Insider – Page 5 – Up with People

There are many times when you may stay in someone else’s home for the night. It may be when you stay with family, friends, or with a host family during a study abroad or gap year program. Being an amazing house guest will leave you and your host family with a great and memorable experience!

How To Be An Amazing House Guest:

Learn The House Rules. It’s important to learn rules that they expect you to follow while staying in their house. They may have curfews, quiet times, or other rules. Be respectful and follow them.
Help Out. Offer to help with cooking, cleaning up, and other items around the house. They may or may not take you up on it, but they will be grateful for your willingness to lend a hand.
Participate in Activities. Even after a long day make sure to interact with your host family. It will be a rewarding experience to spend time with them and get to know them.
Limit Your Internet Use. Staying tethered to your computer or phone is not OK. Prioritize the host family experience. You may only get a short amount of time with your host family so it’s important to make the most of it.
Learning. Ask questions as much as possible to learn about the culture in which you are staying. This is one of the greatest advantages of staying with a family instead of in a hotel. Here are some great conversation starters:
- What’s your favorite food?
- What are some of your family traditions?
- What are your favorite activities?
- What is one place I need to see while I’m in town?
- What’s the best thing that happened to you today?
Stay Clean and Neat. Whether you are sleeping on a couch or have a bedroom, be sure to keep the area you are in neat. Make the bed each morning, and keep your belongings organized. Also keep common areas neat and clean.
Be Organized When You Leave. Check that you haven’t forgotten anything, and strip the sheets off the bed, fold them, and leave them neatly for your host.

How To Go Above And Beyond:

Cook for Your Host Family. Cooking a meal or baking a treat is a great way to share something from your culture and do something nice for your host family!
Say Yes! Challenge yourself even when you are tired. Your host family will be excited to show off their hometown so make sure you join them whenever invited. This is a great way to get to know your host family and see the place they live through their eyes.
Listen To Them. Your hosts have wisdom and stories to tell. Make sure you practice active listening to get the most from the experience and make them feel heard.
Leave Your Phone In Your Room. When you’re staring at your social media feeds, you’re missing out and likely making your hosts feel bad.
Share Photos, Music, or Games From Home. Your host family will appreciate learning from you as well! Plan ahead and bring a few things from home to share with them.

Thank Your Host Family:

Send a Thank You Note. After your stay make sure to mail a handwritten thank you card showing gratitude for opening up their home to you.
Bring a Gift. Leave a small gift to thank them. This doesn’t have to be something expensive. It just needs to be something that represents you or where you are from, and says thank you.

Interested in a host family experience? In every city we visit, Up with People cast members stay with host families. This experience is one of the most rewarding benefits of the experience. This is true for not only the participants, but the host families too! Learn more about how you can be part of an Up with People cast at https://upwithpeople.org/travel/admissions-information/.

Make Your Voice Heard

“The temptation to silence young people has always existed. There are many ways to silence young people and make them invisible… There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive. Dear young people, you have it in you to shout. It is up to you not to keep quiet.”

– Pope Francis, St. Peter’s Square, Sunday Address, March 25, 2018

Up with People was born in the midst of the 1960’s, a time of turbulence and division when young people were raising their voices for social change. Many adults were trying to silence young people. Blanton Belk and those who worked with him asked the simple question of that generation, “What do you want to say…and what do you want to do?” Their response “we want to build a world of equality, unity and peace”, and that launched the global wave that would become Up with People.

Today we are again a divided world and again youth are finding their voices to advocate to end violence, to have more compassion for those in need, to respect those who look or live differently and to believe that we can find common ground for a more hopeful and peaceful future. And today the young adults in Up with People are raising their collective voice in song with the plea that we can, and we will, overcome our divisions to Keep Hope Alive.

We join Pope Francis in saluting this generation of young people for their ideas and commitment and urging them to make their voices heard.

(Photo Credit: Jeff Hansen, 2017)

Partnership with Purpose: Kiwanis International and Up with People

Making the world a better place through empowering youth to become future leaders is at the core of what both Kiwanis International and Up with People do. So it’s a no-brainer that our organizations would form a close partnership.

The idea for a collaboration was planted in 2011 when we visited Lakeland, Florida, USA and a local Kiwanis Club President turned Florida Kiwanis District Governor noticed commonalities between our organizations. We finalized the partnership in 2014 and have been intertwined ever since!

WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE TODAY

Everywhere our casts travel, the Kiwanis logo follows. You will see their brand displayed on our website, in our brochures, and in our performance programs and flyers as our promotional partner.

But the partnership goes well beyond just the exchange of logos.

