Long
[edit] List of Celebrities Involved With DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org receives a great deal of help from many well-known figures from the entertainment industry. Some of the celebrities associated with DoSomething.org are:
Nelly
Sean Kingston
Ludacris[15]
Jordin Sparks
Usher
Corbin Bleu[16]
David Archuleta[17]
Kristen Bell[18]
The Jonas Brothers[19]
Ciara[20]
Olivia Munn[21]
Amber Riley[22]
Sophia Bush[23]
Monique Coleman[24]
Andrew Jenks
Demi Lovato[25]
Nikki Reed[26]
Meaghan Martin
