There is a new persona in play. Until now, it has been used efficiently only in businesses and marketing field and proved itself by giving explosive effect. With the announcement of the Goodwill Generator which is an open source patent the power and promise of social networking is provided for all types of charities.

The Old fashioned Model:

Money is gathered from donors by organizing periodic campaigns and charity shows. Paid organizers supplemented by volunteers are in charge of collection and spending funds. Sponsored agencies who buy services at retail with the money the collected funds are circulated in lump packages to them

There are several disconnects built into the traditional model. Although donors may receive 'updates' on occasion from an organization, the actual work being performed on a daily/weekly basis is invisible to them. Charities simply don't have the resources to constantly report on day-to-day activities, leaving donors at arm's length from the beneficiaries of their generosity. This leaves charities stuck marketing with statistical overviews when they mount their next drive and they have to rebuild goodwill all over again.

Another disconnect is with volunteers. Volunteers certainly see the details of good works performed, but they often do not directly connect with donors - those who, besides beneficiaries, are most appreciative of their efforts. Without enough positive reinforcement, volunteers are apt to burn-out or feel ignored. The goodwill that only volunteers can create with positive word of mouth anecdotes is unavailable. This leads to fewer volunteers in the long run.

Lastly charitable organizations lose belief as they cannot or do no put forward themselves in local networks. Many charities are left competing with each other for donor resources and trying to make their cause more absorbing than the next. There is no prospective of reciprocal cross or shared activity. Due to an organization is broadly based, usually in a national or international convocation charities are far from local needs and 'real people'.

The Advantages of the Goodwill Generator:

* Updates are in real-time and done through the Internet: Both volunteers and donors can access and post on a continuing basis about specific needs and how they have been met. Donors are no longer dependent on monthly newsletters/mailers and cold statistical summaries.

* Continuing contact both rewards donors with actual results, but also induces higher donations overall as ongoing needs are presented - they can take action today to affect someone in an unambiguous way.

* Commercial donors also receive direct marketing access (by PPC or other online advertising) to both volunteers and beneficiaries, further encouraging continuous involvement.

* Gifts from a gift pool, both directly as a 'thank you' for a service done and also randomly - simply for being an active member recognizes volunteers. This is important action that boosts goodwill in the volunteer pool.

* Volunteers have something actual to show others - web attempts allows for social networking and automatic appointment of fresh volunteers simply because current volunteers can easily communicate experiences and the direct rewards.

*Donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries all gain a sense of attachment to a larger network. Charities can easily join forces through the network and share volunteers or projects. This also points a hidden problem- searching those in need of services. Having a continuing enterprise deeply inserted in the community, people unknown about available help become recommenders and future volunteers.

Information of the Goodwill Generator?

The Goodwill Generator is an open source patent. That is accessible for anyone to use, without bars, save that the original developers are credited. Organizations can do modification according to their own particular needs.

The full text of the patent (with diagrams) is provided at http://goodwillgenerator.ext.com/full-text-patent but an example of one application will illustrate the principles concerned.

1) A cancer patient needs a ride to their medical appointment.

2) The need is communicated online at a host website.

A volunteer reads and arranges to act the service. (Alternatively, volunteers may be communicated by the main organization by email.)

4) The volunteer completes the act.

The cancer patient reports their obligation online.

6) The volunteer may then receive a small gift or discount from a local retailer or other donor. (Retailers may have advertising on the main website.)

Contemporary, a random selection of volunteers will receive gifts 'out of the blue', only for being constituent of the pool.

Volunteers may accept or forbear gifts according to they desire - it is the recommendation that counts.

9) Friends and relatives of the cancer patient (also part of the larger network) also receive notice of the charitable act. In all cases, the parent charity is mentioned.

The overall picture is of a community helping its members. For this cause, other social networking tools are used to breathe life into the struggler further than the simple need or help basics.

The same network is used to advertise events and raise awareness beyond current membership. Opportunities for businesses to gift branded items and for private donations are provided through the same website. Members are upgraded to support donor efforts by reacting to retail offers and advertising. The goodwill flows in different directions to donors, volunteers, and the social network at large.

It is estimated that the interactions of associates will evolve past a direct donor or volunteer role. In fact, real world and virtual connections are elevated. By having a powerful fabric of networked individuals in place before a sudden spike in need emerges, the entire network can be inspired into action quickly when needed.

Other, 'hard links', can be instituted - periodic newsletters emailed to members, blogs, volunteer/donor of the month... creative possibilities plentiful. As the root scaffolding is open source new accesses are found to be successful, the Goodwill Generator can be altered by users to take beneficiary of winning strategies.

For instance, one excellent strategy (already a part of the basic patent) is 'priming'. Quite often, there is a very small difference between a volunteer who wishes to help (but doesn't) and one that actually acts. By offering a primer (a small gift), a first-time or reluctant volunteer can be induced to take action - leading (by way of the positive feedback inherent in the Goodwill Generator) to further acts and both emotional and material rewards.

On the donor side, the capability to give small but indicative items like car wash ,coffee etc at their business place kicks them past the initial 'no' and into the role of contributor. Donations that otherwise wouldn't interest traditional charities become significant in the Goodwill generator model.

At the end.

The complexities of authorizing a social network can seem forbidding to those of us who have faith on traditional fund raising procedures. However, the tools and techniques are readily accessible, either free or at a very low cost. Management and overhead for an online Goodwill Generator site, with the initial framework in place is highly user/volunteer generated and effectual. Every successful transaction becomes aspirator for greater utilization. This is perhaps the most significant feature. A charitable act no longer gets performed and disappears; it has a life past the actual deed.