“Through collaborative efforts, many clubs have engaged with cast members, staff, and Up with People alumni, showcasing the talents and service activities in local communities around the globe,” says Pam Norman, Director of Corporate Relations at Kiwanis International and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Zionsville, Indiana. “Our clubs and members have a menu of opportunities to engage with Up with People. From full cast sponsorship to shared service activities, from hosting cast members to participating as a cast member, the options are plentiful.”

Up with People also volunteers with, promotes and speaks with their clubs – Kiwanis (adult clubs), Circle K(college), Key Club (high school), Aktion Club, K-Kids (elementary school) and Builders Club (middle school).

AMAZING BENEFITS FROM PARTNERING

Over the three years of our partnership, we have worked with Kiwanis Clubs from California to Bermuda, and continue expanding our reach to Europe and Asia.

“Partnering with the Up with People organization has multiplied our clubs’ local community impact,” says Pam Norman, Director of Corporate Relations for Kiwanis. “When a cast of 100 plus arrives in a community ready to provide service alongside Kiwanis members, these hands-on projects provide greater impact and sustainability.”

Since 2015, ten Key Club members have joined Up with People touring casts and $3,000 in grants are available to Key Club and CKI members who learn about Up with People at their District and International events.

In Kiwanis sponsored cities, together, we have volunteered 9,513 hours of service, impacted 33,578 local youth, inspired 17,750 audience members by our performances, affected 88 organizations through our service, engaged 376 host families, and formed one new satellite Kiwanis Club.

“We look forward to continuing this partnership rooted in shared values and aligned missions,” says Pam.

Up with People Memories: A Night with Andrea Bocelli

Up with People has been entertaining audiences around the world for more than 50 years, yet a recent performance with Andrea Bocelli will go down as one of the more memorable evenings in our history. Bocelli’s wife personally invited Up with People to perform at “Teatro del Silenzio,” his annual charity music festival at an outdoor amphitheater near his hometown in Italy.

It was such a great display of what makes Up with People so special. A select cast of alumni gathered for a week of rehearsal in the US, jumped on a plane to Italy to perform in front of 15,000 people in 104-degree heat — and loved every minute of it. Performing with the Maestro in support of his world charity made it even more amazing!

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Up with People opened the event with an 8-minute medley of dances from around the world to celebrate this year’s theme, Canto della Terra, which means “Songs of the Earth” in Italian.

“It was spectacular,” says Terry Adams, Up with People’s Vice President for Advancement. “It was an opportunity for us to make the connection to a very international audience while celebrating the many cultures of the world.”

The mission of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, distress due to illness and social exclusion. Every year, the Maestro invites international artists to his hometown in Tuscany to celebrate and support the work of the foundation.

“It was such a great fit for us,” says Up with People CEO Dale Penny, noting that our touring casts have donated more than 3 million hours of community volunteer work over the years to help advance people and causes worldwide. “There’s such a wonderful connection between our mission, what we represent, and what our cast members represent in the world.”

WHIRLWIND WEEK OF TRAVEL

The cast of 20 Up with People alumni came together to rehearse in Denver, but that was just one of their responsibilities. “Most of them were here to help kick off the staging of our newest world tour,” says Penny. “Then they flew to Tucson, Arizona where we were having our annual alumni reunion, with more than a thousand people from 22 countries in attendance.”

They performed at the reunion, then boarded a plane for the long flight to Italy, where they were greeted by Bocelli and the huge crowd at the outdoor amphitheater. They took the stage three times before the night was done: the opening number, another high-energy dance performance in the middle of the show, and the grand finale with the Maestro himself.

“They worked their tails off,” Penny says with pride. “And when they weren’t working, they were out exploring Florence and having a great time.”

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

It was the performance of a lifetime for the cast members, and an outstanding opportunity to expose Up with People’s energy and purpose to a new audience.

“They created a really extraordinary professional performance,” Adams says. “And to see them do it with no sleep and in 100-plus degree heat, and the spirit with which they did it is just the epitome of Up with People.”

After the concert, Andrea Bocelli and his wife Veronica hosted a private dinner, inviting six couples from Up with People to wind down at their home.

“I think the dinner started at 12:30 and got over around 3:30 am,” Adams says, still excited about the opportunity to discuss the show — and Up with People’s mission — with the rest of Bocelli’s guests. “It was a pretty intense, wonderful evening, and we were very fortunate to have 12 seats at that table.”

Penny is extremely proud when he looks back at the evening. “To be on an international stage like that and to see Up with People performing at that level,” he grins, “it was a great, great memory.”

