December 2, 2004
Content
- A word from our Founder
- Introducing Inside Happiness
- Updated website
- Engagement news
- Fundraising news
- Energising the Board
- Interview with a Volunteer Consultant
- Contributing to Happiness
- Thank you
A word from our Founder
Dear friends of Happiness,
First and foremost, I am very proud to introduce to you one of our newest initiatives – the newsletter "Inside Happiness". An initiative that has taken form as a result of the constant and progressive development that has characterised Happiness Foundation since day one. The past nine months has been no exception.
In June 2004, the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs decided to support our organisation financially. This support is an important proof of recognition and enables Happiness Foundation to continue to do, what we do best – professionalize and optimize other Nonprofits.
The support of the ministry also allows us to engage more proactively in volunteering activities in Denmark. Historically, Danes do not have the same well-established tradition for volunteering in social projects as many other countries. However, many of our volunteers believe – just like us - that the recipe for successful social development is a balanced combination of volunteering and financial contributions. The future challenge for many Danish organisations is to utilise the full potential of volunteering in order to optimise their internal and external resources and capabilities.
Happiness Foundation is an important part of this interesting process. As a result of our engagement and focusing on creating more awareness about volunteering opportunities in Denmark, we have chosen to support the project frivilligjob.dk established by FriSe - a national umbrella organisation for 60 volunteer centres. The objective is to create a job portal matching volunteers with Nonprofits. So far, we have secured sponsorships worth over DKK 2 mio. and engaged all the necessary Volunteer Consultants.
The last nine months have also demonstrated that establishing a new organisation is an on-going process where the ability to focus on what you do best is the key to sustainable development. In this process, the highly profiled Happiness Tents project, which we established ourselves, has shown that our organisation is not designed to manage a project of this calibre alone. We are therefore in the process of handing over this flagship project to another organisation with a suitable platform. However, we intend to stay intimately involved and remain committed to providing Volunteer Consultants and other resources continuously.
Recently, we have achieved several important milestones. We have assembled a committed and strong Board of Directors, found new sponsors, expanded our network, participated in conferences, and been visible in the leading media in order to keep public interest. In addition, we are in the process of translating our website and other material into different languages.
As always, I would like to conclude by saying thank you to all of our Volunteer Consultants and other contributors – especially the new comers – the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs and my good friend Claude Challe, the world famous sound designer and DJ, whose new double album “Happiness” dedicated to our organisation’s work will be launched worldwide next month.
Best wishes for continued success in contributing to happiness.
Mickey Beyer-Clausen
Founder
Introducing "Inside Happiness"
You and everybody else, who have expressed an interest in Happiness Foundation are receiving "Inside Happiness" – the organisation’s newsletter. As always, we use technology to communicate efficiently, but we rely on personal contact to make those valuable connections that inevitably cause real change. So, if there is anything in this newsletter that piques your interest, please send us an email (info@happiness.org) to discuss and share ideas.
Updated website
You have probably already visited our website happiness.org which contains background information, Nonprofit details, and engagement opportunities. Nevertheless, we have just launched a redesigned version that includes a Danish language version and various new features and content. We sincerely hope that our visitors will be happy with the added services and features.
Engagement news
Frivilligjob.dk
In June 2004, we entered a partnership with FriSe, the Danish umbrella organisation for 60 volunteer centres around the country. The volunteer centres are responsible for volunteering and self-help groups in the communities. To promote social volunteering in Denmark, FriSe has decided to establish an online job portal, where non-profits and individuals can be matched. International experiences show that job portals especially attract a younger audience, who wish to donate their time and know-how – this group is not engaged significantly in Denmark yet.
The FriSe team
FriSe is the main implementing partner whereas Happiness Foundation contributes with Volunteer Consultants and sponsorships. The Volunteer Consultants provide strategic input in the following areas:
- Technical infrastructure
- Design and usability
- Positioning and communication
So far, Happiness Foundation has secured following key sponsorships:
UNHCR Positioning and Marketing Strategy
The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also known as The UN Refugee Agency) is mandated by the United Nations to lead and coordinate international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems. This is a monumental task, which currently means caring for 17 million people every day. UNHCR is a unique organization which combines diplomatic and legal actions with advanced logistic and field operations. As such, the UNHCR sits in the center of the global effort to help refugees and is responsible for coordinating the work of over 500 government agencies and NGOs in the field (e.g. Care, Save the Children, Red Cross).
