The Genius Blog

#MakeADifference Contest Winners!

In our #MakeADifference Photo Contest sponsored by our friends over at SlickPic, we gave you the opportunity to tell us about your favorite nonprofit and submit a photo representing how that organization makes a difference. Voters chose the “People’s Choice” favorite nonprofit to win a $1,000 prize, while a judging panel also selected a “Judge’s Choice” winning nonprofit that will receive $500.

We want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our #MakeADifference Photo Contest entrants for sharing with us. We are now thrilled to announce our WINNERS!

People’s Choice Winner
RedCollar Rescue in Houston, TX
Entered by: Andrea Johnson

Andrea Johnson’s favorite nonprofit is RedCollar Rescue, an “animal welfare charity dedicated to providing rescue services, medical care, foster care, training and adoptive placement to stray and abandoned dogs and cats in Houston and surrounding areas.” As Johnson’s contest entry notes, “They NEVER give up on any animal even when it seems the odds are against them.” The photo entered in our contest shows Thor who made the KHOU news upon being shot in the head. RedCollar Rescue has been there to help Thor, along with many other furry friends in need. With RedCollar Rescue’s passion and drive to help animals it is no wonder why they have the loyal following and support that they do. Congratulations to the RedCollar Rescue crew and thanks for making a difference!

Judge’s Choice Winner
HeartBound Ministries in Atlanta, GA
Entered by: Andrea Shelton

Our judge’s choice decision was a tough one with so many amazing organizations to choose from. Yet, the ballots are in and we have a clear winner. HeartBound Ministries in Atlanta, GA truly warmed our judges’ hearts with the group’s mission for helping others by providing necessary bonding opportunities between children and their incarcerated parents. As Shelton writes in her entry, “HeartBound Ministries sponsors a program designed to equip incarcerated dads to become committed, involved, responsible fathers. The program culminates in a Returning Hearts Celebration, a day where dads can just be dads and serve their children as they serve their time. A day like this is so important for the children and cherished by the fathers. In this photo, you see a dad experience the joy of watching his daughter play kitchen.” We are thrilled to honor HeartBound Ministries for all they do to make a difference.

Our hope in rewarding these courageous and loving charities is to shine a light on people making a difference, and maybe even inspire others to get involved with an organization or cause they feel passionate about. Tell us about one you support on our Facebook page.

Many thanks to our #MakeADifference Contest sponsor SlickPic who made this contest possible. SlickPic makes it easy to share, showcase and promote your photos and leave your mark on the world. If you haven’t visited their site yet, you're missing out! Hop on over to visit them HERE. You will see how they can make a difference in your photo sharing needs.

End of School Specials!

You’re in the home stretch and on course to end the school year strong. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of 3 SignUpGenius offers to position yourself for a winning next year. Let us make your organizing tasks even easier!

Offer #1: Receive an entire year of SignUpGenius Pro for as low as $99.99.
Wouldn’t it be great to have one person create all of the parent teacher conference sign ups and assign them to each teacher or easily manage sign ups between committee members for a school wide fundraiser? With our multiple administrators function that allows you to have up to 50 administrators on one account, you can do just that and more. How about taking the ads off your sign ups, adding more images to your account, or using more custom questions on a sign up? You can do it all and choose the level of Pro that is just right for your school. Hurry and get SignUpGenius Pro for a year before this deal packs its bags and heads on vacation, too! Offer valid through June 15th, 2013.

LEARN MORE!

Offer #2: Consult with a Support Genius.
Get individualized assistance with your school’s sign up needs AND receive 5 sample school sign ups in your account for just $39.99. Whether you have been using SignUpGenius for several years or you are just getting started, now is the time to take advantage of this one-on-one opportunity. In a 25 minute phone consultation, our Genius staff can help you design a sign up, review sign ups you have already created to suggest ways to maximize your effectiveness with online sign ups, or answer any questions you may have as you consider how you will use SignUpGenius next year. Consultation spots are limited, so sign up for yours now!

REGISTER NOW!

Offer #3: Attend our Upcoming Webinar for Schools.
Learn more about the many ways your school can use customizable sign ups from SignUpGenius by attending our upcoming webinar “Coordinating School Volunteers and Events with Ease.” During this free webinar, you will learn how to create sign ups to schedule parent teacher conferences, coordinate and collect money for fundraisers, plan class parties and so much more!