Top 13 Tips For Successful Event Planning

Up with People puts on events both big and small each year and this couldn’t happen without a dedicated team and years of experience. So how does one pull off successful events? Up with People’s big events like our annual gala in Denver, Colorado requires organizing a cocktail hour, silent auction, three-course meal, special appeal paddle raise, and a dynamic performance by Up with People cast members. These tips can help anyone pull off an incredible event!

1. Take care of yourself.

You’re not helping anyone or the event if you don’t put yourself first (and many people would tell me to take my recommendation!). The work will be there tomorrow. Drink water, sleep, and find a healthy way of de-stressing (I love group fitness classes) so that you put forth your best efforts.

2. Delegate!

This is still something I am working on. Realize that you are only one person and can only do so much. Ask for help. People are more willing than you realize to assist.

3. Have fun and celebrate!

Event planning should be exciting. Don’t forget to take time during the planning process and the event to laugh, smile, and bask in your efforts.

4. Attend other events.

A great way to learn best practices is to attend other events; no matter the scale. Join a host committee of another nonprofit event or sign up for organizations like Volunteer Match or Hands On Network. Take note of their set-up, auction items, décor, communication process, production elements, takeaways, volunteer schedule, etc. You’ll make great connections, help a good cause, and come away with some ideas!

5. Document, document, document.

Write down – or type and file – even the smallest detail. You never know when you’ll need the information and it’s always great to review tidbits from previous events.

6. Listen to your constituents.

We do a post-event survey after each Gala and we read every single survey answer. We value this feedback so much because in addition to achieving the event objective(s), we also want the entire “driveway to driveway” experience to be impeccable for our guests. We want them to leave our event thinking, “Wow, that was amazing! I can’t wait until next year!”

7. Surround yourself with positive and productive people.

Our annual Gala would not be nearly as successful every year without the help and support of our amazing host committee. Their energy, enthusiasm, connections, and time make the whole process fun and enjoyable.

8. The devil is in the details.

The host committee and I have learned with the past couple of years that we must be so detail-oriented. From the silent auction to the décor to the centerpieces, the smallest detail makes the biggest difference and helps to set your event apart from the rest.

9. Do a double and triple check.

Our annual Gala hosts around 450 individuals every year. While it takes time, don’t be afraid to go through each person and ensure they are accommodated for in every way possible. For example, “Jane Doe is sitting at table 10. Her name badge has the correct table and the correct spelling of her name. She is registered in our bidding system and has the correct bid paddle. She requested a vegetarian meal, which I have noted for the hotel.”

10. Perform an event post-mortem while it’s still fresh in your mind.

Within four to five days of our event, we try to debrief with as many entities as possible. Send out an agenda ahead of time so those invited to the meeting can jot down their own notes and come to the meeting with answers ready.

11. Say thank you.

I’ll say it again. Say thank you. Write a thank you note to everyone who played a role in your event: from the event contact at the venue to sponsors to event staff and volunteers to the florist. Writing thank you notes is a lost art and will be much appreciated.

12. Create an emergency kit.

The last thing I do before the event is create a supply kit similar to that of a wedding attendant: band aids, sewing kit, hairspray (it’s good for more than your hair!), duct tape, glue gun, batteries, sharpies, pens, scissors, extension cords, etc. I use this list every year.

13. Smile and breathe.

No matter what is happening – a guest is upset, one of the silent auction items was left at your office, or your auctioneer has the flu – nothing is the end of the world. Smile, take a breath, and take a minute to compose yourself. One of the best qualities of any event planner is creative thinking and improvisation. Even if the problem seems monumental in your mind, it likely isn’t and all will be okay.

What Do These Successful People Have In Common?

Over the last decade, gap year options for high school graduates and college students have changed the course of how young adults approach their higher education. Many colleges, including ivy league universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale actually encourage newly enrolled students to take a year off before college to travel or volunteer.

Don’t just take it from us. Take it from a group of our successful alumni who ventured out into the world traveling in Up with People before continuing their college education.

What do the following successful people have in common? They all traveled in Up with People!

Betsy Myers, Director of the Center for Women and Business at Bentley University

Betsy rose in her career to become Senior White House adviser for women’s issues during President Clinton’s second term in office. Next she was the Executive Director of the Executive MBA program at Harvard. She then was recruited by then presidential candidate Barack Obama to become the Chief Operating Officer of Obama 2018. Today she is the Director of the Center for Women and Business at Bentley University. Widely sought for speaking engagements, her book, Taking the Lead was considered by the Washington Post as one of the best business books of 2011.

