CULTURE BOOK 2013
OUR STORY DoSomething.org is the country’s largest not-for-profit for young people and social change. We have over 2 million members (and counting!) who impact causes they care about. Bullying. Animal cruelty. Homlessness. Cancer. The list goes on. DoSomething.org spearheads national campaigns so 13-to-25-year-olds can make an impact - without ever needing money, an adult or a car. Over 2.4 million people took action through DoSomething.org in 2012. Why? Because apathy sucks.
11 REASONS
TO WORK AT DOSOMETHING.ORG
1
We’re an experienced organization (20 years!)
2
We have a kickass staff.
3
We love our interns.
4
We have fun.
5
We won't hate you if you make mistakes.
6
We see the world.
7
We make campaigns that are big, loud & easy.
8
We’re here for teens.
9
We have the inside scoop.
10
We know all the cool people.
11
We're blowing up.
#1
We’re an experienced organization (20 years!)
BIG STUFF 1993 Andrew Shue founded DoSomething.org. #1993 #backintheday #andrewshue #dosomething
2003
Nancy Lublin (from Dress for Success) came on board as a CEO/Chief Old Person. #newCEO #newmillenium #hopeformillennials #changetheworld
2007
Teens for Jeans, one of our biggest campaigns, was launched. #donate #usedjeans #aeropostale #sponsors #success
2010
Do Something Awards were aired on VH1 for the first time! #celebrities #famous #awards #youngpeople #worldchangers
2013
We reached 2 million members! #impactful #notforprofit #socialchange #huge #wow
2013
WE TURNED 20!
To celebrate our 20th anniversary we threw ourselves a party and, of course, we did it with a bang—raising over a million dollars, dunking Nancy and Aria, rocking out to a kick ass musical performance by PS 22 and Hanson, and having gummy bears-filled centerpieces. #dancing #mmmbop #amilliondollars #greatpartners #greatsponsors
HANSON ROCKING FOR A CAUSE.
CEO NANCY LUBLIN AND COO ARIA FINGER SHARE A LAUGH AFTER BEING DUNKED AT DOSOMETHING.ORG’S 20TH BIRTHDAY PARTY.
HILARY INGRAM , GIVE A SPIT DONOR, TALKING ABOUT HER MOVING EXPERIENCE SAVING THE LIFE OF A TEXAS 5-YEAR-OLD.
#2
We have a kickass staff.
2013 STAFF
AARON SCHACHTER Software Engineer
ALYSHA BOLOGNO
Digital Engagement Associate
ALYSSA RUDERMAN
Campaigns Manager
APRIL WRIGHT
ARIA FINGER COO
Director, Technical Product
BAYLEE GREENBERG
BEN KASSOY
BRAD WILLIAMS
Director, International Programs
Biz Dev Associate
Badass Content Writer
BARRY CLARK
Video Producer
CALVIN STOWELL
CHAQUANA LYONS
CHLOE LEE
Director, Digital & Content
Finance & HR Manager
Marketing Manager
CHRISTINA BLACKEN
COLLEEN WORMSLEY
CRYSTAL RUTH BELL
Campaigns Manager
DARREN “DEE” LEE
Back-end Engineer
Marketing Associate
DARREN MASTROPAOLO Biz Dev Manager
UX Researcher
j
DAVE DELUCA
Head of Campaigns
DAVID FURNES Developer
DESMOND MORRIS
Director, Engineering
ELLIE ZEITLIN
Member Engagement Manager
g
g FARAH SHEIKH
GLEB BOUNDIN Tech Wizard
Campaigns Manager
HILLARY GRIDLEY
JEFF BLADT
JONATHAN UY
Campaigns Associate
Campaigns Associate
Director, Data Products
GREG THOMAS
Mobile Developer
JOSH CUSANO Data Analyst
k
KENIA BAUMGARTEN
JULIE LORCH
KATIE RADFORD
KERI GOFF
LISA BOYD
Product Manager
Head of Fun
Director, Finance
Campaign Graphic Designer
TMI Agency Associate
LIZ EDDY
MARAH LIDEY
MATT HOLFORD
Special Projects
Digital Engagement Manager
CTO
MAXWELL WATSON
MIKE CHITTENDEN Software Enginer
Head of Product
MUNEER PANJWANI
NAMI MODY
NANCY LUBLIN
Senior Front-End Developer
MIKE FANTINI
Biz Dev Manager
Campaigns Associate
CEO & Chief Old Person
NAOMI HIRABAYASHI
RAVELLE MOHAMMED
SARAH PIPER-GOLDBERG
CMO
Content Editor
Campaigns Associate
BADASS CONTENT WRITER BEN KASSOY SHOWS HIS WAR FACE.
