As part of its HeartMath for Communities Project campaign, the Institute of HeartMath is kicking off a month-long Facebook contest to honor the service and dedication of nonprofit organizations.
Among the prizes representatives of the nonprofits that are named winner and runner-up in the Recognizing Community Care contest will include fully paid participation in HeartMath’s De-Stress Workshop and The Resilient Organization. The nonprofit Institute of HeartMath (IHM), www.heartmath.org, also will select one international nonprofit to receive two highly acclaimed stress-reducing emWave technology products, which will include the emWave® Desktop, and HeartMath’s latest emWave product which is to be announced by the company on May 3, 2011.
IHM, internationally recognized for its science-based techniques, programs, services and technology, which have been used by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide since 1991, hopes this contest will raise awareness about the critical role nonprofit organizations play in our lives. The HeartMath contest runs through May 31, for details go to http://on.fb.me/IHM-Comm.
The contest coincides with the institute’s fundraising campaign for the HeartMath for Communities Project. HeartMath for Communities was initiated in 2009 to help large numbers of people lower stress by teaching representatives of nonprofits the HeartMath resilience-building skills through the HeartMath De-Stress Workshop. They in turn pass these same skills on to those they serve in their communities, free of charge. The campaign, which continues through June 1, seeks to raise contributions to enable this caring initiative to reach even greater numbers of people for years to come.
“These times are especially stressful for many charities and nonprofits experiencing limited funding and increased demand to serve more people every day,” IHM President Sara Childre said. “To help inspire and care for the organizations providing so much vitality to our communities, we want to solidify the concept of care and invite their constituents to help reward them for their dedication and hard work.”
Childre shared these caring facts from IHM and other entities to highlight how important caring for others is to our health and well-being.
- Caring interacts with the heart – literally: HeartMath research shows the heart plays a dynamic role in generating positive emotions and creating feelings of elation during acts of caring and altruism. J. Andrew Armour, a leading neuro¬cardiologist and member of IHM’s Scientific Advisory Board, found that the heart contains cells that synthesize and release the so-called feel-good hormones, dopamine and norepinephrine.
- Caring can increase feelings of elation, relieve stress: States of joy and delight can result from giving to others. When you are altruistic – helping someone – your oxytocin level goes up, which helps relieve stress and create the feeling of elation. It also has been found that the heart produces oxytocin, commonly referred to as the love or bonding hormone, and those concentrations of oxytocin found in the heart are as high as those found in the brain.
- Caring can be contagious: Elation makes us feel great and perform good acts, according to an “elevation study” published in the journal, Psychological Science. Researchers studied individuals who watched TV clips that prompted various moods and found those who viewed uplifting clips were more likely to engage in altruistic behavior soon after.
- Caring can mean better health: In a Cornell University study that followed over 313 women for 30 years, researchers found 52 percent of women who did not engage in volunteer work experienced a major illness, compared with only 36 percent of those who volunteered in their communities. †
- Caring is a big part of the U.S. Economy: Nonprofits and charities comprise about 10% of the U.S. workforce according to Guidestar and pay nearly $540 billion in wages each year according the National Council of Nonprofits.
People from around the world may nominate their favorite local nonprofits in the Recognizing Community Care contest and then encourage friends, families and colleagues to vote for them. The top vote getter, from nominations in the U.S. or Canada, will receive the grand prize, and the next highest vote getter, also from the U.S. or Canada, will receive the runner-up prize. One nonprofit organization from outside the U.S. and Canada will be selected to receive the international prize.
The grand prize winning nonprofit will designate a staff member, volunteer or associated consultant to be trained as a licensed presenter of the HeartMath the Resilient Organization – Building Staff and Organizational Coherence. This individual also will attend the HeartMath Qualified Instructor Training, which qualifies him or her to teach HeartMath skills to their nonprofit staff. This prize is worth $2,025.
The runner-up winning nonprofit will designate a staff member, volunteer or associated consultant to be trained as a licensed presenter of the HeartMath De-Stress Workshop and will go through HeartMath Qualified Instructor Training. This prize is worth $1,295.
The International prize will go to the nonprofit from outside the U.S. and Canada that receives the most votes. This nonprofit will receive two highly acclaimed stress-reducing emWave technology products, which will include the emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC, a computer based stress-relief program, and HeartMath’s latest and much anticipated emWave product which is to be announced by the company on May 3, 2011. This prize also includes these HeartMath books: The HeartMath Solution, Transforming Stress, Transforming Anxiety, Transforming Anger and Transforming Depression. This prize is worth $575, and IHM will pay shipping costs.
Learn more about and support the HeartMath for Communities Campaign and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
† Moen, Phyllis, Donna Dempster-McClain, and Robin M. Williams Jr. 1992. Successful Aging: A Life-Course Perspective on Women's Multiple Roles and Health – American Journal of Sociology, 97:1612-38.
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About the Institute of HeartMath:
The Institute of HeartMath, www.heartmath.org, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to teaching the principles of heart-based living around the world and promoting global coherence by inspiring people to connect with the intelligence and guidance of their hearts. IHM has been conducting scientific research on the physiology of emotions and the science of the heart for two decades. IHM, a world leader in stress reduction and emotion-management research, was founded in 1991 by Doc Childre. Through its research and education divisions, the institute has developed practical tools, education programs and services – collectively known as the HeartMath System – for the mental, emotional and physical benefit of children through seniors without regard to their social, economic or cultural status. IHM’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including American Journal of Cardiology, Stress Medicine, Preventive Cardiology, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science and Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. For more information about IHM’s education and professional development programs, visit www.heartmath.org/
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