Betsy Myers an Up with People alumna — Betsy Myers with Former President, Barack Obama as his Chief Operating Officer during his term. Photo Credit: Betsy Myers

Frank Gatson Jr., Choreographer & Director

Frank is a choreographer and director who is perhaps best known as Beyoncé’s choreographer. He took a gap year with Up with People after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1980 and appeared in several of Up with People’s Super Bowl halftime performances. He has choreographed for many other projects including his work with Salt ‘N’ Pepa, Usher, and Destiny’s Child along with his work in major motion pictures such as Leave it on the Floor and Fanney Khan.

Frank Gatson Jr, Beyonce's choreographer and Creative Director — Choreographer Frank Gatson Jr. teaching a routine to dancers who auditioned in January for Beyoncé’s 2007 tour. Photo Credit: Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Anya Adams, Producer & Director

Anya Adams is a producer, director writer, and cinematographer. She is known for her work on popular TV shows like Blackish and The Mindy Project. Anya traveled with Up with People after high school where she focused on theater and performing arts. She worked for Up with People for seven years after traveling before she began working in the film industry. After 15 years in the industry, she prides herself in the idea of portraying different world views into her productions. Some of her other notable works include Scrubs, Fresh Off The Boat, and Speechless.

Anya Adams Up with People Alumna — Anya Adams, Director & Producer. Photo Credit: Zimbio

Tom Costello, Journalist & NBC News Correspondent

Tom Costello is a Chief Correspondent for NBC News and appears regularly on NBC Nightly News and the Today Show. He covers transportation, NASA, regulatory and consumer related issues. Tom did an interview with NBC News to talk about his gap year experience in Up with People. The experience gave him incredible insight towards his career once he had returned to the University of Colorado Boulder. “I grew up and changed profoundly while I was on the road in Up with People,” said Tom Costello in his gap year interview with NBC News. “If it weren’t for that gap year and traveling in Up with People, I would not be where I am today. I certainly would not be in network news and certainly wouldn’t be married to the wonderful lady I am now.”

Tom Costello from NBC News talks about his gap year in Up with People — Tom Costello, Journalist and NBC News Corespondent. Photo Credit: NBC News

John Loudon, CEO of COmON Foundation

John Loudon continued his work in the nonprofit world after traveling in Up with People during his gap year. He is the CEO of COmON Foundation, an organization that counsels and trains companies in social responsibility. John is also an International Board Member for Peace Parks Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Nelson Mandela based in South Africa. As a professional director of various nature conservation and land use initiatives, his goal is to raise funds and be a creative strategist to help these organizations thrive in making a difference around the world.

John Loudon, board member for the Peace Parks Foundation — John Loudon, CEO of the COmON Foundation. Photo Credit: COmON

Want to learn more about developing leadership skills, experiential education, and traveling to make a difference in the world?

Start your journey in Up with People today!

“The whole world is changing around you and me.
There’s so much to learn, there’s so much left to see.
If we could change faces, trade places, what would I see?“

Through Your Eyes © Up with People

How To Build An International Social Network

Globalization is here to stay and the key to a successful and fulfilling career (and life) is a diverse international network. But how does one begin to lay the foundation for such a network? One of the quickest and most effective ways is to spend a gap year or study abroad semeste r overseas. In fact international networking is often times one of the most valuable and measurable outcomes of time spent traveling. Years later you might not remember the content of the program’s education curriculum but you will certainly remember and maintain contact with the people you connected with while abroad.

Ways To Build Your International Network

Focus On Real Connections – When people think of networking they often times think of awkward forced interactions where each party wants something from the other. It’s no wonder this word is often seen as negative. By focusing on genuine connections with the people you meet while abroad the chances of that relationship lasting long into the future are much greater. Plant seeds of friendship across borders and harvest the fruits of those friendships later when say you need a reference or contact in that country.

Choose A Study Abroad or Gap Year Program That Forces You Out Of Your Comfort Zone – It’s completely normal and easy for study abroad students to go abroad and spend 6 months hanging out with people from their own country. They form small pods of safety and fail to branch out and meet the locals. It’s important to choose a program that forces you out of that comfort zone. For example, Up with Peopleparticipants travel not only to multiple countries each semester, but they travel with participants representing over 15 countries. This forces you to make connections. Look for programs that utilize host families (like Up with People) as well. These connections can last a lifetime.

International Internships – In general students who choose to study abroad or young people who decide to take a gap year are among the most ambitious and driven of their peers. Taking this to the next level and landing an internship abroad can be a valuable and fast way to start building relationships. Internships have the highest probability of paying off quickly.

Volunteer Abroad – Helping those in the the communities you visit is not only incredibly rewarding but it can put you in contact with locals in a way that is hard to replicate. Many young people have a burning desire to change the world. Volunteering abroad not only fills that need but can lead to opportunities later on in fields that are driven by purpose over profits.