Empower your parents, teachers and administrators to make your school an even better place to learn by taking advantage of these 3 limited time offers from SignUpGenius. Become your school’s hero by simplifying all of your school’s sign up needs now!

REGISTER NOW!

Upgrade News

Great news! We’ve added a new tool to help sign up creators with the administration of their sign ups! Our new “move” functionality enables sign up creators to quickly move users on their sign ups to another slot. Did one of your dates get cancelled? Are you combining two events into one? Need to move a couple users to a different responsibility that better fits their skills? Not a problem. Forget the old method of deleting people off the sign up and signing them up again in a new slot. With our “move” feature, it takes only a couple clicks to move everyone from their existing slot to another open slot and send them an email notification in the process.

In addition to “move,” sign up creators can also “swap” two users from their existing slots. Choose the users you want to swap and we can notify them both by email of the change. It couldn’t be easier!

To find the new functionality, login to the site with the account you used to create the sign up and view the sign up. In the admin’s toolbar at the top of the screen, choose the “add/edit/delete people” button. You’ll see a new column for “move.” Check multiple users at once to move people to a new slot. Select one user at a time if you’d like the option to swap.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

SignUpGenius Super-Mom

This month we are all about celebrating moms and what makes them so, well, SUPER! Here at SignUpGenius, we have been talking to a couple awesome moms who "do it all" for their families, their childrens' schools and communities. Read about how this plan-tastic mom takes on her busy schedule with the assistance of SignUpGenius!

Name:  Dana Zucker
Location:  Ohio
Family: Married to Mark; one daughter age 10
Super-Mom Roles: Playground Project Coordinator, PTO Webmaster, Girl Scout Leader, Scrip Coordinator, Members at the Fair Coordinator (Summerfair Cincinnati)

What is your favorite family activity? Family game nights and hiking in “nature’s playgrounds.”

Describe the perfect Mother’s Day: The day would begin with my traditional breakfast in bed, prepared by my daughter (with dad’s help). We would go for a walk in a garden and then maybe take in a movie.  The day would end with dinner out at a favorite restaurant, ideally with other mothers in my extended family.

How did you learn about SignUpGenius.com?  From a PTO parent. After using it once, we were hooked.

What activities/events do you use the site for?  The PTO has used SignUpGenius.com for staff meals, field day, book fairs, donations for movie nights, class picnics, staff appreciation events, Big Brother/Big Sister snack donations, volunteers for candygram sales, picture day help, COSI on Wheels volunteers, vision and hearing screeners and carnival volunteers. I am also using the website this year to coordinate volunteers for Summerfair 2013, a fine arts and crafts fair that takes place over three days this summer.

Which features of the site have been most useful to you?  Besides the 24/7 access for volunteers, I find the ability to duplicate sign ups to be very helpful. The ability to email group members with changes, send invites to different groups, and the option of just publishing the link and not actually sending emails have all been very helpful. I also like that groups can be transferred to other volunteers, allowing them to eliminate one step when they begin to use SignUpGenius.

What have others thought about SignUpGenius.com when you’ve recommended it to them?  Everyone that I know who has tried it has loved it, even if they were skeptical at first.

How has SignUpGenius had an impact on the people with whom you work? Now all members have access and have the same opportunity to get the shifts they want. Members have made comments that they are impressed by how well the website works and are happy to move away from the old system.

What would you like to tell others who are thinking about using SignUpGenius.com?  You cannot beat the convenience.  You can design the sign up or edit it any time, day or night. You have the ability to transfer and/or duplicate group lists or sign ups, both of which are great time savers. Volunteers save time by not having to email back and forth to a coordinator or return phone calls.  And anyone can see exactly what is needed at any given time, allowing for last minute offers to help.  It really is not difficult to learn how to use, and you will be so happy when you do!

Thanks, Dana, for sharing with us and for spreading the word about SignUpGenius! We are thrilled you have chosen our site as your go-to online sign up tool and look forward to hearing more about your upcoming events!

Now we want to hear from you. Yes, YOU! If you know a SignUpGenius Super-Mom, feel free to share your story with us below in the comments or on our facebook page.

