Twitter’s Biz Stone joins AOL as philanthropy advisor

After giving walking papers to some 200 U.S. staffers (and another 700-odd support personnel overseas), AOL has announced it’s bringing in some comparatively big names to augment it’s new Huffington Post-powered content offerings. And at the top of the list is one of the best-known names in social media: Twitter co-founder Biz Stone is joining the Huffington Post Media Group as its “Strategic Adviser for Social Impact.” Stone’s mission will be to “enhance innovation around social impact and cause-based initiatives”—and that will apparently include building a new platform to enable companies to quickly depoy best practices throughout their organization as well as serve as an enabling tool for individuals doing service in their communities. Stone will also develop a video series that spotlights companies and executives at the leading edges of corporate philanthropy and social responsibility.

“My goal in partnering with AOL and The Huffington Post Media Group is ambitious but vitally important,” said Stone, in a statement. “Together we will rally companies to think about new ways of doing business, share best practices, and strive for positive impact at all levels—from global to local.”

AOL has also announced a “30-Day Service Challenge centered around encouraging employees to volunteer their time and talents to their communities, as a lead-up to AOL’s “Monster Help Day” on May 20. As part of the effort AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and Huffington Post head Arianna Huffington will be teaching a class at Brooklyn’s Urban Academy of Arts and Letters; AOL will also be donating $50,000 to Citizen Schools, and the Huffington Post plans to “prominently feature” needy families and individuals as well as organizations and nonprofits working to help at local levels.

AOL also announced eleven new additions to its reporting staff, including bringing in former Los Angeles Times Managing Editor Joe Montorio as Culture and Entertainment Editor.