Attend International Webinars Online – From the comfort of your own home this can be a great way to learn about a chosen field, develop professionally and make international connections. Are you an expert in a certain field? Create your own webinar and open it to strategically targeted countries where you are interested in building connections.

Live Abroad – There are many opportunities to live abroad at least for a short while. Many people choose to teach abroad (especially languages) or simply freelance while they travel. Not only is this a rewarding life experience but it helps you build the type of strong global network that is hard to do in a shorter amount of time.

It Takes Work To Stay In Contact – In the end, after you return home and move on with your life, you must use social media and other tools to keep your contact list fresh. Staying in contact is incredibly important so your network doesn’t go stale. This can be something as simple as saying happy birthday or sharing a recipe with your international friends. Networks take work.

How To Respectfully Disagree

Can we agree to disagree in today’s political and social climate? Is this even possible as we dig into our ideologies and points of view? At Up with People we certainly think it is possible to respectfully disagree with others that share different points of view. This month Up with People is proud to announce that we are partnering with the National Institute for Civil Discourse to offer a “Revive Civility” class for secondary and university students. Led by Up with People cast members, students will spend these classes in small group discussions, listening across differences for understanding. The class teaches active listening skills and the chance to practice having a conversation with someone you disagree with in a respectful and civil manner. Thankfully, there are ‘best practices’ we can all follow for a more civil conversation. Let’s explore these valuable tools below…

Best Practices For Civil Discourse

Civility is the ability to disagree with others while respecting their sincerity and decency. The opposite of civility is incivility. According to our research, most people agree incivility includes personal insults, threatening physical harm and/or using racial, religious, ethnic or sexual slurs.

Find Commonalities First

The foundation for a civil conversation is to see and hear the whole person in front of you, and not just the issue you disagree about. Start with finding common ground. Is there something in the person’s argument that you can relate to? Ask yourself, what else do you have in common with this person? Identifying these commonalities can ease tension and lead to better conversations.

Practice Active Listening

Listen to understand, not to respond. While having a conversation, forget about planning what you want to say next. Take in every word, and listen for the meaning–including emotions and underlying values–behind the words.
Repeating back what the person said is not intuitive–it is a valuable skill that needs practice. Your paraphrasing and repeating back actually helps the speaker know if they were clear and aids them in thinking deeper about the topic too. When they have said what they want to say, that is your cue to reply, “What I hear you saying is … Did I understand you correctly?”

Stay Focused Even On Hot Button Issues

When your temperature rises and your heartbeat quickens it’s important to stay focused on the person and conversation. Maintain eye contact and focus on really listening.
If you find yourself on the receiving end of pointed or aggressive questioning on an issue, respond with “Tell me more.” Aggressive questions are often rooted in the asker having a point to make, and they may not be ready to hear your response. The more you let them talk and share their view, the more they will be disarmed by your thoughtful attention. Your listening skills will de-escalate the situation, and give you a chance to truly understand why they might feel the way they do.

Allow For Periods of Silence

Remember, the goal is not to speak the most. The goal is to listen and, when appropriate, respond from a calm place. Allowing for periods of silence allows others to feel that they have space and they are not being attacked.

Don’t Make It Personal

If you get upset, it can help to remember you’re mad at the idea or concept, not the person. Too often people jump to personal attacks which can quickly derail a civil conversation.

Use “I” Statements To Communicate How You Feel And What You Think

Using “you” statements can sound argumentative. For example, telling your mom or dad, “You always remind me about my chores on Wednesdays when you know I have a lot of homework” has a very different tone from “I’m feeling pressured because I have a lot of homework tonight. Can I do those chores tomorrow?”

Take the civility challenge! Listen to conversations around you and note the ways in which people are civil or uncivil. Reach out to someone you disagree with on a topic you both care about. Make the goal to get to know them better, and to listen to understand their perspective. Give yourself enough time and space to truly hear what they have to say.

If you’d like to try out our Revive Civility conversation, gather with a few friends and text Up with People to 89800. This starts a short series of texts to prompt discussion and give you a chance to practice your own active listening skills.

How To Run A Successful Online Fundraiser

Since 1965 over 22,000 young people have circled the globe with Up with People. As a non-profit and as a program that helps hundreds of our participants fundraise each year we understand a thing or two about fundraising. Whether you are raising funds for a good cause or to travel the world, crowdfunding online can be both necessary and challenging. Crowdfunding is defined as, “the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.” Where does one begin? In this post we explore the many options available online to help you choose the best approach for your fundraising goals.

