John Hunter is the kind of teacher I’ve always wanted to be—wise and compassionate, with a deep understanding of the complexity of human nature. When I read his new book, World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements, which was based on his 2011 TED talk, what struck me the most was his ability to guide 9 and 10 year olds through world crises that would challenge even the most experienced policymakers. Those crises are at the center of the World Peace Game, which John created for his students as a way to introduce them to problems such as ethnic and minority tensions, environmental…
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World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements
Greater Good21 May 2013 | 8:00 am -
Can You Run Out of Empathy?
Greater Good20 May 2013 | 7:01 amIs empathy a limited resource, easily depleted and restricted to those closest to us? That’s the argument psychologist Paul Bloom makes in an essay for this week’s New Yorker, subtitled “The case against empathy.” He admits that empathy can do a lot of good: Decades of research shows that feeling empathy can lead us to be more caring, forgiving, and altruistic. But according to Bloom, empathy also can do a lot of bad. It’s an untrustworthy moral compass because it is “parochial, narrow-minded, and innumerate.” Empathy seems tuned to only one frequency, that of a single… -
Why "Be the Change That You Wish to See in the World” Really Works
Have Fun • Do Good9 May 2013 | 11:09 amYou've probably seen the Gandhi quote, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” somewhere. You might even have it tacked up on the wall of your office, or home. Well, guess what? It really works. Last week, I started a (free) Coursera class, Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence, which I'm loving. One of the modules is about emotional contagion. Basically, how you feel and manage your feelings affects other people. If you go into work feeling sad, or angry, your co-workers may start to feel the same way. Even if you put on a happy face, if you're feeling down… -
Four Ways You Can Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims
Inspiring Generosity22 May 2013 | 7:04 amObviously we are all still reeling after a massive tornado tore apart Moore Oklahoma. Parents lost their children, children lost friends, neighbors lost neighbors. And many people are still missing! Family and friends first • For those who have family and friends in the area, Red Cross Oklahoma set up a resource to locate loved ones. • Gov. Mary Fallon also set up okstrong.ok.gov. • If you’re on twitter you can keep up-to-date with the latest information by following #okwx. Nonprofits who are on the ground • Feeding America is delivering food to impacted areas, and also set up… -
The Richest Country has Left Millions Out in the Cold: American Winter
Dowser18 May 2013 | 3:55 pmBy Tessa Farnsworth Curry America is facing a problem and ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. Since the Great Recession in 2008 11.7 million people are still unemployed, we have a current unemployment rate of 7.6 percent, and no one seems to be talking about it anymore. “People get tired of hearing about it, but those people living in these circumstances are real and putting a face to these issues really helps you feel the heartbreak and feel how awful these situations are,” said Alexandra Lescaze, the Executive Director for the Sidney Hillman Foundation. The Sidney Hillman Foundation…
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Dowser
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The Richest Country has Left Millions Out in the Cold: American Winter
18 May 2013 | 3:55 pmBy Tessa Farnsworth Curry America is facing a problem and ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. Since the Great Recession in 2008 11.7 million people are still unemployed, we have a current unemployment rate of 7.6 percent, and no one seems to be talking about it anymore. “People get tired of hearing about it, but those people living in these circumstances are real and putting a face to these issues really helps you feel the heartbreak and feel how awful these situations are,” said Alexandra Lescaze, the Executive Director for the Sidney Hillman Foundation. The Sidney Hillman Foundation… -
You Don’t Have to Go to College to Succeed. Really?
16 May 2013 | 2:21 pmBy Ben Thurman In 1997’s big hit, Good Will Hunting, Will Hunting scoffed, “You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for a buck fifty in late charges at the public library.” Fifteen years on, this idea has taken root as people emerge to challenge the conventional wisdom that without a college degree, life will amount to failure. The debate about the value of a college education is intensifying, with increasing numbers dissatisfied with their experience. The spectre of debt drives discontent. In the last decade tuition fees rose by 42% and graduates can now expect to pay… -
Share my Dabba: The Tiffin Has Just Become More Social
15 May 2013 | 11:13 amClick here to view the embedded video. A new campaign in Mumbai uses the famous lunchbox network to feed the street children of the city. Some would define it as “social innovation” – using an existing infrastructure for social impact. What is Share My Dabba? Share My Dabba is an initiative to get uneaten food in dabbas (lunch boxes) to hungry children on the street. It’s not charity but an attempt to create a practical, every day system for food relief. Why Share My Dabba? 300 million children across the world will go hungry today. 200 thousand in Mumbai, with 2… -
Students Take on Social Entrepreneurship Early On
14 May 2013 | 5:02 pmBy Adam S. Poswolsky If extreme poverty is going to be eradicated in our lifetime, all sectors of society, especially young people, need to be mobilized. Nourish International, a social venture started in 2003 by a student at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, get this. That’s why it engages students on college campuses to use social entrepreneurship to empower community partners in the developing world. Nourish puts students in the driver seat to take action by running social ventures at their chapters, while contributing investment in sustainable development projects around… -
Don’t Want that Sandwich? Can’t sell it? Don’t throw it away, though!
12 May 2013 | 11:10 pmDana Frasz is a food entrepreneur. She wants to recycle food, taking the food that’s not consumed and putting it into the hands of those who cannot afford it. She wants companies to stop wasting so much food – at the grocery story and in restaurants. She wants us all to be aware of how much we’re throwing in the dustbin. Too idealistic? Frasz would argue otherwise. Hear her talk about her passion – FoodShift. How much waste is there currently in the US and how accurate are these figures? 40% of all the food produced in the US is wasted. This figure is…
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Have Fun • Do Good
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Why "Be the Change That You Wish to See in the World” Really Works
9 May 2013 | 11:09 amYou've probably seen the Gandhi quote, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” somewhere. You might even have it tacked up on the wall of your office, or home. Well, guess what? It really works. Last week, I started a (free) Coursera class, Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence, which I'm loving. One of the modules is about emotional contagion. Basically, how you feel and manage your feelings affects other people. If you go into work feeling sad, or angry, your co-workers may start to feel the same way. Even if you put on a happy face, if you're feeling down… -
Celebrating Grandmother Power: Interview with my Gram
7 May 2013 | 11:38 amThe Grandmother Power Blogging Campaign is a collaborative effort of hundreds of bloggers writing about how grandmothers are changing the world from May 7-14, 2013. It's being organized by Tara Mohr (creator of the Ten Rules for Brilliant Women Workbook), and Paola Gianturco (author of Grandmother Power: A Global Phenomenon). You can read all of the Grandmother Power posts, and add your own on taramohr.com. "Some people don't even begin to use all the power they have." ~ my Gram "I think the answer to everything is education. You can try to re-educate some of the older people, but it's not an… -
Out of the Spiritual Closet: Organizers Transforming the Practice of Social Justice. Big Vision Podcast Interview with co-author, Kristen Zimmerman
29 Apr 2013 | 9:02 amThis month's Big Vision Podcast guest is Kristen Zimmerman, one of four co-authors of the Movement Strategy Center report, "Out of the Spiritual Closet: Organizers Transforming the Path of Social Justice," along with Neelam Pathikonda, Brenda Salgado, and Taj James. As a Senior Fellow at the Movement Strategy Center, Kristen leads the development of the Center's movement building practice and methodology. Her primary focus is the integration of transformative practice with strategy, movement building and alliance building technologies, and the use of story and narrative for movement building. -
Respectful Revolution's Video Portrait of My Do-Good Dad: Tom Aageson, Co-Founder, Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship
17 Apr 2013 | 10:27 amShout out for my Do-Good Dad! He's one of the Respectful Revolution's video portraits. He is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship, founded a program for homeless veterans in conjunction with the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, and is involved with Santa Fe for Students / Communities In Schools of New Mexico. And that's only in the last 10 years. You'd need a feature film to document everything he has done to make the world a better place in his lifetime. You can watch the 5:40 video on vimeo, or on the player below. Tom Aageson and… -
How It All Vegan: Cook with the VegCookbook Club in April!
2 Apr 2013 | 9:19 amOn March 14th, VegCookbook author, Sarah Kramer, announced on her blog that she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. I felt so sad when I read her post. As if I’d received bad news from a good friend. I’ve been cooking from How It All Vegan! and Garden of Vegan, that Sarah co-wrote with Tanya Barnard, for over a decade. Her cookbooks are a part of my daily life. I want to support Sarah during this challenging time, so the VegCookbook Club will be cooking from her first cookbook, How It All Vegan! in April. I hope you'll join us. You can read about how to participate on the…
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Inspiring Generosity
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Dollars and Sense: NonProfit Budget Basics
23 May 2013 | 5:00 amDon't you wish it would be that simple? (Image by Tax Credits) And now a post about money. Because as we all know, it’s what makes the world go around. Okay, that’s a mild understatement. But it’s very mild in the nonprofit world. And unless you’re independently wealthy, you’re always fundraising, and looking at ways to stretch your dollars and cultivate donors. Here’s the thing, though. Quite often, nonprofiters, cause advocates, and even entrepreneurs tend to be visionaries. They tend to be people with a burning passion to do something, make a change, and improve the world… -
Four Ways You Can Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims
22 May 2013 | 7:04 amObviously we are all still reeling after a massive tornado tore apart Moore Oklahoma. Parents lost their children, children lost friends, neighbors lost neighbors. And many people are still missing! Family and friends first • For those who have family and friends in the area, Red Cross Oklahoma set up a resource to locate loved ones. • Gov. Mary Fallon also set up okstrong.ok.gov. • If you’re on twitter you can keep up-to-date with the latest information by following #okwx. Nonprofits who are on the ground • Feeding America is delivering food to impacted areas, and also set up… -
How I Learned to Give a Puck About Sports Team Fundraisers
21 May 2013 | 8:48 amWe all know that professional sports teams are businesses. But we really don’t treat them like one, do we? We think of them more as celebrities that come to our events, and sign things for auctions. But sports teams can offer a lot more than star appeal, or a signed baseball. I learned this firsthand in a partnership with the Boston Bruins a few years back. I’ve been thinking about it lately as I’ve been watching the Bruins win their way through the NHL playoffs (2-0 in their series against the New York Rangers). Here’s my story. I think you’ll learn something. I was… -
Five Tips for Creating Powerful Infographics
15 May 2013 | 6:10 amPeople support your organization for one reason: They view your organization as the agent of change they seek. If they had the resources, they’d make the changes they desire by themselves. But they don’t, and that’s why you’re in their lives. So when you tell the story of your cause, you need to show how supporters ultimately create the outcomes. Nonprofit Storytelling with Infographics One powerful way to do this is with a set of infographics like the Best Friends Animal Society created. What’s really great about this infographic is that it’s broken down… -
3 Businesses Seizing the Day and Giving to Nonprofits
14 May 2013 | 5:57 amWe’ve all heard the Latin expression “carpe diem” which means, “seize the day.” But in fundraising with businesses a new expression is taking hold: “da die,” which is Latin for “give the day.” Here’s how it works. Generous businesses support nonprofits by donating the profits from a day’s sales. This is different from what we’re used to seeing, like a “percentage of sales fundraiser” that donates a portion of sales from every product or service sold for a day/week/month/etc.. A “donate profits day” is when businesses donate a percentage of…
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Greater Good
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How to Train the Compassionate Brain
23 May 2013 | 11:34 amThe first time I ever tried a loving-kindness meditation, I was overcome by a feeling of complete… futility. Mentally extending compassion to others and wishing them free from suffering seemed nice enough, but I had a hard time believing that my idle thoughts could increase kindness in the real world. Turns out I was wrong. A new study, just published online by Psychological Science, shows that training adults in a loving-kindness-style “compassion meditation” actually makes them significantly more altruistic toward others. The study suggests not only that it’s possible to… -
Here’s How Much You Love Humanity
21 May 2013 | 1:10 pmWhat does it mean to “love humanity”? Several years ago, I invited people into the lab and asked for detailed descriptions of the last time they felt a love of humanity. They described a time that a friend had donated an organ to a stranger, an experience building homes with Habitat for Humanity, and a stranger who brought back a wallet. A feeling of pride permeated these stories—a sentiment that said, I am one of these humans that can do good. They felt joy at being part of the human species—and we found that those momentary experiences of love of humanity left people motivated… -
World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements
21 May 2013 | 8:00 amJohn Hunter is the kind of teacher I’ve always wanted to be—wise and compassionate, with a deep understanding of the complexity of human nature. When I read his new book, World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements, which was based on his 2011 TED talk, what struck me the most was his ability to guide 9 and 10 year olds through world crises that would challenge even the most experienced policymakers. Those crises are at the center of the World Peace Game, which John created for his students as a way to introduce them to problems such as ethnic and minority tensions, environmental… -
Can You Run Out of Empathy?
20 May 2013 | 7:01 amIs empathy a limited resource, easily depleted and restricted to those closest to us? That’s the argument psychologist Paul Bloom makes in an essay for this week’s New Yorker, subtitled “The case against empathy.” He admits that empathy can do a lot of good: Decades of research shows that feeling empathy can lead us to be more caring, forgiving, and altruistic. But according to Bloom, empathy also can do a lot of bad. It’s an untrustworthy moral compass because it is “parochial, narrow-minded, and innumerate.” Empathy seems tuned to only one frequency, that of a single… -
Free the Mind: Hope after Trauma
17 May 2013 | 2:15 pmOne veteran haunted by the memory of men he couldn’t save, another by the men he has tortured. A child shuttled between five foster families in his first 22 months, now prone to slap himself in the face. Somehow their stories add up to a deeply hopeful new documentary, Free the Mind. The film tracks two very vulnerable and very different groups: veterans enrolled in a class to help them deal with their painful memories of war, and a class of preschoolers, some of whom are suffering from psychological or developmental disorders. It zeroes in on two of the veterans, Rich and Steve. Neither…
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how to save the world
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Too Many Rats in the Cage: Civilization Disease
22 May 2013 | 2:24 amTHE CYCLE OF DISCONNECTION Almost everyone I know is depressed these days. Friends who are renowned as especially intelligent or informed seem to be the most vulnerable to this malaise, so perhaps ignorance is bliss. The brilliant cartoonist at Hyperbole and a Half has just returned after an eighteen-month bout of depression that completely debilitated her — and her latest post explains exactly how this feels. My filmmaker friend Tim Bennett wonders why the insightful writer David Foster Wallace, whose astonishing commencement address in 2005 told us exactly what we need to do to be… -
The Cognitive Dissonance of the New Yorker and the NYT
8 May 2013 | 3:25 amcartoon by David Sipress from (of course) the New Yorker I don’t read much ‘news’ anymore. I read articles and books that promise new knowledge, insight, ideas or perspectives on the huge energy, economic and ecological challenges facing us now, as our civilization accelerates into collapse. I read articles and books that offer practical actions that go beyond protesting and signing petitions. They’re pretty rare these days, and seem to be getting rarer. I continue to skim the headlines of the NYT every day, and pick from them the articles and op eds (perhaps one… -
The Democracy Project
29 Apr 2013 | 2:28 ammy sketch of the ‘camps’ of political and philosophical movements of the 21st century; elaborated on here David Graeber, who was actively involved in the early days of Occupy Wall Street and continues to work to advance its principles, starts his new book The Democracy Project with a fascinating (if long) personal history of how OWS found its legs and what it had to deal with (notably the brutal suppression of November 2011 when the governments of the day decided to shut down the protest through a sustained, globally coordinated and ruthless operation, and the disgraceful… -
Links of the Month: April 16, 2013
16 Apr 2013 | 11:14 pmOf late I have, at last, begun to act in accordance with my stated beliefs and intentions — spending more time in beautiful natural places, and composing creative works (poetry, music, games). Spending less time reading (and writing) non-fiction, especially online. Doing and thinking and talking less, and seeing and being more. I’ve always been a slow learner, but I think I’m finally ‘getting’ what I have been writing and talking about for nearly a decade now (this blog passed its 10th anniversary in February). It’s curious how, when we have a breakthrough… -
Enough
7 Apr 2013 | 11:15 pm“and i thought i saw someone who seemed — at last! — to know the truth; i was mistaken: only a child laughing in the sun.” – david crosby one day, everything will be free. one day, we will again belong to the earth, and not remember that we once believed the earth belonged to us. one day, there will be no signs of progress. one day, there will be no need for ‘stores’. one day, we will be able to see the path through the woods. one day, we will let the ravens and the whales and the wolf cubs teach us how to play. one day, we will know the real truth.
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What's a BOPreneur?
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Weeding Out?
2 May 2013 | 10:15 amThere was a great story on NPR yesterday about how Harvey Mudd College is addressing the gender gap in Computer Science. I'd nominate their skateboarding president, Maria Klawe, as an educational arsonist. "A lot of universities have this kind of weed-out class," says Kate Finlay, a student at nearby Scripps College who's taking Lewis' course. "The first class you take is a weed-out class, and they are shocked by the fact they don't get any women at the end. But the only people at the end are the people who have been in computer camp since they were 5."My father told me this happened to… -
Picture (of) a Startup
1 May 2013 | 10:55 amI have been using this diagram recently, since I think it captures the ideal of a startup visually. The original idea came from Damien Newman, who used it to illustrate the messiness of the creative product design process. Last year, the 5 Whys blog added Steve Blank's customer development milestones. My "contribution"? The bubbles. To subscribe to feeds, click on your feed icon on your toolbar. -
Gifted.
19 Apr 2013 | 3:33 pmThis post was spurred by an article about my son, Peter, who has been high lining for seven years. But these feelings can be triggered by watching anyone who does something amazing. Where you pause and marvel at their grace and apparent ease in doing something difficult. They do things that were beyond imagination a short time ago.Too often, we use the words "blessed" or "gifted" to describe these people. I think that is a mistake, and drives self-defeating behavior. In my observation, these aren't gifts- they are the results of hard work + passion (often bordering on obsession) + other… -
Salvation Through Redemption?
18 Apr 2013 | 7:33 pmWhat follows below is an ill formed idea. It has been sitting in my brain for a while, and doesn't seem to be getting any better with age (some ideas do). So it is time to throw it out there and see what my bleeps think.Something has been bothering me about impact investing: what if, in the end, it doesn't matter?As a field, we are spending a lot of time now defining who is a worthy social entrepreneur, determining how to best measure impact and trying to attract funds to this emerging sector. Excitement is high. And yet... to continue a somewhat imperfect metaphor... what if we are… -
Kickstarter and Long Shadows
19 Mar 2013 | 11:01 amI have mentioned in the past the "long shadow" that funding decisions cast into the future of a startup. These decisions often set an irrevocable path for startups, one that new founders often don't understand until they have lived through it once. It happens to many entrepreneurs, with perhaps Steve Jobs being the best know example of being dumped by the company he co-founded. But it isn't just the risk of being fired that should concern the entrepreneur. They should also be concerned about the mission of the company. To reframe, it isn't about you, it is about the ability of the…
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The Inspire Me Today Blog
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Surrender Equals Peace
23 May 2013 | 11:00 amBy Trisha Sugarek. The other night I had such a moment of clarity and sense of surrender that it took my breath away. I was listening to a track from West Side Story, “Somewhere” (Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim). Here are a few lyrics: There’s a time for us, Some day a time for us, Time together with time spare, Time to learn, time to care, Some day! Somewhere. We’ll find a new way of living, We’ll find a way of forgiving Somewhere . . . As I listened to the lyric: ‘we’ll find a way of forgiving’, my epiphany came with the thought;… -
As you close your eyes tonight, may you know how blessed you are and celebrate with gratitude.
23 May 2013 | 12:00 am -
Our greatest limitations are the ones we place on ourselves.
22 May 2013 | 12:00 am -
Bouncing with Style: Yoga Did Not Help Me Learn to Forgive
21 May 2013 | 11:00 amBy Sandra Beck. One of the things I tried was yoga to get through the aftermath of my divorce. So many people told me it helped them process the pain of infidelity, manage the stress of raising children alone and get centered as I rebuilt my life. It worked for them. This is not and never will be Sandra Beck. It did not work for me. Not even close. Instead of my usual weepy pain filled blogs, I am going to brighten your day and talk about why yoga did not help me forgive. I did really give it my all. I bought yoga pants, a floral yoga top and crinkly new pink yoga mat. I got an empowering… -
Remember, perspective can cause two people to look at the same thing and see two totally different things.
