As many of you know, I’ve been hard at work these last few months getting a brand new startup off the ground. HelpAttack! is an idea that started to form during last year’s Movember drive on Twitter. It occurred to me (while sitting in traffic at 38th and Guadalupe) that there are:
a) lots of people out there who use social media and who are looking for ways to be more involved in supporting causes
b) lots of people out there who don’t have tons of cash to throw around but would still be willing to give, say, a cappuccino a week.
Other things occurred to me as well, like that traffic light at 38th and Lamar can be unbearably long, and Texans are terrible about turning left at a green light (why don’t you people pull halfway into the intersection like the rest of the world?)
So, I talked to one of the smartest people I know in the online nonprofit world, who luckily for me lives in Austin. Also luckily for me, he performed a thorough background check and decided I was a reasonable person to get into business with (I have contacts at the police department who hid all the incriminating evidence). Of course I’m talking about David J. Neff.
David brought in Ehren Foss, who is brilliant, hard working, loves nonprofits and has a shiny head. Ehren built the website from scratch in his kitchen, using eggs from his very own chickens.
And now, a mere nine months after my traffic light epiphany, and thanks to the tremendous wisdom and teamwork that Ehren, David, our Board of Advisors, our lawyers, our designers, our friends and family, and the Austin startup community provided, HelpAttack! has evolved from an idea into a product, and is ready for launch.
So I would be delighted if you would go to the website, sign up, pick a nonprofit to support, and start making your Twitter stream count for something!
“Absolutely, Sarah!” you say. “But wait,” you ask, “WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?”
I thought you’d never ask. You can do these things:
- Follow HelpAttack! on Twitter.
- Become a fan of HelpAttack! on Facebook.
- Offer feedback about the website and service on our Get Satisfaction page.
- Write about HelpAttack! on your own blog.
- And if you’re in Central Texas, come to the launch party! We’d LOVE to see you there.
Happy Tweeting and Giving!
