Small Nonprofit Uses Social Media, Crowdsourcing to Best 70 Organizations in Online Fundraising Contest

"On the final day of the contest, my Facebook page overflowed with status updates from dozens of supporters asking their friends to make a donation," said Critical Exposure Co-Director Heather Rieman. "This contest proved that a small, dedicated group of people comfortable with social media tools can compete with anyone and win."

Critical Exposure teaches low-income youth how to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for education reform and social change. The money raised through the GlobalGiving challenge will allow Critical Exposure to provide cameras and training to 60 students over the course of a year.

For more information on Critical Exposure, or to receive the "Student Photo of the Month" email, please visit www.criticalexposure.org.

About Critical Exposure
Critical Exposure empowers young people by teaching them how to use photography and their own voices to create social change. By combining art and advocacy, the organization's unique approach gives youth a way to build public support to address serious issues they face daily, like poor school facilities, teen pregnancy, youth unemployment and homelessness.

Critical Exposure was founded in 2004 and has trained more than 450 middle and high school students in seven states. The powerful images produced by students have engaged the public and helped convince legislators to allocate more than $400 million dollars in new funding for public schools in under-served communities.

The students and their images have been featured on Oprah, CNN, the Washington Post, and other media outlets, reaching millions of people. By helping young people make a big difference with something as small as a camera, Critical Exposure is giving youth a chance to improve their lives and be leaders in their communities.