21 May 2013 | 12:00 am
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Timbuktu Chronicles
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Home Accessories from Design Afrika
23 May 2013 | 3:00 amIn Design Indaba: Founder Binky Newman spends a great deal of time in remote villages around Africa, working with marginalised women who have an ancient heritage of weaving baskets. Using traditional weaving techniques and stitches, Design Afrika creates objects with a deeper story, blurring the boundaries between design and craft. This year’s collection focuses and celebrates the use of colour. -
Bitcoin Opportunities for African Startups
22 May 2013 | 3:00 amAt PandoDaily, Chris Dixon, a partner at Andreessen-Horowitz discusses Bitcoin and the breadth of possibility.African startups should listen in for a sense of the opportunity: He finds the crypto-based virtual currency fascinating, and not just because he has the bona fides of a hard core programmer. Bitcoin has the potential to be usable and feasible mainstream mode of payment — or in his words, a “payment mechanism.” While some may view it as “a crazy Libertarian thing,” Dixon sees it as a way to revolutionize online commerce. That is, a way to transact online payments… -
Ubuni Studio's 'Slum' technology hub
21 May 2013 | 3:00 amRockefeller's Informal City Dialogues: Asked the question: If you had $100,000, how would you work toward creating a better city? Ubuni Studio’s group presented a showy Lego model of a slum technology hub, complete with 3D printing, welding and woodworking equipment. The studio would be open to the public, allowing people to learn crafts and build their own solutions to local problems using the latest technology. Ubuni Studio bypasses the formal sector, placing trust in local people’s ability to find working solutions when given the right… -
The W.Afate 3D printer
20 May 2013 | 3:00 am3ders reports: Located in Lome, Capital of Togo, WoeLab is the first hackerpace in west Africa. A young Togolese maker at WoeLab wants to bring 3D printing technology to the land, to create a 3D printer "Made in Africa". He calls it W.AFATE, a composition of "W" WoeLab, and "Afate" the name of the inventor. W.AFATE 3D printer is inspired by the Prusa Mendel. The Woelab-Lomé imported a Prusa Mendel kit from France and assembled it during the AchiCamp 2012. Afate identified a few issues in the assembly process and initiated this new project aiming to build a 3D printer which is easy to… -
Charles Anudu | Entrepreneur
19 May 2013 | 3:00 amIn the FT Tolu Ogunlesi speaks with the founder of Swift Networks,Charles Anudu: In 2002, Swift Networks, the company Anudu founded after gaining his diploma, was awarded a licence to provide wireless broadband services in Nigeria. The company started operations in 2003 and, a decade on, I am curious whether Anudu is planning any new ventures. He tells me that his focus is on expanding Candel and Swift. “We are founding new companies, but essentially they are being built to take advantage of the platforms we have already established – business models that run off the platform that we have…
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Echoing Green Blog
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Fellows in Brief, May 2013
22 May 2013 | 7:06 amImage courtesy blueengine.org Nicholas Ehrmann (EG '10) recognized by President Barack Obama for Blue Engine’s impact on the educational landscape in the United States“Blue Engine is honored that the President recognizes our work, in particular because it underlines the importance of the issue at hand,” states Founder Nick Ehrmann. “We cannot continue to rubberstamp diplomas and shuttle kids towards higher education without the preparation they need. The biggest open secret in education today is the staggering gap between what it means to be college eligible and college… -
Big Bold Benefit 2013: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years
17 May 2013 | 10:35 amClick through any image to see all the evening's photos in our Facebook album. Last night, past and present generations of Fellows like Wendy Kopp, Mayor Angel Taveras, Sasha Chanoff, Vikram Akula, and Chris Bradford poignantly brought to life the power of the Echoing Green community. Long-time champions and new friends like First Lady Michelle Obama and Blake Mycoskie relayed how being a part of the Echoing Green family has touched their lives. The 2013 Finalists exemplified the potential of the next generation of Fellows to build on this impact. And our amazing supporters demonstrated the… -
Announcing the 2013 Echoing Green Fellowships Finalists
30 Apr 2013 | 8:00 amOur team received nearly 3,000 applications for the 2013 Echoing Green and Black Male Achievement Fellowships. With the help of 532 evaluators asking challenging questions and analyzing applicants’ plans and capabilities, we have narrowed the pool to just thirty-nine Echoing Green Finalist organizations and fourteen Open Society Foundations Black Male Achievement Finalist organizations. The leaders of these organizations will be traveling from around the world to sit face to face with our judges and staff for another round of rigorous interviews, as well as to meet and support each other… -
Investing in Yourself May be One of Surest Routes to Social Change
29 Apr 2013 | 7:07 amBold Idea: The most influential, and happiest, agents of change have a valuable lesson to teach: self-concern is as essential as your desire to help others. Image: Alexia Vernon's Moxie Camp 2012 by Carrie Leonard Over the past quarter of a century, Echoing Green has learned a thing or two about what distinguishes successful solutionists from those who simply care about a social problem. With front row seats to some of the world’s most successful social change agents' lives and work, we’ve noticed some similarities among them—including a strong commitment to bettering the world and… -
Could Your Family Hold a Clue to Help you Find Your Purpose?
26 Apr 2013 | 11:45 amThis story is part of Heart at Work, a monthly series produced by Idealist.org and Echoing Green, in which we tilt the spotlight towards everyday people doing extraordinary work that makes the world a better place. Dan Blakemore spent 20 years researching his family’s history. He discovered that his great-great-great-great grandparents came over from Spain as brick masons, that a distant cousin was one of the first black members of the Ohio House of Representatives, and that one common theme stood out among almost all of his ancestors—a longstanding commitment to giving. Dan: Some time…
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Green Parent Chicago
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Book Review: Homemade Baby Food The Effortless Way
20 May 2013 | 7:03 pmParents of infants have an excellent opportunity to introduce healthy eating habits at an early age. By making your own baby food, instead of relying on jarred or boxed varieties, you don't have to doubt that what goes into your baby's tiny tummy is good, wholesome nutrition. "Real Smart Baby Food" (ReadFood Doctor Press 2013) is a new book by Lisa Barrangou Ph.D that features a simple method for making homemade baby food using a 3-step process. Barrangou, a personal chef, has an extensive background in food science and nutrition. Her detailed writing style conveys… -
Green Festival This Weekend, GPC Readers Can Get Free Admission, Here's How:
15 May 2013 | 8:07 amIf it's May in Chicago, then you know it's time for the mama and the papa of eco living events: Green Festival Chicago. For one weekend only at Navy Pier, this Saturday and Sunday, the Green Festival will host DIY workshops, discussions and speakers, a Green Marketplace with the latest sustainable businesses and vendors, an Organic Beer and Wine pavillion, test drives of electric and hybrid vehicles, vegetarian and vegan food, and a Green Kids Zone with free activities for all ages of kids. Definitely bring the kids and teens to Green Festival because 18 and under are free. I'm… -
Bellwether Fest June Lineup and Schedule Announced
13 May 2013 | 7:35 pmOrganizers for the new Bellwether cultural fest just announced the performer line-up and schedule for the June date of the 2-weekend fest, and dropped a few hints about which vendors, workshops, and demos to expect. Local drink vendors include Revolution Brewing, Death's Door, and Oliver Winery among others. Workshops and demos will include terrarium-making classes from Logan Square's Fleur, a make-your-own sculpture table workshop by Rebuilding Exchange, and yarn-spinning classes hosted by Michigan based Videnovich Farms. The June 8 and 9 Bellwether fest will feature performances… -
The Green Parent Chicago Green and Local Mother's Day Gift Guide
9 May 2013 | 2:50 pmMothers Day is a pretty big day at my house, not just because I believe that parenting is one of the most important jobs an adult can take, but also because I get a day to celebrate being a proud mom to my two wonderful kids. Whether we decide to picnic just the 4 of us, or I take a day off to read, nap, knit, draw, write, etc, it's sure to be a break from the norm for me and that's always just the thing a busy mama needs. So, when thinking about what type of gifts I would most appreciate for Mother's Day and what I could recommend for our Green Parent Chicago Mother's Day… -
Bellwether fest to showcase "greatest hits" of local Chicago food and culture
1 May 2013 | 8:58 amCombine food, farm, vintage, collectors, crafters, and artists and what do you get: Bellwether, a new cultural fest and the brainchild of the folks behind local indie favorites The Vintage Bazaar and The Renegade Craft Fair. Organizers of the fest, to be held on 2 separate weekends at 2 locations describe Bellwether as "a roving Market + Happening + Feast all in one that brings together the finest purveyors, pickers, makers, and doers, as well as curated films, live performances, killer DJs, and food gatherings." Date, locations and hours for the all-day event are:…
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Acumen Fund Blog
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The Other Story of Pakistan
23 May 2013 | 6:05 amPakistan has been in the news a lot lately, but unfortunately always for the wrong reasons. Any mention of Pakistan in the media is inevitably related to terrorism, extremism or violence. This one-sided portrayal of Pakistan in most media outlets leads many people around the world to believe that this nation of 190 million is merely a battle zone with people constantly killing others or living under the threat of being killed themselves. In talking about the danger of a single story, Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie says, “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with… -
Acumen Announces First Energy Investment in Pakistan
16 May 2013 | 2:03 amHydropower project to provide significant access to electricity for rural communities Pakistan, May, 2013– Acumen, a pioneering non-profit global venture firm addressing poverty across Africa and in South Asia, today announced its first investment in the growing rural energy sector of Pakistan. Acumen is giving a loan of Rs. 86 Million to Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) to support the creation of four community managed micro-hydro units in Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province in Pakistan. These plants will provide 24-hour clean electricity to remote off-grid communities… -
I Wanted to Change the World
14 May 2013 | 2:08 amAt Acumen, we have a tradition of ending our weekly meetings by sharing something we call “Aha’s”–those moments we experience during the week that change our outlook or give us deeper insight into the work we do and the values we try to promote. Our Regional Fellows Manager, Suraj Sudhaker, recently shared the following quote with our East Africa office. In our work with social enterprises, our primary focus is often on how we can best scale the work of our companies so they can bring critical services like healthcare and clean energy to more customers. This epitaph,… -
Where Does Innovation Meet Scale?
9 May 2013 | 2:04 amEditor’s note: a version of this post from our former Global Fellows Manager first appeared on her blog and has been posted with permission. Since I left Acumen about eight months ago to work with Ray Chambers, the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Financing the health related MDGs and Malaria, I have been thinking a lot about the question: How do we find ways for the innovation of the social enterprise sector to meet the scale of the the World Bank, USAID, United Nations, or emerging market governments? I believe this collision will create new systems, shatter… -
Failure is the first step to success
8 May 2013 | 1:22 am“Madam ji, this is for you. We cannot pay the fees but we can pay you like this.” A doe-eyed little girl carrying a bucket of warm milk stood on my door step. That girl not only opened the door to my room but also my eyes to the reality that my project, a language training center in my home village of Dandot, Pakistan, was beginning to make a difference in someone’s life. I had received the highest reward—the gratitude of that girl was priceless. This was the beginning of SunShine, an educational initiative I started as a response to the dire need for education in my home town. We…
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So what can I do?
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Change the world.
6 Oct 2014 | 3:52 pmHow will you make our world a better place?* Health and education* Economics, social entrepreneurship, and microfinance* Food and water* Energy and technology* Women, children, and family* Environment, land, and sustainability* FaithAnd don’t forget to visit the So What Can I Do Bookstore. Your efforts can change the world.”Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mohandas GandhiPlease visit http://sowhatcanido.blogspot.com to offer your comments and suggestions, forward this post, and peruse the archives. Thanks for reading "So what can I do", the public service weblog promoting… -
Celebrate Juneteeth, end slavery.
19 Jun 2012 | 5:13 amToday is Juneteenth, my favorite holiday. It marks the "end" of slavery in the United States in 1865 and feels particularly relevant because is linked, at least peripherally, to my great-great-granddaddy, Griffin Henry Belk. But one cannot honestly celebrate Juneteenth these days without recognizing the slavery is not over in the United States or elsewhere. Today there are more people enslaved than at any time in human history. Many of those enslaved are women and girls; many are in the United States. I often wonder why so many people sat idly by while people enslaved other people like my… -
Send a girl to school.
8 Mar 2012 | 6:15 pmHappy International Women's Day! One great way to celebrate is to invest in the women of tomorrow and the communities they'll create. You can do that by helping send a girl-child to school. According to CAMFED, "When you educate a girl in Africa, everything changes. She’ll be three times less likely to get HIV/AIDS, earn 25 percent more income and have a smaller, healthier family." Consider supporting CAMFED as they help girls all over rural Africa pay school fees, purchase school books and uniforms, and get a life-changing education. And if you'd like other ideas for today and everyday,… -
Sacrifice, save, serve.
22 Feb 2012 | 8:32 pmToday is the first day of Lent and many Christians are giving up some luxury as a way of preparing for Easter and focusing their thoughts and prayers on Christ's sacrifice for us. If you are giving up something for Lent this year, and if that something costs money, consider donating your savings to a worthy local, national, or international service organization. * If you're giving up pop for Lent, you could save and donate $30 to help a family use agriculture more self sufficient by supporting Heifer International (where I got this idea).* If you're giving up desserts for Lent, you could save… -
Make it a day/life of service.
6 Jan 2012 | 8:02 pmI remember one Martin Luther King day many years ago, when I was in grad school, that I spent in the lab. That wasn't too unusual because I generally went to the lab every day. But one of my colleagues (who was also working) asked me why I was in the lab on the King holiday. I replied that I thought Dr. King would want me to get my PhD. I still think of the King Holiday as a day on rather than a day off, but now that I have finished school, I have a bit more time to be of service to others on that day. Readers of So What Can I Do are likely to feel the same, so I offer two resources to find…
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Social Business Blog
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Making money from Education… Can it ever be right?
7 May 2013 | 2:21 amAs Michael Gove expresses support for profit making schools, John Cronin, Education Associate at Enabling Enterprise, explores the why the idea doesn’t sit well with most and whether it can ever be deemed acceptable. While recent decades have seen an increased number of public services become privatised, from children’s homes to waste management, little support can be found along the electorate. A recent report by Social Enterprise UK, The Shadow State, found that 66% of adults think it is unacceptable that profit is made from running children’s care homes & hospitals. 43% found it… -
The Rise of the Social Enterprise in China
24 Apr 2013 | 1:57 amWhile social enterprises have been around for decades in some countries, the political, institutional and cultural environment in China has traditionally presented many obstacles to the emergence and development of a social enterprise sector. In a country where there have been strict state regulations over the social sphere and a general suspicion toward non-profits, philanthropy was easily overshadowed by the emphasis on self-interested pursuit of profit. In recent years, however, the idea of the social enterprise has gained significant momentum in China. While many say the idea was… -
What is social investment?
12 Apr 2013 | 2:56 amOver the past few months there has been an active debate raging about the issue of what is social investment or social finance. This is an old argument that has been given new life by Robbie Davison in a piece entitled, “Does Social Finance Understand Social Need?” In an article I wrote that was recently published in Third Sector Magazine (Social Investment is a Large Tent That Is Broadly Defined–title not mine and I hated it!), on a similar theme has already seen a few comments posted. Over the past few days on twitter, whilst I have been out of the office, I have received… -
Are Social Enterprises doing enough…good?
12 Apr 2013 | 2:29 amAre social enterprises doing enough good? Or do we need to embrace their good work and push the envelope further? Social enterprise is the new buzzword – and many are flocking towards it for the associations it produces. At REconomy, we’re experimenting with ideas around Transition-oriented social enterprises and to start the debate, we thought we’d run a competition. And this is where you come in. We’re looking for the TOP 20 Transition-oriented social enterprises changing their communities, the economy and the world… And we’d like you to nominate them. The company with the… -
Working at ClearlySo: An intern’s perspective
12 Apr 2013 | 2:17 amI first came across the term social enterprise during my MBA at Cranfield. When I looked up its definition it seemed to answer the question that I kept asking myself during the course: what is the real purpose of business? I immediately decided that I had to learn more; I owed it to my curiousity. I volunteered for StudentFunder – a start-up founded by a Cranfield alum – which helps students fund their education through crowdfunding. During this experience, I noticed there was a big (and rather ambiguous) challenge facing social entrepreneurs; the challenge of quantifying and…
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How I changed the world today.
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12 May 2013 | 9:56 pm
12 May 2013 | 9:56 pmDonated food yesterday through my mailbox. Letter Carriers food drive. I helped stamp out hunger. -
Helped purchase the Equity House in Topeka, Kansas.
28 Mar 2013 | 7:08 pmI just gave a bit to pay off the mortgage for the Equality House which is across the street from the horrible Westboro Church - the mean people who picket military funerals.I really like the idea of a rainbow house right near them to counter their message. Anyone else got a few bucks to help pay for a house in Kansas?More info at Planting Peace on facebook. -
Time sinks
13 Mar 2013 | 2:45 amIts been so long since I've blogged here. I guess I got tired of it, and other things started occupying my time. Mostly other people, wanting my time. It seems I am not very good at saying 'no', and tend to get caught up in helping.This isn't necessarily a good thing. I often find myself in situations where I am being used by selfish people. Or weak people who can't go off on their own. So I have all these dependents who are drains on me. And they stop me from doing things for greater good. I need to stop these time sinks, and be stronger. Perhaps getting back here will help.I made… -
29 Oct 2012 | 9:54 pm
29 Oct 2012 | 9:54 pmMade two Kiva loans today, both to Julia's. One in Kenya, the other in Peru. Julia Maua, Kenya A loan to to buy vegetables and fruits to resell. Julia Ayacucho, Peru A loan to to buy sacks of rice and sugar as well as cereals and canned goods. -
Still bringing in snacks
29 Sep 2012 | 6:10 pmI bring soups to the local veterans hospital volunteers. I try to keep the office stacked with food, so that if a vet is hungry they have something instead of stealing from the store. Been doing this for many years now, and have kept a lot of people out of jail.Costs me about $25/month and 5 minutes of my time. Good ROI.
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Social ROI: A Social Entrepreneurship Blog
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The Artha Venture Challenge – Applications due by June 17th
19 May 2013 | 8:43 amTweet The Artha Venture Challenge is a nationwide competition that aims to provide high risk, patient capital for early stage social ventures. Up to 15 winners will get the opportunity to apply for up to INR 25 lakh funding, if matched by at least the same amount in co-investment as well as several other non-financial resources to scale their enterprises. Applications are only open until June 17th . -
Carrotmob, the crowdfunding startup for social good
19 May 2013 | 8:38 amTweet Carrotmob has teamed up with the investment vehicle Greenstart, which has invested $150,000 and design services into the project. Carrotmobs are like cash mobs, except community members earmark their spending at a store or restaurant for a specific social improvement like environmentally friendly lighting, bike racks or sustainably produced menu items. Many businesses want to make these positive changes but are limited by cash to get started, says co-founder Brent Schulkin. More than 100,000 Carrotmobbers have now engaged communities to encourage social change for 260 businesses… -
One Today by Google- A Giving Mobile App
18 Apr 2013 | 10:20 pmTweet One Today is an app that brings together people and nonprofits through the simple act of giving $1. It’s currently available on Android as a limited pilot in the U.S. You can visit their site to request an invite. -
SEEED 2013: Social Enterprise Ecosystem for Economic Development Summit April 26-27, 2013
16 Mar 2013 | 2:53 pmTweet Heads up, here’s an interesting conference coming up: Social Entrepreneurs, Policymakers, Students, Academics and Business Leaders to converge in conference to explore maximizing the impact of social enterprises for economic development Providence to host second annual SEEED (Social Enterprise Ecosystem for Economic Development) Summit April 26-27, 2013 PROVIDENCE, RI (February 27, 2013): Brown University and Social Venture Partners Rhode Island (SVPRI) will host the Social Enterprise Ecosystem for Economic Development (SEEED) Summit April 26-27, bringing together stakeholders… -
Reading now- CREATING GOOD WORK: The World’s Leading Social Entrepreneurs Show How to Build A Healthy Economy
16 Mar 2013 | 2:42 pmTweet I just started reading this book and I think it’s one that all of you would appreciate too. In CREATING GOOD WORK, experts and experienced social entrepreneurs tell their different perspectives and points of views. Aspiring social entrepreneurs can use these as a blueprint to get started on their entrepreneurial paths. Featuring contributions from some of the world’s most successful social ventures such as: Benetech, Brac-USA, Root Capital, Second Muse, Share Our Strength, and YouthBuild, the guidance offered in CREATING GOOD WORK is an asset to any social…
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Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy - Institute for Food and Development Policy
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What's the matter with Industrial Seeds? - Eric Holt-Giménez
23 May 2013 | 4:03 pm -
Walden Bello, former executive director of Food First, will speak
22 May 2013 | 9:05 am -
Academic Repression - Who controls the research that gets funded and published?
