FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Valerie Leeper
OCTOBER 24, 2011 (Asheville, NC)
Galaxy Digital 'Connects' Non-Profits with Service-oriented Community
Galaxy Digital, a web-based communications firm in Asheville, N.C., is helping United Way of Pickens County change the way the organizations they support engage volunteers in their communities. Non-profits, like the United Way, must rely heavily on a volunteer corps to accomplish key initiatives, and often these needs could easily be met if the individuals knew about them. Not surprisingly, social media is the answer.
Galaxy developed a tool that empowers United Way to foster engagement called "Get Connected" and it allows volunteers to create a profile, express a variety of interests and then track the organizations that need volunteers with those interests.
"Think of it as a dating service between United Way-sponsored agencies and individuals in the community who'd like to get involved in something they believe in or that interests them," says John Kelley, Custom Account Rep at Galaxy. "If we can tell the story of an agency and get people passionate about what that agency does ... tell them about the success that they're having, then we get people engaged. There are lots of people out there willing to get involved and give back, but they're not sure how to get started. Get Connected helps both sides of the equation."
At a product rollout held at UW Pickens, Kelley showed 23 agencies an overview of the Get Connected platform and how it would not only help them link their needs to ready volunteers, but create an agency page with "a heartbeat."
The Galaxy technology uses the sharing aspects of social media including the potential to add blogs, video, and photos, create events and develop a community while also communicating through existing social media like Facebook and Twitter.
United Way of the Piedmont, located in Spartanburg, is already using the Get Connected tool to galvanize its supported organizations and volunteers and is kicking off its use with a contest beginning November 1. Prizes will be awarded to the agencies who are able to attract the most volunteers, meet the most agency needs, and achieve the highest percentage of employee profiles created.
UW Pickens administrators and agency representatives will begin training on Wednesday, October 26th and are excited about the tool's potential.
"It's all about increasing what we can do for the community," Kelley said.
Galaxy Digital serves its clients and the community by delivering web-based social solutions that help non-profits and small businesses create, track, and manage the right relationships to bring about positive action.
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