Recently I was introduced to a community program called Timeraiser. A program that looks to bring together people looking for opportunities/work/networking/developing skills and not for profit organizations that very much need the time and energy of young people.

Similar to any fundraiser, the Timeraiser volunteers have to go through the same steps and processes in order to organize events and generate buzz - but the end goal is to raise volunteer time rather than money. In many ways this is more difficult to accomplish as time is scarce and you have to committ to future time in order to participate in this event. But the rewards are incredible.

The concept was born when the founder of the time raiser program was in university and he found himself at a fundraiser auctioning art and he had no money to give. But he loved the art piece. What he did have was time and that's how he got the idea of creating a organization that brought together art, volunteers and not for profit agencies. The idea is brilliant really. Especially for young folks who are looking to develop skills in a particular fields you can view this as an internship opportunity where you get to gain breadth and experience. This is also an awesome way to network and meet professional people in various industries. Finally, there is no better gift to give than time and though we can all agree we have very little free time I am willing to bet most of us can make time (if we care enough to do so).

Here is an overview of how timeraiser event works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVm5J4YxroM

The next Timeraiser is happening in London, Canada May 13th @ Club Mansion!!!

p.s. I wonder how often we get an idea to do/change/create something for the better and we let it slip away and forget about it