20 May 2013 | 3:43 pm -
San Francisco March Against Monsanto
20 May 2013 | 2:01 pm -
Be Part of History: March on May 25, 2013
17 May 2013 | 4:00 pm
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...My heart's in Accra
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Crowdfunding Checkbook Journalism: Gawker’s “Crackstarter” and its implications
19 May 2013 | 12:46 pmToronto mayor Rob Ford is a controversial character. 2300 words in his 7600 word Wikipedia biography make up a section titled “other controversies“. These controversies include being drunk and picking a fight at a Leafs game, insulting people with AIDS, people of Asian descent, and allegedly groping a female mayoral candidate. But all that colorful behavior pales in comparison to the accusations he’s now facing. The Toronto Star, a left-leaning newspaper that’s repeatedly reported on mayor malfeasance, reports that they’ve watched a video that shows mayor Ford… -
Big stories and little details: what Charles Mann misses
8 May 2013 | 8:33 amCharles Mann offers a big story in the latest issue of the Atlantic. It’s 11,000 words, and it’s based around an audacious premise: the end of energy scarcity. The peg for the story is Japan’s ongoing research on methane hydrate, an amalgam of natural gas trapped in water ice that occurs in oceans around the world. If methane hydrate can be harvested, Mann tell us, the global supply of hydrocarbon fuels are virtually unlimited. This, he argues, would have massive geopolitical and strategic implications, as the history of the twentieth century can be read in part through the… -
Cute Cats to the Rescue? Participatory Media and Political Expression
29 Apr 2013 | 7:29 amSome years back, I gave a talk at O’Reilly’s ETech conference that urged the audience to spend less time thinking up clever ways dissidents could blog secretly from inside repressive regimes and more time thinking about the importance of ordinary participatory media tools, like blogs, Facebook and YouTube, for activism. I argued that the tools we use for sharing cute pictures of cats are often more effective for activism than those custom-designed to be used by activists. Others have been kind enough to share the talk, referring to “the Cute Cat theory”. An Xiao Mina,… -
Bad reviews, better reviews
29 Apr 2013 | 5:12 amCultural critic David Rieff uses my new book, Rewire: Digital Cosmpolitans in the Age of Connection, as a jumping off point for a screed against “techno-utopians” – and, near as I can tell, the very idea of progress – in the latest issue of Foreign Policy. I’m a little surprised that Rieff has grouped me with thinkers like Ray Kurzweil, as I’m far more skeptical of technological potential than he. Then again, it would be very hard to recognize my positions from Rieff’s portrayal of my book. It’s a bit frustrating that Foreign Policy is releasing… -
What comes after election monitoring? Citizen monitoring of infrastructure.
26 Apr 2013 | 12:19 pmI spent last week in Senegal at a board meeting for Open Society Foundation, meeting organizations the foundation supports around the continent. Two projects in particular stuck in my mind. One is Y’en a Marre (“Fed Up”), a Senegalese activist organization led by hiphop artists and journalists, who worked to register voters and oust long-time president Abdoulaye Wade. (I wrote about them last week here, and on Wikipedia.) Documentary on OSIWA’s Situation Room project in Senegal, featuring Y’en a Marre The other is a project run by Open Society Foundation West…
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CRIN News Feed - Home - English
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NIGERIA: Men sentenced in toxic teething medicine case
23 May 2013 | 6:09 amThe baby toothing syrup was found to contain engine coolant. -
UNITED STATES: Faith-healing couple charged with murder for death of second child
23 May 2013 | 4:32 amAbout a dozen children die every year in the US when their parents choose prayer over medical care. -
INDIA: Teacher beats pupil to death
21 May 2013 | 11:09 am[18 May 2013] - A teacher flew into a rage and beat up an eight-year-old boy; slapping him, dragging him by the ear and bashing his head against a wall, as his classmates looked on -
OPT: Israeli inquiry says film of 12-year-old Muhammad al-Dura's death in Gaza was staged
20 May 2013 | 9:05 amReport says video of 12-year-old cowering with his father amid a gun battle shows no evidence he was killed by Israeli fire -
AFGHANISTAN: Parliament halts debate on violence against women law
20 May 2013 | 6:14 amA debate by Afghan MPs about beefing up a law to prevent violence against women was halted amid angry scenes.
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quoteflections
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Purpose and Passion
22 May 2013 | 9:00 pmAs far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. ~ Carl Jung Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. ~ Helen Keller This is our purpose: to make as meaningful as possible this life that has been bestowed upon us; to live in such a way that we may be proud of ourselves; to act in such a way that some part of us lives on. ~ Oswald Spengler The only true happiness comes from squandering… -
An Attitude of the Heart
21 May 2013 | 9:00 pmIt takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and another to hear. ~ H.D. Thoreau If you spend more time asking appropriate questions rather than giving answers or opinions, your listening skills will increase. ~ Brian Koslow Listening is the only way to entertain some folks. ~ Kin Hubbard The older I grow the more I listen to people who don’t talk much. ~ Germain G. Glien Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery. ~ Dr. Joyce Brothers Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals. ~ J. Isham … -
Life is Fun or Suffering?
20 May 2013 | 9:00 pmFun is a good thing but only when it spoils nothing better. ~ George Santayana If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. ~ Katharine Hepburn People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing. ~ Dale Carnegie The world is a funny paper read backwards. And that way it isn't so funny. ~ Tennessee Williams The making of fun where no real occasion for fun exists is essentially what comedy is about. ~ David L. Hall Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very… -
The Best of Our Nature
19 May 2013 | 9:00 pmIntimacy is being seen and known as the person you truly are. ~ Amy Bloom Man's life would be wretched and confined if it were to miss the candid intimacy developed by mutual trust and esteem. ~ Edwin Dummer Our most intimate friend is not the one to whom we show the worst, but the best of our nature. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne His voice was as intimate as the rustle of sheets. ~ Dorothy Parker Be polite to all, but intimate with few. ~ Thomas Jefferson Communication leads to community, that is, understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing. ~ Rollo May… -
That's All that Matters
17 May 2013 | 9:00 pmLaughter has no foreign accent. ~ Paul B. Lowney There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt. ~ Erma Bombeck Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. ~ Victor Borge Tell the truth. Sing with passion. Work with laughter. Love with heart. 'Cause that's all that matters in the end. ~ Kris Kristofferson We look before and after, And pine for what is not; Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell Of saddest thought. ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley Quotes about laughter,…
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Gift Hub
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BoP Writers and Consumers of Moral Biographies of Great Families
23 May 2013 | 2:03 pmBottom of Pyramid (BoP) Consumers -- an entire worldview in a single phrase. The Great Chain of Being was once such a scheme. Today, all levels of society, and their place in the stratification of wealth and power, are legimimated by market means. Even the least among us can consume cheap stuff, according to our meager means, and make those above us richer, as they deserve to be richer, since they serve the poor this cheap stuff profitably. The world is just. Another sign that the world is just are Flourishing Families. These are also known, in the wealth… -
Senior Planning: The Legacy Conversation
22 May 2013 | 10:50 am -
Senior Planning: The Fear of Losing Control
22 May 2013 | 10:45 am -
Linked Comparable Metrics as a Pubic Good
21 May 2013 | 7:56 am"Render unto Caesar," said the grantee of a social justice organization (thirteen volunteers, one of whom was Judas) when asked about Metrics, "and unto God the things that are God's." What can be measured and managed, surveilled, and turned to Caesar's public and corporate purposes are conscripts, consumers, workers on the aqueduct, wage slaves, tax payers and tax collectors, and gladiators fighting to the death, to see who is best, for the amusment of Patricians. What cannot be meausred is the power of the Widow's mite, and the mustard seed. -
Communicating with Seniors
20 May 2013 | 10:55 am
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Causecast for Nonprofits
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DonorsChoose
22 May 2013 | 1:04 pmDescription DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy to help students in need. Funds go to public school teachers who post projects to the site. Website URL: http://www.donorschoose.org/ Guidestar URL: http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/13-4129457/donorschoose.aspx Logo: Short Organization Description: DonorsChoose.org engages the public in public schools by giving people a simple, accountable and personal way to address educational inequity. We envision a nation where children in every community have the tools and experiences needed for an… -
American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma
21 May 2013 | 6:26 amDescription The American Red Cross – Central Oklahoma Chapter serves Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties. Website URL: http://www.redcross.org/ok/oklahoma-city/about/chapters/central-oklahoma Guidestar URL: http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/73-0583932/american-red-cross-central-okl... Logo: Short Organization Description: The American Red Cross – Central Oklahoma Chapter serves Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties. The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face… -
Development Volunteer
20 May 2013 | 2:29 pmNYAWC is seeking a volunteer to assist its busy development department, which is responsible for raising funds to support NYAWC's programs and services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault. Duties: Process incoming donations Enter donations into donor database Draft thank you letters Update donor records in database Assist with grant prospect research and other special projects as needed. Time Required: Must be able to commit 8-16 hours per week on-site for at least 6 months. Skills Required: Volunteer Coordinator Information Contact First Name: … -
Family Camp Counselor
20 May 2013 | 12:07 pmMax Number of Volunteers: 20 Do you like working with kids? Are you a positive, energetic, enthusiastic, responsible adult looking for a fun weekend adventure? ASF Family Programs is looking for camp counselors for our Annual Family Camp on Friday,August 23 to Sunday August 25, 2013. For more information or to RSVP for our orientation, call Ana at (949) 809-5710 or Maggie at (949) 809-5790. You can also email amora@ocasf.org or mdecker@ocasf.org Fingerprinting and background check required. Volunteer Coordinator Information Contact First Name: Melissa Contact Last Name: Bird… -
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities
10 May 2013 | 5:15 pmDescription Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities Website URL: http://www.boysandgirls.org/ Logo: Short Organization Description: The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Organization Address: 690 Jackson Street St. Paul, MN 55130 Employer Identification Number (EIN): 41-0842657 Pub. 78 Name: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities State of Principal/Primary Supervision: MN Principal Place of Business: …
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How I changed the world today.
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12 May 2013 | 9:56 pm
12 May 2013 | 9:56 pmDonated food yesterday through my mailbox. Letter Carriers food drive. I helped stamp out hunger. -
Helped purchase the Equity House in Topeka, Kansas.
28 Mar 2013 | 7:08 pmI just gave a bit to pay off the mortgage for the Equality House which is across the street from the horrible Westboro Church - the mean people who picket military funerals.I really like the idea of a rainbow house right near them to counter their message. Anyone else got a few bucks to help pay for a house in Kansas?More info at Planting Peace on facebook. -
Time sinks
13 Mar 2013 | 2:45 amIts been so long since I've blogged here. I guess I got tired of it, and other things started occupying my time. Mostly other people, wanting my time. It seems I am not very good at saying 'no', and tend to get caught up in helping.This isn't necessarily a good thing. I often find myself in situations where I am being used by selfish people. Or weak people who can't go off on their own. So I have all these dependents who are drains on me. And they stop me from doing things for greater good. I need to stop these time sinks, and be stronger. Perhaps getting back here will help.I made… -
29 Oct 2012 | 9:54 pm
29 Oct 2012 | 9:54 pmMade two Kiva loans today, both to Julia's. One in Kenya, the other in Peru. Julia Maua, Kenya A loan to to buy vegetables and fruits to resell. Julia Ayacucho, Peru A loan to to buy sacks of rice and sugar as well as cereals and canned goods. -
Still bringing in snacks
29 Sep 2012 | 6:10 pmI bring soups to the local veterans hospital volunteers. I try to keep the office stacked with food, so that if a vet is hungry they have something instead of stealing from the store. Been doing this for many years now, and have kept a lot of people out of jail.Costs me about $25/month and 5 minutes of my time. Good ROI.
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So what can I do?
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Change the world.
6 Oct 2014 | 3:52 pmHow will you make our world a better place?* Health and education* Economics, social entrepreneurship, and microfinance* Food and water* Energy and technology* Women, children, and family* Environment, land, and sustainability* FaithAnd don’t forget to visit the So What Can I Do Bookstore. Your efforts can change the world.”Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mohandas GandhiPlease visit http://sowhatcanido.blogspot.com to offer your comments and suggestions, forward this post, and peruse the archives. Thanks for reading "So what can I do", the public service weblog promoting… -
Celebrate Juneteeth, end slavery.
19 Jun 2012 | 5:13 amToday is Juneteenth, my favorite holiday. It marks the "end" of slavery in the United States in 1865 and feels particularly relevant because is linked, at least peripherally, to my great-great-granddaddy, Griffin Henry Belk. But one cannot honestly celebrate Juneteenth these days without recognizing the slavery is not over in the United States or elsewhere. Today there are more people enslaved than at any time in human history. Many of those enslaved are women and girls; many are in the United States. I often wonder why so many people sat idly by while people enslaved other people like my… -
Send a girl to school.
8 Mar 2012 | 6:15 pmHappy International Women's Day! One great way to celebrate is to invest in the women of tomorrow and the communities they'll create. You can do that by helping send a girl-child to school. According to CAMFED, "When you educate a girl in Africa, everything changes. She’ll be three times less likely to get HIV/AIDS, earn 25 percent more income and have a smaller, healthier family." Consider supporting CAMFED as they help girls all over rural Africa pay school fees, purchase school books and uniforms, and get a life-changing education. And if you'd like other ideas for today and everyday,… -
Sacrifice, save, serve.
22 Feb 2012 | 8:32 pmToday is the first day of Lent and many Christians are giving up some luxury as a way of preparing for Easter and focusing their thoughts and prayers on Christ's sacrifice for us. If you are giving up something for Lent this year, and if that something costs money, consider donating your savings to a worthy local, national, or international service organization. * If you're giving up pop for Lent, you could save and donate $30 to help a family use agriculture more self sufficient by supporting Heifer International (where I got this idea).* If you're giving up desserts for Lent, you could save… -
Make it a day/life of service.
6 Jan 2012 | 8:02 pmI remember one Martin Luther King day many years ago, when I was in grad school, that I spent in the lab. That wasn't too unusual because I generally went to the lab every day. But one of my colleagues (who was also working) asked me why I was in the lab on the King holiday. I replied that I thought Dr. King would want me to get my PhD. I still think of the King Holiday as a day on rather than a day off, but now that I have finished school, I have a bit more time to be of service to others on that day. Readers of So What Can I Do are likely to feel the same, so I offer two resources to find…
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Posts - Category: Green Tech
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Google X acquires kite-power startup Makani
23 May 2013 | 2:25 amThe research unit's "focus on real atoms, not bits" is expanding to include the startup's work on tethered flying wings that are designed to generate 600 kilowatts of power. Originally posted at News - Internet & Media -
First wind-current power system to be installed off Japan's coast
14 May 2013 | 11:52 amA Japanese company will soon test the first renewable energy source to harvest the power of the wind and ocean. Originally posted at Crave -
Levitating bike powers your phone, creates Wi-Fi hot spot
7 May 2013 | 11:45 amA futuristic concept bicycle that harnesses your pedal power does more than just get you where you're going. Originally posted at Crave -
Tesla eyes 'autopilot' partnership with Google
7 May 2013 | 9:21 amTesla CEO Elon Musk says that while his company could build its own autopilot feature, it could also partner with Google for that. Originally posted at News - Cutting Edge -
Shine on: Solar Impulse plane begins journey across America
3 May 2013 | 6:51 amThe solar-powered airplane departs California on a tour that will take it across the nation ahead of a globe-circling journey in 2015. Originally posted at Crave
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Latest Items from TreeHugger
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Camera trap captures stunning footage of a rare Javan leopard
23 May 2013 | 3:00 pmUnlike some previous footage, fleeting and grainy, here we're lucky enough to see a Javan leopard getting all cozy in front of the camera. -
Google buys flying wind-turbine startup Makani Power
23 May 2013 | 12:49 pmGoogle, already an investor in the clean energy startup, apparently decided that if owning part of it was good, owning all of it would be even better! -
The double-edged sword of boycotting disposable fashion
23 May 2013 | 11:47 amThe recent Bangladesh factory collaspe sparks qustions about cheap clothes. -
Composting toilets are coming home
23 May 2013 | 10:24 amIt's about time that we stopped wasting drinking water to flush away our waste; Allison Bailes did it and isn't complaining. -
Getting paid to drive an electric car? It's possible...
23 May 2013 | 9:55 amBottom line, if you live in a state that has good incentives and you take a short lease, it's possible that you could be paying almost nothing net, or even get paid, to drive an electric car.
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SocialEarth
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Mexican Coffee Growing Community Members Blog to Connect with Canadian Coffee Drinkers: Van Houtte’s Farm Views Project
22 May 2013 | 5:54 amA busy coffee drinker at a Van Houtte® coffee shop in Canada or shopping in the coffee aisle at the grocery store may not have a coffee farmer on his [...] -
Phuket, Thailand: The Beach Hell – Part 2/2
21 May 2013 | 9:20 amConcluding part to Phuket, Thailand: The Beach Hell… The Orphan Mg Zin Htoo stopped two minutes to listen to his elders tell their stories. His own is not very different [...] -
Air Travel Takes On Environmental Challenges the Industry Faces
21 May 2013 | 5:54 amScientists from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have issued a release saying the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached the feared milestone of 400 ppm (parts per [...] -
National PTA and Discovery Education Hit the Road to Fight Bullying
20 May 2013 | 10:08 amBullying is not a new problem but it’s one that has escalated and gained visibility in the last decades. It can destroy lives and cause untold misery to people who [...] -
The Orchestra of Recycled Instruments Played by Children from the Dump
16 May 2013 | 8:29 amUnfortunately, too many children are born into the world with little or no hope. Imagine being born without hope, that it has been taken from you even before you have [...]
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Sasha Dichter's Blog
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What do you want?
23 May 2013 | 3:00 amIt’s actually very easy to communicate what you’d like someone to do. The NY MTA does it simply, with a bigger box. Of course this applies to web design, IRS tax forms, etc. But it also applies to how you fundraise. The most subtle, ever-elusive dance in fundraising is between relationship-building and “closing the sale.” I find that, by and large, new fundraisers have to learn to invest more in building relationship, providing value to others, and being ambassadors within their organization for potential donors. At the same time, you always have to be ready to answer the… -
Out loud
21 May 2013 | 3:00 amWhat if you committed, for a little while, to verbalize the great ideas that pop into your head? The important, risky (-seeming) ideas that represent what’s really on your mind. The ones that you don’t say because they’re a bit too real, too honest, too to the point. There are few skills more important than being able to say the right thing at the right time in the right way to shift a whole conversation. One-on-one conversations, group conversations, high-stakes and low-stakes conversations, all are susceptible to that kernel of truth and insight that breaks them wide open. The… -
The end of the line
16 May 2013 | 3:00 amOne day in the not-so-distant future, you’ll get there. The end of the line. The top of your organization. The top of your field. Nowhere else to go, because you’ll have arrived. Most likely, that day won’t be within striking distance of the end of your career. Far from it. So there you will be, at the top of your game and the top of the ladder you spent all that time and energy climbing. And then you’ll have no choice but to make a shift. They’ll be no sense any more (was there ever?) in the obvious milestones of advancement: title, promotion, compensation. In all… -
A wasted day
15 May 2013 | 3:00 amThink about it: on a day when you swing for the fences, you might swing and miss. A miss means a complete miss, a whiff, an air-ball, and all the associated jeering (we think) from the peanut gallery. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing, and inefficient, to be completely wrong, to put a big idea out there that goes nowhere at all, one that’s just plain wrong? Wouldn’t it, objectively, be a waste of time to work on something all day long and have it amount to nothing? We have no time to waste! Let’s tick through our To Do list, take the meetings that are on our calendars,, chip away at… -
I am generous when…
14 May 2013 | 3:00 amMy daughter made this poster for a project in her Kindergarten class. The assignment was to finish the sentence: “I am generous when…” In case it’s hard to read: “I am generous when I have a lot of books and my little sister wants some I let hear her have some.” Life used to be simple and we made it complicated. Makes me think about finishing that same sentence from time to time.