Everyone has Favorites! Want to Know Ours?

It’s been really encouraging to watch all of the incredible nonprofits being nominated to win $1000 in our #MakeADifference Photo Contest sponsored by SlickPic. We’re as excited as anybody to see who is going to have the opportunity to present a favorite nonprofit with some cash to give them a little boost in accomplishing their world changing mission.

Just as each of our users has a favorite nonprofit they enjoy helping out, here at SignUpGenius we have one of our own. We’d like to shine a spotlight on Christian Adoption Services in Matthews, NC for helping out African Christians Fellowship International maintain two boarding schools in Liberia, West Africa for 250 orphaned and indigent children.

Christian Adoption Services runs a sponsorship program to help provide food, clothing, basic medical care and schooling for the kids. A couple of our Genius staffers have had the awesome opportunity to spend time with these kids during several mission trips. They have also gotten to know a couple of the kids better through sponsorship and they will be the first to tell you, the kids are amazing! This month SignUpGenius is going to assist further by providing $1000 to help build and repair beds and purchase bednets at the boarding schools. 

You may have heard that malaria is a real danger for children in Africa, and the use of bednets significantly reduces a child’s chances of contracting and dying from the disease. In fact, malaria is the leading cause of death for children in Liberia, which holds the 19th worst death rate from malaria out of all the countries in the world according to the World Health Organization. The great news is that it only costs $5 to buy a bednet and protect a child. If you’re interested in joining us, you can purchase a bednet or sponsor a child through AfricanChildSponsorship.com today.

Whether you use our sign up tool to serve a nonprofit, enter them in our #MakeADifference Photo Contest, or join us in helping kids in Liberia, we’re thankful for your partnership in making a difference in the world!

And remember, if you haven't had a chance to enter our #MakeADifference Photo Contest to nominate your favorite nonprofit for a chance to win $1000, there's still time! The contest ends on June 2, 2013. What are you waiting for? Enter now!

SignUpGenius Super-Mom

In honor of Mother's Day, we have decided to shine the spotlight on some amazing Super-Moms! Here at SignUpGenius, we are constantly talking with busy moms who are conquering their chaotic schedules --- one sign up at a time! Read about what real Super-Moms have to say about how they use SignUpGenius to help them organize their many responsibilities. 

Name: Michelle Bowman
Location: Maryland
Family: Married to Bryan; two boys, 7 & 9
“Super-Mom” Roles: PTO President, Team Mom (Flag Football, Basketball and Lacrosse), Snack Scheduling Genius

What is your favorite family activity? Spending time together in our pool or at a water park.

Describe the perfect Mother’s Day: My dream for Mother's Day came true two weeks ago when I found out my Mom's Stage III cancer is in remission! A perfect Mother's Day includes brunch with my Mother in Law/my husband's family, dinner with my Mom/my family and homemade cards from my sons.

What activities/events do you use SignUpGenius for? I use the site to plan snack schedules for various sports. As a PTO, we use the site to plan volunteers for book fairs & other events, organizing volunteers to operate games at our annual carnival, plan who will contribute what items to class baskets, plan who will bring specific items to parties, and teachers use it to coordinate guest readers.

How did you coordinate volunteers before you found the site? I would send out an email & have the group email me back at least two possible dates. This was tough when parents selected the same dates. Also, for other events the reply all email would go around and it would be hard to decipher what items were still needed for events; this would also cause some friction if someone offered to bring the same item & emailed around the same time as another parent.

How has utilizing the site affected your life as an organizer and the groups with which you work? I am grateful for SignUpGenius. I truly appreciate you sharing this software. I joked with my husband that it reminded me of the movie, The Saint, where the main character shares cold fusion with the world. Okay, this is not cold fusion but you have created a program that saves precious time & makes scheduling and programming so much easier. My strength as a leader is relating to people, not technology; yet, I am easily able to navigate your site & set up schedules.

Which features of the site have been most useful to you? I have had many parents comment on how much they appreciate the reminder email 48 hours before they are supposed to bring snacks or volunteer. As an administrator, I appreciate being able to see what dates are covered & by whom. The bonus feature of being able to change your date is great too.

