iStory: Social Media and Philanthropy

iStoryPhilanthropy + Social Media

Capture My Story

Participants are handed iPods to capture their stories through updates, pictures, and videos. First hand. Instantly.

Share Every Where

Stories upload to onevietnam.org and social media in a single click.

Surgery Sponsored

Each time a story is viewed, sponsors give a small donation until enough is raised to move a patient off the medical wait list. Usually $200.

P.O. Box 60522Palo Alto, CA 94306

T (415) 448-6674E [email protected]

iStory Philanthropy + Social Media

OneVietnam Network is an online global network for the Vietnamese community - designed to connect millions of Vietnamese worldwide in order to rejuvenate philanthropy and community involvement. iStory is a special project by OneVietnam Network to focus the communityʼs attention on the devastating effects of agent orange contamination in Vietnam.

I. Problem

In Vietnam today, 4.8 million people are believed to be suffering from birth defects, deformities, and other health problems caused by AO dioxin (AO) contamination used during the Vietnam War. The majority of stories told about the lives of AO victims in Vietnam have been filtered or told through a second hand. Never before have those affected by AO able to tell their stories on their own terms.

II. Solution

“iStory” is designed to empower AO victims in Vietnam to share their personal stories with the world through social media and Web 2.0 technology. This project provides a rare glimpse into the lives of people who are living with the enduring health and social consequences of AO contamination in Vietnam. For the first time, these victims can leverage the power of social media to tell their story through their own words, pictures, and videos.

We will provide equipment to 9 AO victims from Vietnam provinces most affected by AO contamination (Da Nang and Quan Ngai) and train them to create engaging personal accounts of their lives through updates, pictures, and videos. All media created will be published on OneVietnam



Network and other social media platforms, instantly. In return, project participants will receive funding to be used for their medical needs.

How it works:

1. “Capture My Story” - Each participant is given an iPod Touch to capture their story through updates, pictures, and videos. First hand. Instantly.

2. “Share Every Where” - Stories are uploaded to OneVietnam Net-work and other social media platforms in a single click.

3. “Surgery Sponsored” - Each time a story is viewed, sponsors give a small donation to the participant to aid his medical needs (e.g. a corrective surgery).

III. Impact

Not only will iStory highlight the struggles of the 9 project participants, it will give a voice to all 4.8 million Vietnamese people now suffering from AO contamination. Millions of Vietnamese across the globe will also gain a deeper understanding about AO through the eyes of people living with its effects everyday. Our unique approach will achieve feats like:

• Improving understanding about the issue of AO within the global Vietnamese community through story telling

• Stimulating discussions and problem solving within the global Vietnamese community to address the needs of 4.8 million Vietnamese affected by AO dioxin

• Generating lasting support for the victims of AO in Vietnam

Moreover, the training and experience with technology and social media that are gained by the 9 project participants will open new job opportunities for them. Given the extreme level of poverty for people with disabilities in Vietnam, our project participants will be able to learn an



advanced skill set that will qualify them for industry jobs that were unimaginable before.

The exposure and education that millions will receive by watching and reading the personal accounts of our project participants will have powerful and lasting social impact. We hope to change the way people perceive those with disabilities and deformities: with dignity, respect, and compassion. We also hope iStory will inspire and motivate people around the world to contribute their time and money to helping the victims of AO dioxin.

IV. Implementation

Selection Process: In order to generate high impact, OneVietnam must carefully select participants who have the skills necessary to produce engaging content that will captivate viewers worldwide. We will partner with the Support Network for People with Disabilities (SN-PWD) in Vietnam to search for the best candidates through series of interviews.1 SN-PWDʼs extensive knowledge of the candidatesʼ health conditions and capabilities will help streamline the selection process.

Training: Our team will spend 1 week in Da Nang and Quan Ngai to train SN-PWD staff and 9 project participants on social media and how to capture content and share it with our online networks. We will also spend that week to set up internet access for all project participants.

Reporting: After the training week, OneVietnam will work closely with SN-PWD staff to facilitate and monitor the project.

V. Measuring Effectiveness

Main goals of iStory are to:

1 SN-PWD was established by the East Meets West Foundation in 2006 to pro-vide direct support to people with disabilities in Vietnam, from corrective surgery to education and job placement.



• Improve understanding about the issue of AO

• Stimulate discussions and problem solving

• Generate lasting support for the victims of AO in Vietnam

The success of our project relies on two factors: 1) Establishing a large user base on OneVietnam Network and 2) Enabling participants of iStory to produce engaging content.

1) We aim to reach 5-10% of our target market (approximately 30,000 users) within the first year of launching OneVietnam Network.2 Our grant from the Ford Foundation has provided us with resources to implement aggressive marketing campaigns in order to grow the number of users during the first year.

2) We will use quantitative and qualitative methods to measure the effectiveness of iStory. We can measure 1. the number of comments related to postings, 2. the number of messages with AO keywords between users, and 3. amount of funding raised by project participants. We will also conduct surveys on OneVietnam Network to assess usersʼ understanding on the issue.

VI. Project Budget

The total budget for iStory is $15,000. Funding will be used to purchase equipment, provide training, and cover operational costs. Expenses include:

• $3,500 to purchase 9 iPods Touch and cases

• $3,000 for internet services for 9 participants for 6 months

• $1000 for other technical equipment (e.g. routers, 3G cards, etc.)

2 OneVietnam Network was launched July 18, 2010.



• $7,500 for cash prizes for participants and operational expenses, including travel, lodging, meals, and training materials for staff and project participants

VII. The Need

OneVietnam Network has received $5,000 from the Yahoo! Employee Foundation for iStory. We are in need of an additional $10,000 to cover the remaining expenses. Please contact us at [email protected] if youʼre interested in supporting this unique opportunity.

Benefits to Sponsors: As a sponsor and/or partner of iStory, you will have a chance to make lasting impact on the lives of agent orange victims in Vietnam. Your generosity will be acknowledged and permanently remembered. Here are some of the benefits to sponsors and partners:

• Name engraved on iPod Touch

• Logo or name on the iStory page on OneVietnam.org

• Acknowledgements in iStory articles published on Vietnam Talking Points, Facebook and Twitter

• Acknowledgements in marketing collateral (e.g. videos, brochures, posters)

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About OneVietnam Network

The Need: In recent decades, Vietnamese communities across the globe have grown increasingly fragmented. Community ties continually weaken, and Vietnamese youths grow disinterested in community and motherland matters. Consequently, Vietnamese-serving philanthropic organizations struggle to stay afloat without support from a younger generation.

The Solution: To mend the widening rifts in our community, OneVietnam is using the latest in Web 2.0 technology to rejuvenate community involvement and philanthropy. In particular, OneVietnam aims to re-engage the youth and to build closer ties between

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



future generations of Vietnamese living overseas with their local Vietnamese communities and Vietnam. Our role is to provide a cutting edge social networking engine that connects millions of Vietnamese worldwide and a platform for philanthropic organizations to garner support for their causes. Furthermore, OneVietnam serves as a central gathering place for the community to focus its philanthropic efforts on the most critical and pertinent issues.

The Support: OneVietnam Network is a Ford Foundation funded social enterprise. We are under the fiscal sponsorship the East Meets West Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.

Documents

iStory: Social Media and Philanthropy