So have you been considering volunteering in another country but didn’t know how to get started? Interested in the idea but weren’t quite sure how it might work? Already abroad or a returned volunteer looking for tools to help you transition home or into a new career? We’ve just launched a free comprehensive online resource center to help you figure out the what, why, where, when, how, and what next of volunteering abroad: Idealist’s International Volunteerism Resource Center!
In the International Volunteerism Resource Center, you’ll find pages dedicated to such topics as:
- What is international volunteering?
- What should I consider before deciding to volunteer in another country?
- What are some of the ethical and cost issues associated with volunteering abroad?
- Should I go with a volunteer-sending organization or on my own?
- How do I choose a volunteer-sending organization or program?
- How do I find, plan, and embark on my own independent volunteer abroad experience?
- What questions should I ask to determine if an opportunity or organization is legitimate? A good fit for me?
- How might I volunteer while studying abroad, going on a gap year, or working abroad?
- How might I volunteer abroad with my family or employer?
- How do I determine what skills I have to offer and identify skilled volunteer opportunities abroad?
- What should I know before I go? What logistics should I take care of?
- What are my rights and responsibilities as an international volunteer?
- How can I ease my transition home?
- What are some strategies for translating my international experience into a career?
You can then search or browse by country through the over 14,000 global volunteer opportunities posted on Idealist!
Got suggestions for resources to add or additional topics to cover? Whether you’re brand new to the idea of volunteering abroad or an experienced returned volunteer, we’d love your feedback—just email erinb@idealist.org. Also, please help us get the word out on this new resource center by sharing the site with your friends, family, fellow students or colleagues, and/or providing a link on your website, blog, or social networking page. In fact, if you go back to our home page and scroll down a bit, you’ll see a banner ad in the left column that you’re welcome to use.
Happy reading and safe travels!
This entry is by Erin B., who has also created a resource center for volunteer managers.
By Flickr user philippe leroyer
Each week we bring you a roundup of what you can find on our site related to a specific country, region, or city. Today we spotlight Morocco.
In a simple search on Idealist, I found 63 organizations currently listed (in English and French) that are based in Morocco. Many of them are rural development initiatives or centers for language and cultural exchange. I also found 8 opportunities to volunteers with these organizations!
There are 96 Moroccans with personal profiles on Idealist. To start connecting with them, log in or sign up and go to your Control Panel to create your own personal profile.
Would you like to help make more connections among people, organizations, and resources in Morocco through the Idealist network? Start an Idealist Group or visit our Spread Idealist page for ideas.
This Spotlight is by Joanna, who also writes for the Idealist in NYC blog.
By Flickr user ToastyKen
For any American Express cardholders out there, there’s a chance right now for you to use your credit card to make a difference. No swipe needed—all you have to do is log on and vote.
The American Express Members Project is giving away $1.5 million in funding to an inspiring project dedicated to making a positive impact in the world. From over 1,190 projects submitted, the following five were chosen as finalists:
Help 100,000 children thrive in the classroom! Through DonorsChoose.org, provide 4,000 low-income classrooms across the country with needed school supplies.
Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children: International Medical Corps’ program to prevent children from dying of starvation.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Early Detection Matters: Help the Alzheimer’s Association educate the public about a disease that affects five million people.
Loans that Change Lives: Using the web platform of Kiva.org, fight global poverty by becoming a “social investor” for entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Feeding 1 Million Children Daily: Provide school lunch for children across India through the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
The deadline to cast your vote is October 13.
This post is by Celeste, who writes frequently here and on the Idealist in NYC blog.
By Flickr user collective nouns
These recent updates to mapping and cartographic services struck me as incredibly powerful advocacy and organizing tools, a new approach to empowering communities, organizations and individuals to affect change at a grassroots level.
Earlier this week, the GeoCommons, a tool for visualizing geographic data, launched a tool that enables users to create maps from their own data sets. Their goal "is to push the boundaries of web mapping to provide easy to use and powerful cartographic design tools along with access to a huge amount of complex geospatial data."
