Words to know

• hashtag (hash-tag) n – A keyword or phrase following a hash mark (#) used to identify the subject of a message on a social media website.
• selfie (sel-fee) n – A photograph of yourself, usually taken by you and posted on a social media website.
• unselfie (un-sel-fee) n – A picture of yourself in which you are not the focus, taken to show support for a social cause. Usually includes a sign that expresses personal support for a nonprofit organization.

Unselfies 101

1. Start with a sign. You can download and print one of the templates here or create one of your own. It should say something about a cause that you support. Somewhere on the page, include these three hashtags: #IntMin, #unselfie and #GivingTuesday. You may use other hashtags as well, such as those listed on the right.
2. Take a picture of yourself (or have someone else take it for you) with a smartphone, webcam, tablet computer or digital camera.
3. Upload the picture to any social media sites that you use (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). Include the three main hashtags (#IntMin, #unselfie and #GivingTuesday) in the caption, along with any other hashtags you'd like to use. You can also include a link to IM's Giving Tuesday webpage: www.InternationalMinistries.org/drives/24.
4. If you don’t use social media, just email your unselfie to Laura.Timmel@internationalministries.org and Laura will post it for you on IM’s social media pages.

Tips and tricks

• The sign. You can create your unselfie sign from scratch, or you can download and print one of IM's official Giving Tuesday signs here.
• The message. What you write on the sign should come from the heart. Why do you support IM? What ministry has most captured your passion? Do you support specific missionaries? If you want to encourage other people to support IM too, say so!
• The picture. Unselfies are great if you’re camera shy, because you don’t even have to show your face! The point is to make the message the focus. You can hold the sign in front of your head, put it down by your feet or tape it to your chest and take a shoulders-and-down shot. Or try the classic look—hold the sign at shoulder height and give your best smile.
• The fun part. Be creative! You can turn your poster into a face mask. Have everyone in your family hold one big sign together. Hang the paper around your dog’s neck. Write your message in chalk on a sidewalk. Illustrate it with pictures. Display it in three different languages. Take a bunch of different pictures and make a collage. The sky’s the limit!