DO SOMETHING STAFF LADIES LOOKING FLY AT THE 2013 ANNUAL MEETING.
WE ASKED THE STAFF... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DO SOMETHING TRADITION? LISA BOYD
IF YOU COULD BE DUNKED IN ANY SUBSTANCE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? BEN KASSOY
Bake-off Mondays!
Mashed Potaters. With Mad Gravy. Brown Gravy.
NAMI MODY
DAVE DELUCA
Toto Tuesdays!
Tomato Sauce. Because I’m Italian.
JULIE LORCH
COLLEEN WORMSLEY
Yoga Wednesdays!
Hair Gel or Nutella. (Hair gel would feel really weird, Nutella would be delicious)
JEFF BLADT
GREG THOMAS
Greg Thomas Thursdays.
Oreo Filling.
BARRY CLARK
DAVID FURNES
Summer Fridays!
Puppies.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DO SOMETHING FACT? MAXWELL WATSON
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DO SOMETHING CAMPAIGN? SARAH PIPER-GOLDBERG
Greg Thomas spent $10,000 on plastic sunglasses.
Give A Spit
MUNEER PANJWANI
CALVIN STOWELL
THAT WE TEXT WITH OVER A MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE!
Teans for Jeans
FARAH SHEIKH
NAOMI HIRABAYASHI
We’ve saved over 20 lives with the Give a Spit campaign!
MIKE FANTINI
Grandparents Gone Wired
BRAD WILLIAMS
25% of our full-time staff were former interns! Our interns rock!
Thumb Wars!
NAOMI HIRABAYASHI
JULIE LORCH
97% open rate on SMS!
$25,000 Women
#3
We love our interns.
SUMMER INTERNS We hire paid interns to work in our office year-round. It’s a winwin; they gain valuable experience in the not-for-profit world, and we benefit from all the hard work they do for us. This summer we had 30 (!!!) full-time interns, our biggest class to date. Since they spent their summer learning what it's like to work our unique office environment, we asked them what they loved about working here: AARON LEVEN
ALICIA THOMAS
DoSomething.org is a dope destination for dandy dudes and dudettes to destroy demons, deliver dreams, and even dashingly dance.
Being surrounded by such a caring, passionate, wildly talented group of people who sincerely want to help you grow and succeed. (And the Pac-Man machine.)
ALLISON HOJSAK
BRIAN MAEHL
The staff - they really love what they do!
CALI OPPERMAN
How passionate and excited the employees are about the campaigns we launch and making a difference.
CONNOR SHOPE
I love the office culture. This is such a fun place where I’ve never been afraid to ask a question, take a chance, or ride the scooter!
IAN GUERRIN
The extra work that people put in that has little to do with their specific area of responsibility at DoSomething.org.
JULA BATES My favorite thing about working here is how much everyone cares about what they’re working on. That and the disco ball.
To get one from meeting to another, you can take a scooter from the BatCave to the Fortress of Solitude. What other office lets you do that?
CHRIS PERERA
My favorite thing about DoSomething.org is the people. Nicest people in the world!!!
FELICIA FITZPATRICK
The @dosomething office has so many unique quirks that make it such a fun place to work! Text CULTURE to 38383.
IZZY ABRAMS Definitely the super groovy office atmosphere.
JOCELYN SCHNEIDER
Being able to creatively collaborate with such a talented, passionate bunch has been a total thrill. Also, having my work featured on the website is pretty sweet.
KRISTY CHOI
It’s a safe and inspiring space to think hard and think big. We literally have a million young people at our fingertips. The SMS strategy is brilliant.
MARVIN QIAN
All the random things that we do, from storming Abercrombie to getting free Shake Shack.
MELANIE CHAITE
Interning at DoSomething.org has been one of the best experiences of my life. This is my second semester here, and I never want to leave! The mission, the people, the energy, everything about DoSomething.org makes it one of a kind, above the rest.