Current services like Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft are quite limited in what they're capable of creating. GeoCommons has differentiated itself by designing an "understandable and accurate cartographic design interface," giving users more options for referencing existing data.
GeoCommons has also included the ability to export map data in a KML file, the accepted standard in online map creation. This enables the user to create a map in GeoCommons and then export the KML file into applications like Google Earth or NASAs WorldWind.
Combining publicly available data from sources like the U.S. government, the UN, the World Bank, and other outlets will allow nonprofits, businesses, individuals, and even social networks to efficiently target and coordinate a better plan of action for addressing various issues. Referencing campaigns and activities to varying data sets will allow for better decision making, allocation of resources, and course of action.
TacticalTech.org's Mapping for Advocacy is an approach for "[enabling] advocacy groups [to] explore and exploit the potential of maps to effectively send out their message." Tactical Tech recognizes the potential in using maps to visually represent data for affecting change. Here's an example: "The Darfur project undertaken by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) where mapping was used to expose a humanitarian crisis in Sudan is a prime example. Combining mapping and rich content, witness testimonies, satellite imagery, data and other information placed on a Google Earth map, the USHMM raised awareness of the reality of incidents in the Sudanese region." This is an interesting approach to solving a very serious issue, but only one example of using mapping.
What other examples can you think of? How can Idealist use maps? How would nonprofits be bettered served by integrating mapping into their own services? What opportunities would be presented using this technology? Any ideas?
This entry is by Scott S., our Experience Analyst.
We've all heard of blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, and maybe even steel-collar workers (industrial robots!), but the latest and greatest collar color has to be green. One green-collar advocate, Van Jones, is releasing a book today called The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. The book makes the case for an economy that saves the environment while creating solid jobs.
I was first introduced to the concept of green-collar jobs after reading a post on this very blog. I loved the simple brilliance of the idea. The United States needs to do something about the environment, especially as it relates to energy independence. At the same time, we're dealing with a serious economic crisis, one that's been responsible for over 750,000 lost jobs this year. On the surface, the environmental crisis and economic crisis don't seem related, but Jones links the two in a compelling fashion.
I could go on and on about this, but I think it's better to let the author do the talking. Check out his appearance on The Colbert Report. As always, Colbert's interviews are entertaining, and Jones does a great job at getting his points across.
For more information on green-collar jobs, check out the Green-Collar Jobs Campaign and Van Jones's book, The Green Collar Economy.
This entry was written by Dave.
Potted plants for seniors (Photo by Julia Smith)
On September 27, more than 200 young people and 20 organizations came together at the School of the Future in New York City for the Youth Action Fair, which Idealist put on with Do Something and Children for Children as part of the Service Nation Day of Action. Young people ranging in age from 8 to 25, many accompanied by parents or teachers, were invited to check out stations in several rooms of the school, where they could find out about volunteer opportunities, get resources for young change makers, start hands-on craft projects, and learn about social and environmental issues.
Participants could learn about issues important to the presidential election or register to vote with 18 in '08; while many in the under-18 crowd sported t-shirts from Usher's New Look that read, "I Can't But You Can. Vote." Lil Mama, an 18-year-old New Yorker herself, encouraged youth who were not yet eligible to vote to start keeping track of their thoughts and opinions now, so that they'd be better prepared to use their "voice" (through the ballots) in a few years. To give them a cool place to write down their opinions, she autographed notebooks donated by Street Science, a stylish new school supplies company.
In other rooms, young people were finding out about interesting ways to turn their good intentions into action, from volunteering at an animal shelter, to spreading the use of energy-efficient light bulbs, to getting the word out about sexual abuse. Many signed the Service Nation Declaration of Service, used the computer lab to browse the new Generation Idealist resource center, and learned how to apply for a Do Something grant. Also popular were Children for Children's creative service projects: in one such project, young people decorated plastic pots with caring messages and planted seeds in them so they could be delivered to a local senior center.
It was an inspiring day! If you were there, tell us your story.
This report is by Joanna, who worked at the Idealist table at the Fair.
By Flickr user wwarby
With the U.S. presidential election only a few weeks away, information is coming at voters from all sides. I know I'm having a hard time keeping track of what is fact and what is fiction. Take the first presidential debate in Mississippi, for example: Obama would consistently point to McCain’s voting record in the Senate, while McCain would refute components of Obama’s energy plan. Each candidate claimed the other was wrong. But what if, instead of sifting through all of the blogs, articles, and videos, you could simply go to one objective place and verify for yourself where each candidate stands?
The United Kingdom is doing just this. Seeking to alleviate confusion among the public, TheyWorkForYou.com is a website that aims to hold politicians accountable to their word. You can browse debates in Westminster Hall about topics ranging from housing to bovine tuberculosis, for example, or read written statements from House of Commons members about national defense. A project of MySociety, the British organization that gave you Pledgebank, the platform is a great way to let you know what’s up with elected and unelected representatives not only in England but in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales as well. In true democratic fashion, you can also comment and engage in dialogue with others.
I’d love to see this idea replicated in the United States—and for that matter, in every country in the world, democracy or not. What do you think?
This post is by Celeste, who wrote recently about idea lists.
By Flickr user cocoate.com
A common question we're asked is why so many international volunteering organizations and programs require fees—sometimes fairly steep—for individuals to volunteer in another country. After all, volunteering is supposed to be free, right?
The reality is that, while you may be donating your time, it is often not free for an organization to host you. Many volunteer-sending organizations and programs need to collect fees in order to cover costs like lodging, transportation, and meals. And even those NGOs that don't provide things like housing will still need to budget valuable staff time to support and manage volunteers (consider the unique training and resources some international volunteers may need; for example, language support). In fact, even if you decide to volunteer abroad independently—putting you fully in charge of determining your budget—you'll still likely be looking at costs for things like flights, in-country transportation, and other day to day expenses.
The good news is that there are lots of great resources out there to help you budget, save, apply, and raise funds for volunteering in another country. Start by learning how to make your volunteer abroad experience more affordable here in our brand new International Volunteerism Resource Center. You can read up on fundraising and budgeting strategies, explore potential sources for scholarships or grants, and begin researching those volunteer-sending organizations or programs that provide stipends or other financial assistance to their volunteers.
Happy reading and safe travels!
This entry was written by Erin B., our resident expert on international volunteering.
Here at Idealist we see a lot of contests for social good in our inboxes, and we often pass the word on to you. (Julia recently blogged about this Social Entrepreneurship Competition for Youth, and Celeste spread the word about the Members Project.) Now Google is committing $10 million to fund up to five great ideas, suggested by you, and selected by an advisory board through their Project 10 to the 100th.
They're looking for ideas that will reach a lot of people and have a deep and lasting impact; can be implemented within a year or two; and are simple and cost-effective. The cool thing about this contest is all you need is a great idea—you don't necessarily need to have the skills or time to implement it yourself. If your idea is selected, Google will identify organizations (through an RFP process) that can actually implement it. So, you can sit back and watch as your idea becomes reality.
Click here for more information and a video introduction to the contest! The submission deadline is October 20.
This entry is by Hannah, who feels guilty for not blogging enough.
By Flickr user kool_skatkat
Each week we bring you a roundup of what you can find on our site related to a specific country, region, or city. Today we spotlight Australia.
So far, 592 Australian organizations are listed on Idealist. They address a wide variety of issues, from domestic violence, to youth involvement, to heart disease. There are currently 43 opportunities listed to volunteer with these organizations, and three job opportunities.
I found 853 Australians with personal profiles on Idealist! To start connecting with them, log in or sign up and go to your Control Panel to create your own personal profile.
Would you like to help make more connections among people, organizations, and resources in Australia through the Idealist network? Start or join an Idealist Group or visit our Spread Idealist page for ideas.
This Spotlight is by Joanna, who blogged recently about Muslim holidays and New York City schools.
What do an escape artist, a futurist, and an adult film star all have a common? It's an unfair question, really, unless you're in the Los Angeles area and have a little bit of nerd in you. So don't try to wrack your brain. The answer is: all three have shared what they know at a Mindshare event.
Photo of Mindshare by Jake Ogle
Intriguingly billed as "Enlightened Debauchery," Mindshare is a monthly gathering of curious minds in Los Angeles. In between mingling and music, each event features a handful of short presentations from dynamic thinkers in fields ranging from art to technology. I like to think of Mindshare as akin to one my favorite mashup songs, Girltalk's "Touch 2 Feel", showcasing the different flavors of Sean Paul, CeCe Peniston, and Human League, to name a few. Doug Campbell, one of its founders, likens the experience to one of my favorite snacks. "I call this the 'Chocolate Covered-Pretzel Effect,'" he says. "Just like the candied treat keeps your taste buds guessing, 'Sweet, crunchy, SALTY! WHOA!', Mindshare offers the brain a similar experience!"
Campbell is one half of the elegantly clad duo who I had the pleasure of interviewing for our Tuxedo Travels podcast a year ago. Along with fellow alums from Art Center College of Design, California Institute of Technology, Claremont Colleges, Rhode Island School of Design, and Stanford University, Campbell began Mindshare as a way to highlight our interconnectedness and encourage new ideas. "It's paramount that we, as intelligent humans, remain curious and excited about our existence. It's Mindshare's aim to offer a forum to inspire that energy while simultaneously fostering and enriching our local community," he says. "I'm inspired by trying to connect the people with questions to the people with answers." Besides gaining knowledge about the evolution of color, for example, or nodding your head to beats from an Indian tabla, you can also chow down on food and drink.
I watch TED videos all of the time and it's cool to know that I can find a similar event that's hipper, less exclusive and, well, more fun. And of course, reasonably priced. Sure, the folks over at Mindshare are still ironing out a few logistical and programming kinks. But with Campbell as one of its organizers—who had me laughing almost the whole time during our interview—it's a safe bet to say Mindshare is a good, not to mention, enlightening time. For me, the potential to positively impact the world from such a convergence of minds is enormous.
Mindshare is held every third Thursday of the month. If you want to present or attend, sponsor the event, help spread the word, or start one in your own area, contact Doug through the Mindshare.la website..
This post is by Celeste, who recently wrote about keeping tabs on politicians.
Honing your personal mission statement
Job seekers looking to convey their unique skills and talents need to first look within. Your ability to concisely and convincingly convey your interests, abilities, and experience is a vital first step to career success. By honing your personal mission statement, you ensure that you are always ready to express yourself to a new contact, networking connection, potential employer, or anyone else who may be able to help you in your search for meaningful, fulfilling work. The whole idea behind networking and building connections with people is to create a group of advocates who know about your interests and abilities and can therefore keep you on their radar for times when opportunities that they hear about could possible fit with what you are seeking.
Self-knowledge and the ability to express yourself through a personal mission statement isn't about "selling yourself," rather it is about "knowing yourself." Transitions Coach and Career Counselor Cathy Wasserman says, "While selling yourself can come across as pushy and insincere, knowing yourself inside and out—your core strengths, experience, passions, and goals—greatly increases the likelihood that you will stand out and land a fulfilling job where you can contribute, be supported, and continue to develop and grow professionally. Furthermore, lack of self-knowledge makes it more likely that you will end up treading professional water or embarking upon a career path that does not maximize your abilities."
