Idea Aid™: Join the Brainstorm! Heifer poses the question for the World's First Brainstorming Benefit to Launch November 14

You've heard of Live Aid, Farm Aid and Band Aid. Now get ready for Idea Aid™, the first global brainstorming benefit where people donate their ideas — not money — to help solve the world's toughest problems. Join Heifer International, the Clinton School of Public Service and people around the world at Heifer Village on November 14 in a brainstorm about the complex problem of global poverty.

Set to launch on November 14, the first Idea Aid™ challenge seeks to find novel ways to raise $1 billion annually to help eradicate global hunger and poverty. Ideas will come from people all over the world who will brainstorm online and share their best thinking with Heifer International, a global not-for-profit dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty.

"We believe the time is right for Idea Aid,” said Mensa Process Managing Director David Wynett. "It's a revolutionary way to identify potential solutions to problems, and it's especially relevant in today's economic climate, when people may not able to donate money, but still want to give back.”

Idea Aid is sponsored by Mensa Process, a brain trust that helps corporate clients solve complex problems and identify new growth opportunities. Mensa Process works with some of the world's brightest minds — members of Mensa, an international organization of more than 100,000 people, open to the top 2 percent in intelligence.

For Idea Aid, Mensa Process is inviting everyone, everywhere, to help change the world. Students, educators and informed consumers, Mensa members and others will brainstorm online to find new solutions. Mensa Process believes that combining high intelligence, creative minds and cause-directed energy will generate remarkable results.

How Idea Aid Works

For a single week — November 14-21, 2009 — people around the world will come together online to brainstorm about the complex problem of global poverty. Ideas will be collected, assessed and refined, and then shared for implementation.

What's needed to put an end to global poverty? One of the things that makes a big difference is money. At this point, however, there's no single way to efficiently and consistently generate the level of funds necessary to combat hunger and poverty.

"The problem demands new ideas and new methods of collection to make giving easier and more efficient,” said Tom Peterson, director of Innovation for Heifer International. "We need methods, ideas can be used online, offline, globally, locally. Something simple that everyone, anyone can participate in,”

Mensa members are also excited about the challenge. "Many Mensa members are active in volunteering in their communities through our service programs,” said Pam Donahoo, executive director of American Mensa. "Idea Aid gives us a unique way to use our knowledge to serve the world.”

Idea Aid is open to everyone. Those interested in participating in Idea Aid can register for the challenge at www.ideaaid.com.