Tweet. Meet. Give.
24 March 2011
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Twestival?
A Twestival (or Twitter-Festival) is a single day, global movement which uses the power of social media to organize offline events that mobilize communities in support of a local cause. Twestival was born out of the idea that if communities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but working from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact.
Since 2009, over 200 cities have participated in Twestival, raising close to $1.2 million for important causes like clean water and education. Twestival Local events are coordinated 100% by volunteers and 100% of the funds raised through ticket sales and donations go directly to support charitable projects.
I want to get involved, what do I need to do?
There are a number of ways you can get involved by contributing your time, talent and resources. You can get a team together to register your city or event here.
Can anyone host a Twestival?
Twestival is a global fundraising initiative and all events using the Twestival brand must be official and approved. Yes, anyone can volunteer for Twestival and get involved. We do restrict nonprofits from hosting their own events as Twestival is run separately from charitable organizations, so we do not want a conflict of interest.
How can I put my city on the world map?
If you have searched and cannot find your city on the Twestival 2011 map, this means we have not had a team register to host a Twestival in your area. If you have a group of volunteers who are enthusiastic and committed to hosting an event in your city on 24 March 2011, please have the lead organizer sign up.
What is the difference between Twestival Global and Twestival Local?
The biggest difference has to do with the charitable vision for the campaign. Twestival Global supports one single cause and nonprofit, whereas Twestival Local enables cities to fundraise and highlight for a cause that directly impacts their own community.
How do I get my nonprofit involved?
Unlike Twestival Global, Twestival Local will be supporting hundreds of charities that directly impact the communities that are fundraising. We do not have a strict process for how local Twestival teams decide which cause they wish to support, but do have guidelines and a vetting procedure. Most organizers will start to request a call for nominations in their community, so keep an eye on Twitter and the local website blog for that. We do not allow nonprofits to host their own Twestivals, it must be independent. This does not stop anyone working for a nonprofit to volunteer or participate in Twestival - we encourage and exchange of ideas and experience. We hope a nomination period will give cities an opportunity to be exposed to causes and organizations they might not have heard of before.
What is the process for selecting a charity for Twestival Local?
Guidelines. Vetting.
When is the next Twestival Global and what will the cause be?
There are no plans to host a Twestival Global in 2011. This year, Twestival Local is our sole focus and pending volunteer interest, it will return in 2012. At this time there is no decision or call for submissions for what the theme for Twestival Global 2012 will be.
What can I expect once I am confirmed to volunteer for Twestival?
If you are registered as the lead organizer for your Twestival Local, upon official registration you will receive an email with instructions on how to get started. This includes a design pack, access to an online Huddle workspace for collaboration and login details for your blog on Twestival.com.
To ensure we match all volunteers to the appropriate team, we may need to follow up with a few additional questions via Twitter or email. If you registered as a general volunteer and there is a slight delay of a few days before you hear from us, please do not worry as we might be trying to establish a lead organizer before introducing all the volunteers to form a team.