Happiness Foundation has agreed to help establish a platform on which to increase funding from private sector sources. This is essential because the refugee crisis is growing, but funding is not. Only 2% of funding currently comes from private sources, with the remainder coming from governments and the UN. By broadening and diversifying UNHCR’s donor base, UNHCR will be able to work with greater flexibility and help more people.
The Engagement includes defining the strategic positioning of the brand and developing the marketing (fundraising) plan for 2005. The UNHCR Regional Office in Stockholm is responsible for the project, and the focus is on raising funds from companies based in the Nordic and Baltic markets. Two Volunteer Consultants from the company Quadric Brand Management Consultants are leading the Engagement.
Fundraising
Claude Challe's new album "Happiness"
Hearing Happiness
Claude Challe, a visionary figure in the musical landscape, has dedicated his new double album to Happiness Foundation. Challe has managed to be on the cutting edge of youth lifestyles across the 1960s and 1970s, reappearing in the late '90s with even greater appeal. The album has recently been launched in France, but is due to arrive in the rest of the world within a short while. However, some of us have already had a sneak pre-hearing and we agree that this is the best music he has ever produced - needless to say, we are a bit biased? Challe has remixed songs by e.g. Billy Idol and Nina Simone. You can already buy the album at Amazon.com.
Wearing Happiness
For those of you, who haven’t bought the Happiness t-shirt yet, please go and get one! Our female version was featured in the magazine Eurowoman in July 2004. The t-shirts are available in army, purple, navy and white colours with a trendy "Happiness" logo in bright colours. The tees are designed by Dyhr.Hagen - a cutting edge design agency that works with lifestyle and fashion companies. Find the tees and our beautiful posters in our online shop.
Energising the Board
We have added three new members to our committed Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is responsible for the supervision of the strategic direction of the Foundation. The Board of Directors is now comprised of following individuals, all of whom share a common desire to promote happiness around the world:
Mickey Beyer-Clausen
Founder & President
Following a career in launching successful technology businesses, Mickey Beyer-Clausen founded Happiness Foundation based on the belief that he could help make a difference in the world by channelling the talent and skills of motivated individuals into Nonprofits that lack specialized knowledge. His prior experience as the co-founder of Speednames, Ascio Technologies and Trunk Images has provided Mickey Beyer-Clausen with the business savvy needed to help revitalize Nonprofits. This coupled with his traditional education in economics and management at INSEAD in France and Niels Brock in Denmark has provided him with the confidence and inspiration to rally the support of people all over the world who share a commitment to contributing to Happiness.
Michael Sherain
Vice President
Michael Sherain is a partner in Quadric Brand Management Consultants. Michael specialises in helping international companies align internal and external stakeholders towards one unique market position. Prior to Quadric, Michael was a senior consultant at Kunde & Co., a leading European management and marketing consultancy. In the mid-1990's, Michael worked as a consultant to R & D groups at Pacific Bell, GTE and IDG, helping them plan the evolution of their businesses as the use of networked communications accelerated. In 1997, Michael moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, to take a senior marketing position in The Egmont Group, the publisher and distributor of Disney, Playstation and other entertainment brands in the Nordic markets. Michael believes that the value of happiness is much stronger than is commonly recognized and he is committed to making Happiness Foundation a unifying force in the world.
Camilla Bredholt
Director
In 1993 Camilla Bredholt returned to Denmark from Belgium to set up the first Scandinavian office of Medécins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) – the leading global NGO in the provision of emergency medical relief. This followed a two-year period working as a volunteer for MSF Belgium carrying out administrative work, first on a field project to Iraq in 1991 and subsequently to Albania in 1992. In 1996 she stepped down as managing director of MSF Denmark and was subsequently asked to join the board of directors, where she served until 2002. She is currently on the board of five foundations which focus on humanitarian, social and cultural issues. Camilla Bredholt sees humanitarian assistance as a global interaction with those in need because we all share a common responsibility to make the world a better place. Everyone should be given the possibility to achieve peace and happiness. Camilla Bredholt hopes that Happiness Foundation can inspire a new generation of policies within the humanitarian field.
