In my initial UPworld blog post, I introduced the term netgiving as an evolution of the well known and well worn concept – networking. I would like to highlight three recent examples of using New Media to enrich others in real time.

The first and most obvious example was this past weekend’s #BeatCancer drive. For every blog post, Facebook status update, or Tweet containing the #beatcancer hashtag, eBay/PayPal and MillerCoors pledged to donate 1 cent to cancer research. The stated goal, and the source of the fun, was to establish a messaging world record. Twitter users adapted early and enthusiastically, working the designated hashtag into all manner of tweets. As declared at BeatCancerEverywhere.com -

With your help, we set a new Guinness World Record, with 209,771 social media messages in 24 hours, ending at October 18, 9am PDT.

Because there were generous sponsors and dedicated professionals to set this up, once it was initiated, we the participants, could give with no effort at all. The decentralized nature of the Internet made lots of individual participation add up quickly; it was easy and fun – and record-setting. The New Media is fundamentally changing and improving how we interact. Why not let the Beat Cancer success inspire you? What other causes and purposes could we, the UPworld community, positively impact by leveraging our online presence? (PS -Even though the record has been set, the drive continues; put those hashtags to good use while you still can!)

The next example of reaching out is non-monetary, but very real nonetheless. It is a recent personal account. Having relocated to a new state for employment purposes, I found myself seeking a faith community. I hit Twitter pretty hard, asking for recommendations for where to fellowship and worship. Each tweet bore the hashtag of my new city in order to direct it purposefully. Soon people I did not know, but who were using the Internet to reach out, met my inquiry with the info I needed. Over the weekend we met in real-time and have already begun to build relationships. This group, The Sojourn Church, employes the New Media to further their mission to serve all the city’s people.

My final example is of a colleague who uses a variety of online platforms to coach and enlighten. Through Facebook, Twitter and a number of blogs, this writer has connected with thousands of people online and serves as an instructor and encourager to many. She successfully conducts her business, but she has moved past the rudiments of networking to the higher good of netgiving. This is a sample of her writing in which she challenges us to, “View Social Media as a gift, a divine opportunity–and treat it as such.”

Be challenged and inspired by the potential this media gift gives us – to move beyond mere networking. Please share your thoughts or leave your accounts of netgiving.