NATASHA BAILEY
I have a legit reason to eat frosting for breakfast on Bake-Off Mondays!
PAM SLIFER
The staff is extremely supportive and make DS the most fun office to work in! You can truly feel the strong, positive impact we have on teens!
SABRINA HAHN Everyone’s amazing energy and good vibes :)
TAZ CAMBRIDGE From dancing for Nancy to being on Vh1, there’s never a dull moment in the office. #WorkHardPlayHard is something that is taken seriously.
LUKE PATTON
The interns are given real work to do that helps to make a real impact.
MAX BINDER pssh, the Bitter Water. Duh.
MICAH NELSON
Office Culture! And intern intermingle pizza, beer, and awesome speakers!
MORIAH BAUMAN
My fave thing about DS is def the staff/ interns and our teens. I LOVE getting to work with people who are so passionate about what we do!
OMNIA KHAMIS
It’s one big family that is changing the world everyday. It can’t get better than that.
ROBERTO HENRY
The people and the strong sense of community.
SOPHIE SOLOMON-O’CONNELL
Between scooters, mason jars, pac-man, and the disco ball it’s hard to pick one thing I love about DS, but the people who work here are hard to beat.
VALERIA RICCIULLI MARIN The people! Love how everyone is so passionate in a weird, different, awkward and unique way. Also, I love how hierarchies are nonexistent.
SUMMER INTERNS 2013!
HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS Much like we do with our college intern program, we have high school interns in our office year round. Not only do they bring extra fun energy to the DoSomething.org headquarters, but they also help us connect directly to our member base. A special thanks to all of the high school interns that helped us out this summer: ALEX SUKIN JENNY WANT VICTORIA LIU JUN TAKEDA VERTIE KING SHRIEN ALSHA SOPHIA CAPELLINI BRENDAN WINSPER NICOLE JARVORSKY CLAIRE CHEN JELANI BUTLER LEAH ABRAMS CAROLYN MACLEOD KATHERINE WRIGHT
AIDAN SHUE SAM DAUER STEPHANIE SONG MICHAEL FAUCHER GURLEEN AHLUWALIA ISABELLE INGATO AKILAH RANSOM MARISA RUSSELL SARAH MATHEW LUCINDA GARCIA MIRELLA QUINTANA CALLIE HOON VVIHAN KHANNA SOPHIE ROGERS
#4
We have fun.
KICKBALL Our summers are packed with all sorts of awesome, out-of-office events. Perhaps the best part of a DoSomething.org summer is our weekly kickball games with other New York City organizations we love. The staff and interns unite for a (mostly) friendly game of kickball dressed in our custom matching t-shirts. Win or lose, it’s always a great time-- and we celebrate together after the game!
SPIRIT DAYS Mmm... Smells like DoSomething.org spirit! At 1:00 p.m. on Fridays, everyone gathers in our bright blue, DoSomething.org logo-adorned lobby and shows off their hilarious Spirit Day outfits. This summer, we have shown off our school spirit, come together to create a Pride Rainbow, dressed as Mathletes and Athletes, and preppied ourselves up for a Catalina Wine Mixer. Even Jason Dundas showed up for our Canadian Tuxedo day-- leave it to him (and our dapper staff and interns) to make denim on denim look good.
BAKE-OFFS Besides teens and social change, something else we take seriously at DoSomething.org is snack-time. We hold bake-offs every couple of weeks to put our staff and intern’s baking abilities to the test. Some of our favorite bake-offs this summer have included: Guac This Way, All American, and Layer up. Be warned: snag ‘em before lunchtime or they’ll be gone. They’re that good.
RESULTS FROM OUR LAYER UP BAKE-OFF.
(INTERNS ALWAYS WIN.)
#5
We won’t hate you for making mistakes.
FAILFEST We don’t fire because of failures. We build, plan, and design things that may fail in order to form new, innovative ideas. We have a day called “FailFest” where we highlight these failures with presentations in front of the whole staff. We talk about the whole spectrum of a failed project-- what went right, what went wrong, how to improve next time, and what we learned. And yes, you have to wear a pink boa while you present.
#6
We see the world.
