Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Partners With Jolkona to Double the Impact

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) Seattle, WA — Sept. 13, 2010 — Multiservice communications agency Waggener Edstrom Worldwide (WE) is partnering with Jolkona Foundation, a Seattle-based nonprofit that uses technology to facilitate low-cost, high-impact giving to global philanthropic causes, on a matching grant campaign called MatchED. As a corporate sponsor, WE will match up to $5,000 (U.S.) of individual donors’ contributions to educational projects showcased on the Jolkona website this September and October.

“At WE, we share Jolkona’s dedicated effort to positively impact community needs and global projects that address some of the largest social challenges and opportunities such as education and economic empowerment,” said Rhian Rotz, manager, WE Corporate Citizenship. “MatchED is timed with the traditional start of school for many students in the Western world. We’d like to inspire donors to create educational opportunities for individuals beyond their immediate network.”   Jolkona has worked with international partner organizations to create affordable donation options with a measurable impact on individuals and communities. Projects include educating girls in Afghanistan, providing introductory computer training to children in Guatemala, and providing low-income U.S. students with vocational technology training. One hundred percent of donations go directly to the donor's chosen projects. After a gift is made, the donor receives proof of impact through a personalized website.   “Technology has a critical role in social entrepreneurialism,” said Tysen Gannon, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Jolkona. “We’re pleased to partner with Waggener Edstrom, a company that understands social innovation, the importance of partnerships to facilitate change and the power of differentiated technology like we offer. Together, we will engage philanthropists, create personalized experiences for donors and generate measurable value.”   Visit http://www.jolkona.org/MatchED.html to support MatchED today and follow the campaign’s progresson Facebook and Twitter.
About Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Waggener Edstrom Worldwide (WE) is a global, integrated communications agency. For more than 25 years, the independently owned firm has developed strategic communications programs for innovative and world-changing clients, working to influence markets, inspire people and improve lives. PRWeek US named WE an agency to watch in its Editors’ Choice 2010: Who to Watch list and presented its PR Innovation of the Year 2010 award to WE for its twendz™ application.The Holmes Report also named WE its 2010 Technology Agency of the Decade. In 2009, WE was awarded Best PR Agency in North America by International Business Awards and Top Place to Work in PR by PR News. The agency has nearly 800 employees in 16 offices around the world, and its 23 Global Alliance partners expand the agency’s reach to 30 additional international markets. WE has seven global practices: Analyst Relations, Consumer Marketing, Corporate Communications, Healthcare, Public Affairs, Technology and WE Social Innovation, along with its WE Studio D™ digital strategies group. To learn more, visit http://www.WaggenerEdstrom.com.   The Waggener Edstrom^® mark, the Innovation Communications^® mark, the twendz™ mark, the WE Studio D™ mark and other marks used herein are registered or unregistered trademarks of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the registered or unregistered trademarks of their respective owners. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.    For more information, press only: Rhian Rotz, (503) 443-7000, rhianr@waggeneredstrom.com   About Jolkona Foundation^TM Jolkona is a start-up non-profit organization that lets people choose how to impact the world through small donations (starting at just $5!), and unlike other micro-giving websites, they provide tangible proofs of impact for every donation. For example, if you spend $40 to educate a girl in Afghanistan for 1 year, you will receive a photo of the girl being sponsored by your donation and at the end of the year receive a copy of her report card, all done over the web on their platform.  Their mission is to connect people with global philanthropic opportunities and show the impact of one’s donations.  They launched the website to the public in June 2009 with a goal of making giving more fun, transparent and engaging for all donors, regardless of age or income.   Today they have over 75 projects in more than 35 countries around the world doing grass root work in the areas of education, public health, empowerment, environment, and cultural preservation.   Jolkona leverages the support of over 20 skilled young professional volunteers passionate about their mission in order to make it all happen. Their target demographic are the youth and young professionals to help achieve their vision of building a new generation of micro-philanthropists that are improving the global community. To learn more visit http://www.jolkona.org/.   For more information, press only: Laura Kimball, (425) 359-2454, laura@jolkona.org

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