Big things come in small packages.

Do you know what animal possesses the strongest and fastest punch?  The kangaroo, right?  That’s what I thought when I was asked the question, but it is, in fact, a member of the Crustacean subphylum.  This creature is only around 4 inches long, about the length of my thumb to my wrist, and its arms are even smaller than that.  It is the Mantis Shrimp.  These are not actually shrimp and just take that name because they look like both a praying mantis and a shrimp. 

Now, the mantis shrimp is amazing because, despite its small size, it has some incredible arms. There are two types of mantis shrimp, the spearers and the smashers, and I’m sure you can use your imagination as to how the arms are shaped to justify such a name. The amazing thing about these arms is not how they are shaped or even used, but how they are made.  When the shrimp pulls back its arm into a resting position, it actually locks into place.  The muscles build up tension and energy until the shrimp needs it.  Located in the joint is a bone-spring, shaped kind of like a Pringle chip, that increases the force of that energy.  When it is released, the arm shoots out from the body with the speed and strength of a rifle bullet!

I know, you’re thinking, “Well this is interesting, but I didn’t come here for a science lesson.”  But I want to ask you a question.  During the time following the Haitian earthquake crisis, how many of you saw a commercial filled with pictures of the devastation ended with a “Text HAITI to 909##” to make a donation?  Microdonations through mGive’s texting campaign brought in over $8 million within three days with just $10/text to the Red Cross.  Compounded by a Twitter/Facebook onslaught of tweets and posts, the campaign ran like wildfire. 

Small donations may not seem like they’ll make a big impact, but with the economic condition of our nation, givers are more likely to give in smaller increments over a longer period of time than large lump sums.  Multiple small donations can become a large amount when brought in bulk.  Many organizations are choosing to run blitz campaigns with heavy exposure on social networking sites.  Convenience is one of the biggest aspects for running such a campaign.  You can get all the exposure you want, but if giving to your cause is not an easy and simple process, you’ll never get the results for which you are hoping.

-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP

** Originally posted on CDP’s blog in September 2010