SquidU

Hello lensmasters and savvy non-profits!

Not only does Squidoo offer a selection of Citizen Squid Mentors to help you with everything from images and video to lens promotion, we also have a great group of volunteers ready and waiting to assist with all your charity partnership needs.

They are our Charity Mentors, to your rescue, and today we have a short interview with j_barnhart4 and SusannaDuffy to help you create better charity lenses.

Question 1: What is one important thing charities need to do on Squidoo in order to be successful?

j_barnhart4: I think the most important thing a charity can do is get their name out there. Join groups, add your two cents in the forums, be proactive but not overbearing. Present yourself as a caring group and not just somebody looking to make money.

SusannaDuffy: You need to show people why they should donate to you. So first make an interesting and useful lens, explain who you are and what you do. Why do you do it? How do you do it? Have your lens critiqued to ensure it’s the best that it can be.

Question 2: When you go to a charity lens, what details are you looking for?

SusannaDuffy: Details of your organisation. Are you genuine? Show me some photos of your organisation and photos of what you do. If I’ve come across you on the web, how do I know you’re sincere? Convince me.

j_barnhart4: I look for the soul of the charity. Who’s running it? What have they done with the donations they have collected? How is that charity really contributing? I love to pictures of the charity in action.

Question 3: If a charity were considering joining, but wasn’t sure, what encouragement would you give?

j_barnhart4: Give it a shot! Making lenses is easy and there is a ton of support. Someone is always willing to answer questions and the charity mentors are always available. Don’t be afraid to go that extra mile in the name of your charity.

SusannaDuffy: Jump in. There’s plenty of people to help if you need advice. Squidoo has a warm and encouraging community of lensmasters all happy to assist each other.

Bonus: Which is your favorite charity on Squidoo?

SusannaDuffy: Big Cat Rescue, a non profit educational sanctuary with clear and open information readily available about what they do.

j_barnhart4: I like to donate money from my lenses to the Diabetes Research Foundation. Diabetes run in my family and I hope that a cure is found soon. I also have to give a shout out to one of the more proactive charities on Squidoo, A Day of Hope. Christopher Scott is very outgoing and active on Squidoo. He is a genuine, caring person and I applaud the efforts that he is making for his charity.

Thanks ladies - these are all simple, helpful tips to turn any charity into a Squidoo superstar partner charity.

For more information on how the Charity Mentors can help you, or to apply to be a mentor, visit the Charity Mentors headquarters.

Make it a fulfilling day!
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community and Charity Organizer

In 2003, Pendleton, South Carolina had a hockey team fewer than 3,000 people. Some high schools are larger! But one lensmaster is proving that your hometown doesn’t have to be big in order for you to have a big impact on it.

OhMe joined Squidoo in July 2008 and took no snail’s trail towards becoming a prolific lensmaster. Within a year she had achieved Giant Squid Status and become a sweetheart regular at the SquidU forum. One passion of hers is building lenses about her hometown, Pendleton. My momma always said, if you’re going to do something, do it well, and OhMe is the best.

She’s so great, in fact, that the Town of Pendleton proclaimed her the Queen of Squidoo.

I asked OhMe where she got ideas for lenses. As you can see from her lensography, she has created lenses to support businesses, events, historical periods, and tourism. I won’t share her secrets about the lenses she’s currently working on, but I will say that Pendleton is pretty darn lucky to have a lensmaster who cares so much about promoting their area.

Plus, we have to give props to her proud sis, Joan4 for organizing her proclamation lens and being an all-around prolific lensmaster and Angel herself.

Three cheers for Pendleton’s Queen of Squidoo!

What can YOU do for your hometown on Squidoo?

~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Lensmaster, have you ever sat down to your computer with a blank list of lens ideas? It happens to all of us, and one savvy lensmaster and super business woman has an incredible answer: the Carnival of Squid, by SusanVillasLewis.

Every day is a special day for someone. A birthday, an anniversary, a day to shop for holiday decorations or search for baby names. It’s a day to do something special, there should be a special lens for every day. The Carnival of Squid is a monthly guide of popular holidays and events that searchers are looking for and lenses are begging to be written about.

Carnival of Squid: September 2009

Not only will you learn about special events such as Horrors!! (Stephen King’s birthday on September 21st) and Choose your Favorite Color Day (September 15th), you’ll quickly build a catalog of lenses that will enjoy popularity for years to come.

Personally, I’m hoping to see some great Favorite Trail Mix Recipes (August 31st) soon!

In fact, to celebrate the start of my favorite season - autumn - on October 1st, 2009, I’ll be selecting one awesome lens from the Plexos on September’s Carnival lens and sending the lensmaster a treat. Ready? Set? Make a lens!

