February 25, 2011; Source: The Post-Bulletin | This is a new twist on prize philanthropy that we think is interesting. Rick Weiss, the owner of Insty-Prints in Rochester, Minn., has always given annually to local nonprofits but this year he is taking an unusual social network-based approach that promises to attract the attention of other potential givers.

This is the part we like – Weiss has decided to ask people who have benefited from the services of nonprofits in town to tell their own stories about how the groups have touched them. Then he will have people vote for their favorites and the winner will get $1,000 while the second and third place winners will get donated services.

Weiss means to help get the word out about the work that community groups do. He says, "People just don't know that much about what our non-profits do, particularly the smaller ones."—Ruth McCambridge