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High Impact Philanthropy
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Oklahoma Tornado: How Can I Help?
22 May 2013 | 12:33 pmOn Monday, May 20th a tornado hit the area of Moore, Oklahoma, bringing winds of over 190 miles per hour and a path of destruction estimated at 20 miles long and 2 miles wide. Schools, homes, and businesses have been destroyed. It may still be too early to report the total number of people killed, though as of today, two dozen are confirmed dead. Over 200 have been reported injured so far. President Obama has declared the area a federal disaster, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials have been dispatched, and members of the Oklahoma City police force are assisting with rescue… -
News & Events | 20 May 2013 | Investments in Africa, Health & Agriculture, Generous U at Penn, Giving Pledge
20 May 2013 | 9:14 amIn case you missed it… Last week, we profiled the latest investments in Philadelphia by the GreenLight Fund and also said our farewells to the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 2013. Our founding executive director, Kat Rosqueta, is quoted in The Wall Street Journal’s The New Science of Giving. The article features the work of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and touches on topics such as “Moneyball” and “high input” giving, as well as the “cockiness” required for practicing high impact philanthropy. Investments in Africa At… -
Scaling Community Impact: Q&A with GreenLight Philadelphia
15 May 2013 | 7:45 amThis April, the GreenLight Fund selected its first two organizations to help expand to Philadelphia – Single Stop USA and Year Up. GreenLight’s model, which began in Boston in 2004, is designed to identify key local needs in the cities where it operates, and then look nationally to find organizations with unique track records of success addressing the same issues in other cities. Once selected, GreenLight funds and supports the organization to get started in the community and rapidly scale. GreenLight has its roots in the entrepreneurial and venture capital sectors, and runs a VC-style… -
Graduating Impact: Seven years of preparing emerging leaders
13 May 2013 | 6:59 amImage source: University of Pennsylvania Monday, May 13, 2013 marks the University of Pennsylvania’s 257th Commencement. Each year our team at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy goes through the transition of saying farewell to another graduating class of remarkable students, while we welcome another incoming class of talent. Given our university home, and that we have three faculty members on our team, we hold a unique position to drive social change. Through undergraduate and graduate coursework, advising student practicums and independent projects, and research assistant roles… -
Leader Mothers: Drivers of Community Change
9 May 2013 | 6:24 amImage source: Food for the Hungry Care Group Video This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating the role that mothers play, not only in their households but also as cornerstones of their communities and drivers of change. For example, in the Care Group approach, mothers are empowered to be community health leaders in their villages. Elected by their peers, these “Leader Mothers” are trained to promote important healthy behaviors by visiting and teaching other mothers in their neighborhood. Health messages target critical—though often neglected—health behaviors such as breast…
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Asian Philanthropy Forum
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Innovation in Asian Philanthropy Report Launched
17 May 2013 | 9:00 amInnovation in Asian Philanthropy: Entrepreneurial Social Finance in Asia, a new study published by the Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy at NUS Business School (Singapore), was launched on May 8th amongst a crowd of domestic and international audiences at the philanthropy seminar, Innovation or Imitation. Does It Matter?. Authored by Dr. Rob John, the report looks at trends in Asian philanthropy and the vehicles that philanthropists are using. The study was done using a qualitative approach that included 40 interviews, resulting in a comprehensive report that also… -
APF at Asian Venture Philanthropy Network conference: Highlights & Takeaways
14 May 2013 | 9:00 amThe team at Asian Philanthropy Forum is pleased to provide coverage of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network conference in Singapore as a media partner. L-R: Laurence Lien, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre; Paul Carttar, Bridgespan Group; Tan Chi Chiu, Lien Centre With AVPN’s inaugural conference successfully concluded last week, I wanted to list my five take-away’s that were not only memorable but also worth a second glance! The first three are broad observations, and the last two are “surprises”… at least for me. For those who may have joined us in Singapore, as… -
APF at Asian Venture Philanthropy Network conference: Day 1
11 May 2013 | 9:00 amThe team at Asian Philanthropy Forum is pleased to provide coverage of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network conference in Singapore as a media partner. L-R: Mykolas Rambus, Wealth-X; Dien Yuen, Asian Philanthropy Forum AVPN’s inaugural meeting brought together over 300 philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, and investment professionals from over 30 countries across Asia and around the world for 2 days of intensive learning, networking, and knowledge sharing around how best to achieve greater impact through philanthropic and investment capital. On the conference’s first day,… -
Impact Investing in Asia
30 Apr 2013 | 2:30 pmThough it was coined in 2007 at a Rockefeller Foundation meeting, the term “impact investing” wasn’t widely used until a 2010 J.P. Morgan report defined it as a distinct asset class. While definitions may vary slightly today, impact investments are understood to mean those “intended to create positive impact beyond financial return.” They sit at the nexus between traditional donation-driven philanthropy and purely market- driven investment. As such, many observers welcome impact investing for its potential to usher in new money for innovation that is not yet commercially attractive… -
25 Creative Philanthropy Practices
12 Apr 2013 | 12:04 amBill Somerville is founder and president of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. We are pleased to have Bill share his thoughts regularly with the Asian Philanthropy Forum community. There are certain key practices in outstanding professional philanthropy (foundations) and Bill provides us with a list of 25 creative philanthropy practices in an effort to shed light on them. 25 Creative Philanthropy Practices (in no particular order): 1. Trust people – trust yourself 2. Be willing to venture, to take risks, but don’t gamble 3. If something fails, it is a learning experience 4.
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Travelanthropist
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12 Free California Road Trip Itineraries
21 May 2013 | 1:57 pmWant to have the perfect family vacation to California without the headache of coming up with the itinerary? In the new California Road Trips, you can follow 12 exclusive itineraries to perfect family vacations... -
Off The Beaten Path Grand Bahama
4 Apr 2013 | 1:09 pmDesiring some sun and relaxation without breaking the bank? Head to the sleepy island of the Grand Bahama, one of islands of The Bahamas. Just a short flight (20-30 minutes) from Miami. The Bahamas consists of over 700 islands... -
For the Thrill-Seeker: Haunted and Other Themed Hotels
18 Mar 2013 | 2:30 pmLooking to stay somewhere interesting and unconventional? Not feeling the conventional alternatives like B&B or inns? Something more thrilling? Do you fancy ghosts, vampires, or werewolves? The supernatural always intrigue some thanks to the movie industry! For the ghost-seekers out there looking for a hotel, perhaps a haunted hotel would be the perfect way to turn supernatural movies into real life! -
5 Surprisingly Affordable Destinations
4 Mar 2013 | 1:12 pmMoscow is often a mysterious and imposing city for American travelers. The city is also known to have some of the most expensive hotels in the world, but fear not... -
Cooking Vacations in Morocco
8 Feb 2013 | 1:58 pmThe best way to get a feel for a country and its culture is through its food. So it is not surprising that culinary tours or cooking vacations are on the rise...and the locations and options are limitless. There are one-day cooking workshops, week long cooking classes and cultural tours, or even a gourmet day tour without cooking.
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The Change Blog
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The Five Words That Changed My Life
16 May 2013 | 5:30 amPhoto by Chiara Cremaschi By David Loker Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things.” ~Vernor Vinge I thought that it was never going to end. Wake up. Brush my teeth. Drive to work. Sit at my desk for eight hours. Count the hours from the moment I sit down: Eight, seven, six… Drive home. Make dinner. Eat. … Sleep. Wake up. The truth is, at that point in my life, nothing brought me joy any more. I hated waking up. I hated going to work. By the time I got home, I was so drained and frustrated that I got little joy from my family. Having a small child left me with… -
The Terrifying Question We Should All Ask Ourselves
14 May 2013 | 5:30 amPhoto by I .. C .. U By Trent Hand I started out very excited about this job. After living and searching for work in Antalya, Turkey for 6 months, including 2 months as an English teacher to children, the opportunity of working for an American company while in Turkey was all I hoped for. Maybe the pay was only $1800/month, but after the exchange rate, this put me in the top 10% of earners in my city. I made 4x the amount of money my fiancée did working almost half the hours. I should have been happy. I wasn’t. The first three weeks were exciting. Learning about new products, sales… -
Help Others Help Themselves: A Quick Guide to Mentorship
5 May 2013 | 6:58 amPhoto by Wonderlane By Deborah Fike I have been a teacher on and off during my career. I’m currently “on” again, teaching an entrepreneurship course for undergraduates at a local university. Business courses tend to focus on team project work because that’s how businesses are run: a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. Inevitably, whenever I teach a course that involves teamwork, at least one student hits me up mid-semester with a complaint about a teammate. Usually it is an expectation issue where one student hasn’t contributed as much to the project as… -
You Can’t Be Anything If You Put Your Mind To It
2 May 2013 | 6:20 amPhoto by danielfoster437 By David Masters You can be anything you want to be, if you only believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. – Napoleon Hill I feel a little stupid, because it’s taken me nearly thirty years to realize a simple truth. I’ll never be a Major League Baseball player, a Premier League footballer, or an Olympic swimmer. Call me glum, sour, or bitter, but those are the facts. No matter how much I put my mind to it, no matter how much I conceive and believe,… -
Finding the Courage to Change Your Career Path
30 Apr 2013 | 6:57 amPhoto by la_farfalla By Sarah L. Webb The work that you do to make a living takes up a large portion of your time and energy. Day after day, the average human works for years, logging in hours upon hours of labor. That’s not a bad thing, if you love your work. Unfortunately, too many of us can barely even tolerate our jobs. We long to do something that manifests our true purpose in life. So why do so many people continue working at jobs that make them miserable? It All Boils Down to Fear. You know the feeling–the dryness in your throat, the knots in your stomach, the sweaty palms.
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The GiveWell Blog
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Possible global catastrophic risks
23 May 2013 | 11:33 amI previously discussed our view that in general, further economic development and general human empowerment are likely to be substantially net positive, and are likely to lead to improvement on many dimensions in unexpected ways. In my view, the most worrying counterpoint to this view is the possibility of global catastrophic risks. Broadly speaking, while increasing interconnectedness and power over our environment seem to have many good consequences, these things may also put us at greater risk for a major catastrophe – one that affects the entire world (or a large portion of it) and… -
Flow-through effects
15 May 2013 | 12:00 pmAs mentioned previously, we believe that further economic development, and general human empowerment, is likely to be substantially net positive, and that it is likely to lead to improvement on many dimensions in unexpected ways. This post elaborates on the reasons we hold this view and the implications of it. We haven’t done nearly as much empirical research on whether this view is appropriate as we would ideally like to, and in the future we may approach it with a more concerted research effort. For now, we’d point to the following as broad defenses of this view: Since the… -
Update on GiveWell’s web traffic / money moved: Q1 2013
8 May 2013 | 6:11 amIn addition to evaluations of other charities, GiveWell publishes substantial evaluation on itself, from the quality of its research to its impact on donations. We publish quarterly updates regarding two key metrics: (a) donations to top charities and (b) web traffic. The table and chart below present basic information about our growth in money moved and web traffic in the first quarter of 2013 (note 1). Summary statistics: Q1 Growth is at a slower pace than in 2012 (note 2). This may largely be a function of the fact that we are now growing from a larger base from which we can no longer… -
Unorthodox Prize
6 May 2013 | 12:24 pmA couple of years ago, an anonymous family foundation launched a call for “extraordinary and unorthodox” philanthropic opportunities. We wrote critically about this at the time, but the winner of the contest turned out to be GiveDirectly (currently our #2 charity), which received its initial funding from the contest. We’ve since had some interactions with the funder, and we’ve been impressed with its thinking and with its broad interest in doing as much good as possible. (The funder has also been supportive of GiveWell in terms of contacts and has expressed potential… -
Broad Market Efficiency
2 May 2013 | 10:36 amIt’s common to debate how “efficient” financial markets are. Broadly speaking, an “efficient” market is one in which the participants are quick to spot profit-making opportunities, so that prices quickly adjust to reflect available information and it’s very difficult for an outsider to “beat the market,” i.e., consistently earn outsized returns. (If one is interested in more details, I recommend searching for discussions of the “efficient-market hypothesis.”) Not all opportunities to accomplish good are opportunities to make money.
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Asian American Giving
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Philanthropy News Digest + Jobs in Philanthropy
30 Apr 2013 | 12:55 pm- by Andy Ho Some recent articles of interest: Forbes 2013 China Philanthropy List - Billionaire real estate developer Hui Ka Yan for a second consecutive year has topped the latest annual list of China’s top philanthropists published by Forbes China, the licensed China-language edition of Forbes. Coverage of the 2013 Council on Foundations Annual Conference from April 6-9 - good summaries from Gene Takagi, Michael Seltzer, and Jenny Chan. "After Quake, Donors Shun Aid Groups Run by China" - A New York Times article on the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Sichuan province. … -
Patrick Soon-Shiong, "Richest Man in L.A."
26 Apr 2013 | 10:53 am-by Andy Ho Earlier this week The Los Angeles Times published a lengthy profile on Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, one of the more prominent Asian American philanthropists. He discusses his thoughts on philanthropy, making a difference in medicine and healthcare, and collective impact on the fight against cancer. "We’re all about making an impactful change in people’s lives in ways that we can touch and feel right now. Whether that is exercised through our philanthropic mission or through our entrepreneurial, for-profit mission—in a funny way I’m really indifferent. All I want is to get… -
Kordant Philanthropy Advisors Launches
1 Apr 2013 | 1:34 pmI am pleased to announce the launch of Kordant Philanthropy Advisors, a global advisory firm serving families and leading businesses and institutions in the U.S. and Asia.Our boutique philanthropic firm addresses two general needs in the field – help clients problem solve and provide opportunities in the right context that clients and charities can use to achieve more. We believe clients have ideas of how they want the world to be. They also have the intentions and resources to bring about that change. We serve as an ally and guide clients through complex issues, provide them with access to… -
High Income, Low Charity
21 Mar 2013 | 7:14 pm- by Andy Ho A recent article in The Atlantic highlighted a fact that many of us in the ‘industry’ have known for some time: the people who can least afford to give to charity in America donate the greatest percentage of their income. In 2011, the wealthiest Americans—those with earnings in the top 20 percent—contributed on average 1.3 percent of their income to charity. By comparison, Americans at the base of the income pyramid—those in the bottom 20 percent—donated 3.2 percent of their income. The relative generosity of lower-income Americans is accentuated by the fact that,… -
Internship Opportunity with Federal Government
22 Jan 2013 | 8:55 amCAPAL (Conference on Asian American Leadership) will help place students in internships within the federal government in DC. Opportunities in regional offices, including California and Texas, may be possible. Interns are placed in program management, legal and finance positions. These internship positions are open to ALL MAJORS, and are suited for individuals looking to gain real-world federal government experience. CAPAL has partnerships with Federal Agencies including Agricultural Research Services and Forest Service.Each CAPAL intern will be awarded a $3,000 stipend to support the…
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Kiva Loans
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Ma. Fe : Philippines
23 May 2013 | 8:10 pm$75 of $375 raised. Started raising funds on May 23, 2013 This is Ma. Fe. She previously accessed a 20,000 Philippine pesos (PHP) loan that she used to purchase quantities of materials like fabric, thread and other materials needed in her business. Her earnings were a big help in the education of her children and in covering their personal, household and business expenditures. Ma. Fe would like to apply for a new loan of 15,000 PHP to buy additional supplies needed in her business. Her profits from the business will definitely help her to meet her daily needs and pay for her children’s… -
Safia's Group : Pakistan
23 May 2013 | 7:40 pm$200 of $825 raised. Started raising funds on May 23, 2013 Safia is the mother of two sons and two daughters. Her two younger children are getting their education while the remaining two have left their education after completing matriculation. Safia is a seamstress and sews clothes for neighbor clients. Her husband is a shoe-making expert and makes leather shoes on order. Safia has applied for a loan from Kiva's partner Asasah for further improvement of her sewing business. With the loan investment, she will buy a new sewing machine and cloth that will allow her to improve her work quality… -
Kushinga B Group : Zimbabwe
23 May 2013 | 7:10 pm$1,600 of $2,250 raised. Started raising funds on May 23, 2013 Greetings from Zimbabwe! This is 45-year-old Lionah from Harare. She is married with three children, all attending school. She also looks after two dependents. She runs a poultry business and knits jerseys for resale. The business has been in operation for four years. She says the main challenges being faced are stiff competition with other sellers and the cold weather, which affects the chicks. Lionah has requested a loan of $750 to buy chicks and chicken feed. She says the extra income generated as a result of this loan will… -
Nancy : Ecuador
23 May 2013 | 5:20 pm$550 of $1,075 raised. Started raising funds on May 23, 2013 In the city of Charapoto, the Salud y Vida communal bank meet every fortnight. This place is known for its traditional culture and for being a few minutes from two of the best beaches in the province - San Jacinto and San Clemente. Nancy is 59 years old, married and has 4 adult children, three of whom still live with her. Her husband is a farmer. She learned dressmaking at an academy in the city several years ago. Nancy is a very hardworking woman who has always liked to get ahead on her own. She is a dressmaker and has a small… -
Cashaloma (Nabón) Group : Ecuador
23 May 2013 | 5:10 pm$525 of $3,175 raised. Started raising funds on May 23, 2013 The “Cashaloma” communal bank has five female and three male members who live around Nabon Canton. This place is of exuberant natural beauty thanks to its jagged geography and cold climate. Its main sources of income is agriculture and animal husbandry. Its residents are people who maintain their culture and traditions. They are very warm-hearted and hardworking people who strive day to day to improve the economic stability of their homes. One of the group members is Blanca. She’s taking out her second loan together with her…
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liveunitedblog.org
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Tips You Should Know About Dealing With Lawyers
21 May 2013 | 2:46 amDo you need a good lawyer now? Do you want to know how to choose a great lawyer for your needs. Read on and learn how to choose the best lawyer for your case. Always ask for a history of the lawyer to look at before you retain him. Just because the lawyer is allowed to practice don’t mean that they’re successful. Be familiar with his or her background so that you have confidence in their capabilities. Get a list from every lawyer you’re thinking about. The charges can vary widely depending on the lawyer’s experience and skill; therefore, and it is smart to be aware of… -
Never Fear Personal Injury Law Again With These Tips
16 May 2013 | 2:17 amAre you new to the laws concerning personal injury cases? The article gives you crucial information that can help. Detail your injuries completely and accurately when you write down what happened. Whether you have a minor injury or a major one, talk about every physical problem.Remember to add anything such as bumps or bruises that arise later on. You should also need to think about anything that has to do to your injury. You should also include any lost income. This will document all of how long you lost money due to your injury. You can also can total the money spent and lost on classes you… -
Attorney Fee Schedules: What You Should Know Before Hiring A Lawyer
16 May 2013 | 2:14 amDo you feel that you need someone to represent you for legal matters? Regardless of your reasons, you must realized that you are facing a potentially expensive undertaking. However, if you use the tips given in the following article, you are sure to hire a trustworthy lawyer without spending too much money.Keep reading and learn how. Make sure you lawyer is easy to reach. Having a lawyer is something that a lot of people complain about. You shouldn’t get stuck wondering what’s going on with your case just because he is out playing golf. You may want to have an attorney on retainer… -
Require Legal Advice? Read This Article Now
11 May 2013 | 9:27 pmDo you need to hire a good lawyer? Many times people are under the misconception that a better lawyer costs more money. While sometimes true, you do not need a large amount of money to hire a quality lawyer. The following article will teach you find an affordable attorney. You want to always be able to easily get in communication with your lawyer. Having issues with reaching a lawyer that is hard to contact is a lot of people complain about. You aren’t going to want to wonder about things because the lawyer is enjoying themselves. Find a lawyer who will accept a retainer from you, if… -
When You Want To Know It All About Working With Lawyers, Read This
10 May 2013 | 5:10 pmThe legal system is rather daunting and worrisome for those unfamiliar with it. You will feel better once you need to know to select the best lawyer on your needs. Keep reading if you want to know why having a lawyer. You really do not want to pick the first attorney that you visit. Do thorough research since choosing the wrong one can end badly. Ask around and look for as many people as you can on any lawyers you’re thinking about hiring. Everything you tell your lawyer has to be kept confidential. For instance, if you speak with your lawyer about something dealing with your company,…
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RELEVANT Magazine
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Cat Bearding: The Internet's New Thing
23 May 2013 | 12:27 pmGiven the Internet's new affection for cats and beards, it's almost weird this hasn't happened sooner. But it's happening now, and it's better than planking, so let's keep the complaints to a minimum. As you can see from the handy collage that Gawker put together, it's pretty self-explanatory. All you need is a cat and a computer. This being 2013, you doubtless have ready access to both. All told, there are worse things these people could be doing with their precious, limited time on earth. Although do we really need so many? ... -
An American Hero Gets His Suitably American Reward
23 May 2013 | 10:50 amWould that every hero be so appropriately rewarded. Charles Ramsey, the instantly beloved hero of the Cleveland kidnappings, famously was eating a Big Mac when he first noticed something was amiss at his neighbor's house. McDonald's had promised to reach out to Ramsey, but seeing as they never did, over a dozen Cleveland-area restaurants have come up with their own plan to reward Ramsey. They're giving him a personalized "Chuck Card," good for a lifetime of free burgers at any of these fourteen restaurants in northern Ohio and Pennsylvania. A more deserving recipient to such a grand reward… -
Czech National Symphony Orchestra Performs with Nothing But Mobile Devices
23 May 2013 | 9:45 amThe European company Hello Bank! staged this stunt as part of a promotion of its "all-digital" services to show viewers just how sophisticated our mobile devices really are. In a behind-the-scenes video, you can see how engineers rigged smart phones and tablets together using custom interfaces to create massive, virtual instruments. It’s almost as impressive as this … -
10 Things People Stop Doing When They Get iPhones
23 May 2013 | 9:00 amRemembering a world in which you couldn't 4G your way to just about anything Before cell phones, we’d have to call each other’s landlines and “ask to speak to” whomever we were actually trying to reach. It had the potential to be awkward and uncomfortable. Especially if your boyfriend’s dad answered. -
Helen Mirren Fulfills Boy’s Dying Wish to Meet the Queen
23 May 2013 | 8:45 amOliver Burton has battled cancer for most of his life, but recently the 10-year-old, who also has Down syndrome, was given a terminal prognosis. When royal officials informed his family that Queen Elizabeth II would not be able to fulfill his wish by meeting with him, actress Helen Mirren decided to reprise her famous role. The Academy Award winning star of the 2006 film The Queen invited Oliver and his family to a play (in which she also portrays the queen), then took them backstage for tea and a special knighting ceremony for young Oliver. Mirren stayed in character the entire time …
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Withisms from Lori
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Where Do Bequests Come From?