Top Crowdfunding Platform Comparison Guide

GoFundMe.com – GoFundMe operates under the “keep what you raise” fundraising model and is the best for individuals looking to raise funds for whatever reason as their name implies. You don’t lose out on donations if you don’t reach your goal. They offer unlimited duration or custom deadlines for your campaigns and are a popular choice for young creatives and travelers. Cost – 2.9% of total raised plus $0.30 gift processing fee per donation.

KickStarter.com – With KickStarter you must either meet or exceed your goal or you keep nothing and all donations are returned to donors. This platform is best for starting a new organization or business. Campaign duration can last from 1 – 60 days. Kickstarter is the most competitive of all platforms therefore it can be harder to stand out. Cost – If goal is met, 5% of money raised goes to Kickstarter, plus 3-5% to Amazon Payments to cover gift processing.

IndieGoGo.com – Popular with the creative crowd, this platform is shared with as many as 10,000 causes at one time, leaving the site cluttered with campaigns for donors to sort through. Competition here is high. IndieGoGo operates under both the “keep what you raise” and “all or nothing” model. Campaign duration can last from 1 – 120 days. Cost – 8% platform and gift processing fee plus $0.30 transaction fee per gift.

YouCaring.com – When individuals, groups, or communities need to raise funds in the face of hardship, YouCaring can be a great option. Unlike most online crowdfunding sites, YouCaring doesn’t charge a platform fee off what you have raised. They also have a tuition pre-built page which people can use for college, gap year program or study abroad semester fundraising.

Classy.org – Classy is tailored to large nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. It is not a good fit for individuals and small fundraising campaigns. Cost – $499 per month making it one of the more expensive options out there.

Donate Direct To Individuals – With the rise of services and apps like VenMo and Zelle, supporting an individual directly has never been easier. Hefty service fees from major crowdfunding sites can really cut into all of the hard work and needed funds. A common misconception is that simply having a presence on major crowdfunding sites will give your cause exposure thus finding brand new donors. How many people do you know go to crowdfunding sites to donate to random projects? The truth is that the people who make donations will be in your circle of contacts. This is why often times it is better to create a simple web page using a free site builder like WordPress to explain your story and why you need funds. Many people simply start a Facebook page for this purpose. Then people can donate to your cause directly helping you avoid costly service fees. Many participants fundraising to travel with Up with People simply have supporters make payments directly to their program fee on Up with People’s website, thus avoiding 3rd party service fees as well.

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Steps to Run a Successful Online Fundraiser

No matter how you decide to raise money online there are some best practices that you should follow. These best practices will give you the best chance to raise the much needed funds for your cause.

1.) Tell A Great Story – Why should someone donate? Empathy is a powerful tool and on your project page you must quickly explain why you need donations. What does that money actually do? Videos are a powerful tool and we recommend always using a video on any online fundraising page. The video doesn’t have to be perfect or professionally produced with lots of bells and whistles, it just has to tell your story. Keep it under 2 minutes if you can and get to the point quickly.

2.) Show Progress – One great thing about the major crowdfunding platforms and perhaps why they are so popular is that they clearly show how much you have raised and the goal. You must set a goal and show it to the world. This helps supporters see your progress and makes them more likely to give a little bit more if they can see how much it will help in the big picture. People naturally want to help you reach that goal.

3.) Social Media Is Required – As we mentioned before, most of your donors will come from your inner circle and there is no better way to reach them quickly than with social media. Once you have decided on a platform, blast out your page to everyone you know and ask supporters to share it with their own networks. It is also best practice to ask people to share your page after they have donated.

4.) A Thank You Gift – Offering something as a thank you doesn’t have to cost you a thing but it can be a powerful tool in raising funds. If you are raising funds for study abroad, could you promise your donors a digital recipe book from dishes you loved while living with your host family abroad? Could you simply promise a postcard from abroad? Coming up with creative ways to thank your supporters can be a great way to boost funds.

5.) Donate Now Button – You would be surprised how often we see this forgotten on participant run online fundraising campaigns. It seems obvious but if there is no “Donate Now” button on whatever page you send your supporters, you are making it difficult and confusing for people and potentially losing money.

6.) Set A Deadline – Nothing kills donations more than when your supporters say to themselves, “Oh I’ll do that tomorrow.” Set a deadline for donations and remind people of this deadline in your social media posts and on your fundraising page.

In the end you want to make the process for your supporters as easy as possible. Online fundraising can be a powerful tool in your quest to raise funds and using at least some of these best practices will help ensure your campaign pays off.