STAFF RETREAT The DoSomething.org staff isn’t just a group of people stuck together in an office, tolerating each other for 40 hours a week. We’re a close-knit and creative staff who truly listen to and care for one another-- and for a weekend each year, that’s exactly what we do. Staff Retreat gives us unlimited access to pick each other’s brains, spawning innovative new ideas for the organization as a whole and helping us bond with one another as the family we are. We laugh, we cry, and we come up with ideas for how to make DoSomething.org even better.
WHERE TO? After working at DoSomething.org for two years, staff members get a special treat: a 4 week paid sabbatical to volunteer anywhere in the world. New York is pretty sweet (especially when you in our awesome Flatiron office), but there are all kinds of awesome places our there for staff members to visit and make an impact. So we send them off in hopes that they’ll come back with an incredible volunteer experience under their belt and some inspiring stories to tell. We asked our current staffers where they want to go on their sabbatical:
Wishlist AFRICA Chaquana
JAPAN Maxwell
SAMOA Julie
LATIN AMERICA Aria
AUSTRALIA Sarah
NEPAL Greg
BEIRUT Jeff
SOUTH AFRICA Ben, Alyssa
BROOKLYN Matt
SOUTH AMERICA Colleen, Baylee, Lisa
EAST ASIA Katie, Darren, Crystal
OUTER SPACE Gleb, Brad
JAMAICA Keri
THAILAND Liz, Farah
My sabbatical was hands down the best experience of my life. To work at a place that allows employees the opportunity to take a month off, paid-leave, and volunteer anywhere in the world is such a gift. I choose to volunteer for the Thorn Tree Project in North Central Kenya that is working to give children of the Samburu tribe the opportunity to get an education.
NAOMI HIRABAYASHI
It’s hard to write in a paragraph the impact it had on me. From the relationships I formed with the beautiful children who treasured education in a way I had never seen, to dancing with nomadic warriors to ancient drum beats, to tracing thee elephant footprints outside our camp, the experience left me humbled, moved and rejuvenated in a way I couldn’t imagine. To have permission to immerse yourself in a culture for a month, volunteer with an organization you believe in, and do it all because your work supports the same energy and passion we seek out in our Do Something members was happiness on steroids.
#7
We make campaigns that are big, loud & easy.
CAMPAIGNS In the 2012-13 school year, we ran 26 national cause campaigns around issues that young people care about. Our members can take action and make a difference. Over 2.4 million people took action through DoSomething.org last year, and this year we’re blowing that number out of the water. Here’s what we did just this year:
20 LIVES SAVED
OVER 900,000 JEANS DONATED
86 SCHOOLS CONSERVED ENERGY
205,451 POUNDS OF FOOD COLLECTED
9,000 STORIES HELPING 40,000 PEOPLE
OVER $700,000 IN MICRO-LOANS
36,543 PEOPLE TOOK ACTION OVER 11 DAYS
OVER 10,500 PICTURES OF ANIMALS
OVER 200,000 PARTICIPANTS
INSTRUMENT GRANTS TO 6 MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN NEED.
#8
We’re here for teens.
CRISIS TEXT LINE It all started with heart wrenching text and a simple idea. After receiving a text reading “He won’t stop raping me. He told me not to tell anyone. Its my dad. r u there?,” our CEO Nancy Lublin realized the need and lifesaving potential of a texting hotline - and CTL was born. Now Crisis Text Line (CTL) has evolved into a revolutionary initiative. Launched in August 2013, CTL will begin its important work in Chicago, IL and El Paso,TX. We can’t wait to see its impact!
#9
We have the inside scoop.
TMI Here at DoSomething.org, we know young people. We get how they think, how they communicate, and what they care about. Over the years, we have been approached by loads of people who wanted our help reaching the teen demographic, and we realized there was a demand for our expertise. Cue TMI. TMI is a consulting agency run our of DoSomething.org that focuses on young people, technology (especially mobile!) and social change. Headed by our rockstar COO Aria Finger and supported by the incredible Lisa Boyd, TMI is helping brands and not-for-profits reach young people and create stronger social change campaigns. Check us out at TMIagency.org.
#10
We know all the cool people.
OUR FRIENDS We’ve got some pretty cool friends. Beyond the big companies we work with, including VH1, Walmart, Google, American Express, and AÊropostale, we also have guests come to the office all the time to tell us their stories and teach us things. At both Intern Intermingle and our Brown-bag lunches (when cool people we know, CEOs, former DoSomething.org award winners and finalists, etc., come in Tuesdays during lunch to speak to us,) staff have the chance to learn and network with people from all different fields and industries.