22 May 2013 | 9:02 amI saw this article by Jerold Panas in a recent issue of the Institute for Charitible Giving newsletter and knew I had to share it with you. Jerold writes: "So often, a bequest comes to you from a source you knew nothing about. And, by the way, the largest percentage of bequests come from those with a net worth of $3 million and less. As I recall, it's about 82% of the bequests. Here are some characteristics of those who are most likely to think of you in their estate plans. Length of giving to your organization (5 or more years of regular giving) Giving to you over a long period of time… -
5 Questions Every Board Should Ask
14 May 2013 | 10:00 pmI recently attended a training session for ArtsLab, an amazing capacity building project by Arts Midwest. I'm honored to be on the curriculum team. At the board leadership session we referenced a powerful white paper by Sam Pettway with five questions every board should ask In my experience, I find staff sometimes grumble about what the board is focused on. On the flip side, the board sometimes grumbles about what they are supposed to do or the many reports they are having to read each month. These five questions are incredibly helpful in helping both the board and staff stay focused… -
Are You Ready for Mobile?
7 May 2013 | 10:00 pmA recent NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Network) post asked readers to think about a world where computers had been outlawed. The post starts like this: "Effective immediately, PCs and computers will no longer be manufactured, nor supported worldwide. I repeat, effective immediately, PCs and computers will no longer be manufactured, nor supported worldwide. With a unanimous, although abrupt, decision, the Federation voted today to prohibit any further manufacture or support of non-mobile devices by any hardware and software providers worldwide." This post, and I, ask you: Are nonprofits and… -
Practical Leadership: Leave Out the Golden Rule When Supervising Others
30 Apr 2013 | 10:00 pmGuest Post by Lisa Negstad, Negstad Consulting, LLC This week I’m pleased to have a post by Lisa Negstad giving good advice about working with your employees. Lisa was the featured guest at last month’s Ignited Online Fundraising Community member’s only webinar. Have you ever made the fatal error of following the Golden Rule? No, that’s not a typo. I did call the Golden Rule an error. As a supervisor, following that Rule can get you in trouble. I have made this error more than once when I treated my employees how I wanted to be treated. For example, I followed the Rule… -
Introducing a New Step-By-Step Storytelling System
23 Apr 2013 | 10:00 pmFor years I've been telling you that THE most powerful way to connect people to your mission is by sharing a story. By telling a real-life example about how your work affects one man, woman, or child you cause listeners to feel something and to take action. I know you've been listening because every day I'm contacted by people who want private coaching or storytelling workshops. While I'm honored to have so many requests, I simply cannot physically visit each of your organizations! And so, I have taken your desire for more storytelling coaching seriously. I've developed a system that is…
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Happiness Blog for The Seekers of Inner Happiness
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If there is one God, then why are there so many religions?
4 May 2013 | 7:16 amThe younger generation, who thinks by logic, often ask a question that if there is one God, then why are there so many religions? This question often comes with a valid supporting argument that Science is universal, scientific facts are universal – for example, gravity acts in same way on everything, properties of matter are universal, then why can’t the religions agree on one universal God ? Let me begin by telling a parable. Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of the elephant's body. The blind man who felt a leg said the… -
Spirituality in daily life
30 Mar 2013 | 7:35 amContemporary man only relies on the outer eyes – believes whatever eyes can see or other senses can perceive. While leading the mundane life, modern man forgets the art of wondering, the art of appreciating the beauty of nature or being thankful for all the blessings in our lives. It is because of the habit of relying on all the scientific gadgets (TVs, iphones and what not) that modern man has lost its ability to wonder, to awe or to admire in daily life. In fact, Science itself has that limitation- Science can only analyze the facts that can be perceived by five senses. Science cannot… -
The wholesome approach for God realization
16 Mar 2013 | 8:26 amA disciple asked the master, “Dear Sir, in the past, I have heard from many Saints that praying to God, singing the songs of his glory and Naam japa (Bhakti Marg) is the superior most path of realizing the God. But, you always stress upon the wisdom of the Self (Gyan Marg) in your discourses. I am a little confused – Can God be realized just with the help of sharp intellect?”The master started laughing and said, “Son, if God realization could be achieved with the help of sharp intellect, then Attorneys and Professors would be carrying the secret in their pockets. The Self… -
Nature of a true seeker
28 Feb 2013 | 7:25 amKabirji, , highly revered mystic of India who lived in 15th century, to me represents the epitome of spiritual wisdom, devotion and the wisdom of life. The longer the Saint lives, the more benefit humankind can gain. Saint Kabirji lived for about 120 years and hence the fragrance of his wisdom in the form of his deeply meaningful poetic versus is alive even today and will remain alive for a long time. He is probably the most quoted poet in India. Once Kabirji was giving discourse to a usual gathering of seekers about the nature of a true seeker – how the seeker should be? It is very… -
True meaning of success in human life
16 Feb 2013 | 7:14 amIt is unfortunate that modern day society measure success of human life only in terms of money and wealth. It is ironical that even though we see all around us and experience that ample wealth doesn't bring forth inner peace and long lasting happiness, still we continue our never ending pursuit for more and more material gain.Just like children give importance to toys and goodies, and are always hungry for more toys and chocolates. Similarly some people never grow up beyond the want and hunger for more wealth. Only a few grow up to realize that once you have certain amount of…
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ApplaUSe For A Cause
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Guest Post: Shoe Box Aid And Other Great Charity Giving Ideas
1 May 2013 | 9:49 pmGoogle+ Pin It Want to be more pro-active about what you give to charity? Don’t have time to volunteer but want to be able to do something real? Can’t get out and want a worthwhile project you... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Autism News Roundup
29 Apr 2013 | 7:32 amCNN Center- Atlanta, GA (Photo credit: hpstyles) Thank you for joining me on this April Autism Blogathon ! I hope... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Going Blue For Autism Speaks
24 Apr 2013 | 12:20 pmAutism Bill Hearing (Photo credit: ct senatedems) * A group of Charity Bloggers that I'm in is blogging about autism this month. If you'd like to join us this month, please click the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
USC Questionaire Helps Diagnose Autism
16 Apr 2013 | 9:15 amDr Karen Pierce, a neuroscientist at the University of... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Great Autism Resources
10 Apr 2013 | 3:47 pmDoug Flutie (Photo credit: Wikipedia) English: Logo of World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, by UN (United Nations). Português: Logo do Dia Mundial de Conscientização do... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Shareable - Sharing by design
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Airbnb in damage control mode after New York City ruling
23 May 2013 | 8:36 amAirbnb is fighting back against perceptions that it is being booted out of New York City after an administrative law judge on Tuesday fined host Nigel Warren $2,400 for renting out a room in his East Village apartment for three nights. “Airbnb Ruled Illegal In New York” read a headline in Next City. Similar headlines appearing on CNET, Fast Company, and Business Insider. Since Monday, Airbnb has been engaged in a media counter-offensive, largely focused on what it claims is exaggerated, incorrect media coverage. “The ruling is being… -
For All We'll Ever Need: A Family's Transformation
22 May 2013 | 11:20 amOnly five years ago, I was a mid-level sales manager in a large U.S. Software Vendor in their southern regional headquarters of Melbourne, Australia. My territory was as large as the continental United States and I travelled the length and breadth of the country every two weeks, for days at a time, to ensure that my annual $2 million quota would be met. I lived with my wife and our seven-year-old twin children in a suburban house that was well over our budget—but somehow this didn’t seem to matter as credit was free-flowing. It was filled with all the things that we just had to… -
The Repercussions of Growing Up on Screens
22 May 2013 | 10:18 amAt what point did childhood switch from sticks and stones to gadgets and gizmos? Used to be, kids had to create their own imaginary worlds in which to seek adventure. They would stay outside in the woods or the yard, the park or the pool, playing with friends and coming inside only to grab a quick bite. And there were quite often forts and fantasies involved. It was in that space where kids learned creativity, leadership, and cooperation. These days, though, childhood is electronically powered and wrapped in plastic, top to bottom. It is tamed into near extinction and available in only 2D. -
Find What You Love: 5 Electrifying Commencement Speeches
22 May 2013 | 7:26 amA recurring theme in commencement addresses is to embrace failure. The reason for this, I suppose, is that most graduates headed out into the world are going to be knocked on their asses at one time or another. The speakers trying to instill the motivation to get back up after a real-life smackdown by sharing their own experiences of failure followed by success. Another recurring theme is the importance of being true to who you are and listening to your own unique, inner voice. The future is wide open for fresh-faced graduates. What better time to design a life full of joy and fulfillment… -
From Urban Planning to Organizing Skillshares
21 May 2013 | 4:19 pmBeginning my second semester as a graduate student of Urban Planning and Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I was excited and eager to learn. The previous semester was beyond exhilarating and motivating as I read and absorbed theory from urban planners, historians, engineers, scientists, philosophers. Planning had provided me with insight into some of the most pressing big picture questions that led me to graduate school. But all the hope and excitement and anticipation that kept me reading even over Christmas break came to a crushing halt. I had bills to pay, I lost focus on…
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Shareable: Cities
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LLGA Cities Summit Matches Urban Problems with Solutions at Global Scale
16 May 2013 | 12:41 amImagine a gathering where people with different backgrounds listen to each other's specific challenges, then crowdsource a range of possible solutions. Now imagine this pool of knowledge being comprised of cities, bringing together key representatives to share information across boundaries, and you'd find yourself at the Living Labs Global Awards (LLGA) Cities Pilot the Future Summit. This week, representatives from 22 cities gathered at Fort Mason in San Francisco to engage in a dialogue about the problems cities are facing and to come up with creative solutions to these problems. -
Vote for the Participatory Budgeting Project's New Video
15 May 2013 | 9:30 amParticipatory budgeting has come a long way from Porto Alegre, Brazil, circa 1989. Today, more than 1,500 cities around the world have implemented the PB process, including San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; Toronto, Ontario; Vallejo, California; and New York City, New York. In a nutshell, PB allows citizens to suggest, formulate, vote on, and implement projects within their own communities. It's a way to educate and engage people at a grassroots, truly democratic level. So far, more than 60 PB projects -- things like bike lanes, community gardens, street… -
Urban Gardening as a Corrective for Homo Economicus
14 May 2013 | 9:13 amAuthor Christa Müller is a sociologist and author. For many years she has been committed to research on rural and urban subsistence. She is executive partner of the joint foundation “anstiftung & ertomis” in Munich. Her most recent book (in German) is Urban Gardening: About the Return of Gardens into the City. “In these times of ever more blatant marketing of public space, the aspiration to plant potatoes precisely there – and without restricting entry – is nothing less than revolutionary,” writes Sabine Rohlf in her book review of Urban… -
San Francisco's Innovation Fellows Collaborate for Change
11 May 2013 | 3:58 pmInspired by the White House Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, the Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation and City Hall Fellows (CHF) recently launched the Mayor’s Innovation Fellowship Program. San Francisco’s Mayor Lee welcomed the city’s inaugural class of innovation fellows last week. I count myself lucky to have been selected to serve the city with such an accomplished group of fellows. My path to this fellowship started with Shareable’s May, 2011 event, ShareSF, which posed this question to a diverse mix of city leaders – how can we strengthen San… -
Translating Tactical Urbanism: An Interview with Javier Vergara Petrescu
8 May 2013 | 3:14 pmby Hillete Warner Global Innovators is a 10-part series that celebrates the remarkable work of social innovators from outside the English-speaking world. Twice a month we profile the stories of inspiring community pioneers from across three broad cultural clusters: change enthusiasts from Italy, France and the Spanish-speaking world. The series, inspired by the multilingual editions of the Enabling City toolkit, focuses on a rich variety of themes that explore 'enabling' frameworks for participatory social change. Tactical urbanism. Urbanismo…
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Shareable: CivicSystem
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Cooper Students Occupy to Stop Tuition
13 May 2013 | 9:02 amCooper Union, a small art, architecture and engineering school in the middle of downtown Manhattan, was one of the last colleges in America where students could get a completely free education. But next year, thanks to gross mismanagement of its endowment (the center of which was the construction of a huge, expensive, unneccesary new engineering building), and an administration unwilling to protect its historic mission of an education “as free as air and water”, Cooper Union will begin charging tuition. Last December, students occupied the top floor of Cooper Union’s main… -
Crowdfunding Dinner Bridges Campus-Community Divide
12 May 2013 | 1:47 pmAnn Arbor has a unique variety of innovative, passionate, and talented community members that include both University students and “Ann Arborites” or “townies.” As a student, however, I often feel a large disconnect from the Ann Arbor “townies.” I find that beyond two main drags, most students stick to university turf. Our bubble generally does not extend out to the greater community, yet. Recently, after organizing Ann Arbor’s first UM SOUP, my whole perception of this divide changed. UM SOUP (University of Michigan) was a public dinner and… -
Jerry Resists: Grand Juries and Political Trials
7 May 2013 | 9:40 amIt might seem ironic that the only place you can’t practice your 5th amendment right would be a federal courtroom, considering its just such a place the amendment was designed for. It might seem ironic that a process designed to protect people accused of serious crimes can be used to imprison people for up to 18 months who have committed no crime without bringing charges against them. It might, unless you know about grand juries. Grand juries are an old feature of the English common law, and were originally designed to make sure that prosecutors couldn’t bring cases about serious… -
El Buen Vivir and the Commons
7 May 2013 | 8:47 amA conversation between Silke Helfrich, an author and independent activist of the commons, and Gustavo Soto Santiesteban, a writer, semiotician, and consultant on indigenous rights at various universities in Bolivia. Silke Helfrich: Gustavo, Buen Vivir (or Vivir Bien) is an expression that has made its way into the constitutions of Ecuador and Bolivia, and has become an expression that would summarize an alternative project for civilization. Portuguese sociologist Boaventura da Souza even took up the slogan, “China or Sumaj Kuasay,”1 which is not self-explanatory. Can you help… -
Mais Oui, We Share
7 May 2013 | 3:50 amTo judge by OuiShare Fest, the future is going to be collaborative--and a whole lot of fun. A crowd of 600 mostly 20-somethings from across Europe gathered to network, learn, and party, I think in that order, although the distinctions were at times blurry. Several keynotes, for example, which were held in the deep red circus tent interior of the music venue Cabaret Sauvage, were introduced by a moppet in red rainboots dancing on a stage rendered cloudy by a smoke machine, her words barely audible over Daft Punk/Pharrell's hit "Get Lucky." We elders in attendance (anyone born…
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Shareable: Community
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Communities Self-insure for Cooperative Healthcare
8 May 2013 | 8:44 amObamacare is changing the game of private health insurance, but private health insurers are still in it to make profit. And while they are in the game, they will do their best to rig the game in their favor. Ask anyone who has had a significant health problem. So why do we continue to give control over health care and our money away to companies that don't have our interests at heart in a matter that is literally life and death? I wanted to look at alternative, community-based models and see if they actually work. One model is the Ithaca Health Fund, operated by the Ithaca Health Alliance… -
Sharing Global Sharing Day
25 Apr 2013 | 10:18 amAmidst the maelstrom of graduate school in England and the insipid winter weather of southern England, I discovered the Sharing Economy. I had used AirBnB and Wimdu previously during a European excursion, simply thinking these services were smart and effective pieces in the traveler’s arsenal; a glimpse into city life in foreign climes, like Paris and Barcelona, without the hassle of hostel dormitories or the impersonality of hotels. I did not realize these two p2p rental sites were in fact essential in identifying a movement, collecting praise from across the world… -
Is This a New Story of the People?
