Personalized video, Facebook widget raising funds for BC Children's Hospital | Social Signal

As causes go, you can't get much closer to our hearts than with a children's hospital. The thought of having to take one of our kids there is wrenching, and I'm sobered by the fact that thousands upon thousands of children - and their parents - go through that every day.

We want those kids to get the care they need swiftly and effectively. We want our best medical knowledge brought to bear, and we want clean, quality facilities that promote good health as well as healing sickness.

So we jumped at the chance to work with the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, helping them chart a social media strategy for engaging their audiences and raising money. The focus is their "Be a Superhero" campaign, in support of their $200-million plan to create one of the world's top centres for children's health.

Our first efforts are now live online, centered around what we believe is the first use of personalized video as a donor recognition and fundraising tool. The Be a Superhero video shows a newscast - using the donor's or prospect's name - that either thanks them for being a hero to BC kids, or invites them to step up to the plate.

But it doesn't end there. You can add your superhero video to your Facebook profile and launch your own Facebook-based fundraising campaign, inviting your friends to be superheroes as well.

(We've also been helping the hospital engage their fans on Twitter - you can follow the foundation at @bcchf.)

It's still early days, but we're excited about breaking new ground for the hospital, and helping kids like ours across BC... and we'd love it to succeed. If you'd like to help, too, here's how:

1. Watch the video, and send it to as many of your friends as you can.
2. Add the Facebook application, and install the fundraising widget on your profile.
3. Become a fan of the BC Children's Hospital Foundation Facebook page.
4. Follow BCCHF on Twitter.

And finally...

Vancouver's Twestival is coming on September 12, organized by the amazing Rebecca Bollwitt, aka Miss604.

Rebecca has launched an online poll to decide which local non-profit should be the beneficiary of the Twestival's fundraising efforts - and the BC Children's Hospital is a strong contender.

Voting closes tomorrow (Friday), so if you could take just a moment and vote now, or using the poll on the right-hand side of this page, we'd be delighted... thanks!