By Lora Dow

People often look at me skeptically when I talk about building community on the web. I’ll admit that I can be a bit cynical myself some days with all the silly Facebook apps and hoopla about the Old Spice guy on Twitter. But last week, an iPhone and a few social media apps changed how I felt about the city I’ve lived in for 18 years.

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The rain started around 5 pm and didn’t let up for hours. “Rain” isn’t really an adequate word, though, to describe the sheets of water that fell from the sky. Some parts of the city got 11 inches of rain in just a little over an hour. Streets became rivers and washed away cars. Foundations were washed out from under houses. And basements all over the greater Milwaukee area were flooded with rainwater and backed-up sewage.

Throughout the storm, Twitter was abuzz.  At first the remarks were of the “Gees, should we have built that ark?” variety.  Before long, we had our own hashtag: #brewcityflood. Some of us were blatant gawking at the spectacle of it all. (But how can the picture of a sinkhole that swallowed an Escalade whole and or the water outside AJBombers not make your jaw drop a little?)  By 10 pm, the tweets had taken on the decided tone of gallows humor.

As the evening wore on though, you couldn’t help but notice all the tweets that were, well, neighborly. People were checking in with each other. Even as the power went out, smart phones allowed people to share which roads were open, which were closed. Twitter was even faster than the local news (which was on air all evening) at reporting what was happening around the city.

Most of all, Twitter was a community looking out for each other. Offering moral support, offering information and even offering shelter.

We went from a group of people promoting our businesses, our blogs, our neuroses, to a community.

But the story doesn’t end there.

One of our own experienced terrible damage to their home.  And, in less than a week, people who only know each other through Twitter are now holding a fundraiser to help Tim and Jess and baby Clara.  They’re supporting his small business.  They’re providing support and encouragement and food and expertise.

In the past, I’ve often referred to Twitter as my water cooler. As someone who works at home, I use it for a quick break of humor, gossip or an interesting link. But you know what? Somewhere along the way, Twitter became part of my neighborhood.

By Peggy Vinson

There is nothing better than enjoying summer weather at an outdoor concert!  This summer, I got a chance to experience two of my favorite artists in concert – Kenny Loggins and Eric Clapton.

Both were great concerts and both men are accomplished musicians.  As different as these two artists are, however, I noticed something very similar.  Kenny and Eric were both totally immersed in their music.  It was like watching a jam session. Both artists were totally removed from their audiences.

You would think that this would be a real turn-off for the audience, but these men are such great artists that it was still a treat to watch. (OK I can hear some of you questioning this categorization of Kenny, but you’ve got a HUGE Kenny fan here.)  Anyway, it was like being a fly on the wall of their studio…  They were so into their music and so passionate about it.  They were creating art right before our eyes.

Afterward, I thought about why the lack of interaction with the audience did not feel like a turn-off.  I think maybe in these two cases, they had both “earned” the right to perform that way.  However, most artists could not do that and get away without great criticism.

I continue to be nagged with the thought that there is somehow a tie-in to what we may do at times within our own organizations.

Last week, the Y of the USA released the new logo and branding “voice.”  At the Ys we work with, everyone is so energized and renewed by this exciting new approach to the Ys mission.  And then it hit me… What if we are so excited about all of the new ways to talk about the Y, that we celebrate and develop our “voice” and forget to open up the energy to the outside world?  Right now the media has helped the Y by letting the “outsiders” in on what is going on, but they remain on the outside looking in.  What are we doing to turn around and open up our “jam session?”

The outsiders may want to play with us!

By Michele Goodrich

While stuck in construction traffic the other day, I saw a billboard that really caught my attention.  There in the midst of signs promoting fast food restaurants, financial services and half-price fireworks, was one celebrating the value of charity.

The billboard’s message reminded me that as fundraisers and not-for-profit professionals, we don’t just raise money to support our causes, we also teach and model very important values such as caring, compassion and charity.   By holding up examples of everyday people who reach out to help others, we let people know that everyone can make a difference. It is especially important that we provide youth with opportunities to put into practice the value of charity, so that they can make it a way of life long into the future.

A note about the billboard: It is sponsored by the Foundation for a Better Life.  The story behind the billboard is that every Tuesday and Thursday for the last 30 years, Albert Lexie has left his home at 5:50am to travel 90 minutes by bus to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, so he can shine shoes in the hospital’s lobby.  He uses the very same shoeshine box he built in high school shop class when he was only 15 years old.  Albert charges $3 per shine and donates all his tips to the Children’s Free Care Fund, which ensures that all children receive medical care regardless of a family’s financial ability to pay for it.

Since 1981, Albert has donated over $100,000 of his hard-earned tips to the Children’s Hospital. His annual income is only about $10,000 and he donates approximately $10,000 a year to the hospital.

To see more inspirational billboards, TV commercials and much more, go to values.com.