PlanBig Makes Big Ideas a Reality

The Bendigo and Adelaide Banking group has developed a new website to help Not for Profit organisations and individuals raise awareness and connect with resources.

Called the PlanBig, the site draws on the strengths of social networking to connect people with a mutual interest or common goal and to provide a framework that helps people turn an idea into a project and eventually into a reality.

In the months since its inception, the Banking group says PlanBig has proven popular with groups and individuals in the NFP sector, with the site being used to promote a number of plans with charitable and philanthropic ends.
 

1egg1world – 3 university students from Melbourne are trying to trade-up from an egg to $1 million, all in the name of charity

Users upload their plan to the free website, including information on their motivation and what help they need for their plan.

They can then participate in a wide range of activities – asking people to volunteer their time, seeking or providing space for events, and seeking donations for specific items. In a similar vein to Facebook, users can ‘like’ a plan, subscribe to updates from the plan, and share it across other social media sites.

Jeanette Miller, Head of Online Engagement at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, has overseen the site’s progress which she says has attracted more than 1600 members to the site.

Miller says PlanBig is an extension of the community work that the Bendigo and Adelaide Banks have long been committed to.

She says in the past, community support has been tied to a location, such as a local branch of the bank. However technology means that communities are no longer tied to locations, and PlanBig is a way of drawing on the strengths of social networking to facilitate community outcomes.

She says the aim of the site is to get to a point where it is self-sufficient and self-moderated, although she added that the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank would not walk away from the initiative.

Miller says PlanBig can be a valuable resource for smaller NFPs, for organisations without a web or social media presence. Organisations that sign up to the free website have their own logo and brand on the site, and can benefit from the networks that the site provides. The site is moderated by PlanBig staff and expertise is available to help organisations create their profiles and enhance their online presence.

Here are some examples of charitable projects unfolding on PlanBig:

1egg1world

Three students from Melbourne had a simple yet seemingly impossible idea: starting with a single chicken egg, they would ‘trade up’ until they had raised $1 million for three separate charities. The boys started with an egg laid by their beloved chook Hotbox, and so far they have traded up for a CD, a signed cricket bat and a safari holiday.

The most recent trade saw them acquire a painting by acclaimed Australian artist and Archibald prize winner Craig Ruddy, valued at $15,000-$40,000.

Ninety percent of the $1 million goal will be designated to three charities – Cool Australia, OrphFund and a health charity yet to be selected. The remaining 10% will be used to establish 1egg1world as a charity of its own.

View the 1egg1world plan at www.planbig.com.au/1egg1world

Ride-the-Talk

John Knox is cycling around Australia to raise awareness of climate change, giving presentations along the way on how each individual can take action to protect the environmental future of Australia.

John Knox is using PlanBig to raise awareness about his environmental campaign

Knox has used PlanBig to raise awareness about his environmental campaign, and to contact others who share his passion for a greener and more sustainable future. Knox is also using PlanBig to collect signature for his online petition, which implored the government to start taking climate change seriously.

Knox says Ride-the-Talk is all about raising awareness about the simple things people can do in their everyday lives that save energy. He says it’s about recognising that even as an individual, we can make a difference, especially if we come together as a community, which is what PlanBig is all about too.

To find out more about the plan, and when Knox will be riding into your area, visit www.planbig.com.au/Ride-the-Talk

Other plans include:

• A campaign to have a high school re-opened in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg
• Microlending education in Australian schools
• A community development project that aims to empower a village called Khirala in becoming self sufficient in its water, energy and food production
• A project to setup community gardens to grow fruit and vegetables on vacant inner city land
• A free tool to help reduce bullying and violence in schools which enables students to report anonymously via text message

Visit the website at www.PlanBig.com.au