I used to wake up every day, look out the window, and see the Chicago skyline. In my new place, I wake up and see a whole bunch of trees. Though I know I’ll miss being able to watch the city from a few hundred feet up, it’s a nice change. Who doesn’t love trees? Well, the people at the Sacramento Tree Foundation probably love trees even more than the average person. The Sacramento Tree Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Sacramento, CA that is “working to grow healthy, livable communities in the Sacramento region by empowering people to plant, protect, and learn about trees.” They have a goal of planting 5 million trees in the area by 2025. Though they have a long way to go, they’ve already gotten off to a great start.
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I’m starting to get settled in my new place. After living in two moderately new high-rises in downtown Chicago, I’ve moved into a more historic building–it was built in 1921 and served as a Chinese consulate at some point. Now that I’m starting my fourth year living in the city, I feel that it’s only appropriate for me to start learning a little more about the city’s history. That’s why I should probably make a visit to the Chicago History Museum, which is just a mile down the street from me. Ironically, the museum, having been founded in 1856, “is the city’s oldest cultural institution,” though they pretty much had to start over after the Great Fire destroyed their building and most of their collection in 1871. Three years later there was another fire that destroyed most of what remained. Luckily, there haven’t been any more fires, so the Chicago History Museum has had a decent amount of time to build a new collection.
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There’s no question that America’s future is filled with challenges, and we’re going to be the ones who have to rise to them. It’s a huge opportunity, but it’s also a bit daunting. The New America Foundation is a non-profit organization that “emphasizes work that is responsive to the changing conditions and problems of our 21st Century information-age economy — an era shaped by transforming innovation and wealth creation, but also by shortened job tenures, longer life spans, mobile capital, financial imbalances and rising inequality.” They’re based in Washington, DC (and Sacramento, CA), and they’re working to ensure that every American generation is able to live better than the one that came before it.
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I’m no art expert, which is probably why most of the artists whose work I am familiar with are both European and dead. My knowledge of contemporary American art is pretty limited. Maybe that would change if I visited the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, as it’s the “preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States.” My awesome sister (who is a painter now pursuing a career in medicine) gave me the heads up on the fact that they’re hiring. The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 after sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s offer to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art of a collection of more than 500 works was rejected. Much like taking her ball and going home, she took her art and started a new museum.
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I was lucky to go to a school that committed significant resources to both sports and arts. Though I certainly wasn’t a standout in either area, I’m convinced that I was a better student because of both. It’s that connection that drives what the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation does. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit that aims to “bridge the academic performance gap among under-achieving students by extending the school day and year with wholesome, skill-building activities designed to improve New York City children’s academic performance, health and wellness, attitude towards school, self-confidence, character and values, and opportunity for lifelong employment.” The organization was founded in 1992, and it now serves more than 50,000 students across more than 300 public schools.
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Humans are really good at destroying history. It’s not usually intentional, but it’s hard to know what will be historically significant before it’s historically significant. Since most of us are constantly running out of space for “stuff,” it’s nearly impossible not to replace the old with the new. It’s happened with architecture, cars, toys, books, nature, and pretty much everything else we’ve touched, but nowhere is it happening more quickly than on the Internet. Old information is constantly being replaced with new information. It seems like a good thing–and it generally is–but we need to start coming to terms with the fact that more and more of our history is happening online. Luckily, we have the Internet Archive. They are a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that has been “building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form” since 1996. They’ve built an amazing resource, that you can access through the Wayback Machine. You can type in any URL and see what it looked like in the past. It’s amazingly cool, but a bit embarrassing for those of us who had websites back in the day.
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We all have our own September 11th stories. I shared mine last year when I wrote about the National September 11 Memorial Museum. These stories, whether they are from the front lines or from people thousands of miles away, are what will ensure that we continue to use the memory of those whose lives were lost 10 years ago today as a positive force. VOICES of September 11th is a non-profit organization that was founded by two women who lost loved ones in the attacks to serve as “an information clearinghouse for those affected by the attacks through the use of a Web site, electronic newsletter, direct mailings and media outreach.” They are based in New Canaan, CT with a satellite office in New Brunswick, NJ, and they have expanded their mission over the years to include “providing continuity of care to promote resiliency and address the long-term issues” of those who were directly affected by the attacks.