Happy trail mix, er, trails.
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Hello Lensmasters,

Before you were born, your parents obsessed over what they would call you. From babies to virtual hockey clubs, names are a special right that can only be applied with careful consideration. Learn how some of our lensmasters are making a name for themselves by helping you make a name for your pet project.

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What’s in a team name?
If you haven’t gotten in on the Fantasy Football craze, you’re already behind on the game. Sports fans spend millions of hours each year picking the best of the best to be on their team. Never mind Favre is playing for his former rivals; he can be on everyone’s fantasy team. Of course, once you’ve selected your line up, there’s still one important task at hand.

Mac33 misses nothing. What’s missing from the current selection of fantasy sports team lenses? Ideas for Fantasy Team Names!

How did Mac33 come up with the unique idea for this lens? “I paid attention to the stats on my other fantasy sports lenses. Variations of ‘team name’ were showing up in their keyword stats and I figured it would make a good supporting lens topic. So I documented all the ways I used and saw others use to come up with good team names.”

Mac33 says naming your fantasy sports team is important. “A huge part of every fantasy sport is trying to top the other players through trash talk, hype and a winning record. It’s also good to have a strong identity for your team and yourself. A commenter on the lens submitted “Victorious Secret”…that’s a brilliant name for a girl’s team. If I was a girl I’d name my team that every year!”

What’s in a city name?
Quipping Queen is the queen of more than just quips. If you’re looking for a laugh over a city name heartier than Hell, Michigan, look no further than her Funny Place Names lens.

“Living north of the 49th parallel, (where it’s frightfully cold nine months of the year while the remaining three months we’re bothered half to death by the blinking bugs, boisterous beavers, not to mention badly-behaved bears), leaves one with plenty of time to ponder pithy things like peculiar place names. Let’s face it, all a Canuck has to do is pick up a road map to find nutty nooks and crannies — especially in Newfoundland & Labrador which is home to such potty place names as:
# Run-by-guess
# Bleak Joke Cove
# Calves Nose
# Nancy Oh
# Little Looping Harbour”

How did the Queen collect all these? “Well, if truth be told, I combed the Internet for a few moons in search of strange place names. I also picked up a book by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd called, “The Deeper Meaning of Liff - A Dictionary of Things That There Aren’t Any Words For Yet.” Inside there were maps of the United Kingdom, North America, and Asia plus a host of odd place names (which became the subject of this equally odd book). Funny names tickle my funnybone, so that’s why I keep my eyes wide open all the time for out-of-the-way place names like: Berriwillock, Grimbister, Scrabster and Skoonspruit. Besides this pleasant pastime gives me a wonderful excuse to avoid my regal duties which tax my nerves and my sanity!”

What’s in a dog name?
Many dogs get their names from their circumstances, such as Lucky, Brownie, or Spot. But if you really want to find the Best Dog Name, Greg has the pulse on giving your pup a moniker.

“I had (still have) a Blogger Blog devoted to naming dogs. It received quite a bit of traffic, but most of the articles were not original and came from ezinearticles. After a while, I was so annoyed by the poor quality and un-originality, that I began writing my own original articles. I love animals and decided at some point that there was a need to at least give people some ideas when choosing a name for their new companion and family member. Plus dog names are a real hoot!”

As for Greg’s least favorite dog name? “There are so many to choose from…..I guess the worst in my mind is the name Butch. Personally, I find this name unimaginative and I associate it with a mean old mutt who once bit me on the right arm when I was 5 years old (for no real reason, I might add). But actually I have not yet discovered the real worst dog name. Thanks for the idea for a new lens -hah!”

What’s in a baby name?
Deciding on a baby name can be a stressful part of pregnancy, but finding a fun name that fits can be easy with jewelkid87’s Tips for Choosing a Name for your Baby.

Jewelkid87, aka Bethany, offers such suggestions as “consider what the initials will spell,” “choose something that fits the last name,” and “remember how it will sound all together.” Radio DJ Justin Case has probably had his fill of name jokes, as has Larry Lawrence. (Although these tips wouldn’t have helped The Wedding Singer’s Julia Guglia.)

You can trust Bethany, she even helped name her sister’s child!

What’s in YOUR name?
A teen recently told me his mother regularly Googles family members to monitor their online behavior. Even if you’re not hiding from mom, it’s possible for things to come up online that you don’t want everyone to see. A potential boss running into college party pics? Enough said! JessicaM has the pulse on finding and removing personal info you don’t want to have online.

How to Remove Personal Information from Internet & Public Data Sources

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Fun, furry, and fabulous names are just one topic of millions that you could write about on Squidoo and use to become your very own star. Or create names for stars. Or write about superstars that already have names. See, the ideas really are endless!

Have fun,
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer