Lightray launches a new website for the Fundrah, an organization that has retooled the concept of online donations into a social, fun, riveting experience with all the emotion of a live event. After taking a look at how we typically give online (via forms with our pertinent credit card information), the creators of Fundrah saw an opportunity for improvement. Donors can give to any participating cause, school, or non-profit – what makes Fundrah different, is that the generosity of the donors is rewarded with tokens they can then use to make bids in any Fundrah auction of donated items or tickets for upcoming events.
Donors are rewarded for their generosity. Non Profits & Schools are provided with an easy-to-use platform to get much needed donations. Corporate Sponsors are given the opportunity to give back and gain exposure. It’s the future of giving, and it’s never felt so good!
Lightray launches a new website for the Arts High Foundation, a Los Angeles non-profit dedicated to Arts Education in Los Angeles. Focused specifically on raising funds for LACHSA, unique educational institution, and LA’s sole public school for the arts. The sites goal is to assist in fundraising and awareness of the critical nature of supporting the Arts, and making them accessible for students of all backgrounds and means.
“LACHSA has an incredible reputation for excellence in Arts Education, Lightray is proud to work with the Foundation, supporting budding new artists and creative talent.” says Kimberly Brooks, ceo.
Restoring Arts Education to Our Public Schools | view site
Lightray launches a new site for P.S. ARTS, a Los Angeles based non-profit dedicated to restoring arts education to public schools throughout Central and Southern California. P.S. ARTS brings year-long arts instruction to schools whose art programs have been cut due to budget constraints. P.S. ARTS provides independently evaluated curriculum, teachers, and a high standard of arts education to students who otherwise would go without. Not only does P.S. ARTS give children hands on technical skills, but they also stimulate imagination, and promote creative problem solving and critical thinking. “To imagine primary school without arts education is simply to bleak to overlook” says Lightray CEO Kimberly Brooks. “We wanted to give P.S. ARTS a site that could help raise awareness both about the problem, and the solution, which is support the kinds of programs P.S. ARTS provides. We also wanted reflect the imagination unleashed by children who benefit from the programs.”
Lightray launches Born Again American site for Norman Lear www.bornagainamerican.org. Born Again American celebrates a song featuring musicians from across the country rediscovering their patriotism and what it means to be American.
“The most unique part of the site to us is the Sign the Pledge feature,” says Lightray Productions founder Kimberly Brooks. “Everyone is trying to get people to sign up and give their email addresses but people have newsletter and spam fatigue and are much more reluctant to do so. By making their names appear in a different cursive styles on the Declaration of Independence, something they could print out and hang on their wall, makes signing the pledge to Born Again American far more meaningful.”
The new site will be the centerpiece for the distribution of the song and video, executive produced by Norman Lear. The experience of the video was enhanced with an animation of the most poignant lyrics. The site is also peppered with viral components such as send to a friend, Facebook connectivity, iTunes downloads, and a YouTube presence. The goal: to reach as many Americans as possible, so they can be born again.
See it on Bill Moyers Journal PBS
Normal Lear has created People for the American Way, Declare Yourself and now Born Again American.
Lightray launches the stopglobalwarming.org, a grassroots effort to raise awareness about the risks of global warming in the form of a virtual march on Washington. The sites goal is to gain the support of millions of supporters across the US – who can turn around and with one voice urge leaders to take action. The Stopglobalwarming campaign was spearheaded by a bi-partisan group of individuals lead by Laurie David, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Senator John McCain.
Lightray employed a number of innovative technologies in order to spread the word quickly and broadly. Subscribers or ‘marchers’ upon signing up received their own personal impact page – where they in turn could recruit new marchers. Individuals personal impact is tracked and compared to others. Marchers with the greatest reach are then featured on the Stopglobalwarming homepage. In addition to personal impact the spread from individual to individual is tracked showing how the message reaches person to person creating a visual like a family tree. Stopglobalwarming.org is one of the earliest examples using viral social networking as a key tool for grass roots organizing.