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As my actions show, I’m a strong believer that entrepreneurship can solve most of societies problems. It’s amazing what you can create with your own labor and a little bit of investment. That’s why I find the microfinance movement so interesting. What I don’t understand is why there isn’t more focus on this kind of lending in the United States. Grameen America is a five-year old non-profit that is changing this. They’re based in New York, NY, and they’re aiming for “a market where any individual with a dream can receive affordable financial products regardless of income, previous credit history, education, or business experience.” Grameen America is attacking poverty head on, and it seems like they’re having some great success.
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It’s hard not to notice homelessness when you live in a big city like Chicago. I can’t even leave my apartment without seeing a panhandler–there’s one guy who is always sitting in front of the Starbucks down the street during the day and in front of the Hooters next door at night. I don’t give him money because I don’t think that it helps solve the root of the problem, but I often think about what would be an effective solution. Pathways to Housing is a non-profit organization that seems to have it figured out. They’re based in New York, NY with offices in Burlington, VT; Washington, DC: and Philadelphia, PA, and they’ve taken a “housing first” approach that is focused on “addressing homelessness among people with psychiatric disabilities.” In other words, they provide housing before any other services, and they’ve found that this is a far more effective way to attack the root causes of homelessness.
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I lived in the Northeast for most of my life, and now that I’m in the Midwest I miss out on the fun of repeated blizzards, an earthquake, and a hurricane. Ok, natural disasters usually aren’t fun, but I can’t help but be amazed by how powerful nature can be. I’m sure a lot of you will never read this (or read it late) since there are 4 million people without power because of Hurricane Irene, but that’s not going to stop us from taking a look at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. They are “a non-profit consortium of more than 75 universities offering Ph.D.s in the atmospheric and related sciences.” UCAR is based in Boulder, CO and they also work with the National Science Foundation to run the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
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I don’t know about you, but I did a ton of learning after school. Sometimes it was in formal activities like Odyssey of the Mind or a computer class, but often it was on my own, whether it was digging holes in my backyard and finding artifacts or trying to teach myself how to write simplistic computer programs. While formal education sets the foundation for a successful life, it’s often the activities that students take up outside of school that influence what they do later in life. The After-School Corporation is a New York, NY based non-profit that works “in New York and the nation to change public policy and expand public funding so all kids from all backgrounds can have high quality experiences beyond regular school hours that support their intellectual, creative and healthy development.” They’re different from other non-profits that focus on after school activities in that The After-School Corporation does not actively operate after school programs.
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I can’t believe that it’s already back to school time. I’m not happy that summer is nearing its end, but I’m going to keep pretending it’s summer and playing beach volleyball until I’m forced to put on a hat and gloves. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that the school kids who are involved with The Steppingstone Foundation aren’t nearly as bummed about going back as the average kid. The Steppingstone Foundation is a non-profit “organization that develops and implements programs which prepare urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college success.” They’re located in and focused on Boston, MA, and they’ve been helping children achieve at higher levels since 1990.
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Although I may not be a big fan of NPR, I guess it’s pretty useful for learning about new companies and organizations to profile. Yesterday one of the sponsors that was mentioned while I was listening was the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They’re a Princeton, NJ based non-profit that is “devoted to improving health policy and practice.” It’s one of the wealthiest charitable foundations in the world, and it was founded after the death of Robert Wood Johnson II, the founder of Johnson & Johnson. During the 90s one of the Robert Wood Johnson’s main goals was to curb tobacco use in the United States. They spent nearly half a billion dollars on it, and they were quite successful. Now they’re using what they learned in that battle to fight childhood obesity.
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Last Sunday we took a look at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and how they’re promoting democracy across the world by helping build strong electoral systems. Today we’re going to look at an organization with similar goals, but a very different approach. The Center for International Private Enterprise is a Washington, DC based non-profit that “strengthens democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reform.” We often emphasize the political freedom part of democracy, but I’m convinced that economic freedom is just as, if not more, important. The Center for International Private Enterprise or CIPE is all about helping countries build an economic system that encourages a democratic way of life.
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For me water is all about recreation. It’s a place to fish, swim, kayak, and hopefully one day learn how to surf. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy drinking water–I’ve had servers at restaurant tell me that I drink more water than any other customer they’ve served–but it’s mostly an afterthought. Unfortunately, for nearly a billion people across the globe water is neither fun nor an afterthought. “Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.” charity: water is a non-profit organization that is “bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.” They’re based in New York, NY, but they’re doing work all over the world. One of the most interesting things about charity: water is that they’re able to put 100% of the public donations that they receive towards clean water projects. This is possible because a small group of private donors has committed to covering the organization’s operating expenses.
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Although the United States may not have invented democracy, but we certainly made it popular. That’s not to say that we always get it right, but we’ve built a model of government that has inspired a lot of people (the people who work within that model aren’t nearly as inspirational). Our nation went through a brutal war to achieve the system that we have in place, and now we’re watching similar processes happy in many places across the world. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems or IFES is a non-profit organization that “promotes democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the electoral cycle in countries around the world to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, governance and transparency.” They’re based out of Washington, DC, but they obviously do a ton of work internationally. IFES has been around for just under 15 years, and they’ve already worked in more than 100 countries.
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Now that our country has a shiny new AA+ credit rating (that’s a downgrade from AAA in case you were wondering), we’re going to have to get far more serious about cutting our government’s deficit spending. Considering that 23% of Federal spending is on health care and that health care costs are consistently growing faster than GDP, we’re going to have to find a way to spend less on health care. Oddly enough, there seem to be a lot of people who strongly believe that cutting costs and improving health care can go hand in hand. Some of those people run the New England Healthcare Institute, a Cambridge, MA based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to transforming health care for the benefit of patients and their families.” They realize how broken our system is, and they’re taking an evidence-based approach towards fixing it.
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Our country’s relationship with Europe started off pretty rocky. There were all kinds of conflicts including the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Spanish American War, and plenty of others. It wasn’t really until after World Wars I and II that U.S-Europe relations really began to stabilize. That’s why in 1961 The Atlantic Council was founded. They are a Washington, DC based think tank that “promotes constructive U.S. leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic community in meeting the international challenges of the 21st century.” Over the organization’s 50 years its mission and programs have evolved, but they remain focused on maintaining a constructive trans-Atlantic dialogue.
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We often forget that this country has been built (and is continuing to be built) by immigrants. For hundreds of years people have risked everything that they had to try for a better life in America. While just getting here is a journey, the first few years of “making a new life, working for a better future, starting a family with limited means” can be daunting. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, NY tells the story of life in America for nearly 7,000 immigrants from over 20 countries who lived in the building between the years of 1863 and 1935. It’s a part of American history that doesn’t get a lot of attention (how many of us have visited colonial era museums?), yet it’s an extremely important part of our national identity.
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Although getting money to fund a startup company isn’t what I called easy, there’s a pretty standard process for seeking investment. When it comes to starting up a non-profit, the process isn’t often so clear. This can make finding funding seem impossible. However, there are some smart people who have taken the venture capital model and adjusted it for the non-profit world. One of these organizations is New Profit, which is based in Cambridge, MA. They were founded in 1998 and they focus “on supporting innovative social entrepreneurs who have brought a pathbreaking, big idea to life in an innovative organization.” They do this through their philanthropy fund, which has funded a ton of non-profit organizations. (I’m having trouble determining whether New Profit is actually a non-profit, but philanthropy funds usually are.)
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When I hear the word innovation, I usually think high-tech. It’s really just about finding new things that work, even if they’re old ideas. Innovations for Poverty Action is a New Haven, CT based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to discovering what works to help the world’s poor.” By using the scientific method in everything that they do, Innovations for Poverty Action is able to optimize their programs for maximum return on investment. That means they’re able to help more people with less money, which is absolutely essential when you’re fighting poverty. It’s pretty cool that they’ve been able to create a system for reliably developing new innovations.
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I took French in middle and high school, and I hated it even though I was pretty good at it. I dropped French as quickly as I could (after 10th grade) and never tried another language. Now I realize how important speaking multiple languages can be. Unfortunately, picking up a new language gets progressively harder as you get older. If only I had started as a young kid. That’s what Global Language Project is all about. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit organization that “seeks to equip disadvantaged public-school students with the skills to compete in a globalized world and work force” through a “free and comprehensive language training program.” It’s amazing how many opportunities can be opened up for you just by speaking multiple languages. Global Language Project aims to leverage this fact to empower young students.
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Pretty much every non-profit organization exists to make the world a better place in one way or another. Most do it by helping specific groups of people. The Conference Board in New York, NY is a bit different. They’re still working in the public interest, but they’re doing it by serving businesses. The Conference Board “provides the world’s leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society.” Strong businesses build strong communities (can you say jobs?), so it’s essential that businesses are able to “understand and deal with the most critical issues of our time.” It’s still doing good, even if it’s a bit removed from the kind of work that typical non-profit organizations do.
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Looking for a job in the non-profit world? Samaritan’s Purse has a number of great opportunities for you.
