Not very original, but I’m only copying myself. Some of you may remember this (also here) which I did for @prathambooks? If you promise to make a donation to Wheels for Life, I’ll write you a silly poem, just for you. Most probably a limerick.
You don’t have to donate ₹5000, the cost of one wheelchair (but it would be super if you do). There’s an option to donate via cheque/DD. Or you could choose to volunteer if you prefer: Whatever works for you. Just help me get the word out about Wheels for Life. Oh yes, they haven’t asked me to do this; they don’t even know I'm doing it. (Now they do.)
So this is my personal offer:
Tell me where you’re from, and one thing about you, and get a silly poem, In return, you support Wheels for Life in some way.
Deal?
I also emailed a number of friends, shared a set of fund-raising ideas, and asked if they’d like to offer their skills, time or goods to donors for Wheels for Life. Several people said yes. I posted their offers, and then several more people got in touch with offers. More people saw those, and… you get the picture.
It’s all getting rather complex on Twitter at the moment, so I thought I’d do one post that collected all the offers in one place for easy reference. Here they are.
But first, the terms.
If you’d like to take up any of these generous offers:
• Reply to the offer tweet.
• The person making the offer accepts.
• You make your donation at Wheels for Life’s donation page. WFL takes donations in multiples of ₹5,000. ₹5,000 is the cost of one wheelchair ♿.
• Tweet the transaction number at the person making the offer, me, & @nipunmalhotra, founder of Wheels for Life, who will confirm receipt.
• Person making the offer gets in touch with you and you get your return gift.
p.s.
• You can choose to donate but gift your offer to someone else; let the person making the offer know who it is.
Want to make an offer? I’d be happy to add a few more slots. If you’d like to join in, tweet your offer at me, or email zigzackly at gmail. Make it quantifiable and precise, please. For example: X numbers of a an item you make; Y number of hours/minutes of your time consulting on Z. And include the total number of products or slots you have the time or inclination to give away, or the time up to when your offer is open. For example, X such products or Y such slots are available, up to the end of Z. Also specify things like: any geographic geographic restrictions — only in Bombay, for example — and whether you can email or courier a product; should what you offer be picked up; whether you can provide the service over phone or web chat.
There is a version of this list on Facebook as well, here on Wheels for Life’s page (make sure to follow them there); that page also has a few Facebook-only offers by people who aren’t in Twitter. Of course you could follow the sequence on Twitter, and see the various replies as well, starting from here.
| This person… | …Is offering this… | …If you give this # of ♿s | Links to tweets | Still open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. @surekhapillai, comunications professional and Twitter star, and also the person who persuaded me to try once more to open this up to more people. | One hour of consultation for your start-up, via phone or online call. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 02. @MaryTKurkalang who has worked 20 years consulting on arts/culture in India and abroad. | An offer for aspiring arts professionals. One hour, via phone or online call on how to pitch an art / culture / book project. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 03. @MaryTKurkalang again | An offer for aspiring arts professionals. One hour, via phone or online call on how to start working in the art management space. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 04. @prempanicker, writer, journalist, mentor, man-about-town | One hour to consult on anything: writing, editing, social media, messaging, in person in Bangalore or via phone or online call. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 05. @prempanicker again | Lunch or coffee with him (when you’re both in the same city) to chat about anything. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 06. @prempanicker with an offer for organisations. | Prem will do a full-day workshop on editing / communications / social media / writing for your organisation. Offer open in Bangalore, but if you pay his fare, anywhere else too. | ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ (that's 10, or ₹50,000) | One, two, three | Closed |
