Earlier this summer Kelby Carr (@TypeAMom), founder of the Type-A Mom Conference, was announced as the recipient of a $12,000 grant from the McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs initiative which will fund her latest project, InvestigativeMommyBlogger.com. "If traditional media is not pursuing investigative reporting as it should, it is time for bloggers to step up," according to Carr.

Carr belives journalism is at a critical crossroads and that its decline isn't just tied to new technology, but rather, to the lack of investigative reporting. "The pursuit of profits has overshadowed what makes journalism amazing and world-changing: readers should always come first, and the truth and the big, important story should always be the goal."

A direct message from Katja Presnal (@KatjaPresnal) suggesting she submit an application was the catalyst for her entry.

The goal is to hire two mommy bloggers as part-time freelancers who have experience as investigative journalists. Carr's vision is to curate the best investigative reporting online and special projects that will be similar to one she lead on shopping cart dangers with a group of mom bloggers in 2009.

"It will be somewhat like crowdsource investigative reporting," said Carr. "As an example, several mom bloggers gathered data on the first five shopping carts they found in their normal daily shopping to use as data to show how many carts were unsafe on average."

At first she was shocked and then "downright giddy" when they told her she had beat out 576 other proposals and was one of only four grant winners.

The funding will cover a new site design and she hopes to provide resources for others interested in learning how to dig deeper for blog stories.

{photo credit: Rick Bucich}

Haley Quarles and Amy Bellgardt of MomSpark Media

MomSpark Media also works with brands to offer members special product review opportunities, campaigns, ambassador programs, and more. Bellgardt says it's this combination of instructional material and brand opportunities that makes MomSpark Media unique and valuable to bloggers.

Visit Mom Spark Media to find out more or to sign up. 

Creative Alliance ’10 (CA ’10) is an intimate conference retreat slated for October 15th-17th, 2010 in the Ojai Valley, one hour north of Los Angeles.  CA ’10 was created with one mission in mind – to create authentic, lasting alliances with like-minded women who are pursuing their creative business interests in the mom online space.

The core team of CA '10, according to its founder Lee Vandeman (@leevandeman), is comprised of journalists, writers, video producers, graphic designers, marketers, novelists, and business women who "embody the entrepreneurial sprit and who have taken their creative ambition to the online mom community with intention."

CA '10 is unique in that attendance is capped at 40 in order to provide the chance for a more intimate and relaxed networking atmosphere.  "I'm so honored to be part of the CA adventure," said Heather King of The Extraordinary Ordinary.  "I'm certain that this event will provide the missing link between bloggers and brands--quality time for meaningful conversation and authentic, long-lasting connections."

The conference will be held at a private property that boasts a main home, an outdoor amphitheater, a deck overlooking a running creek for productive conversation, a large yurt for group sessions (or for yoga), and a fire pit for evening chats. "We believe in providing a loose structure where attendees can sculpt an experience based on their individual needs," said Vandeman.

Ann Imig of Ann's Rants says, "At large blogging conferences it is easy to feel overwhelmed by programming, parties, and networking. I look forward to attending a small gathering that focuses on forging genuine connections among creative-minded bloggers."

Tickets for CA '10 are available on a very limited basis starting today.

Aimee Giese of Greeblemonkey.com is a blogger and photographer who has worked with several brands, including a family trip earlier this year to Puerto Rico that was partially sponsored by the Rio Mar Wyndham Beach Resort.

"Whenever someone approaches me to do something, I always have the caveat that I get to be me. I'm not going to say anything just because they ask me to," said Giese.

She advocates finding companies that are natural fits and then being courageous in approaching them, because each blogger knows their own content and audience better than anyone else. Plus, she says, play up your strengths. If you've got a particular skill, such as photography, make sure to indicate that in your proposal - the more diverse a content creator is the more valuable she is to a brand.

Her story and advice is featured in the video below:

P.S. The free ebook From Blog To Business is an excellent resource for bloggers interested in learning more about pitching brands.

{photo credits: Aimee Giese}

iVillage, owned by NBC Universal, is currently looking for 10 women from around the country to become contribributors for a new online video series aimed at women and moms called iVoices. Like Project Mom Casting, iVillage is looking for outspoken female voices who can share interesting stories that resonate with women from across the country which is why they're looking for bloggers with video experience to apply.

Produced videos will be housed on iVillage.com and may also appear on some of NBC's 10 local owned and operated stations. Candidates need to submit a 150-word essay about themselves and why they want to be on iVoices by September 2, 2010. Essays will be reviewed and then a 3 minute audition video will follow.

Chief correspondent Kelly Wallace is a former broadcast news correspondent who has appeared on CBS News, CNN and FOX News. Wallace who recently joined iVillage said a year and a half ago is when she decided to move into the women's online space and is now serving as executive producer of the new programming.

NBC celebrities including Today's Natalie Morales and MSNBC's Contessa Brewer will review the videos and help select the iVoices contributors.