What would you like to tell others who are thinking about using SignUpGenius.com? I would tell them to try it & I am sure they will never go back to reply all emails again!

Thank you, Michelle, for sharing with us! We look forward to continue to help you tackle your busy schedule and stay focused on relating to people, without letting technology get in the way.

So, tell us... Are YOU a Super-Mom? Or, do you know one? Feel free to share your story with us below or on our Facebook page and who knows, you might just be featured as a SignUpGenius Super-Mom! 

New Webinar: 10 Secrets to Maximized Fundraising

Fundraising can be hard work! At SignUpGenius, we’re all about making difficult tasks a whole lot easier. That’s why we’ve developed a new webinar “10 Secrets to Maximized Fundraising” to take your money raising efforts to a whole new level.

Whether you need to raise funds for technology in your children’s school, for your favorite nonprofit to continue making a difference, or for a youth group mission trip, this webinar is for you. Learn the secrets the most effective fundraisers use to maximize their money raising efforts and gain tips for making the most of all that SignUpGenius has to offer your next fundraiser.

Join SignUpGenius staffer and fundraising guru Angel Rutledge to learn the secrets she’s come to understand through fundraising for schools, sports leagues, youth groups and nonprofits, including raising an average of $50,000 a year for orphanages in Liberia, West Africa.

Do you know others who could benefit from this free webinar? Invite them to join us!

Register Now

PinToWin Contest Winner

We want to take a moment to thank all of those who entered the SignUpGenius Spring #PinToWin Contest! We had so much fun jump-starting spring with all of you on Pinterest!

Congratulations to our WINNER:
CHELSEA HARRISON of Frisco, TX

Chelsea will be receiving a $100 Visa Gift Card.

To see what we've been pinning lately and join the fun, follow SignUpGenius on Pinterest HERE.

You may also want to check out our newest contest opportunity, the #MakeADifference Photo Contest sponsored by SlickPic. Nominate your favorite non-profit for a chance to win up to $1,000 for that organization. There are both "People's Choice" and "Judge's Choice" prizes available! Make sure to come back daily to vote for your favorite!

SignUpGenius is in the News Again!

SignUpGenius has been enjoying a little time in the spotlight again...this time on Fox News Charlotte and in USA Weekend.

When the SignUpGenius staff are out and about around town, we often enjoy people's surprised reactions that our sign up service, which they use at their churches, non-profits, sports leagues and schools, is located right here in their very own Charlotte, NC. Recently, news anchor Terrance Bates of Fox News Charlotte was one of those who got excited to discover the online sign up service he had been using in his personal life was based in his own backyard. It was encouraging to be recognized by our local news as a company that benefits our community.

Of course, we also enjoy being recognized on a national level by the media. We were happy to offer a little potluck planning expertise in USA Weekend's Reinventing Potluck article and be recommended as a great tool for organizing potlucks online. You might have seen the article as you were savoring your very own potluck on Easter Sunday!

As much as we enjoy being recognized by the media for saving people time and helping them organize important events, what we like even better is hearing from you, our satisfied users. If you'd like to share how SignUpGenius has helped your organization, you can share your story HERE. 

Also, make sure you join SignUpGenius on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to keep up with the latest news, resources and contest opportunities that we have available. We look forward to connecting with you!

We're Growing!

Here we grow again! Those of us behind SignUpGenius are happy to share that we recently made an exciting office relocation from Robinson Farms in South Charlotte to a larger office suite on Ballantyne Commons Parkway.

The move stems from SignUpGenius's unprecedented growth in the last year and will enable SignUpGenius to maintain the utmost in customer care and contact with its site users while also making room for future growth.

"It's been humbling to hear reports from schools, churches, sports teams, and non profits all over the globe that have been helped by SignUpGenius," says Dan Rutledge, President of SignUpGenius. "We're excited that our new office space positions our company for further growth and will enable us to serve more great organizations as they pursue their world-changing missions."

There is nothing more rewarding to SignUpGenius staff than seeing the great work others are doing in their communities, schools, businesses, homes and more with our site. We'd love to hear how YOU organize with SignUpGenius. Share your story HERE.

Also, make sure you join SignUpGenius on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to keep up with the latest news, resources and contest opportunities that we have available!

 Follow Dan Rutledge on Twitter

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