48in48 Connects Volunteers with their Passions in Boston
From April 27 to April 29, 48in48 brought volunteers, corporate sponsors and nonprofits together to build 48 websites for nonprofits in just 48 hours. The participating Boston nonprofits now have the websites and digital marketing tools, so they can spend less time trying to spread the word about what they do and more time helping the 527,424 people they serve every year.
For a taste of what 48in48 did in Boston, check out some these nonprofits brand new websites:
The Boston event would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers. Kelly Scanlan started volunteering for 48in48 in 2017 during the inaugural Boston event. She quickly volunteered even more of her time to help plan and execute the 2018 Boston event. We are proud to have her as a member of the team. After a successful event in Boston, we are excited to let Kelly tell her story:
Boston Project Manager Recaps 48in48 in 2018
During the last weekend in April, as the biting cold of our overly familiar New England winter was finally giving way to both sun and some much-needed rain, volunteers from Slalom, IBM, Digitas, Spotify, and more came together to assemble new websites for 48 local nonprofits in Boston. The causes included child development and engagement, historical building and park preservation, health and wellness, social justice, women’s issues, racial issues, community issues – you name it. As the websites started to come to life, nonprofits participated in 48in48’s Snack and Learn series to glean insights about tackling their new digital landscape.
After spending so much time, money, and effort making a local impact, many organizations either don’t have the resources to put together an engaging digital presence or aren’t sure where to start. At 48in48’s second Boston event, participating nonprofits were given tools and strategies about branding, social media marketing, and systems like Salesforce to help them better utilize their new web presence.
Kelly’s Connection to 48in48
I found out about 48in48 at just the perfect time. I had been working at Digitas in the finance department for about a year, and being fairly new to the digital marketing industry, was looking for more ways to take part in the vibrant work culture. I was also at a point where I was ready to start giving back in a more meaningful way. I was nine months sober at that point, something I never thought I’d be able to say but was so thankful to finally be able to say it. I felt as though I had been given another chance at life, and I was adamant about using it to help others. Though my 9-5 is spent in Excel sheets, I had been a freelance writer for years and knew there had to be some way I could put both skills to use to help local nonprofits. Even as I was still learning to believe in myself, I felt it was important to take this opportunity to do what I could to enact change. The more I showed the nonprofits what I believed they were capable of, the more I started to believe the same for myself.
After participating in 48in48 in 2017, Drug Story Theater was awarded a $250k grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield to expand their program across Massachusetts.
Truthfully, this in some ways felt very personal for me. When I started working with Drug Story Theater last year, it felt serendipitous and right that I’d be celebrating one year sober the week leading up to the event. The team and I had bonded over painful stories and how simply sharing one’s own story of recovery can help others with their own struggles, maybe even save someone’s life. When they applied to 48in48, they didn’t have a website to speak of. Now, when I think of the resiliency of the kids in that program, and the thousands of other children who will now hear their stories of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds while helping to tear down the stigma surrounding addiction, I can’t help but think of just the kind of impact 48in48 has on the community in a much larger sense, the kind that’s not always immediately apparent.
These experiences are what have drawn me back to 48in48, and I have a feeling I’m far from alone. Maybe it was the bold new space over at WeWork Cambridge that had people especially amped up, or maybe it was a more knowing sense of the impact that we were working towards for the second year in a row. Whatever it was, the energy in that space was more electric and focused than ever, and that should come as no surprise. Boston is strong, after all – the strength of will and purpose in this city is consistently palpable.
Through any channel, by any means, we fight for what we believe in. For the good of the community, for the benefit of others, we work to make sure no one, no cause worth fighting for is left behind. So far, we’ve put that ethos to work for 96 local nonprofits. True to form, we’re already gearing up for the next 48 in 2019.
48in48 is getting started with 2018 events in cities across the U.S. and in London. Give yourself the chance to have a life-changing volunteer experience, do some good by submitting a nonprofit that needs a new website, or sponsor 48in48 to help build websites for even more nonprofits.
Learn more and sign up to help us help the helpers today! www.48in48.org