| 07. @Paromadiva, who ran communications at Google India and now at SoftBank International. | One hour to consult on brand, reputation & internal/external communications, via phone or online call. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 08. @anaggh, who is an entrepreneur, mentor and Twitter star. | Anaggh has dreamed up #PolaroidWish, supported by @rockymindia. If you make a donation above ₹1,000, they will send you an expensive pair of sunglasses worth at least twice that. Wheels For Life is one of the four listed charities for this campaign. (Read Anaggh's post here). | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 09. @anaggh also has a personal offer | One to two hours of brainstorming or business discussion with him. Bonus: If in Bombay (& in Bangalore in November), this discussion in person & coffee on Anaggh. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 10. @samitbasu, cult author, @pi_alize, an amazing illustrator and future superstar, and me | Samit has kindly offered to share rhyming duties with me. (Same brief: in your reply, tell us one thing about you and where you're from.) And Pi will illustrate your poem. | ♿ | One, two, three, four, five | Closed |
| 11. @Meetasengupta education strategist & coach & writer | An hour of coaching time on the phone on how to Plan to be a CxO for future leaders; via phone or online call | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 12.@Aparna executive coach & author | Corporate leadership mini coaching: three 30-minute sessions over two months; via phone or online call | ♿ ♿ (that's ₹10,000) | One, two | Closed |
| 13. @Aparna with her chef's toque on | A two-hour pahaadi cooking class plus lunch with her at her home, plus a copy of her The Sood Family Cookbook. This offer is Delhi/NCR only. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 14. @krishashok, musician, firestarter & brain the size of a planet | An hour's lesson on how to compose and record music digitally at home & sound semi-professional; via phone or online call. (Have you tuned in to his Soundcloud?) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 15. @TheRestlessQuil, editor, writer, and now artist | She will send you two watercolour paintings (see Tweets for samples) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 16. @NakulShenoy, magician | Meet Nakul over tea, discuss & perform magic (in Bangalore, or when you & he are in the same city) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 17. @NakulShenoy, magician | Get a free seat (or 50% off on two seats) in his magic workshop (Bangalore, Nov. 26-27) | ♿ ♿ (that's ₹10,000) | Three | Closed |
| 18. @atti_cus, lawyer and writer | Two hours of legal advice or discussion in Delhi (or via the phone / online call) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 19. @RushinaMG, culinary expert, consultant, teacher and writer | Two seats (a cooking date!) at a special @RushinaMG Eggciting Breakfasts Masterclass followed by brunch, on Nov 13 in Bombay. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 20. @madmanweb, chef, writer, singer and, now, portrait photographer | A "profile candid package" as described here | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 21. @calamur, TV professional and blogger | An hour on script / concept / character development and writing structure for a show or script. Harini is offering four such (one-off) slots in November. Ideally, face-to-face in Mumbai, or if she and you are in the same city at some point, otherwise via phone or online call. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 22. @nilanjanaroy, author, columnist, critic, speaker, aspiring cat-herder, dear friend | Nilanjana will give you and three friends you choose an exclusive three- to four-hour walk through literary Delhi. She will arrange transport and meeting location plus light snacks. She is offering three such walks at mutually convenient dates over November and December. | ♿ | One, two, three, four | Closed |
| 23. @devangshudatta, friend, polymath, raconteur, finance wiz and much else | DD will teach you a basic trend-following technical trading system (approx one hour) over phone or internet video call, or if you're in Delhi & he is feeling sociable, in person. To those who take this offer, DD is also offering follow-up lessons: 1 ♿ per one-hour session on trading systems / refinements. | ♿ (+ ♿ per follow-up session) | One, two, three, four | Closed |
| 24. @devangshudatta again. (Did I mention he has a ridiculously unfair amount of brains?) | This is for chess players (beginning or intermediate). A 1-hour chess basics lesson from @devangshudatta. Example subjects: - a given opening - how to mate with B+N - basic pawn endgames - basic rook endgames etc | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 25. @amritat, author, TV journalist, entrepreneur, activist | A one-hour consultation on social media/media outreach/writing via phone or internet video call | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 26. @amritat again, with her author hat on | Be immortalised! Get a starring role in a (short) short story she will write | ♿ ♿ ♿ (₹15,000) | One | Closed |