Malkit Singh
Director
Malkit Singh is the co-founder of Staple – a PR and event agency. He also works as a project manager for Københavns Kommune's youth programmes. His main focus is changing young people’s perceptions and negative expectations into positive, successful experiences. In the late nineties, Malkit was behind the idea and implementation of projects such as: “Do the Right Thing,” ”Nordstjernen” and ”Dream Team.” Today, Malkit Singh is a very successful motivational speaker, whose starting point is his personal experience in running youth and integration projects. He is an ex-refugee from Somalia who, in addition to his project management experiences, uses his personal understanding to help the less fortunate. He sees Happiness Foundation as a unique opportunity to become involved with social development, using his vast comprehension to spread happiness in the world.
Tim Vang
Director
Tim Vang is a Coacher and Speaker in Making a Difference. As a mental trainer Tim Vang works in the world of business and the world of sports focusing on processes and strategies to unleash human potential. Tim Vang has a Masters degree in International Marketing & Management from Copenhagen Business School. Tim Vang revolutionised the teambuilding industry by bringing the movie hit “The Game” to life as a never seen new concept “Surprise on Demand”. Tim Vang joined Happiness Foundation to support the continuous build-up, because Tim Vang believes that happiness IS the foundation and that it is possible to make a major difference in the world through the feeling of happiness.
Interview with a Volunteer Consultant
Benjamin Gundgaard is a 29 years old and the founder of the IT consultancy company CustomerSense. He is the author of a book about the web and usability and a Volunteer Consultant with Happiness Foundation. Benjamin lives with his girlfriend in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Why did you get involved with Happiness Foundation?
It can be extremely tough to get involved with social volunteering. I have a very technical profile and it has been difficult to utilize it in social projects. By being involved with Happiness Foundation, I have the opportunity to use my core competencies and at the same time help people in need. I can add value to a project with my technical skills, which is valuable for the project I am currently involved in (FriSe: red). This means that I do what I do best and enjoy doing, as well as support important causes.
How did you come across Happiness Foundation?
I know Mickey Beyer Clausen. There was a natural connection through our work-related network and dialogue. I liked the concept and asked Mickey to get involved. The fact that you donate your expertise and that the organization is non-political and non-religious makes me very motivated. Perhaps some may think it is an egoistic way of giving, when you benefit personally, but I don’t actually think so.
Egoistic? What do you mean?
Maybe egoistic is not the right word, but donating your time is valuable – 10 hours or more. For me, it is much more than just giving 10 hours. It is an important commitment. It makes me feel like my life is about more than making money. Perhaps a bit self-righteous, but because of the intention with the project I am involved with, I am part of an initiative to change public perception and promote voluntary work.
What is your exact role in the Frivilligjob.dk project?
I am advising on technology and usability on the job portal we are developing.
Will you make use of your network to gain results?
As far as I know, Happiness Foundation has already secured both other Volunteer Consultants and sponsorships, so I doubt that I will need to. I am prepared to get closely involved at all levels and if necessary, I will use my network to obtain more resources to reach the expected results.
Have you had any contact with FriSe to understand the exact expectations?
No, not yet, but there will be plenty of opportunities for us to meet and develop a plan based on the needs assessment. But I will be involved until the job is done – whatever the requirements are. I will make myself available no matter the time needed - perhaps 30 hours or more!
Will you be using your involvement to promote your own business?
Although positive exposure is always attractive that is not the reason for my commitment. There are plenty of ways to get exposure. If there is an opportunity to build the brand, I am about to establish, then yes of course, I will utilize it, but that is not the reason for my involvement.
Three sentences describing your reasons for being involved:
Because I want to make a difference and because:
- My technical expertise is valuable to this project.
