Contributions

Empowered.org Account Setup

Empowered.org is an online platform that empowers WAVES Corps groups to highlight their trips, recruit, fundraise, and share their successes. Each chapter will have its own webpage where students / team members can both register for missions and fundraise their trip contributions.

Below are instructions on utilizing the site to set up your page for fundraising, or donate to a cause and/or volunteer.

If you are a chapter president and either you or your group has not used Empowered.org before, please contact your Corps Advisor for next steps.

For Chapter Presidents:

1. Go to Empowered.org and register by clicking ‘Join’ in the upper right hand corner.
2. Ask your Corps Advisor to register your school/group. Once your group is registered, you can plan and manage all future brigades and participants. The difference between “Groups” and “Volunteer Activities” is that a Group is your school / company chapter (e.g. WAVES Corps at Maryland) and only needs to be registered once, while a Volunteer Activity is specific to each mission trip (e.g. UMD Environmental Health Mission, January 2013, Lobitos)
3. Once your group’s page has been created, you will need to log in and join the group by clicking on the grey “Become a Chapter Member” button on the page. Your Corps Advisor will then make you an administrator of the group.
4. As a Group admin, you will be able to utilize the admin functions to oversee the operation and monitor the progress of your mission. Consult your Corps Advisor if there are any errors in the description, dates, names, etc.
5. If you are participating in the upcoming mission, you must also join the Volunteer Activity. To do this, click the orange “Volunteer With Us” button on the Volunteer Activity page. Exact dates of the mission should be shown.
6. Please DO NOT change the name of your Group. The format should be the appropriate “[WAVES Corps] at [your university / company],” like so: ‘WAVES Corps at UBCO’.
7. The format of the Volunteer Activity name should be “[School Acronym] [Program Name], [Month and Year], [Community Name]” such as: UMD Environmental Health Mission, January 2013, Lobitos
8. When other mission members are ready to join, send them the link to the Empowered page and ask them to create new accounts (include profile pictures). To clarify again, WAVES Corps’ members need to join both the Group as well as the specific Volunteer Activity.

For Donors:

1. Ask for or locate the recipient’s donation page directly by searching via his/her school/company or name on Empowered.org
2. Once on the volunteer’s page, click on the orange ‘Donate’ button under eh corresponding initiative/volunteer activity that you are contributing toward.
3. On the following page, please select the option “Make a donation on behalf of a volunteer” and choose the recipient’s name.
4. Fill out the rest of the information and follow the on-screen instructions on the Empowered website and Google Checkout to complete the transaction.
5. If there are any issues with payment processing, please first ensure that your bank or credit card company is authorizing the transaction, then seek assistance from the Empowered support team at: support@empowered.org

For New WAVES Corps Members:

1. Once your Corps Advisor has set up your school’s group page, go to Empowered.org and click “Join” in the upper right corner to register for an account
2. After you have created your account, access your university / company chapter’s page by getting the link from your chapter president or search for your university / company
3. Once you have located the appropriate group, find the corresponding Volunteer Activity that you will be taking part in
4. Click the orange “Volunteer With Us” button on the Volunteer Activity page (NOTE: If you only “Become a Chapter Member,” you will be a member of the group, but you will NOT be signed up as a volunteer. To be given a personal donation page, you must take part in the Volunteer Activity as well.)
5. Fill out your personal and emergency contact information and check to agree to WAVES Terms and Conditions.
6. Once you are part of the Volunteer Activity, you will be able to personalize your fundraising page to collect donations from friends, family members and more.

Fundraising Using Empowered.org

1. Log in to your empowered.org account and go to your homepage dashboard by clicking on your name at the top right-hand corner.
2. Under “Upcoming Activity,” click “See My Fundraising Page.”
3. You can also search for your name.
4. Donors can search for you in the same way.
5. Donors will scroll down your profile to click on “My Fundraising Page,” and then can click “Donate.”
6. Please make sure that when you or a donor donates, the donation is made on behalf of a volunteer, and make sure they select your name.

How to Utilize Empowered.org as a Fundraising Tool

Personal Fundraising Page: Customize your personal profile account on empowered.org to share with others about your cause!

1. Go to your personal profile page and click “edit profile.”
2. Update your personal information and include a photo of yourself.
3. Go to “Manage Fundraising Pages” to view current activities.
4. Update “My Message,” which will be can be viewed by supporters.
5. Click “Tell Friends” to share your personal fundraising page with friends and family via Facebook, email, and Twitter.

Fundraising Campaigns: If you want to raise money for an upcoming project as a group, creating a fundraising campaign is a great way!

1. Let your Corps Advisor know that your group plans to set up a fundraising campaign for assistance in making your campaign a success.
2. Go to your Chapter Home and click “Create a New Campaign.”
3. Set the name of the group and an end date.
4. Set a fundraising goal.
5. Provide a description of what you are fundraising for.
6. Provide a suggested amount of donation when creating the campaign so that potential donors have an idea of what the project’s needs are.
7. Upload a photo.
8. Add volunteers – you can import your contacts from gmail, msn, yahoo, etc. – and include a personal message.
9. Get the word out! One of the last steps in creating a campaign on empowered.org is to share your page via Facebook, email, Twitter, and by posting a link to the campaign on your website.

Hosting Events: Does your chapter regularly hold fundraising events, such as galas, concerts, and restaurant fundraisers? Hosting events are a perfect way for your chapter to advertise for and spread awareness about your events.

1. Go to your Chapter Home and click “Start an Event.”
2. Set the name, date, and location of your event.
3. Write up a description of your event.
4. Do you want to sell tickets to your event?
• You can create different types of tickets to sell such as VIP or General Admission. You can create as many categories and prices as you’d like!
5. Customize the event page with photos so that friends and members can see what they are helping to accomplish.
• Click the “Photos” tab on your events page to create an album and/or upload photos.
6. Get the word out! One of the last steps of creating the event on empowered.org is to share your page via Facebook, email, Twitter, by posting a link to the event on your website.