Twestival Goes Local

An upcoming fundraising event called Twestival Local is set to take place in cities around the world Sept. 10-13. A Twestival (Twitter festival) is a global series of events organized by volunteers around the world in which they use Twitter to bring people together offline to support a cause.

The first Twestival was held in September 2008 by a group of London Twitter users. Organizers held a raffle and collected donations and canned food for a local nonprofit. Planned in less than two weeks, the event — which was originally intended for 30 to 40 people — ended up with 250 attendees and a waiting list.

Fueled by that success, Twestival Global was launched on Jan. 8, 2009. For it, 202 cities around the world held events to benefit charity: water. More than 1,000 volunteers crowdsourced through Twitter, and more than 10,000 people participated globally. The event raised more than $250,000 and resulted in 55 wells being drilled to serve more than 17,000 people in Uganda, Ethiopia and India.

Twestival Local is, according to the Twestival site, "getting back to its roots and encouraging cities around the world to host events in support a local cause on one day" during the weekend of Sept. 10-13. All proceeds will go to a local nonprofit selected by each area that participates. Each Twestival Local area has established a clear fundraising target and specific goal that will benefit the charity, e.g., raise enough to send 25 kids to camp, drill a well, help buy a piece of equipment, etc.

To become part of Twestival, check to see if your city is listed on the world map. Click on your city on the map to link directly to the blog, Twitter account and details about your city’s selected cause.

There are three key ways to get involved:

1. Volunteer.
2. Spread the word. You can download the media pack and post a banner on your blog, for example.
3. Partner. Click here to contact Twestival staff about aligning your organization with the event.

Click here for more information. You also can check the site for more information on the official Twestival 2010, planned for Feb. 4, 2010. The Twestival community will decide which cause will receive the donations in October.