23 Apr 2013 | 4:33 amIt seems clear to everyone that we’ve reached some sort of historical turning point. Things are shifting beneath our feet, old structures are collapsing and old stories losing their power. But, as always happens in moments of major shift, it’s very hard for anyone to tell where we’re going: we just know that we’re headed somewhere different. One road that seems desperately likely is drastic ecological and economic collapse. But there is another road, the road that Charles Eisenstein, in this short video essay made by “Sustainable Man” adapted from… -
Turkey Puts DIY Twist on Clothing Swap
17 Apr 2013 | 12:46 pmGiysi Takası, which means clothing swap in Turkish, celebrated its 1st anniversary with a day-long swap, skillshares, and performances on Saturday, April 6th at Mixer Art Gallery in Tophane, Istanbul. The swap was referred to as a maker's party, because 400 young adults not only enjoyed the event's offerings but also actively participated in its creation, along with the 13 volunteer staff. Shareable helped support this event through its seed grant contest this year. Giysi Takası is a Turkish non-profit organization that encourages people to swap their used, in good condition clothes… -
Start Your Own Restaurant on May 18
2 Apr 2013 | 8:02 amThe underground gourmet is an old tradition. From lemonade stands to supper clubs and modern blind pigs, people love to play restaurant. Now a new tradition, started in 2011 in Helsinki, is bringing together hundreds of make-believe restaurateurs into a worldwide celebration of this alternative economy: Restaurant Day, “a worldwide food carnival when anyone can open a restaurant.” Watch this charming video from the original organizers of Restaurant Day in Helsinki: These pop-up restaurants do charge for the food, but the emphasis of Restaurant Day is on community, teamwork,…
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Shareable: EcoSystem
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Mundraub.org: Sharing Our Common Fruit
21 May 2013 | 8:46 amAuthor Katharina Frosch (Germany) is an innovation economist working on social innovation in urban agriculture, Co-Founder of http://stadtgarten.org and http://mundraub.org which won sustainability awards in 2010 and 2011 from the German Council for Sustainable Development. In a rural area in the former East Germany, late summer 2009: Shimmering heat, the intense odor of fermenting fruits is in the air. A tree covered with hundreds of juicy pears, and a foot-high layer of rotting fruit on the ground. A stone’s throw away – plums, mirabelles, elder bushes and every now and then an… -
Whole Foods Taps Brooklyn's Gotham Greens for Rooftop Farm
15 May 2013 | 9:31 amAlthough Greenpoint, Brooklyn, isn't known as a hotbed for sustainable agriculture, that's not stopping Gotham Greens from making a name for themselves. Using renewable energy sources to power their sterile greenhouses, Gotham Greens set up shop on the Greenpoint Wood Exchange rooftop a few years back with the goal of providing fresh, high-quality produce and herbs to local markets and restaurants. Founders Viraj Puri and Eric Haley teamed with greenhouse expert Jenn Nelkin to develop the facility and protocols needed to grow year-round in New York City. Utilizing a combination of… -
Students Challenged to Rethink Materialism
23 Apr 2013 | 10:42 amBy Erika Kazi (edited by Mira Luna) Sarah Jilbert, Melissa Guziak, and I were juniors at Ohio Wesleyan University when we formulated Green Week. Our school has lagged behind when it comes to sustainability efforts - only making baby steps in the past two years due to a lack of environmental awareness among our peers. Our research about other campus sustainability programs showed us that once educated and conscious, students can easily become enthusiastic for environmental causes. We’d seen this grow at our own school - a school once without a uniform recycling program. In just one… -
Urgent: Support Shared Renewables in California
16 Apr 2013 | 12:37 pmThis post was written by Rosana Francescato and was initially pubilshed by PV Solar Report. Solar leases are helping far more people go solar than before and are helping spread solar in a big way. In 2012, third-party-owned solar represented 74% of California’s home solar market. And much of that market’s growth was in low- and median-income areas. That’s great news! Still, about 75% of us are still left out of the equation. We may have shaded roofs, rent our homes, or live in multi-unit buildings. Businesses can run into these issues as well. Solar… -
Practicing Ecology: Julie Richardson on the Transition to a New Economy
8 Apr 2013 | 4:34 pmIf you follow the River Dart from where it meets the sea in Dartmouth (a small harbor town in Southwest England) to its many sources high up on Dartmoor (one of England’s largest national parks) you would travel a landscape that is both timeless and ever-changing. Standing atop one of Dartmoor’s large outcroppings of granite, you can actually begin to see the planet’s carbon cycle at work. Carbon is removed from the atmosphere when it bonds with calcium stored in this granite, eventually washing out into the ocean by means of the River Dart, flowing just below. Carbon…
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Shareable: Life & Art
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The Repercussions of Growing Up on Screens
22 May 2013 | 10:18 amAt what point did childhood switch from sticks and stones to gadgets and gizmos? Used to be, kids had to create their own imaginary worlds in which to seek adventure. They would stay outside in the woods or the yard, the park or the pool, playing with friends and coming inside only to grab a quick bite. And there were quite often forts and fantasies involved. It was in that space where kids learned creativity, leadership, and cooperation. These days, though, childhood is electronically powered and wrapped in plastic, top to bottom. It is tamed into near extinction and available in only 2D. -
Find What You Love: 5 Electrifying Commencement Speeches
22 May 2013 | 7:26 amA recurring theme in commencement addresses is to embrace failure. The reason for this, I suppose, is that most graduates headed out into the world are going to be knocked on their asses at one time or another. The speakers trying to instill the motivation to get back up after a real-life smackdown by sharing their own experiences of failure followed by success. Another recurring theme is the importance of being true to who you are and listening to your own unique, inner voice. The future is wide open for fresh-faced graduates. What better time to design a life full of joy and fulfillment… -
What The First Earth Day Can Teach Us About Sharing
21 May 2013 | 7:35 amThe first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 was epic. The brainchild of Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, it was the first event of its kind and it sent a game-changing ripple of awareness and activism through the country. It jump-started the green movement, brought environmental concerns to national attention and unified citizens, academics, scientists, conservationists, politicians and students under one banner. But the real brilliance of the original Earth Day was that it was a decentralized, get-in-where-you-fit-in event that activated millions of people from nearly all walks of… -
I've Seen the Future of Higher Ed...And It's Shareable U
20 May 2013 | 8:42 amHigher Ed’s in trouble, in case you hadn’t heard. Burdened by runaway costs, unsustainable infrastructure, outrage over tuition increases, declining public dollars, and outmoded degree programs, colleges and universities are struggling to satisfy the needs of their current patrons, let alone cater to a global student population that is expected to double by 2025. Built right in to a university’s DNA, however, is the key to its evolution and, ultimately, its survival: the sharing of knowledge, the sharing of resources, and the sharing of power. “Traditionally,… -
The State of the Sharing Economy
19 May 2013 | 1:58 pmIn the lead up to Global Sharing Day, The People Who Share released the “State of the Sharing Economy” research in order to highlight the immense possibilities through living shareably. Some of the highlights from the study: 33 million Brits (65% of British adults) currently sharing, another 14 million willing to consider it. 15 million tons of food that could and should be shared, annually. £4.6 billion in savings accrued by the UK Sharing Economy legions. £330 billion value for the Sharing Economy, £22.4 billion in the UK alone. 10 million meals shared by…
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Shareable: Science & Tech
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Lessons from Koha in Open Source Project Ownership
20 May 2013 | 8:41 amThis article originally appeared on OpenSource.com and is republished with permission. Author Mark Johnson is Development Manager for OSS Watch, the open source software advisory service. He contributes to the Moodle VLE though code contributions and plugins, as well as the Ubuntu community through the weekly Ubuntu Podcast. While compiling OSS Watch's list of Open Source Options for Education, I discovered Koha, an open source Integrated Library System (ILS). I discovered, with some confusion, that there seemed to be several ILS systems called Koha. Investigation into the reason for this… -
Open Tech Forever Challenges Proprietary Innovation
1 May 2013 | 8:32 amOpen source hardware could be a revolutionary tool for unlocking our shackles to profit motivated, proprietary innovation. It has a vision to alleviate poverty through empowering decentralized and affordable, small scale production. Participants anywhere in the world can use the internet to access, improve, or adapt designs for local manufacturing and drastically increase the rate of innovation. Open Tech Forever (OTF) is emerging to become a new force in open source hardware development by building an open source factory where it will produce open technology. OTF recently launched an… -
Making it Happen at Maker Faire
24 Apr 2013 | 10:23 amSince 2006, Maker Faire has provided a space for inventors, tinkerers, builders, crafters, and wannabe-scientists to showcase their creations with the intent of encouraging others to dabble in inventing something themselves. With large-scale kinetic sculptures racing and roaming the grounds, science experiments with electronics and activities like clothing and apparel re-purposing stations on site, participants are encouraged to touch, ask questions, and take what they learn into their own workshops for some fun experimentation outside of the Maker Faires' big top. Sherry Huss, vice… -
Socialstructing the Future
15 Apr 2013 | 2:45 amMarina Gorbis, executive director of the non-profit research organization Institute For The Future (IFTF) has just released a new book, The Nature of the Future, which hopes to delineate the massive changes going on in business and social systems in the 21st century. In particular, she focuses on the concept she calls “socialstructing”, which she defines, in an excerpt of the book available on Boingboing, as “moving away from the dominance of the depersonalized world of institutional production and creating a new economy around social connections and social rewards”. -
Let’s Collaborate on Open Source Hardware Design
11 Apr 2013 | 10:40 amI met with Marcin Jakubowski, founder of Open Source Ecology, and Catarina Mota, founder of Open Materials and co-chair of the Open Hardware Summit, in Lisbon a few months ago. We visited Altlab, the oldest Hackerspace in Lisbon, and spent a couple of days together talking about how we could create new foundations for more collaboration on Open Hardware design and documentation. In fact, our eventual objective--an open source hardware ecosystem based on shared practices--is still not here, and many hardware developers in the world are now experimenting with different ways to create and…
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Shareable: Work & Enterprise
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Airbnb in damage control mode after New York City ruling
23 May 2013 | 8:36 amAirbnb is fighting back against perceptions that it is being booted out of New York City after an administrative law judge on Tuesday fined host Nigel Warren $2,400 for renting out a room in his East Village apartment for three nights. “Airbnb Ruled Illegal In New York” read a headline in Next City. Similar headlines appearing on CNET, Fast Company, and Business Insider. Since Monday, Airbnb has been engaged in a media counter-offensive, largely focused on what it claims is exaggerated, incorrect media coverage. “The ruling is being… -
For All We'll Ever Need: A Family's Transformation
22 May 2013 | 11:20 amOnly five years ago, I was a mid-level sales manager in a large U.S. Software Vendor in their southern regional headquarters of Melbourne, Australia. My territory was as large as the continental United States and I travelled the length and breadth of the country every two weeks, for days at a time, to ensure that my annual $2 million quota would be met. I lived with my wife and our seven-year-old twin children in a suburban house that was well over our budget—but somehow this didn’t seem to matter as credit was free-flowing. It was filled with all the things that we just had to… -
From Urban Planning to Organizing Skillshares
21 May 2013 | 4:19 pmBeginning my second semester as a graduate student of Urban Planning and Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I was excited and eager to learn. The previous semester was beyond exhilarating and motivating as I read and absorbed theory from urban planners, historians, engineers, scientists, philosophers. Planning had provided me with insight into some of the most pressing big picture questions that led me to graduate school. But all the hope and excitement and anticipation that kept me reading even over Christmas break came to a crushing halt. I had bills to pay, I lost focus on… -
Airbnb Explores Whether “Sharing” Appeals to Late Adopters
21 May 2013 | 4:11 pmWhen it comes to growing your customer base, the trick is knowing their motivations inside and out. Airbnb is conducting a number of surveys to better understand why its current customers use the service, and how to attract more. Early adopters have raved about the appeal of "sharing" private property, but Airbnb is exploring whether a bigger block of customers might be attracted by tweaking the messaging a bit. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted a first poll on behalf of Airbnb and released the results on Monday. Amongst the findings: respondents like the idea of… -
From College to Reality: A Radical Transition
20 May 2013 | 12:03 pmNot too long before graduation, I lay in my room, reflecting on how my food, school and my apartment was paid for with money that doesn’t even exist—loans. I had been living in a fantasy world for four years. None of it seemed real because I wasn’t yet monetarily supporting my living expenses. I sat up and imagined holding a 9-to-5 job to keep this apartment, this city, and keep my material possessions upon graduation. While reflecting on this, I asked myself if I valued my apartment, if I valued my possessions, and if I valued living in a city. Was I willing…
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Donate a Car to Charity - CharityCar.us blog
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Crowdfunding Raises Big Bucks for Boston
9 May 2013 | 12:50 pmNearly a week after the Boston bombings, crowd-funding websites that raise money for medical tragedies from car crashes to cancer say they’ve received more than 23,000 pledges promising more than $2 million for the victims and families of the marathon attack. That includes nearly $500,000 for Celeste and Sydney Corcoran of Lowell, Mass., a mother-daughter duo who were both severely injured as they stood at the finish line. And it includes more than $560,000 directed to Boston newlyweds Jessica Kensky Downes and Patrick Downes, who each lost a leg in the blasts. Read the complete article… -
Bieber Going to Focus on Some Charity Work to Quell Bad Press
4 Apr 2013 | 11:50 amJustin may be struggling in the wake of his split with Selena Gomez, but he wants to devote his time to helping others in order to get through the pain. HollywoodLife.com has all of the EXCLUSIVE details about the superstar’s new devotion to good deeds! Get ready to Believe in the Bieb again! A source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY that Justin Bieber is planning to donate more time to charity in an effort to improve his public image! Read the full story here. -
Branson Steps Up!
2 Apr 2013 | 3:57 amTycoon Sir Richard Branson is to give half his fortune away to charity. He has joined a group of billionaires who have pledged to donate half their amassed wealth to try to make the world a better place. The Virgin Media boss and his wife Joan, have joined Microsoft founder Bill Gates – said to be worth over $62 billion – and U.S. investor Warren Buffet, who trails in with $55 billion, as part of the Giving Pledge. Sir Richard and his wife – worth an estimated £3 billion – said in their pledge letter they wanted to use cash from their Virgin empire to create a… -
$400 Million Raised for Sandy Storm Relief!
6 Mar 2013 | 12:21 pmCharities in New York state have collectively raised more than $400 million for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, the state’s attorney general said Thursday. A survey of 88 nonprofit groups by Eric Schneiderman’s office found that as of mid-December, the fundraising for storm victims had been dominated by five charities, led by the American Red Cross, which had raised $188 million, the Robin Hood Foundation, which had taken in $67 million and The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, which collected $45 million. Read the full story here. -
Justin Timberlacke Donates Show Proceeds
4 Feb 2013 | 7:48 amJustin Timberlake reportedly plans to donate his $3 million Super Bowl party appearance fee to charity. The actor-and-singer is currently making his music comeback following the release of Suit & Tie, his first new single in several years. Justin has a series of high-profile performances coming up, and returned to the stage over the weekend for an hour-long concert. He was accompanied by a ten-piece band and welcomed guest appearances from Jay-Z and Timbaland for his live concert at the star-studded DirectTV Super Bowl party. According to New York Post, Justin was paid $3 million to…
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Charity Car Donation News
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Fundraising Directory School Coming Up in May
9 May 2013 | 12:48 pmMany people know that I try to help fund-raising peers who are skilled and passionate, get ahead in career and life. But there comes a point, where you hit a wall. Because you can’t learn more, or don’t know what you need to learn. Or no one will let you be more where you are. AFP Fundraising Day in Toronto is coming up. Many people will get a chance to reconnect with mentors at this important event, maybe you’ll meet a new mentor there…. Read the complete story here. -
Winnipeg Jets Plates Raise $800k for Charity
4 Apr 2013 | 11:47 amThe sale of special Winnipeg Jets license plates has raised more than $800,000 so far for children’s charities. Premier Greg Selinger said on Friday that 27,000 of the specialty plates have been sold in the last year by more than 300 Autopac agents. The plates cost $70 and $30 of that goes to the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation. That money is then passed on to programs that provide opportunities for disadvantaged kids. Read the full story here. -
1958 Corvette Up for Charity Auction
6 Mar 2013 | 12:18 pmWant to buy a Corvette? No, not the new C7 Chevrolet Corvette that made its splashy debut at the North American International Auto Show this past week. The one going on the auction block at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Friday has a bit more miles on the odometer, though it appears the relatively rare ’58 ‘Vette is in excellent condition. It also happens to be the personal car of Dan Akerson, CEO of Chevy’s parent, General Motors. Read the full story here. -
Taking the Plunge for Charity in Halifax
31 Jan 2013 | 11:49 pmDozens of people rang in the new year with an icy plunge at Black Rock Beach in Halifax. Over 100 people gathered on the shore just before noon to watch those brave enough to face the water for a charity polar bear dip. At the sounds of whistle the dippers made a mad dash towards the water. Most people quickly turned around, but a few waded long enough to enjoy a quick sip from a flask before seeking warmth. Read the full story here. -
White House Pushing for Black Boxes in all Cars
2 Jan 2013 | 9:45 amThe White House has given its OK to a plan that would require all future cars and trucks be equipped with event data records – most commonly referred to as “black boxes.” The majority of vehicles produced today already have such devices onboard and they have aided in recent investigations into such safety issues as the so-called unintended acceleration scare at Toyota. But the use of the technology has also raised some concerns with privacy advocates. Read the full article here.
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Beth’s Blog
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Does Extreme Content Delivery = Learning?
23 May 2013 | 9:53 amSource: Zazzle How do you learn? When you want to acquire a new skill or apply some new knowledge, do you learn by passively sitting and listening to an expert lecture for 90 minutes without a break and 150 PPT slides? What do you actually retain? And, what do you actually apply? Or do you learn better when you get a chance to process the content every 15 minutes by thinking about it quietly or talking with a peer? Do you concentrate better when you move around versus sitting for too long? I know for myself that I don’t learn, retain, or apply when content is endlessly… -
Book Review: Cause for Change
22 May 2013 | 10:42 amI’m getting a jump on my summer reading! Colleagues Kari Dunn Saratovsky and Derrick Feldmann have published a new book called Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement. The book is based on their many years of research, convening, and consulting with nonprofits on how to engage with this younger generation. The book is a must-read and their annual conference, MCON, is a must attend – if you want the latest thinking about strategy to engage younger people in the sector – both inside and outside of your nonprofit’s walls. The… -
Heartland Pride: Winner of the #npfail Little Bets Contest
21 May 2013 | 9:21 amLast month, during the Nonprofit Technology Conference plenary session on placing little bets and learning from failure, we issued a challenge to 1,000 nonprofits in the audience. Let’s do more than just give failure lip service, let’s put it into practice and share learning from a failure or placing a “Little Bet.” A ‘Little Bet” as defined by Peter Sims, author of the book – Little Bets, is a small action that you can take to discover something new. It’s an affordable loss that leads to innovation. Place a little bet & or share… -
Trainer’s Notebook: The Art of Good Openings and Closings
20 May 2013 | 11:22 amSunrise on Sacred Maori Land outside of Auckland, NZ I’ve just returned from an amazing trip of facilitating workshops, discussions and master classes as well as a keynoting a conference on “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit” in Australia and New Zealand. It made me very happy to be teaching non-stop for almost two weeks. I’m always learning as I help others learn. Here’s a couple of reflections from my “trainer’s notebook.” I started with a full-day workshop outside of Auckland called “The Networked NGO in New… -
Get the Scoop at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington, DC in June #NCVS
15 May 2013 | 2:32 pmNote from Beth: I’ve just finished doing some social media workshops in New Zealand with Volunteering Auckland and now in Australia. Next month, I will be traveling to Washington, DC for the NCVS Conference and can’t wait. I will be doing a panel on using social media as part of volunteer recruitment. While I’m still “down under,” Michelle Nunn agreed to share this guest post about conference highlight Get the Scoop at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington, DC #NCVS guest post by Michelle Nunn I’m eager to let…
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Forgiveness Project
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EVENT: Film Screening “Within the Eye of the Storm”, 19th June
23 May 2013 | 1:53 amIn partnership with Combatants for Peace and Encounters we are proud to co-host a special screening of the award winning feature documentary Within The Eye of the Storm, followed by a discussion with the director Shelley Hermon and protagonists, Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan. Within The Eye of The Storm tells the remarkable story of Bassam and Rami, a Palestinian and an Israeli who were once dedicated fighters, yet each one of them experience the tragic loss of their daughters to the conflict. Against all odds they set out on a joint journey to humanize the very enemy, which took the… -
EVENT: School of Life: “World-Changers” series, 13th June
23 May 2013 | 1:47 amThe Forgiveness Project founder/director will be giving a seminar at the School of Life in London on 13th June. World-Changers is a series where journalist John-Paul Flintoff talks to prominent individuals who have “made a huge difference – and who believe that anybody could do the same.” Thurs 13th June, 7-9pm at The School of Life, 70 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AB Tickets are £20.50 and available from School of Life website. Click here for more information. The post EVENT: School of Life: “World-Changers” series, 13th June appeared first on Forgiveness… -
EVENT: Narrative Practitioners Forum – 5th June
20 May 2013 | 10:03 pmThe Narrative Practitioners Forum is a creative space space for those who use narrative and personal story in their work (or would like to). We meet between 5.30-8.15pm at the London Interfaith Centre in Queens Park, NW6, to share best practice, learn from each other, and collaborate. The workshops in June will be: Collecting stories ethically and protecting the story-sharer from harm - with Jane Perrott, Community Historian & Listener, Hear and Now Projects Using constellation work as a way of exploring personal story - with Joan Wilmot (trainer, mediator and coach). To find out… -
COURSE: Diploma in Group Facilitation, Conflict Resolution and Counselling Skills
15 Apr 2013 | 3:29 amWe will once again be running our Diploma in Group Facilitation, Conflict Resolution and Counselling Skills. The course is run in conjunction with NAOS and lasts one year, from October 2013 until October 2014. The course flyer can be downloaded here. The course will be held at the Resource for London, Holloway Road, London, for further information and to register visit: http://naos-institute.com/one-year-diploma-group-facilitation-conflict-resolution-and-counselling-skills.html. If you have any questions, email rachel@theforgivenessproject.com. The post COURSE: Diploma in Group Facilitation,… -
EVENT: Letting Go of the Past – Saturday, 8 June 2013
20 Mar 2013 | 5:51 amOn the 8th June we are running a workshop in collaboration with St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, using narrative-based techniques to explore self-forgiveness and to transform personal stories of mistakes and failure. Many of us carry stories within us that we hesitate to share with others. Stories of mistakes or failure – times when we let ourselves or others down, or made choices which had consequences that were hard to live with. None of us are perfect – our lives are subject to human error. Learning to forgive ourselves is not always easy, and can…
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Pledging for Change
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City Planning Now For A Sustainable Future
16 May 2013 | 3:34 pmMedieval folk knew well the impact of urban design, or lack of it. In the Middle Ages, cities grew as population demanded, with little to no planning, and the result was filth, congestion and poor sanitation, contributing to a squalor that bred pestilence. Before anyone thought to practice more efficient urban planning, a third of Europe's population had died from the Black Death. You don't need plague, or city-wide cataclysms like the Great Fire of Ancient Rome to demonstrate the importance of urban design. You need only look at all of human technological progress, and how it has affected… -
Eliminating the Obstacles to EV Adoption
28 Apr 2013 | 2:59 amWith gas prices soaring and petroleum supplies dwindling, the electric car, at first glance, seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, many obstacles still stand in the way of electric vehicles (or EVs) gaining widespread public acceptance and a competitive place in the market. While the challenges facing the EV are widespread and complex, advances in technology bring us closer to a future where the EV will replace the petrol car entirely. Given our unsustainable dependence on fossil fuels, it seems more a case of when, rather than if, the EV takes the lead. One of the biggest hurdles to the… -
The 5th Crime against Humanity
24 Apr 2013 | 2:47 amUnder rules of the European Commission, or EC, a European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) allows EU residents to collaborate in designing EU law and policy. Effective April 1, 2012, the provision is part of the Treaty of Lisbon and aims at expanding “direct democracy” among its members. The current initiative, operating under the aegis of the organization End Ecocide in Europe (EEI), intends to make ecocide unlawful among member states of the European Union, or EU. In order to succeed, the EEI is seeking signatures from voting-age residents to reach the one-million mark required for… -
“Greening” Our Schools through the Power of Involvement
18 Apr 2013 | 3:59 pmSchools are the foundation of our children’s future; however, it takes energy to consistently upkeep the buildings that provide our kids with an education. What better way to involve students in the “green-revolution” than to have their school participate in eco-friendly activities? Here are some interesting ways to get your children or even your students involved with the “green movement” Celebrate Earth Day! Every April 22nd, host an event in honor of Earth Day. Some elementary and middle schools decorate their gymnasium, bringing the outdoors indoors and incorporating the… -
Live Events Expose Your Cause
18 Apr 2013 | 3:47 pmIf you want to get the word out about your cause one of the best and quickest ways to do so is to host, organize, or participate in live events. Whether it's a march, rally, lecture, presentation, or something else, live events can have a huge impact in awareness for your cause and allow for greater hands on engagement if you do it right. What’s Already Going On? Call it the low lying fruit, but first look on-line and in your local paper for upcoming events. What’s coming up that you can piggy-back on? For instance, everyone knows Earth Day is in April so many communities already have…
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Raghav's Blog
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Good Bye to Bangalore & a warm Hello to Hyderabad
19 May 2013 | 11:12 amAfter almost 6yrs of my journey in Bangalore now I am returning home, it’s a strange feeling when one part of your mind say’s it’s time to move and another part of mind say’s no no wait I got more to show…it’s a tough decision like many other’s in my life and I think like… Continue Reading Good Bye to Bangalore & a warm Hello to HyderabadThe post Good Bye to Bangalore & a warm Hello to Hyderabad appeared first on Raghav's Blog. -
My First 10k Run For This Season
17 May 2013 | 9:31 pmToday did my first 10k for this season…first 1k I ran with Chandra, as she is new to running with me we were talking and did a slow pace run…Anupama joined us later and she took it off from there we ran together earlier many times and decided to keep a study pace, we ran… Continue Reading My First 10k Run For This SeasonThe post My First 10k Run For This Season appeared first on Raghav's Blog. -
To make a difference in my life
15 May 2013 | 10:22 pmWhen I wanted to make a difference in my life, I tried finding solutions for my problems, reading widely that is available on internet, spoke to people who are under going the same as me etc…….I learned how to move on, how to be practical, how to transform my emotion into a powerful action and… Continue Reading To make a difference in my lifeThe post To make a difference in my life appeared first on Raghav's Blog. -
A Feel of Joy and A Feel of Achievement
12 May 2013 | 11:16 amA feel of joy feel of achievement and pride After I came back from my run today I slept for few hours and when I woke up I realized there is a kind of stinking smell in the house…I know what’s the source of it and went to kitchen to find that my sink is… Continue Reading A Feel of Joy and A Feel of AchievementThe post A Feel of Joy and A Feel of Achievement appeared first on Raghav's Blog. -
Vision Update the blinded right eye
29 Apr 2013 | 6:15 amSome times life is a bitchy thing, when you don’t want something not to happen or when you least expect, out of the blue it hits hard on your face. From last few day’s the only thing on my mind is How to deal with this now…I got big plans and started working on my… Continue Reading Vision Update the blinded right eyeThe post Vision Update the blinded right eye appeared first on Raghav's Blog.
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Tiny Buddha
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8 Ways to Discover Your Passion and Live a Life You Love
23 May 2013 | 8:30 pm“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman I didn’t spend two years and $100,000 for a master’s degree in counseling from an Ivy League university so that I could be miserable and hate my life 50 hours a week, but that’s what happened. After a few years in the trenches of the non-profit world, my job had become so emotionally draining that it was taking a viscous toll on my health and causing gripping anxiety attacks. I felt exhausted more often than not, and I… -
People We Don’t Like: When Others Push Our Buttons
22 May 2013 | 8:41 pmI have a confession to make: there’s someone I know who I really don’t like. I know this isn’t exactly front-page news. It’s not like I’m the first person to ever dislike someone else. But this situation has brought me face to face with all my strongest relationship triggers. I find it incredibly difficult to do all the things I’ve written about when it comes to this person. Let’s call him Harry. (I’ve never in my life met a single person named Harry, but let’s just roll with it.) I regularly find myself wanting to judge Harry before giving him the benefit of the… -
Why We Want Them to Like Us (And Why We Don’t Need Them To)
22 May 2013 | 8:40 pm“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ~Maya Angelou I’ve been a world-class worrier about what other people would think about me for a long time. The clothes, the hair, the shoes. The books I read, the movies I liked, the music I listened to. The hobbies, the people I hung out with. The things I liked and the things I disliked. They all got scrutinized under the “am I doing the right thing?” filter. Am I being exactly the right amount of cool? Am I being reasonable and responsible? Am I being interesting enough? It was a full time job,… -
Overcoming the Fear of Taking a Risk: Just Do It
21 May 2013 | 8:40 pm“Fear is inevitable, I have to accept that, but I cannot allow it to paralyze me.” ~Isabelle Allende About eight months ago I hitched a ride to Buenos Aires, Argentina via a one way ticket with the love of my life. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds. I wasn’t throwing things in my suitcase and cashing out my bank account while kissing friends and family goodbye, sayin’ “See ya!” My boyfriend and I were recent graduates at wits end suffering economic woes with no place to go. We had always wanted to go abroad to teach English, but weren’t sure where we’d end up. At one… -
When Your Inner Critic Stifles Your Creativity: 4 Helpful Truths
21 May 2013 | 8:39 pm“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.Steve Furtick We live in an artistically enriched country. The world is already full of all kinds of music, so much art, and so many books. With the Internet, you can experience art’s many forms at the click of a mouse. In my heart, I am an artist. Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved creating artwork. Writing stories, drawing illustrations, playing the piano, painting, sculpting… The unfortunate thing is that I am paralyzed—not in the medical sense. I have…
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The Positive Day
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You Are More Beautiful Than You Think
27 Apr 2013 | 1:05 pmAs part of Dove’s ongoing “Campaign for Real Beauty”, they conducted a social experiment by having an FBI trained forensic sketch artist draw women as described by themselves, and then as described by a stranger they had just met. Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful. At Dove, we are committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. So, we decided to conduct a compelling social experiment that explores how women view their own beauty in contrast to what others see. Update: Here is some… -
A Pep Talk from Kid President
31 Jan 2013 | 7:10 pmHow’s your new year going so far? Need a little boost of encouragement? Maybe you need a pep talk from Kid President! What will you create that will make the world awesome? Nothing if you keep sitting there. That’s why I’m talking to you today. This is your time. This is my time. It’s our time. You can make everyday better for each other. If we are all on the same team let’s start acting like it. We got work to do. We can cry about it or we can dance about it. We were made to be awesome. This video was created by SoulPancake. Founded in 2008 by actor Rainn… -
2012 Sports Illustrated SportsKids of the Year
17 Jan 2013 | 10:57 amCayden Long, age 7, suffers from cerebral palsy, but his older brother Conner, age 9, doesn’t let that stop them from playing sports together. They participated in their first triathlon as “Team Long Brothers” on June 5th, 2011 and over the last 18 months have competed in 14 races. Conner tows Cayden in a raft while swimming, pulls him in a trailer for cycling and pushes the trailer during the run. Ten years from now the perfect place for me and Cayden would be… [to] have the Team Long Brothers flag on the moon. – Conner Long The brothers were honored as 2012… -
Offset Your Naughty
21 Dec 2012 | 11:25 amAfraid of getting coal in your stocking this year? Turn your bad deed into a win for the environment at Offset Your Naughty. Creative agency Carmichael Lynch is purchasing a carbon offset (equivalent to one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions) for every confession, up to 400 entries. Carmichael Lynch’s purchase of 400 metric tons is equivalent to planting 10,256 tree seedlings and growing them for 10 years, or preserving 4 acres from being deforested for a year. So go ahead, get off that naughty list! -
What If Money Was No Object?
9 Oct 2012 | 2:26 pmBritish philosopher Alan Watts asks the question “What would you do with your life if money was no object?” So I always ask the question, what would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life? … do that and forget the money, because, if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is to go on doing things you don’t like doing, which is stupid. Better to have a short life that…
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Have Impact !
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New microfinance loans went to 20 countries
6 May 2013 | 9:09 pmWe help Rita from Kyrgyzstan to expand her livestock Nicaragua, Tanzania, Philippines, Georgia, Senegal, Congo, Rwanda, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Mali, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ghana, Armenia, Peru, and Azerbaijan. That’s 20 countries. That’s how many countries our new Kiva loans went to, today. Most of the entrepreneurs we lend to, are women working in agriculture. You might think I am a half-millionaire to allocate US$3,475 of new loans in one go. However, these were all repayments from previously allocated loans. Re-investing in people, to help… -
New loans to women groups
8 May 2012 | 7:50 amJamila (L) and her microfinance entrepreneural group Today, we issued a new batch of microfinance loans. This batch contained only loans for groups, mainly consisting of women. In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan, as a part of a larger group of individuals. The group is there to provide support to the members and to provide a system of peer pressure. Groups may or may not be formally bound by a group guarantee, where members of the group are responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members in the case of delinquency or default. -
70 more loans to women, working in agriculture
18 Mar 2012 | 4:15 pmZaripakhon in Kyrgyzstan Would you even know where Kyrgyzstan is? Leave alone, been there? And would you even have thought to finance an entrepreneur there? Ever? Well we did. On all three accounts: “Knew”, “Visited”, and “Financed”… We just financed our 1,666th loan (that is one thousands six hundred and sixtysixthththth) loan with our Kiva micro financing team. The loan went to Zaripakhon, 52 years and mother of three children. She is a cattle farmer since 2000 selling milk and dairy products. To order further develop her business, Zaripakhon… -
Start 2012 well!
31 Dec 2011 | 12:32 pmSince we kicked off our Kiva microfinance project “Change Starts Here” in November 2008, our Kiva Lending Team has already funded over 1,500 projects, for a total value of US$54,000. Check out our project score card on our Have Impact! blog. In 2011, I had a wide range of sponsors for the blogs I manage. After deducting the running costs for my blogs, I want to invest the left-over funds in our microfinance project “Change Starts Here” . Seems like a good way to start 2012 off on a good footing! So, from January 1 to 15, I will run a promotion campaign for AidJobs, my… -
Horn of Africa: Want to have impact? Help us spreading the message!
24 Aug 2011 | 2:11 pmAfter 17 years in the field, working in front line humanitarian emergency response, of which 15 years in food aid relief, I took a sabbatical break. Taking a distance allowed me to discover an other side of the humanitarian work, something more longer term, but with no less impact: agricultural development. Over the past sabbatical year, I had the opportunity to work with a team at CGIAR, mostly on social media related projects. That work brought me to the field, talking to farmers about ways they adapt (or don’t) to the economic and climatic changes, their needs, their wishes,… I wrote…
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Farnam Street
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2013 Summer Reading List — Curated Recommendations For a Curious Mind
23 May 2013 | 6:00 amI bet you’d like to read more this summer. Wouldn’t we all. Well, stop talking about it and start finding some books already. Here is a curated list of multi-disciplinary books that can help fill your brain and a few that might even help you unwind. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? -
Neil Gaiman — Make Good Art
22 May 2013 | 3:51 pmNeil Gaiman, gave one of the best commencement speeches ever. It was so good, it was one of the top posts on Farnam Street in 2012. While the speech was full of useful wisdom, one of the best parts, for me, was the near the beginning. When you start out on a career in the arts you have no idea what you are doing. This is great. People who know what they are doing know the rules, and know what is possible and impossible. You do not. And you should not. The rules on what is possible and impossible in the arts were made by people who had not tested the bounds of the possible by going beyond… -
How to retain more of what you read
22 May 2013 | 6:00 amOne of the keys to getting smarter is to read a lot. But that’s not enough. Reading is only one part of the equation. We’re going to borrow a tip from Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, to make our reading go deeper and stay with us longer. Cialdini revealed a trick that he uses, to a reader of Farnam Street, who was kind enough to share it with me. While on the flight to Omaha, he was reading. He took notes on the material itself, and every time he completed a chapter he pulled out a sheet of white paper and wrote a single page summary on what he… -
What Is It About Bees And Hexagons?
21 May 2013 | 7:00 amWhy is every cell in this honeycomb a hexagon? More than 2,000 year ago, Marcus Terentius Varro, a roman citizen, proposed an answer, which ever since has been called “The Honeybee Conjecture.” He thought that if we better understood, there would be an elegant reason for what we see. “The Honeybee Conjecture” is an example of mathematics unlocking a mystery of nature. And luckily, NPR, with the help of physicist/writer Alan Lightman, (who recently wrote The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew) helps explains Varro’s hunch. Why the preference for… -
The Power of I Don’t Know
21 May 2013 | 6:00 amIt’s ok to say I don’t know. “There seems to be a widespread presumption that writing is prescriptive (or proscriptive) rather than simply observational or meditative,” writes Tim Kreider in his New York Times op-ed. Confident authority is an appropriate tone for straight reportage, but it’s become the default of columnists, essayists and bloggers, one that’s so reflexive that some of them seem to forget it’s a pose. To some extent this is a deformative effect of the space restrictions within which most of us work; in a thousand-word essay you can’t include every…
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Dutiee
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Medical Checkups Are Now An iPhone App Away, Thanks To This TED Fellow
12 May 2013 | 11:26 pmMyshkin Ingawale is a senior TED Fellow and has presented at the TEDGlobal conference twice, both the times unveiling revolutionary medical technologies. At his first TED conference in 2012, Myshkin showcased his invention ToucHb, a low-cost, portable, handheld device that could do a blood test without bleeding to scan for anemia. At TED 2013, Myshkin unveiled a smartphone app called uChek, that could analyse your urine in seconds to check for a range of medical conditions including diabetes, urinary tract infection, liver and kidney problems. Don’t worry you don’t have to pee on your… -
BRCK – A Device For Uninterrupted Internet Connectivity
7 May 2013 | 12:33 amImagine losing power and with that your internet access for a few hours, sounds bad? While most of us could live with no power for a few hours, losing internet access would just make it that much more painful. Spotty internet access and power is a big problem in most of the developing nations and surprisingly in a lot of the developed world too. Ushahidi, a nonprofit tech company that operates in rugged environments believes that reliable internet connectivity is very important no matter where you live and to solve this problem they’ve developed the BRCK. BRCK is a wifi router, plus a… -
Data for Social Good: A Beginners Guide for Nonprofits and Social Ventures
29 Apr 2013 | 11:04 pmData is gaining tremendous prominence in the business world. Companies are becoming highly data driven in every aspect of their business – from gaining new customers, providing better personalized services, cutting costs, to developing new products. With the visible benefits of increased profits and efficiency, companies are spending more resources than ever to understand, visualize and monetize data. The positive outcomes for data driven businesses has got nonprofit thinkers and leaders excited to try and spark the same kind of excitement around data in the social sector. Currently,… -
Slow Money Movement Puts A Break On The Fast Food Nation
26 Apr 2013 | 6:33 amIf you haven’t heard of Slow Money or Slow Food before don’t be surprised, both are a relatively new movements that are gaining ground in America. These movements make a case for slowing down, with things that matter – money, food, soil and community. The Slow Food movement stands for seasonal, local and sustainably grown food, which maintains soil fertility and the many environmental and health benefits that flows from consuming slow food. Slow Money is the movement that’s bringing capital to invest in small food enterprises – local food producers who are employing… -
Guide To Changing The World With A Kickstarter Launch
21 Apr 2013 | 10:30 pmIf you are using consumerism to change the world, Kickstarter is a great place to fund and launch your business. Many changemakers with consumer ideas have met with overwhelming fundraising success by tapping into the fact that people love getting stuff. Kickstarter, the largest and most popular crowdfunding site, allows anyone to fund creative ideas on the planform in exchange for rewards which are mostly creative, tangible and fairly priced products. On Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the other popular crowdfunding site, backers are looking to contribute to projects where they…
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LoveLivfe.com
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#KohlorYourWorld with KöH Lamp!
1 May 2013 | 7:09 am[Sponsored] Hey guys! Look what I have received!!! I was so excited when I first received an email about KöH Lamp and guess what, here’s a review of this super funky designed lamp. Surprised at how amazingly light the box is. Interesting, isn’t it? At first I was puzzled with how to assemble the light until the moment I saw the essentials. I don’t even need a manual, haha! Smart girl~~~ <- self-praise. Anyway, this is really easy! Just screw the light bulb into the connector, it will look like the picture below. The next, which is also the last, step is to screw the… -
Hummings goes mobile now!
29 Apr 2013 | 7:30 am[Sponsored] If you are still wondering what gift to choose for your mum for this upcoming Mother’s Day or someone’s birthday is coming soon and you have no clue what to buy or even when you are at lost of where to get celebratory banners, fret not! Hummings.com provides a one-stop convenient estore that caters to all needs. From personal to professional. But you are always on the go and have no time to even sit down in front of the computer to shop online, it’s alright too, because Hummings.com has just launched their mobile site! YAY! Open up your internet browser on your… -
Firefly to Kuantan – Swiss-Garden Resort & Spa
25 Apr 2013 | 8:52 amIf you have been following my Kuantan posts (special thanks to Firefly and Tourism Malaysia again) and wanted to know about the second resort I talked about, here it is. :) A pretty resort with many interesting services to enrich your vacation even if you don’t step out of the resort. With all the facilities, eg. swimming pool; gym; game room and et cetra, you could easily spend your time playing sports or games in the resort. Especially when their rooms are so comfortable. Love how the design of the room is, with all the furnitures that are made from bamboo or wood. Even the… -
#CGSG13 Bowling @ Orchid Bowl
23 Apr 2013 | 4:46 amSuppppppp everyone~~~~~~~ Have you been exercising these days? I do! *GRINS* I know I have been lazy and full of excuses when it comes to sports but being able to play one of my favourite games, bowling, is definitely fun. Despite being horrible at it, the bloggers had fun that day at Orchid Bowl . The amount of contestants ain’t a joke. From all areas of Singapore, these professionals played with confidence. Each team brought out their best to win the game, but of course… the main point is to have fun. The bloggers do look like noobs besides them, which is pretty funny because we… -
Plaza Brasserie @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road
21 Apr 2013 | 7:12 am[Food Tasting] Hi guys! Remember when I last went to Park Royal Hotel for Plaza Brasserie’s buffet and blogged about a personal celebration 2 years ago? This year, thanks to a kind invitation, I am back for a bloggers’ food tasting at the exact restaurant with the equally good quality of food as 2 years ago. Gotta love the experience again! One of the perks of eating buffet at Plaza Brasserie, in my opinion, is their variety of seafood dishes. With popular flavors like salted yolk and black pepper, what could go wrong? *drools* The amount of salmon that Mag had was really…
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Holstee
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Simple designs in bright, bold color: new letterpress cards from...