When Up with People Dominated Super Bowl Halftime

With the big game fast approaching Up with People takes a look back at our role in the Super Bowl Halftime show. Our organization comes up a lot in conversation this time of year in countless lists both online and on American television. Including our pregame performance at the 1991 game, Up with People has played five Super Bowls, more than all but five NFL teams! Although we may no longer perform on this stage, we continue to tour the world with a new show and a message that is now more relevant than ever.

Repost – ESPN.com Article “When Up with People Dominated Halftime” by Doug Williams

Long before superstars took over the Super Bowl halftime show, there was Up with People. Between the marching bands of the earliest games and Michael Jackson’s appearance in January 1993, four halftimes were filled with hundreds of energetic, clean cut kids who danced, sang and had smiles so perfect they could make a dentist weep.

It was a four scoop helping of wholesomeness before the era of big acts and (sometimes) big headaches. There were no wardrobe malfunctions, middle finger salutes, phallic shadows, bleeped out lyrics or homemade American flag ponchos. Just a legion of well choreographed teens and 20-somethings singing tunes for that year’s Super Bowl theme.

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Over an 11 year period, from 1976 to ’86, Up With People was the headline act at Super Bowls X, XIV, XVI and XX.The group has more Super Bowl halftime appearances than any other act.

But each year about this time, Eric Lentz starts seeing “the lists.”

Before every Super Bowl, writers revisit every aspect of the game’s history, with top 10s of the best and worst games, plays, venues, commercials … and halftime shows. Each year, it seems, Up with People takes a beating.

Fortunately Lentz, Up With People’s senior vice president and executive producer, has a thick skin.

“We see the pundits and we see the top 10s and the bottom 10s, and we show up on all sorts of lists,” he said recently from the organization’s offices in Denver.

More often, the “pundits” aren’t kind. Wrote one reviewer in 2011 of best/worst halftime acts: “Book Up With People once? Shame on you. Book Up With People four times??? Shame on us all.” And this one, by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2010, that rated Up With People’s Motown tribute at the 1982 game in Pontiac, Mich., as the worst show ever:

“I hope you were throwing the football in your front yard during halftime shows in the 1970s and early 1980s, which all seemed to feature Up with People or Carol Channing. Up with People always had a creepy weird cultish quality, with exaggerated dance moves, brightly colored yet chaste clothing and industrial grade happiness. The group’s ‘Salute to Motown and the 1960s’ was the worst of its four Super Bowl appearances. The performances featured the whitest people in the world performing music mostly identified with African American culture. Imagine watching the cast of ‘Bonanza’ performing in a Tyler Perry play.”

To be fair, Up with People had several African American performers that year, and that particular performance has been praised, too. A Washington Times story in 2012 ranked the group’s Pontiac show as ninth best and refreshingly wholesome when compared to more recent acts, noting: “[they] were as inoffensive as puppies eating ice cream and apple pie.”

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To Lentz, the shots just bounce away.

Maybe their act wasn’t cool. Maybe Up with People’s performances (alive forever on YouTube) look corny, old fashioned and woefully out of place, sort of like Pat Boone rapping.

“I laugh it off,” Lentz said. “I consider the source. I don’t let it bother me because what your organization is about, at the end of the day, is not putting on Super Bowl halftime performances. It’s about changing lives. Not just the lives of the students that travel with us, but the lives of the families we stay with, the people we do service for and every community tour, showing that young people can communicate a positive message of understanding. That may sound like a company line, but it’s true, otherwise I wouldn’t have been working here for 15 years.”

It may surprise some to find out that Up with People is still singing and dancing across the globe.

Founded in 1965 as an organization to promote good will and perform community service, Lentz describes it as a cross between “Glee” and the Peace Corps: The Glee Corps. It’s smaller than it was back in its Super Bowl era. It now sends out about 200 cast members (from the U.S. and other nations) to tour each year rather than the 600 or 700 in the ’70s and ’80s.

The group performed at the opening of the Rose Parade as recently as 2011, but it’s no longer in demand to play big sports events. Lentz knows times have changed too much for Up with People to do another Super Bowl. Now, mega celebrities are selected months in advance and hyped to bring in the largest audience possible. With the game, cutting edge commercials and a headline act at halftime, the Super Bowl is a ratings bonanza, and UWP doesn’t fit.

“I think [it’s] the reality of how the entertainment industry works now and the corporate dollars,” Lentz said, explaining the change. “Obviously this year you’re going to see Beyonce with Pepsi splashed all across her, right? The industry and landscape have changed so significantly. Personally, would I like to see us back? By all means. I think Up with People could do an amazing job with halftime. … But realistically, we would need a major corporate funder and we’d probably need a name [performer to pair with], because that’s what people are used to now.”