- Work-related challenges inspire me.
- The project is focused on results.
Why don’t you get involved with a child-project in Africa? Wouldn’t that be a lot easier?
I actually ”adopted” a child in Africa a while back and although it was very rewarding, I prefer to be involved with an organisation that uses networks to improve and professionalize development projects. That has a much bigger impact in my view. The main reason for my involvement is to produce fast and visible results.
So, you decided to donate your time as a Volunteer Consultant, when you could have donated money to one of the established organisations?
I do not have the same feeling of intimacy with the well-known organisations. The fact that I am personally connected to a project and can affect the outcome is something that I can relate to. I am convinced that we should not treat symptoms, but rather educate, inform and build a platform for communication – whether it is women in Afghanistan or volunteers in Denmark – removing wrong perceptions is key - in particular in developing countries, but also in Denmark. Developing countries often need know-how and access to information more than they need cash alone. That is the main reason why I would rather donate my expertise than send a cheque. The cheque gives me a good feeling for about 10 minutes, but donating my time and expertise makes me a part of building the platform.
You are a successful entrepreneur. How do you relate that to getting involved in social development?
In my own small way, I hope to be able to influence global development. There are some very unfortunate tendencies in the world right now - war and terror... I believe that the lack of global wisdom cause aggression in countries that feel overlooked by globalisation and that are unable to understand the larger picture. It takes huge resources and an enormous effort to change. In my view, many of the well-known organisations focus too much on treating symptoms and emergency aid. The money spent could stretch ten times further, if we actively built infrastructure, change self perception and give access to information and education.
In other words, if you optimize existing resources?
I got involved with Happiness, because the organisation’s aim is to professionalize and optimise – words of action, thoughts for action. Happiness delivers – intelligence – instead of a cheque. I also feel it is important to reach and advocate at the higher levels of opinion leaders and politicians. Through the Volunteer Consultants’ networks, Happiness can reach those important decision-makers like the UN and respected high-profile people, such as Richard Gere. Some may think it sounds a bit too smart and Hollywood-like for little Denmark, but if you stop and listen to the message, they are often very right.
Is Happiness Foundation too elitist in approach?
As long as “elitist” is a manifestation of results, then I am perfectly happy with it. If it means that you can reach Danish and international relations then it is the means to an end. We have to learn to listen more and forget that Denmark is a small country.
What do you mean by ”Denmark is a small country”?
If it all becomes too social democratic, then nothing happens. In Denmark we have an expression called “Janteloven”. I come across it all the time, now that I started my own business. Resourceful people offer their help immediately, but those, who are not so “successful”, seem rather sceptical and send out negative vibes. It can kill any initiative and motivation. I do not find Happiness elitist, just a lot more network-oriented than you normally experience in Denmark.
Will you be involved in Happiness Foundation five years from now?
I would very much like to get involved in the future. Even though I am obviously busy with my own business right now, I want to be inspired from others aspects of life. If all I do is work - day in and day out - then I get no outside inspiration. On the other hand, if I am committed to change, then something will surely pay back. It may take months or years, but I fundamentally believe that you will always get something back, if you are willing to give and commit to a worthy cause.
Last, but not least: What does Happiness mean to you?
Happiness, oh, gosh! Happiness is being aware thereby allowing you to live a peaceful and blissful life. And freedom and mental strength to help others.
Thank you Benjamin, for your time and valuable engagement and input.
Contributing to happiness
Membership is an integral part of Happiness Foundation. We welcome individuals and corporations who would like to support our purpose and values. Our Members directly support the growth of Happiness Foundation by funding our infrastructure and operations. Members are kept informed of current issues, developments and success stories. There is no required amount to become a member - you decide what you contribute.
www.membership.happiness.org
Thank you
Once again, please remember that Happiness Foundation is nothing without its Volunteer Consultants, Guardians, and Corporate Sponsors. Spread the word, give us feedback, talk to and about us, network and make sure people know what we are doing - the more we are - the more we can do.
Best wishes,
Happiness Foundation
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