| 27. @ashoklalla, digital & marketing advisor, speaker, startup mentor | For aspiring digital marketing folks and start-ups: Get 30 minutes of digital marketing business or career advice over a phone call | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 28. @ashoklalla again | 90 minutes on digital marketing business or advice. Face to face over coffee if in Bangalore (Ashok will pay) or via phone or internet video call | ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) | One | Closed |
| 29. @mahimkajerry, award-winning author, poet, columnist | Jerry will read a manuscript you send him over email and offer an edit. He is open to do five such MSes. (One has already been claimed) | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 30. @rucsb, HR leader, mentor, influencer | 30 minutes to one hour of career development coaching or mentoring | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 31. @SanSip, ad guy, book critic and blogger | A thorough assessment plus suggestions for improvement, for an unpublished novel or short story | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 32. @GautamGhosh, HR maven & consultant, pioneering blogger | One hour of consultation on HR, social media, HR tech, personal branding | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 33. @GautamGhosh again | An offer for organisations A one-day programme on social media for your HR team. Offer is in Bangalore, but can be made available in other places if you pay for his travel | ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ (that's 10, or ₹50,000) | One, two | Closed |
| 34. @saffrontrail, food writer, consultant blogger | A 90-minute healthy cooking / salad-making workshop for you & one other person This offer has been taken. Nandita has time for only one slot. | ♿ | One, two | Closed. |
| 35. @DeathEndsFun, old pal, author, columnist, blogger | Dilip will serenade you or a person you choose with songs on his blues harmonica. He says, "Willing to play Jaaneman Jaaneman Sounds of Silence (or any of a number of other songs)." Offer available in Mumbai, but also via Internet video if that works for you. | ♿ | One, two, three, four | Closed |
| 36. @DeathEndsFun with his author hat on. | One hour with Dilip to talk about what he believes will improve your writing. In person in Bombay or via phone or Internet video call | ♿ | One | Closed |
| 37. And @DeathEndsFun plays tennis | One hour of tennis with Dilip as his guest at Bandra Gymkhana (Bombay). | ♿ | One | Closed |
| 38. @rochellepotkar, writer and poet | Rochelle will chat with you over coffee for one or two hours, then write you a haibun (a prose-poem) based on your life, just for you. Offer claimable in Bombay or if you and she are in the same city in the near future. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 39. @KiranManral, novelist and blogger, colleague from so long ago that both of us aren't talking about it. | For as-yet-unpublished writers, a one-hour (phone) chat on how to get your manuscript done and how to approach publishers. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 40. @LadyAshBorg, good buddy and very successful entrepreneur | A half-hour session on founding early-stage tech startups and/or fundraising (or related matters). In person in Chennai or if you and she are in the same city in the near future, otherwise via phone or Internet video chat. She only has the time to offer two such sessions in the immediate future, so grab them quickly. Statutory warning: do not make silly jokes about AI, or invite her to speak in a #manel. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 41. @amitvarma, writer, blogger, poker wiz and, professional limerick writer | A 16-line poem adapted to any context you want. For example, you want the poem starring you and a purple cow duelling Amit? Amit will deliver. NOTE: Amit's poems have proven hugely popular, and we don't want him to burn out, delightful as his verse is. So we're upping the ante here, and saying THREE wheelchairs for one of his poems | ♿ ♿ ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 42. @udhay_shankar, counsellor to start-ups and co-founder of @thegoaproject | A 30-minute session with Udhay in which he will critique your business plan and offer suggestions | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 43. @krisudayasankar, author | For budding writers: critical feedback on a piece of your writing (fiction or poetry, up to one thousand words) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 44. @PedestrianPoet, poet | Get a critique and an edit for your poem. Harnidh is also game to take up any poetry writing challenge you throw at her, for the same kind of donation. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 45. @SumanaMukherjee, friend, editor, writer, f̶o̶o̶d̶i̶e̶ bonne vivante | A 1-month, twice-weekly supply of home-baked bread. Choice of breakfast loaves, foccacias, partybrots, etc. Can be customised. (You will have to pick up from central Bangalore) | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 46. @kishiarora, pastry chef, and her mother, @mamaktreats | Two brownie cakes by Kishi, plus one Banarasi/Punjabi cooking class by her mum | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 47. @jackerhack & @zainabbawa, old friends and founders of @hasgeek | A free ticket to any hasgeek conference of your choice. Check their site for upcming events, and tag @hasgeek to claim. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 48. Meghna Gill of @studioGDA, architect & designer. See her company's work here | A two-hour design consultancy to anyone looking for interior design inputs for any interior projects, be it residential, office, retail, etc. In Mumbai in person or elsewhere over web chat. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 49. @SimonaTerron, journalist, writer, voice-over artist, PR & media consultant | Her handmade, natural spa products -Lemongrass Refresher Fizzy Foot Soaks -Lavender for LaLaLand Massage Oil -Peppermint Perk Up Body Scrub She will fill four such orders. She will speedpost the soak or the scrub to anywhere in India. The massage oil is only for those in Mumbai. | ♿ | One, two, three, four, five | Closed |
| 50. @SimonaTerron again, with her voice-over artist hat on | A silly voicemail/festive greeting message in a funny style/accent of your choice. Mail her the script (under 60 seconds) and required style/accent; she'll email you the audio track within 48 hours. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 51. @MissGoobe, a wildlife photographer, | A framed print of one of her images. Contact her to see samples of her work. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 52. @kritimonga, designer, artist, calligrapher, who I am a huge fan of. See her work here, and specifically her calligraphy here | An artwork of your name (or a short phrase / quote / word) in her exquisite calligraphy. Send her the word or phrase, or a Twitter-style short bio for the name, & she'll draw her interpretation in expressive lettering. | ♿ | One, two, three, four | Closed |
| 53. Sudarshan Purohit @connectmc, translator, editor and critic | Sudarshan will critique/edit an up-to-5K-word fiction piece. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 54. @JSV76, art curator | She runs Indiancolours, which licenses the art of top Indian contemporary artists & adapts them to objects of everyday use, She will give you ₹1500 worth of products from Indiancolours | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 55. @kkrathlete, a professional cyclist & current national MTB Champion | He will do a three-hour MTB trail ride with you, advise you on technique, and chat about becoming a champ. Bangalore area only. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 56. Rohit Nayak, who runs @canvasnchrome, an adventure company | A free weekend camping/trek trip, from Mumbai or Pune. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 57. Arundhati Ghosh, who has worked many, many years in the arts space. | 90 minutes advice on how to raise funds for an arts project. In person in Bangalore if she's feeling up to it, or via phone/web chat | ♿ | Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) | Closed |
| 58. Rekha Nigam, former advertising creative director, now a film writer and transcreator | Rendition (translation) of any public service message or film into Hindi or any other Indian language | ♿ | Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) | Closed |
| 59. Rekha Nigam again | Screenwriting advice. Rekha will read your subject for a movie, and mentor you on how to structure it. She could read it through various stages and offer you advice on detangling knotty issues. | ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) | Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) | Closed |
| 60. @bigfatphoenix, game designer and one of the funniest writers I know. | A workshop for you or your org (in Bangalore) on one of these topics - Game design - Using a design thinking approach to solve problems - Guided tour of the history of humour in videogames | ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ (₹25,000) | One, two, three | Closed |
| 61. @bigfatphoenix again | A one-hour phone/web chat with you on any of those topics OR An hour of feedback (phone/web) on the UX of a game or app you may be developing | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 62. @indianoceanband, a band I adore | Attend an @indianoceanband practice/jam session. Delhi/NCR area only. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 63. @indianoceanband again | Get a personalised birthday or anniversary wish and an acoustic song sung for a specific person by the band. the song can be delivered by phone, web chat, Whatsapp. email ed video, whatever. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 64. And again, @indianoceanband | One or more band members MAY be able to come over to serenade someone for you. How many ♿s would you donate? Please note. Though Indian Ocean plays all around the world, they rarely have time in the cities they perform in to do something like this. So, if at all they consider doing this, the (slim) likelihood is that it will be in the Delhi/NCR area, their home base. Please check with me on this before you choose. | ❓ | One, two | Closed |
