[Printer Friendly Version]

Current News

Imagine. Connect. Act.

I recall Ami Dar explaining to me his original vision for Action Without Borders (Idealist). It was both vast and simple. Despite the many millions of social change and social service organizations in the world, most people still aren't connected with others of like mind on issues that concern them. How can we help people connect with each other? How can we help them take action? The recently re-imagined Idealist.org embraces this mission wholeheartedly, capitalizes on the already substantial information resources of Action Without Borders, and leverages the best synergies of online and offline organizing. There are a lot of ways to approach this and the invitation page helps spell things out, but the core is this: Find people near you and meet them. Posted: 1/28/07; 7:18:34 PM #

Organizational Obituary
	I posted several new entries at The Authentic Organization last week, but there is one in particular on which I would love your input. In Organizational Obituary I explore the use of end-of-life explorations for grounding organizations in their essential nature. I close by asking you what sort of obituary you might write for your organization. Posted: 1/28/07; 6:53:26 PM #

Community Created Content

Nonprofits are slowly picking up on the "community created content" trend. Many are getting trapped in yet another version of "if we build it, they will come" (they won't). If you're looking at community oriented online content projects, I recommend Community Created Content: Law, Business, and Policy (17 page PDF), by Herkko Hietanen, Ville Oksanen, and Mikko Välimäki. Although they distinctly ignore nonprofit missions, I nevertheless particularly recommend the section on business models. Posted: 1/28/07; 6:51:20 PM #

The Darfur Wall

There's something about the elegance of the darfur wall fundraising project that appeals to me. Yes, it's one of those cliches of fundraising like buying a brick in a walkway or something like that, but it's understated and simple in its execution. The fact that the dead of Darfur are numbered is a cold reminder of the anonymizing nature of the horror being perpetrated there. The fact that you can light up one of those numbers for just a dollar is a reminder that giving is for all of us. Posted: 1/28/07; 6:05:01 PM #