Dr. Robert Thompson watched those Up With People halftime shows and agrees with Lentz. Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, said the group probably was a bit out of place even when it was doing Super Bowls, noting comedians were making fun of it at the time. But that might say more about society than Up with People.

“I think generally, since the 1980s, we have been so deeply mired in irony and the era of postmodernism, and anything with that degree of sincerity and that lack of irony generally ends up being targets,” he said. “People make fun of it. A lot of people make fun of anything that’s hyper sincere and doesn’t engage in the kind of deep irony that’s been so much a part of the way we communicate, especially the way younger people communicate. And I guess by younger, I mean anybody under 65.”

The fact the NFL didn’t invite Up with People back to do the 2005 show after Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” in 2004 exposed her right breast was a final signal the group isn’t coming back.

“They were so wholesome,” said Thompson. “How could you say anything against the message of breaking cultural barriers and creating understanding and all that kind of stuff? And I think as nice as they were, today they would seem completely out of place in a Super Bowl halftime show. Although I’m surprised and there was some talk after the Janet Jackson thing that that might have been just what the doctor ordered. But no, they went back in 2005 to Paul McCartney. He was the safe choice.”

Plus, Thompson knows the NFL had to change its show. Halftime was the most “disposable part of the broadcast,” he says a time people could step away. The NFL has now made that must see, too.

“Those superstar acts are more in line with the violence (game) and glitz (commercials) of the entire telecast than Up with People would be”, Thompson said. “Even a wardrobe malfunction isn’t all that incompatible.”

“All those people [were] complaining, ‘Oh, Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed for half a second! It’s destroyed all the children!’” Thompson said. “Whatever made them think that the rest of what went on during the Super Bowl was really good for children? Fourteen beer commercials associating beer with happy times and all those [erectile dysfunction] commercials and the violence of the sport? They made it sound like Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed during the playing of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ The Super Bowl is not that.”

Jim Steeg was an executive in the NFL for 30 years and the league’s senior vice president for special events in charge of just about everything related to the Super Bowl (including halftime entertainment) from 1979 to 2005. To Steeg, Up with People was the perfect act for the ’70s and ’80s. He and the NFL were pleased with the group’s performances and the crowd receptions were positive a reason UWP did four halftimes. But the times and technology that made the group appropriate 2535 years ago have evolved.

Back then, there were no giant screens that allowed people sitting in the upper deck to see the face of a superstar performer. Back then, nobody thought to recruit a mega act to do a halftime show. At that time, said Steeg, the theory of the halftime show was that it needed to “fill the field” so every person in the crowd would be close to the performance. A lone performer on a stage at midfield would have been lost to ticket buyers.

“You couldn’t have a centrally focused, one person type performance,” Steeg said, noting the lack of giant video boards. “What you were seeing was what you saw right in front of you. You didn’t have the ability to look to your right or your left or, in the Jerry Jones world, look up above to see what was going on down on the field.”

So, the idea was to provide a “spectacle,” and Up with People could do that with 500 people weaving, dancing and singing across the turf. Giant video boards, willing celebrities and changing expectations soon made UWP obsolete as a halftime option, but Steeg says their act should be seen through the lens of that era, not this one.

“This was before everybody thought that stars wanted to participate,” he said. “That ’82 [show], they seemed like the absolute perfect match because they could do all the Motown music, and that was before you’d think about having Smokey Robinson or Gladys Knight or whoever perform in the halftime show. It was foreign to the thought process.”

To Steeg, that show in Pontiac was terrific.

“I love that halftime show because it was Motown and we were in Detroit and it was a great tribute to [Motown stars], and I’m not sure anybody else could have done it better than they did,” he said. “Then this transition starts to come a little bit where you get a star, or Blevel stars, until you got to the A list.”

On Super Bowl Sunday, Lentz and others in his organization will do what they often do and trade messages about Beyonce’s halftime show.

“We all blow up each other’s Facebook walls when we see the latest performance and whether Up with People should be back, or good riddance that we’re not,” he says, laughing.

But he knows the shows today have far more “wow factor” than UWP can offer.

“The Black Eyed Peas, if you go back and look at them [in the 2011 show, you don’t see so much the performer as the technological wizardry,” said Lentz. “And that’s what makes us unique. … There’s a reason our name has the word people in it. Our performances are not about star power. They’re about the power of hundreds of young voices coming together to express a belief in world peace, which some may consider naïve, but that’s what we believe in. So I like seeing that power coming together. I just don’t know if the world would want to see that over Beyonce and the Black Eyed Peas.”

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