A job seeker should never, ever say, "I don't really know what I want to do" nor should they say, "There are a gazillion things I would love to do." Neither of these comments help others help you in your search and they don't help you stand out. After you do a little bit of self-reflection, it is pretty clear to see what you want to do. And, while it may be true that you have a lot of different interests (almost no one, after all, is only good at or interested in one thing), identifying your two or three key interests allows you to talk about relevant interests with relevant people. For example, I am interested in and generally good at teaching and writing. If I meet a fellow writer, I talk first about my writing. If I meet a teacher, I talk teaching. My other interests and experiences may come out in the course of the conversation but I always try to "hook" a new contact by starting with what I see as the area of greatest common interest and then going from there.
To get started, check out "Self and career assessment," Chapter Three of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers (you can choose from the first-time job seekers guide or the sector-switcher guide) and learn how to clarify your mission, values, priorities, and greatest skills. Then check out Chapter Four "Networking" to learn ways to turn this self-knowledge into your elevator pitch. By taking steps to identify your greatest skills, understanding what kind of jobs and organizations work best for you, and practicing how to authentically communicate this information to others through your elevator pitch, you will appear confident, self-aware, motivated, and directed. Talk about a great set of qualities to display to anyone helping you find that dream job!
This entry is by Steven, a co-author of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers.
Today's Blog Action Day, and all the participants are supposed to blog on the theme of "poverty."
Well, I started to panic just thinking about blogging about poverty. How, I thought, could I even know where to start on such an overwhelming issue; was it possible to make a dent in such a massive topic? And why didn't I even feel motivated to blog about this widespread and pertinent problem that everyone should care about? It was starting to feel more like Blog Inaction Day to me.
I realized that my reaction was part of a much larger issue: poverty, as a topic, makes many people feel lost and helpless. It makes people think of unbeatable odds, crushing depression, and the overwhelming vastness of the world. It does not make people want to spring into action as much as it should. A lot of social change organizations have realized this, and are developing new ways to get people excited about solving poverty-related issues. For some, this means not even using the word "poverty" at all.
But the reality is, whether you like using the "p" word or not, a lot of you are already taking action. While one little blog post might not do much, I bet that more than 11,000 blog posts will have some impact. That's how many of you joined Blog Action Day to tackle the issue (or some small aspect of it) today!
The Blog Action Day website has ideas for overcoming that barrier to action, as it answers the question, What Can One Person Do? Other blogs propose interesting ways to get involved: Skelliewag lists 30 easy ways to fight poverty while using the internet; the SlideShare blog offers examples of how presentations can be instrumental in making a difference; and Yanko Design is hosting a contest to generate designs that address poverty.
To use Idealist to take action, start by searching for solution-oriented keywords such as microfinance, fair trade, or credit union. And to hear about some unique, inspiring, even controversial ideas, listen to our podcast episodes about Christianity and poverty and community banking; and read our blog entries about street papers, green-collar jobs, raising money for rickshaw pullers, paying students for academic performance, and the role AmeriCorps*VISTA has played.
Please share other innovative solutions in the comments below!
This entry was written by Joanna as part of Blog Action Day.
By Flickr user machale
Oftentimes the best information comes from those you know. Whether you're looking for a job, planning a trip, or considering volunteering abroad, those who've "been there, done that" can many times be your top source of information. And if you're a woman looking to travel the globe, it can be especially useful to gather tips from other women. While we're often able to find these folks in our own web of family, friends, and colleagues, sometimes we have to branch out to other networks.
JourneyWoman.com, founded by Evelyn Hannon, is a great place to peruse traveler-submitted tips from women the world over. Readers can check out guides on female-friendly cities, explore suggestions for what to wear (for example, styles of dress that are comfortable, easy to pack, and culturally appropriate), and read up on staying healthy. Thinking of taking your first trip on your own? You'll find lots of ideas, suggestions, and shared stories from fellow solo travelers.
With a site that covers so many topics—there are sections specific to things like "ecoadventures," traveling with kids, tips for older travelers, and shopping—it can be a challenge keeping up with all that's new. Fortunately, JourneyWoman offers a free monthly e-newsletter to help keep you up-to-date. Looking for more customized advice or to personally connect with women travelers around the globe? Check out HERmail.net, an international directory where you can email fellow female globetrotters.
What other resources have you found useful?
This post is by Erin B., the mastermind behind the International Volunteerism Resource Center.
New leaders who want to move forward with their careers may need an educational jump start—by earning a graduate degree. Because we know that many Idealist members have left college and are busy in their social-impact careers, we've tailored our graduate education program to you.
This week you can catch up with our tour of public interest graduate school programs in three cities across the Midwest: Chicago on October 20, Ann Arbor on October 21, and St. Louis on October 23. Register to get an email with tips about preparing for the fair!
The fairs run after work (5:00-8:00p.m.) to make sure you can attend, and the top-tier admissions staff who tour with us are looking for professionals just like you: committed to your issue areas, seeking to make the world a better place, and dedicated to increasing your own capacity and that of the organizations you work within. The fairs are free and open to the public and undergrads are also welcome to attend.
At the fairs and on our website you can:
- Explore your options for part-time, full-time, online, and joint degrees: schools know you want all these choices and more, and they offer them.
- Check out multiple degree areas to find the right fit for your goals: public health, social work, education, divinity, public administration, nonprofit and business management, law, communications, and more.
- Participate in a panel discussion with admissions staff from a range of degree areas, who will talk about the application, financial aid, etc.
We know you may not have ready access to grad school advisors because you are no longer on campus. So we want to ease your path to your educational future—it's part of our mission, and it's going to make life better for us all. Chris and Jung, who run the fairs, will be looking for you!
This post is by Amy, who also blogs at The New Service.
By Flickr user r.f.m II
If you're 25 or younger, and have a great idea for a project (or you're already running a program!) to help other young people in your community, why not apply for a Youth 2 Youth grant? Do Something will award grants of $500 and $250 to help run 30 different projects throughout the United States and Canada that are by youth and for youth. Apply here by October 30.
There are plenty of other ways young people can get funding and other support for their social change projects. See Generation Idealist for resources to help you build your leadership skills, lead your own workshops, find sources of funding, and more!
This post is by Joanna.
By Flickr user net efekt
I must say, the fair trade folks are smart. I don't think it's any coincidence that Fair Trade Month is the same month as Halloween. Fair trade chocolate is popular and widely available these days, and people eat tons of chocolate on Halloween.
Fair trade goes well beyond chocolate (though chocolate may be its tastiest item). There are fair trade certified crafts, coffee, tea, wine, fruit, and other goods. In 2007, fair trade goods sold for over $3.6 billion—a 47 percent increase over the previous year. Even more importantly, the growth of fair trade means that more producers are treated with equality and humanity in the marketplace.
If you'd like to get involved with the rapidly growing fair trade movement, October is the perfect month to get started. Head over to FairTradeMonth.org and find an event near you. If there isn't one, you can start one yourself.
You can also participate in the movement by buying fair trade items. If you're a business owner, you can start carrying fair trade goods. For more information on things you can do to support this cause, check out the TransFair USA and Fair Trade Certified website. And don't forget to search Idealist for more opportunities to get involved.
This entry is by Dave, who blogged recently about green-collar jobs.
Do you have a short film about a social issue that people need to see? Consider submitting your film to the Ninth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival. Winning entries will be included in the Media That Matters global campaign which includes DVD distribution, broadcasts, streamings, and community screenings around the world. You'll also receive a $1000 cash prize. Entries can be of any genre and can be about any social issue. Submissions must be postmarked by January 9.
And if you're looking to shed light on an important issue, consider making a short film about it. Check out this wikiHow page on how to make a movie. It oversimplifies the process, but offers some good tips to get you started!
If you're not about to become a filmmaker, you can still look for screenings in your area, watch films online, or even bring a screening to your community.
Friendly grad school representatives
Southeastern professionals and undergrads can meet with top social-impact graduate schools at our Graduate Degrees for the Public Good fairs, to prepare you to change your world and to take on executive roles.
We will visit Durham (October 27), spend Halloween in New Orleans (October 30), and end the season on Election Day Eve in Atlanta (November 3).
While we are glad we'll have successfully completed our fifth year of graduate admissions fairs, we are sad because we love traveling with our admissions counselors—who represent over 400 schools, and countless degree programs including the fields of nonprofit and business management, public administration and policy, international affairs, public interest law, environmental science, social work, public health, journalism, theology, and more.
And we have loved meeting you—whose life goals drive so much of what we do. So far we've met almost 6,000 of you idealistic prospective grad school seekers who make us so proud when you ask sharp questions and share your vision of how your education is going to further your careers, help us all build a world we can thrive in.
Southerners and Southern sojourners, we hope you'll come on by our fairs in Durham, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Check out the events on Facebook and invite your friends.
For the final fairs of the year, Chris and Jung will be joined by our new career fair manager Joe Grant, so stop by and say hi to them—they will be wearing black polo shirts with our logo. Jung, we are grateful for all you do! Congratulations, Chris, on finishing your first season of fairs! We are so glad to have you on the team.
If you need more support for your grad school journey, check out our Public Service Graduate Education Resource Center.
This was written by Amy, who blogs at The New Service.
By Flickr user graeme_newcomb
Each week we bring you a roundup of what you can find on our site related to a specific country, region, or city. Today we spotlight Vietnam.
Idealist's database lists 24 Vietnam-based organizations, many of which welcome international volunteers. Another quick search brings up 30 opportunities to work with children, teach English, or participate in volunteer workcamps around Vietnam.
So far, there are 79 people located in Vietnam who have personal profiles on Idealist. To start connecting with them, log in or sign up and go to your Control Panel to create your own personal profile.
Would you like to help make more connections among people, organizations, and resources in Vietnam through the Idealist network? Start or join an Idealist Group or visit our Spread Idealist page for ideas.
This Spotlight was written by Joanna, who also blogs at Idealist in NYC.
When you conduct searches on Idealist, do you ever come across inappropriately posted listings that make your job search more difficult? Now you can report these listings and we will do our best to correct them so that you will be able to find your ideal job more easily without having to sift through messy or misplaced listings.
By Flickr user dweebydude5
Idealist's reporting system allows you to notify both the Idealist staff and other Idealist users of problematic site content (i.e. content that is inappropriate or inaccurate). On the right side of every listing, there is a link that allows you to report it. Reporting problematic content helps us to ensure that all the opportunities and information listed on Idealist are appropriately listed and up to date.
Some examples of the types of listings you can report are listings that are not posted in the correct database—for example, if you find a paying job posted in the volunteer opportunities database; or if you find a job listing that contains more than one job in it. You can also report listings that are out of date, unclear, or posted more than once.
Idealist is an interactive network and an open forum owned by its users. Feel free to participate and take ownership of the content on the site. In doing so, you're helping to ensure that Idealist is providing a forum of relevant, easy to locate, and up-to-date opportunities.
Also, if you want to get more involved in helping update information on Idealist, you can register to become a volunteer for our Extreme Data Makeover Project.
Thanks for your help!
This post is by Lisa, who last wrote about what to do with your personal profile on Idealist.
By Flickr user shashiBellamkonda
As you take your personal mission statement out for a test drive, you will inevitably (hopefully!) find yourself about to begin a conversation with someone. This is often the moment that causes folks (like me) to dread networking events—the awkward small talk, the fumbling to find some common interest to talk about, the mumbled excuse that you need to go refill your beverage....
Here are a few ways to make networking events a more successful, less stressful part of your schedule.
1. Set goals.
I recognize the importance of networking events. Really, I do. But many nights, given the options of heading home to play with my new puppy, grabbing dinner with friends, or just relaxing with a good book, a networking event may not be my top choice. So to make sure I make networking a priority, I’ve set a goal for myself to attend three networking events a month. If I do that in the first three days of the month, great—I’m done. Usually, though, I end up waiting until the last week of the month and then have to look around to find something to attend.