23 May 2013 | 9:02 amhttp://shop.holstee.com/products/letterpress-cards-by-sascha-mombartz http://shop.holstee.com/products/letterpress-cards-by-sascha-mombartz http://shop.holstee.com/products/letterpress-cards-by-sascha-mombartz Simple designs in bright, bold color: new letterpress cards from designer Sascha Mombartz. Check them out here. -
Safety on the road for commuters is super important, especially...
22 May 2013 | 9:02 amSafety on the road for commuters is super important, especially in a busy city environment. Looking forward to more bike lanes in NYC! Send us your ideas (find us on Twitter, too) and tag #moreofthis. -
My music monday this week goes to the super talented Robert...
20 May 2013 | 12:03 pmMy music monday this week goes to the super talented Robert DeLong. I recently saw him perform at Sweetlife Festival. Despite being an early show, he managed to turn a not-so-warmed up crowd into a bumping party. He sings, drums, plays piano, mixes - all at the same time. I got to talk to him afterwords (thanks to the glassnote crew) and learned he’s able to jump around and keep the party going so well due to his creative use of Wii remotes. I think we’ll be hearing lots more of him in the near future. Spotify link here. -
I had two bikes stolen in the past 5 months, both overnight,...
16 May 2013 | 5:49 amI had two bikes stolen in the past 5 months, both overnight, right in front of my apartment. This is NYC, that stuff happens, I get it. But here is where my story is different: that first bike that got stolen? It’s locked and parked outside my apartment right now. On January 17, 2013, I locked my bike outside my East Village apartment. The next day I went out to go for a ride and ended up walking up and down my street several times before accepting the fact that my bike was gone without a goodbye or a trace. I immediately started tweeting about it, made a Facebook post (even sponsored it… -
Bike to Work Day is this Friday! Share the road, stay safe and...
15 May 2013 | 9:02 amBike to Work Day is this Friday! Share the road, stay safe and get pedaling! Send us your bike pics and posts (@HOLSTEE) and tag #moreofthis (but remember: no posting/tweeting while riding!). See you out there!
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Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit
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McDonald’s Shareholders to Vote on Marketing Unwholesome Food to Children
23 May 2013 | 2:16 amA resolution at the McDonald's annual shareholder meeting today will seek to prevent the fast food giant from marketing unhealthy food to children. While the majority of McDonald’s shareholders will likely reject the resolution when they vote, Sara Deon, director of Corporate Accountability International's "Value [the] Meal" campaign insists that whether or not the resolution passes is of little consequence.The post McDonald’s Shareholders to Vote on Marketing Unwholesome Food to Children appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. -
HP’s 2012 Sustainability Report: More Carbon Reporting, Transparency, Social Enterprise
23 May 2013 | 2:15 amThis week HP released its 2012 sustainability report, which covers the company's work on carbon reporting, social enterprise and supply chain transparency.The post HP’s 2012 Sustainability Report: More Carbon Reporting, Transparency, Social Enterprise appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. -
Shareholders Press for More Disclosure from Fracking Companies
23 May 2013 | 2:14 amFor the fourth year in a row, a group of shareholders is pressing oil and gas companies to disclose fracking risks and impacts, calling for material performance data and other quantified reporting.The post Shareholders Press for More Disclosure from Fracking Companies appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. -
Do Apple’s Tax Practices Reflect Irresponsible Capitalism?
23 May 2013 | 2:12 amThe reports on Apple’s tax avoidance and Cook’s testimony once again brought up the question of tax fairness and what it means nowadays. To further explore this issue from a CSR perspective, we tried to answer some key questions that hopefully shed some light not just on Apple’s behavior, but also on the practice of taking advantage of tax loopholes in general.The post Do Apple’s Tax Practices Reflect Irresponsible Capitalism? appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. -
Women in CSR: Pamela Gill Alabaster, L’Oréal
23 May 2013 | 2:10 amPamela Gill Alabaster, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Sustainable Development & Public Affairs, L’Oréal, talks about her career, inspiration and recent accomplishments in our Women in CSR series.The post Women in CSR: Pamela Gill Alabaster, L’Oréal appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit.
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Found the Marbles
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Thoughtful Thursday: Timely Trace Adkins Win
22 May 2013 | 6:04 pmThe post Thoughtful Thursday: Timely Trace Adkins Win appeared first on Found the Marbles. -
Boys, Respect Girls. Girls, Respect Your Selves.
22 May 2013 | 3:24 amThe post Boys, Respect Girls. Girls, Respect Your Selves. appeared first on Found the Marbles. -
Eating Gluten-Free for Life
20 May 2013 | 3:52 amThe post Eating Gluten-Free for Life appeared first on Found the Marbles. -
Giving Back to New Jersey
17 May 2013 | 6:01 amThe post Giving Back to New Jersey appeared first on Found the Marbles. -
Thoughtful Thursday: Handbags & Hearts
15 May 2013 | 5:41 pmThe post Thoughtful Thursday: Handbags & Hearts appeared first on Found the Marbles.
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Blog
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Hospitals of Hope sends Clinic In A Can to Oklahoma
21 May 2013 | 2:38 pmEarlier today we sent a Clinic In A Can to Moore, Okla. to provide disaster relief -
Public Puking and Private Prayer
1 May 2013 | 12:00 pmPublic Puking & Private Prayer: A not-so-pleasant experience teaches one volunteer how to rest in God. -
Lessons from an Orphan
17 Apr 2013 | 12:43 pmLessons from an orphan: Mindy shares what she learned about the patience of her Heavenly Father, through time spent at an orphanage. -
Look Dad, I'm a Doctor
4 Apr 2013 | 1:17 pmLook Dad, I'm a doctor! As it turns out, wearing scrubs doesn't make you a doctor. It just makes you feel like one. -
Bolivia or Bust!
27 Mar 2013 | 8:37 amStephanie is serving at our hospital in Bolivia while her husband is deployed to Afghanistan.
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Benevolent Media | Celebrating Storytelling and Design for Good
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The Pitch: “Our View” by Dreams Work
23 May 2013 | 2:00 amPhoto courtesy of Daniel Bradley. This post is part of “The Pitch” series, which follows up with socially conscious creatives who submitted to the inaugural Benevolent Media Pitch Night competition in November 2012. At the event, held in Washington, D.C., 13 different projects and organizations presented 3-minute proposals on how to use storytelling and design for social good, for a chance to win funding to make their ideas a reality. (Read about all the winners and finalists here.) As we gear up to host another Pitch Night during our festival in late-September, we want to… -
Jobs of the Week: Go Wild with Marketing
17 May 2013 | 1:04 pmPhoto by Casey Clark. Defenders of Wildlife are on the lookout for a savvy Digital Campaigns Production Associate to support the Defenders Marketing department. As a leading environmental nonprofit organization, Defenders of Wildlife are dedicated to the protection of endangered species and habitat. This is an awesome opportunity for someone who is willing to dive in to a hands-on position working with HTML and production of e-mail campaigns, fundraising, action alerts and social media. (Washington, D.C.) Do you have what it takes to empower thousands of youth through leadership workshops,… -
The Pitch: 1 Foto 1 Family
16 May 2013 | 1:01 pmPhoto by 1 Foto 1 Family. This post is part of “The Pitch” series, which follows up with socially conscious creatives who submitted to the inaugural Benevolent Media Pitch Night competition in November 2012. At the event, held in Washington, D.C., 13 different projects and organizations presented 3-minute proposals on how to use storytelling and design for social good, for a chance to win funding to make their ideas a reality. (Read about all the winners and finalists here.) As we gear up to host another Pitch Night during our festival in late-September, we want to know: Where… -
With Love and Light: The Story Behind “New York Loves Boston”
17 Apr 2013 | 10:04 amThe Illuminator art collective shines a light on urgent issues, such as the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Photo by Michael Galinski. As law enforcement officials intensify their investigation into Monday’s bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, activist-artist Grayson Earle recounts a creative response to the tragedy. 3:44 PM Alexander: um 3:45 PM a bomb just exploded at the boston marathon me: what?? The news hit me in that familiar way. I was in the middle of making adjustments to some software we were using for the action we had planned for that Monday evening—a… -
Meet the Artist: Heidi Phelps on Wayward Women
2 Apr 2013 | 9:46 amPhoto courtesy of Heidi Phelps. Self-proclaimed “femme-forward” artist Heidi Phelps is getting ready for her first solo show. Her female-focused fine art screen prints will be on display at Tryst, a popular D.C. coffeehouse, throughout the month of April, with an opening night party and special performance by musician Wytold on Thursday, April 4. She said she hopes the exhibit inspires audiences “to consider how women are so often vilified or canonized for behavior that goes against cultural norms.” The founder of Wayward Broad Studio, which opened last…
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Learning from Dogs
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Hope and love
23 May 2013 | 1:00 amRebecca Solnit, What Comes After Hope Many of you will be aware that I follow Tom Engelhardt over at TomDispatch. Tom has been very generous in granting Learning from Dogs blanket permission to republish essays that appear on TomDispatch. From time to time I do just that; the last one being TomGram: William deBuys, Exodus from Phoenix just a couple of months ago. Today is another republication of an incredibly powerful essay by Rebecca Solnit, with the usual introduction from Tom. When you read it you will easily see why it was a must for this week’s focus on love. To offer a… -
Anam cara
22 May 2013 | 1:00 amLove as seen through the Celtic spiritual belief of bonding souls. Who hasn’t lifted their eyes to the skies above and become lost in themselves? Whether the drama of a turbulent daytime sky or the deep mystery of an endless, clear night, sky? Doesn’t matter who we are or where we have or haven’t been in our lives, experiencing that shift from ‘reality’ to a place of souls is familiar to all. Right at the front of Richard Bach’s lovestory book The Bridge Across Forever, there’s this quotation from E.E. Cummings: - how fortunate are you and I,… -
Love is??
21 May 2013 | 1:00 amReflections on the meaning of love. Yesterday, I explored love across the species; back to that first encounter between wolf and early man. Today, I want to revisit what we mean when we use the word ‘love‘ and feel the emotion. I say revisit because it’s not the first time I have dipped my toes into this particular pool. Last August, I wrote a piece What is love? It opened thus: How the relationship that we have with domesticated animals taught us the meaning of love. This exploration into the most fundamental emotion of all, love, was stimulated by me just finishing… -
Musings on love.
20 May 2013 | 1:00 amDedicated to MaryAnne G. A week ago I started the first of what became four day’s writings about passing the 400ppm CO2 level in the planet’s atmosphere. As I said in the penultimate post, “In nearly four years of writing for Learning from Dogs, I can’t recall devoting three days of posts to a single subject.“ Later that week, I had a wonderful telephone conversation with MaryAnne back in Payson. MaryAnne and husband Ed were among a group of people who did so much to ease our transition into our new home in Arizona. As part of the process of obtaining my fiancee… -
Then we were twenty-three!
19 May 2013 | 1:00 amThree Koi joined our family yesterday. Our pond has settled to the point where Jean thought it would be good to get some fish. So off to a pond and fish supplies store in Grants Pass to seek advice. We settled on some Koi and a water lily plant. Koi and water lily ready for the launch. We were advised to acclimatise the fish in terms of water temperature by slowly mixing pond water into the bags containing each fish. Meanwhile, Pharaoh took advantage of clean, green grass to give his back a bit of a rubdown. Ah, that feels so much better! And Hazel pondered what ‘Dad’ was up…
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TAKEPART
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Gay Rights Are a Heterosexual Affair in Florida and Texas
23 May 2013 | 8:00 pm -
Veteran Teacher Resigns in Disgust on YouTube
23 May 2013 | 5:24 pm -
What’s Eating ‘Keet,’ SeaWorld’s Captive Killer Whale?
23 May 2013 | 4:23 pm -
How to Make ‘Nerdy’ Subjects Even Better: Just Add Art
23 May 2013 | 2:54 pm -
WikiLeaks, Bradley Manning, and the Human Cost of Whistleblowing
23 May 2013 | 2:50 pm
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Frank Sonnenberg Online
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There’s More to Friendship Than Friending
21 May 2013 | 4:00 amWhen I was young, my friend let me borrow the red crayon from his new box. So I let him ride my bike. When we got older, my friend defended me in a snowball fight and sat with me at lunch so I wouldn’t have to eat alone. Years later, when we were in high school, and I had forgotten my book, my friend “saved my life” by lending me his book so I could do my homework. What would I do without true friends? Your definition of friendship may change during your lifetime, but its value won’t. True friends have fun together, even when they’re doing nothing special. They communicate without… -
A New Day
9 May 2013 | 4:00 amEach day is a gift for you to carefully unwrap. What happens next is up to you. You can cherish every second that you’re given or let time slip between your fingers. You can live every day with gusto and make every moment matter or you can be fearful and worry about what tomorrow will bring. You can reach out and make a difference in someone’s life or focus on more ways to better your own. You can pursue new ways to grow as a person or wait to see if the world stops changing. You can reach for things that’ll make you happy or you can be content with what you already have. You can drift… -
A New Day (Poster)
7 May 2013 | 4:00 amA New Day The average person lives approximately 25,000 days. How will you spend yours? . . . It’s a New Day. If you like this poster, subscribe to our blog so that you don’t miss a single post. Get future posts by RSS feed, email or Facebook. It’s FREE. Click your favorite option (top right). The post A New Day (Poster) appeared first on Frank Sonnenberg Online. -
ACTIONS Speak Louder Than Words
23 Apr 2013 | 4:00 amThe car with a religious bumper sticker just cut me off. The parent makes the rules and then routinely breaks them. The leader just asked everyone to scale back and then spends like there’s no tomorrow. The politician says, “Trust me,” but we quickly learn that his promises are empty. The truth is, talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Why do people say one thing and do another? Why do they make promises one second only to break them minutes later? Why do people say they care when it’s so obvious they couldn’t care less? Can’t they see the potential damage to… -
Our Family Values
9 Apr 2013 | 4:00 amOur Family Values What are your family values? If you like this poster, subscribe to our blog so that you don’t miss a single post. Get future posts by RSS feed, email or Facebook. It’s FREE. Click your favorite option (top right). The post Our Family Values appeared first on Frank Sonnenberg Online.
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Stuart Goldsmith
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You’re in the Problem Solving Business
14 May 2013 | 2:27 pmI am often asked to single out just one thing which makes the difference between earning megabucks and just pulling down a living wage. It’s always hard to do this of course, because there are so many factors. Here are just a few: 1. Passion. 2. Energy and enthusiasm. 3. Hard work and discipline. 4. Focus and staying power. 5. Ability to take defeat and come up punching for a second, third or even fiftieth round with life. 6. Sense of humour. 7. Good ‘people’ skills. -
The Simple Ideas Are Sometimes the Best
1 May 2013 | 2:32 amLet me iron-out your money worries… I have many friends who are totally broke. Yes not all the friends of millionaires are millionaires themselves! Take Pauline and Geoff. They are always totally skint. And recently they’ve been threatened with repossession of their house. That’s no fun with two teenage lads. Over the years I’ve passed quite a few genuine and hot business opportunities to Pauline Geoff and even offered to hold their hands and mentor them whilst they get something up and running – but nothing has ever come of it. He’s too busy doing what… -
Save Money and the Planet!
18 Apr 2013 | 7:42 amDo you want to help the environment and save money? This is a bit mundane for my usual writing style but recently I did something I’ve wanted to do for about five years – check the standby power on all my appliances. Yes, yes, I know, I need to get a life, but I keep hearing these reports: “If everyone turned OFF their appliances instead of putting them in standby we’d save the Bengal tiger from extinction… or something.” Being a technical type, I wanted to check this out. Turns out I have a shed-load of stuff on standby. My PC, my monitor, my 8-unit Hi-Fi and TV, two other… -
Don’t Act From Negative Energy
9 Apr 2013 | 10:49 amHere’s a great life tip. Ruthlessly expunge from your life all of that ‘duty’ and ‘obligation’ and ‘habit’ stuff we clutter our days with, and make room for what you need to do to cut yourself a better deal. People believe they ‘have’ to do certain things they don’t want to. They have a lot of energy tied up in proving they are a ‘good boy’ or a ‘good girl’ by doing things they then resent! After all, don’t good boys and girls sacrifice their needs and desires for other people? So they fill their lives with dreary ‘duty calls’ and suffer in silence, perhaps… -
You Need Seedcorn Capital
2 Apr 2013 | 8:29 amIt’s almost impossible to make money if you have none. If you have nothing to spare at all, you will have to invest time in order to get your seedcorn capital together. This is money for investing solely in your wealth projects. For many this money can be accumulated by working in a conventional job, cutting down on their outgoings and saving at the highest interest rate they can get. How much seedcorn capital do you need? A lot depends on how wealthy you want to be and how quickly. The faster you want it, the more seeds you are going to have to plant and the larger the amount of seedcorn…
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Self Stairway
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Stop Trying to Be Perfect! How to Live Life Dangerously
20 May 2013 | 4:00 amThis article was written by Dan Erickson. Please comment at the end of this article to let him know your thoughts!When I was younger I did crazy stuff. I drove too fast. I partied too much. I hitch-hiked around the Northwest and rode with strangers. You might think I was living dangerously, but nope. I was being stupid.I didn’t learn how to live dangerously until a few years ago. It took me more than 20 years to learn what living dangerously really means.Back when I lived the stupid life, I worried about what others thought about me. I worried about my image. I had to have… -
6 Outrageous Lies You Believe About Achieving Success
13 May 2013 | 4:00 amThere is a lot of nonsense thrown around when it comes to achieving success. It’s very difficult to distinguish from what’s true or false, especially if it’s something we’re raised from childhood to believe.You really have to begin to question the validity of these claims. If you find yourself repeating a “fact” and you have no answer when asked why that is, you need to re-evaluate your views. You will also find that you make a lot of enemies if you open your mouth to speak about the issues, but hey, that just comes with the expanded knowledge.First, let’s define… -
Lonely or Insecure? 10 Secrets to Feeling Better About Yourself
6 May 2013 | 4:00 amHave you ever had a day where you just felt absolutely miserable, alone, and insecure? Of course you have. If you said “No,” you’re a dirty liar. I’m on to you.Everyone has these days and often times, it leads to us feeling insecure about ourselves. Then we feel like there’s no one around who cares.These negative thoughts just keep adding up more and more. Crap, now it’s like a beehive in your head and it’s only getting worse.I used to be terribly insecure and certain days were worse than others. Hell, I still am. But who cares? I don’t let my insecurity control my actions for… -
The WRONG and RIGHT Questions of How to Be Happy
29 Apr 2013 | 4:00 amMany people spend their entire lives searching for the answer to happiness. Everyone wants to know how to be happy and yet you probably don’t know many people who actually are.It is easy to buy into the idea that there are a lot of happy people just running around. Then you tell yourself that’s who you need to be too! There has to be a secret. Why am I not happy but X and Y are? What do they have that I don’t?This makes you go on a wild chase for happiness. You want to learn how to be happy, but something is missing…It’s because you’re asking yourself the WRONG… -
On Wind, Superpowers, Growing Up, and a Yellow Fuzzy Journal
22 Apr 2013 | 4:00 amGrowing up sucks. I think everyone would tell you the same. I’m not sure why I was so excited as a kid when I thought about growing up. Maybe it’s because I thought there’d be a lot of freedom and that happiness would fall from trees. Money too.When I was a kid, my friends and I used to love strong winds that would create chaos in our hair. We would run around and pretend we were superheroes. We tied the arm of our jackets around ourselves, pretending the jackets were capes and the wind would make us feel like we were flying at supersonic speeds.Sometimes we’d pretend…