| 65. @SimmSareen, food blogger Her site: bombayfoodie | A goodie bag. Choose from: - Shortbread cookies + caramel sauce + superfood granola Or Any cookies or cake | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 66. One more from @SimmSareen | A two-hour cooking class for up to two people | ♿ | One | Closed |
| 67. @neo_pac shamanic & energy healer & psychological astrologer | One-hour healing session | ♿ | One | Closed |
| 68. @Mayank1029, journalist & business management graduate who specialised in financial markets & stock pricing | A one-hour session on basics of personal finance or finance | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 69. @Mayank1029 again, this time as a poet | A poem in Hindi and English | ♿ | One | Closed |
| 70. @sidin, author, journalist & blogger | Name a character in Sidin's next novel. | ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) | One, two | Closed |
| 71. @rashmid9, a business coach with over 30 years corporate/media HR experience | Two hours of HR/talent advisory &/or business coaching (in Mumbai or over Skype) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 72. @SK_Vaze, performance consultant | A one-hour session on personal branding / international business etiquette | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 73. @SK_Vaze again: he's a former hotels professional | Talk hospitality for an hour | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 74. @strayatheart, canine behaviourist | A one-hour consult + email follow up on any issue: aggression, fear, anxiety | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 75. @jasuja, payments wiz | One hour (via phone/webchat) to discuss digital payments, digital commerce in india & trends worldwide. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 76. @jasuja again | Two-hour crash course (via phone/webchat) in product management for consumer payment products. | ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) | One, two, three | Closed |
| 77. @jasuja, yet again | One-hour consult on how to transition from an engineering job > finding your calling in product management Two such slots open. In person in Delhi/Mumbai or via phone/web chat. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 78. Ayesha Thomas, one of my former interns, now all grow'd up and a theatre professional | A two hour drama workshop with 6-8 kids (ages eight to fifteen), but only in January. This is only via Facebook. | ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) | Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) | Closed |
| 79. @chhavi, podcasting professional, who also teaches podcasting workshops | Get a free seat at two of her workshops (1. intro to podcast 2. editing workshop) or two at either one. Seat value; ₹2,500 each. The workshops are in Bombay (early December) & Delhi (January). | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 80. @rashmid, former journalist and communications professional, now am arts entrepreneur | A one-hour mentoring session (phone/webchat) on working in the arts. | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 81. @rashmid again | A a one-hour consult on your communications for your arts/culture project | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 82. @nehadara, travel writer and editor | A critique of two 1000–1500-word travel pieces or one longer piece of up to 2500 words with detailed comments and suggestions for improvements. And a follow-up 15-minute phone chat explaining the critique and answering any questions the writer has. | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| 83. @Chinmayi, singer, entrepreneur, voice-over artist | First row seats to a Chinmayi concert for you &/or 2 or 3 pals. (Wherever she is performing.) | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 84. @Chinmayi again | A personalised birthday/anniversary wish + an acoustic song sung for a specific person sung by Chinmayi | ♿ | One, two | Closed |
| 85. One more from @Chinmayi | How many ♿s would you bid for a 30-minute concert, where she will sing free, but you pay her band? Offer in Chennai, or if she is performing in your city. Limited offers open. You can make your bids to Chinmayi directly or via me. | ❓ | One, two | Closed |
| 86. Artist and teacher @zaiuranjit | He's donating one of his paintings, Dreamscape - II (8x10in, acrylic on canvas). | ♿ | One | Closed |
| 87. @AnantRangaswami, former advertising professional, now a journalist and teacher (he lectures in colleges on advertising and marketing | Two hours of his time to talk about anything you think he can help with. He's offering one two-hour slot per week, eight such slots, one ♿ per slot | ♿ | One, two, three | Closed |
| YOU | Your offer | ♿ | Open |
