What is The Uncommon Good?
The Uncommon Good is a web series profiling alternative non-profits. The organizations below champion everyday causes through unconventional projects that better their communities. Our goal is to help these groups build awareness for their causes. Through the YouTube network Soul Pancake, we have the opportunity to share the work these non-profits do with millions of people. You can give these groups the platform they deserve and help inspire others to look for the uncommon good that can be done in their own communities.
Check out the Pilot!
The Uncommon Good's pilot episode features the organization HoneyLove. They aim to inspire and educate urban beekeepers as a way to protect the honeybee from Colony Collapse Disorder.
Featured Non-Profits
The 6 organizations that will be featured in the series are all based in the Los Angeles area and are solving problems not only found in their community, but in communites around the country. Below is a brief description of each group along with a link to their website.
UpRising Yoga
Uprising Yoga brings yoga to juvenile hall and communities suffering from trauma. Currently, they teach in juvenile halls, group homes, and to sexually exploited children.
Enrich LA
Enrich LA is an environmental non-profit that builds edible gardens in local schools, focusing on low-income and underserved neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
Swipes for the Homeless
Swipes for the Homeless partners with universities and colleges to alleviate hunger by converting unused student meal swipes into food donations. They aim to raise young people’s awareness of homelessness and hunger through education and outreach.
Game Desk
The GameDesk's mission is to develop the next generation model of education, by embedding academic content and assessment into hands-on experiences, digital games, and simulations.
The Do Good Bus
The Do Good Bus brings volunteers to surprise community service projects throughout the city. A ride on the Do Good Bus has three goals: to create awareness for causes, develop community amongst the people on the bus and encourage continued support for that cause after we leave.
The Bicycle Kitchen
The Bicycle Kitchen is not a bike shop. They do not buy or sell bikes, nor do they fix bikes for people. They are a group of roughly 30 volunteers who provide tools, old parts, and a DIY space to teach people how to work on their bikes.
Meet the Creator
My name is Ari and I'm a documentary filmmaker. I moved to Los Angeles from New York shortly after graduating Syracuse University. Having been an active volunteer my whole life, I developed The Uncommon Good in the hopes of inspiring people to look for the variety of good being done in their own community. I'm what old jewish people would call a "Mensch" and I'm very excited to be using my production skills to build awareness for these incredible non-profits.
What We Need & What You Get
Each video costs $2500 to produce. This money will cover the cost of a 5 person crew for up to 2 days of filming, all camera, sound, and lighting equipment, 1 week of editing, and up to 45 seconds of animation. With 6 non-profits participating in the series, we need to raise $15,000 to make each of them a video.
Aside from the gift of giving, there are some awesome perks available for your donation, including t-shirts, a poster, and swag from some of the organizations featured in the series!
The Uncommon Good t-shirt was designed by Mark Tang, a freelance artist who is couch surfing across the country and designing awesome stuff along the way. The shirts are being custom screen printed in Brooklyn, NY by BK Tees. The shirts feature 7 icons, one for each non-profit in the series, surrounded by The Uncommon Good. They are available in gold, heather green, and heather slate.
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The Uncommon Good poster, also designed by Mark Tang, is being custom screen printed by Level Press Ink. This 3 color screen print is 18X24 and will be hand numbered and signed by the director.
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We also have Bicycle Kitchen shirts so you can ride in style and help promote bike riding in your community. These T-Shirts were custom designed and printed, featuring the company's blender logo.
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Also available are #dogood52ways Mason Jars from the Do Good Bus! These 12oz mason jars feature the Do Good Bus's logo printed on the glass and include 52 ways to do good, one for every week of they year. Doing good has never been so easy!
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The Impact
These videos will be broadcast on the YouTube network Soul Pancake and will give these organizations an opportunity to engage over 1,000,000 people. That amount of exposure will be unprecedented for these non-profits and help them create awareness for their causes like never before. The non-profits featured in The Uncommon Good will also be given a digital copy of their episode for future promotional and fundraising activities. A high quality video will be a game changer for some of these organizations as they grow and reach their goals.
Questions, Comments, and Contact
If you have any questions or comments about the campaign, the project, or other ways you can get involved, feel free to email me at ari.weinberger@gmail.com