Yesterday we looked at an organization called Youth Service America that encourages youth to get involved in their communities. Today we’re going to look at an organization with a similar, but slightly different approach. Mobilize.org is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that aims “to improve the way democracy works by investing in Millennial-driven solutions.” I kind of hate the term Millennial, but it is important that our generation makes an effort to act together in our shared best interest. It all started with a guy named David Smith who was a student at UC Berkeley. He learned of another tuition increase, and instead of taking it, he mobilized some peers and made some noise. It worked, and David decided to make the movement national by starting Mobilizing America’s Youth, which eventually became Mobilize.org.
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Looking for a job in the non-profit world? Samaritan’s Purse has a number of great opportunities for you.
Some of my fondest memories from my high school years are of my church mission trips. Every summer my youth group would pile into a van, head somewhere within a day or two’s drive, and start helping people–usually by fixing up dilapidated houses. It was a ton of fun, and it was extremely rewarding. Consequently, I’m a strong believer that everyone should be involved in some kind of service work, especially our nation’s youth. That’s why Youth Service America caught my attention. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles.” It’s all about building a commitment to service in the next generation that will continue to thrive as the generation matures.
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This is a sponsored post for Samaritan’s Purse.
We all have a Good Samaritan story–a time where we helped someone in need or were helped by someone when we were in need. These are the moments when people are at their best, yet they don’t seem to happen often enough. Samaritan’s Purse has spent the last 40 years working to ensure that the story of the Good Samaritan lives on and continues to inspire people to “go and do likewise.” Samaritan’s Purse is a non-profit “nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.” They’re based out of Boone, NC, but they’re constantly repositioning their resources to react to world events. Samaritan’s Purse’s work can typically be separated into two categories: Emergency Relief Programs and Community Development and Vocational Programs. While these two Program groups serve very different situations, they share the goal of helping people in need wherever they may be.
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It’s hard to think about a hunger during a holiday weekend that is known for backyard parties and grilling, but summer is actually one of the worst periods for childhood hunger. There are 21-million children that rely on free or reduced-price lunches during the school year–school isn’t just a place to learn, but also a place to get a nutritious meal. In the summer when school is out, less than 3 million of these kids are in situations where they still get meals provided for them. That’s a huge gap and a major problem. Share Our Strength is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that envisions a world with “No Kid Hungry.” They were founded in 1984 and since then they’ve working tirelessly to make sure that every child that they can reach gets the nutrition that he or she needs to stay healthy and keep growing.
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Which do you think is preppier, rowing or squash? I’ve never seriously participated in either sport, but I grew up in Connecticut, so I had plenty of friends who did. Both sports have reputations for being easier ways for privileged kids to get into college. It makes sense. Access to rowing shells and squash courts is expensive, so most people never get exposed to either sport. That means the few who do participate in squash and rowing have a lot less competition when getting recruited for spots on college teams. We’ve seen non-profit organizations like StreetSquash, Surf City Squash, and SquashBusters open up squash to a new crowd and use it to promote academic achievement. Today I learned about an organization that is doing something similar for rowing. They’re called Row New York, and they’re based in New York, NY. They aim “to empower young people from New York City’s under-resourced communities to pursue excellence in all facets of their lives, through a unique combination of competitive rowing and individualized academic support.” It’s an awesome idea, and it’s already making a serious impact.
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I must admit that I’ve never been to a film festival. I can barely sit through one movie at the theater, so I doubt that a festival would be up my alley–unless it was the Fly Fishing Film Tour, which I’ve sadly never been to. Anyway, when we think of film festivals, we often think of exotic locations like Cannes and Venice. That’s a long way to go to watch some films, especially in 1957– the year that Irving “Bud” Levin started the San Francisco International Film Festival. This festival is presented by the San Francisco Film Society, which is a non-profit organization that “encourages the progressive evolution of film culture and individual lives by celebrating the transformative power of the moving image in all its forms.” By bringing together filmmakers and filmgoers in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Film Society is further expanding the culture of an already culturally rich city.
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Despite the fact that most of us probably don’t even think about it on a daily basis, we are a country at war. Formally, the War in Afghanistan is the only current war that the United States is fighting since hostilities in Iraq officially ended on August 31, 2010; however, the reality is that we still are actively engaged in Iraq and Syria now too. Military policy continues to be an extremely important part of what our government does, and it’s essential that our leaders are well prepared to make important decisions regarding these conflicts. The Institute for the Study of War is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that was founded in 2007 to do just that. The organization “produces strictly non-partisan, non-ideological, fact- based research” and aims “to promote an informed understanding of war and military affairs through comprehensive, independent, and accessible open-source research and analysis.”
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