By: Erica Luna
In the spirit of May’s focus on mothers, families, women’s health, and nature, we delve into how TheOneHourProject’s founder, Madelene Ortega, empowers professionals and anyone with a digital, social and marketing skill set to become “Digital Superheroes”. This interview is part of our ongoing series, “Get to Know the TOHP Founder.”
“What if you could make a social impact in just one hour?” This is the driving force behind TheOneHourProject (TOHP), a Singapore-based volunteer organization leveraging digital tools and the spirit of community. Its founder, Madelene, is a seasoned advertising and digital leader with over 20 years of experience in the Asia Pacific; she felt a calling to give back but struggled to find flexible volunteer opportunities. With people in her circle expressing the same need to serve, she built TOHP. Since July 2021, Madelene and the TOHP volunteer team have devoted over 600 hours to 20 activities with their 11 partner organizations across Asia.
“TOHP is a digital-first organization,” Madelene begins. Their organization, primarily women across Asia juggling various responsibilities, utilizes digital skills for social good through:
1. Streamlined operations: “We leverage different platforms to automate and simplify projects and volunteer management tasks in our organization, and we share these with our partners to help improve their operations and make it easier for their teams,” Madelene narrates.
2. Digital Outreach: To raise awareness and gather support for their partner organization’s initiative, TOHP utilizes the power of social media. “My background in advertising, social, and digital marketing gives the organization access to best content creation and social media marketing practices,” Madelene shares.
3. Creating and empowering “Digital Superheroes”: Madelene explains, “One of the programs differentiating us from other organizations is our focus on getting digital, creative, and social practitioners to volunteer their skills to help accelerate digital strategies for our partners. We provide consultation on digital marketing, support in content creation, and recruit volunteers to help with their digital and social media needs.”
Proving the effectiveness of this digital-first approach, TOHP’s “Digital Marketing Changemakers Program” has already helped 35 community initiatives by connecting them with industry experts to produce creative content. Looking ahead, TOHP plans to expand its offerings by providing digital upskilling programs to empower non-profits and community initiatives further using digital tools and skills for good.
Understanding the challenges faced by individuals with limited time, Madelene prioritizes a detailed onboarding program that offers flexibility and agility for volunteers. She adds, “We work closely with nonprofits to help them understand how best to work with ad hoc volunteers. Many nonprofits are beginning to understand the concept of ad hoc or micro volunteers, and we are trying to help them adjust.”
With TOHP and Madelene bridging the gap between non-profit needs and busy volunteers with digital skills, we can all be agents of change. Just one click on TheOneHourProject’s website can transform a life – and hopefully, yours too.