Stopglobalwarming.org supporters and partners include the NRDC, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, California Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Vice President Al Gore to name a few.
“Looking back, the SGW website when it launched was really on the cutting edge of viral technology. says Jessica Thompson Creative Director. Many of the concepts deployed strongly resemble what we now see in Facebook, and in the new era of Campaign organizing online.”
The Global Viral Forecasting Initiative | view site
Lightray announces the launch of GVFI.org, The Global Viral Forecasting Initiative. Founded by world renown scientist Nathan Wolfe, GVFI’s pioneering mission is to prevent future pandemics before they occur. The GVFI team maintains satellite laboratories around the world, monitoring hot spots where viruses are most likely to jump from animals to humans. Lightray was first approached to publicize the work of Dr. Wolfe and his team, by creating a brand, a website, helping to communicate their mission and raise funds and awareness for the work.
The initial and modest launch of wolfelab.org has since grown into a formidable organization, funded in part by the Google Foundation, Skoll, National Geographic, and the NIH. They’ve been featured in New York Times, The Economist, Wired, and CNN’s Planet in Peril to name a few.
“Shining a light on the important work of Dr. Nathan Wolfe is exciting for a number of reasons. says Kimberly Brooks CEO of Lightray. Not only is the work truly groundbreaking, but our involvement in it’s formation and noteriety emphasizes the power of the Internet and it’s ability to bring into the focus even the most complex scientific endeavors.”
Lightray launches website for the newly created Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. With City and State funds stretched thin, proactive Angelenos are taking it upon themselves to help fund our heroic first responders. The LAFDF is hitting the ground running, raising much needed funds to provide essential equipment, technology and training – helping to keep LAFD a world-class Fire Department.
“Lightray has a long history of committing time and effort to local non-profits who help keep our city safe, clean, and green. says Jessica Thompson of Lightray. We are proud to continue the tradition with the Los Angeles Fire Department.”
Health Care for Those that Need it Most | view site
Lightray launches a website for The Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic, floatingclinic.org, an international NGO whose mission is to address the problem of health care access for isolated communities in the Lake Tanganyika basin.
The websites’ goal is the help raise awareness and funding for the groups efforts. Award-winning documentary team Fisher Stevens and Mark Monroe, in partnership with East Pleasant Pictures, has selected The Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic as the subject of its next feature-length documentary film.
“Our goal was to help the organization communicate it’s approach and the dire situation faced by 3 million people who have virtually no access to care. Says Jessica Thompson Creative Director. In Africa where much aid has poured in – its important to find the organizations that work directly on the ground and can ascertain real needs that translate to successful programs. The Floating Health Clinic is one such organization.”
Celebrating the Arts, and Self Expression | view site
LOS ANGELES – Lightray launches a new site for PS Arts’ Express Yourself 2009 event, a yearly fundraiser where PSARTS supporters can experience and enjoy the vast opportunities that the organization provides to thousands of students in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley. P.S. ARTS students thrive in an environment that encourages self-expression and for one Sunday afternoon, supporters’ families can too!
The website serves as key component for event organizing. Psartsexpress.comserves as an invitation, ticket purchasing portal, and sponsorship driver. Each year the PSARTSexpress website is refreshed with new information and a new brand – making each years event unique and exciting.
Where Artists, Families, and Patients Come Together | view site
Lightray launches a new site for Arts At Hospice, a unique non-profit dedicated to recruiting artists from around the country to volunteer their skills in Hospice Care facilities. Arts at Hospice recruits, coordinates and provides special training to volunteers so they are prepared emotionally and inspired to make a difference in peoples lives at this critical time.
“In working with Arts at Hospice we wanted balance the inspirational work of volunteers, while also portraying the delicate and highly emotional aspects of the work. says Creative Director Jessica Robins Thompson. We found that by allowing volunteers to tell their stories through videos, blog, and testimonials we could begin to capture this highly unique experience.”
The new Arts At Hospice site launched November 2009.