OUR AWESOME BOARD These are the people who are legally and fiscally responsible for DoSomething.org. They are sort of like owners... except instead of cutting up the profits (there are none), they give us advice, support, and money. We meet with them 4 times a year, and we have great attendance at Board Meetings because this is a fun group of smart, successful people. Most of them are also on committees that meet in between Board Meetings. They’re involved, active, intelligent, and really care about helping us so that we can help teens.
Larry Berg
Reid Hoffman
Steve Buffone
Kim Kadlec
Matt Diamond
Raj Kapoor
John Faucher
Todor Tashev
Icema Gibbs
Darryl Wash
APOLLO
GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER
ALLOY MEDIA & MARKETING
JP MORGAN CHASE
JETBLUE
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
MAYFIELD FUND
OMIDYAR NETWORK
ASCEND VENTURES
#11
We’re blowing up.
INTERNATIONAL A few years back we kept getting approached by people from all over the world passionate about young people and wanting to get involved with DoSomething.org. The problem: our campaigns are largely American specific. The solution: Use a franchise model to establish affiliate programs tailored to fit an international demand. We offer our best practices, tech expertise, and general support but let our affiliates tailor their campaigns to what the teens in their countries care about. So far we have programs in the UK, Portugal and Indonesia but we are rapidly expanding. Right now we are working to get affiliate in five African countries, so keep an eye out for those in the next year!
DS UNITED KINGDOM
DS PORTUGAL
DS INDONESIA COMING SOON!
GLOSSARY 38383
INTERN SCAVENGER HUNT
The DoSomething.org mobile number (text us, maybe?)
The DoSomething.org staff comes up with over 150 tasks for interns to complete all over NYC. It’s pretty intense.
CAUSE-Y Relating to or having to do with a cause that we care about.
CELEB-WRANGLING Reaching out to, acquiring, and confirming celebrities for our campaigns, programs, events, and initiatives.
CHIEF OLD PERSON Nancy Lublin, our oldest and most chief staff member (i.e. our CEO).
DO-ER
OLD PEOPLE Anyone older than 25.
THE PENGUIN A stuffed penguin awarded to the staff member each week who has done a kickass job.
PSA A public service announcement, or an “ad” for one of our campaigns, usually featuring a celeb or two. Check out www.youtube.com/dosomething1 to see them.
SWAG
Young person who takes action in their community/on causes they care about.
Our term for DS gear.
DO SOMETHING AWARDS
TOTO TUESDAY
An awards ceremony featured on VH1 where we give $100,000 to the young person with the best plan for social change (and $10,000 to 5 runnerups) to help them change the world.
FIGHT FOR THE USER Painted in huge letters above the window to our office’s Fortress of Solitude, this is the phrase that reminds our staff and interns that everything we develop and work on should benefi users.
The beloved day of the week when, once the clock strikes 5, staff members and interns listen to (and belt out) Toto’s hit single, “Africa.” See the next page for lyrics so you can sing along.
THE VULTURE The penguin’s cousin who is given to the intern each week who has done a kickass job.
TOTO TUESDAY Check out www.DoSomething.org/Toto-Africa
LYRICS I hear the drums echoing tonight But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation She’s coming in 12:30 flight The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation I stopped an old man along the way, Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies He turned to me as if to say, Hurry boy, It’s waiting there for you It’s gonna take a lot to take me away from you There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never have The wild dogs cry out in the night As they grow restless longing for some solitary company I know that I must do what’s right As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti I seek to cure what’s deep inside, frightened of this thing that I’ve become It’s gonna take a lot to take me away from you There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never have Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you It’s gonna take a lot to take me away from you There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa, I bless the rains down in Africa I bless the rains down in Africa, I bless the rains down in Africa I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never have
WANT TO DO SOMETHING? CHECK OUT DOSOMETHING.ORG/JOBS AND DOSOMETHING.ORG/INTERNSHIPS.
CULTURE BOOK COMMITTEE
Alicia Thomas Allison Hojsak Cali Opperman Felicia Fitzpatrick Jocelyn Schneider Luke Patton Micah Nelson Omnia Khamis Sophie Solomon-O’Connell Valeria Ricciulli Marin
2013