2. Have great questions.
I recently saw David Sedaris on his book tour. After the show, there was a two-hour line for a book signing. As I got closer in the line, I got to hear some of the fantastic questions he asked people who silently handed him their book to sign. By asking interesting questions, listening to the answers, and often responding with something witty, everyone left the table smiling and feeling good about themselves.
One of my favorite questions to ask people is, “What are you working on?” This is different from “What do you do?” because it broadens the scope of possible answers to beyond just a current job. People can talk about the scarf they’re knitting, the blog post they’re mulling over, the bike they’re learning to fix, or any of the projects they’re engaged with at work. Give this or one of your favorite questions a try at your next networking event and see how much easier it is to get the conversation going when you begin with great questions.
3. Know what you want.
My first impression of networking was an uncomfortable, orchestrated process where slimy guys in suits tried to find ways to get what they wanted. I have since become aware of the nuanced and collaborative nature of good networking. But even when there is an emphasis on reciprocation and relationship building, it’s still a great idea to go into a networking event with an awareness of what you’re looking for.
Depending on where you are in your job search or career and what kind of networking event you’re attending, be open to interesting conversation but also have a few specific goals. For example, perhaps you’ve been working as an IT consultant in the nonprofit sector for several years but are interested in learning more about nonprofits that focus on wind or sustainable energy. If you attend one of the international Green Drinks networking events, you may want to set your sights on finding people who will provide informational interviews, advice, and resources to learn more about organizations in the green energy arena. Whereas if you go to one of the local tech-focused nonprofit networking nights like PDX Net Tuesdays in Portland, Oregon, you may be seeking contacts, opportunities for collaboration, or even a mentor because your knowledge of and connections within this field are much better established.
While none of these tips will make networking an effortless process, they can help provide some structure and goals so that you can get out there, meet people, and make the connections that that will get you a great nonprofit job and allow you to find new and innovative ways to collaborate within the sector.
For more information on networking, check out Chapter Four of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers: “Networking: Is it really all about who you know? Yes.”
This post is by Meg, who wrote recently about managing professional contacts.
Creativity and good design are important catalysts for change, and when you get over 100,000 firms and designers to agree to put their powers of design to work for the environment, you're destined to get a lot of positive change.
More than 100,000 designers have all agreed to The Designers Accord, a project that was formerly called "The Kyoto Treaty of Design." The idea is a simple one—all members of The Designers Accord have to agree to talk to clients about the environmental impacts of the item being designed. With every new member, the accord increases its power. Eventually, clients won't be able to only work with designers that don't ask about sustainability, because soon it will be standard practice for all designers.
The Designers Accord wants to take this cooperation for the environment even further. This summer they launched an online community where people can share information about sustainable design practices. The goal is to create a resource full of best practices and case studies to help designers integrate sustainable practices into their entire process.
On a related note: Idealist has recently teamed up with The Art Directors Club to give nonprofits a way to find designers for their posters, brochures, websites, promotional videos, and more. To post a project, select "Pro-bono Design Project" from the list of posting options. For more information, check out our Help topic on the subject.
This entry is by Dave, who wrote recently about fair trade chocolate.
By Flickr user Dominic's pics
Along with falling leaves and various forms of holiday excess, autumn turns up the page on many nonprofits' to-do list that says "Prepare the Annual Report."
Annual reports make their appearance after the end of the fiscal year and can serve an important function as a recap of the organization's contributions to the community and a demonstration of the organization's stewardship of its resources.
The term "annual report" can cover a lot of variations. For some organizations, the annual report is a perfunctory couple of columns of numbers buried in the back of a newsletter. For others, it may be a showy multi-page document prepared with the help of specialists in accounting, copywriting, and design.
Marketing guru Seth Godin and the Community Leadership program at Canada's Dalhousie University both suggest that most nonprofits should view the annual report primarily as an opportunity to tell the organization's story. And a financial summary for the recent year is often seen as a required element in the report; not saying anything about finances in a document called "Annual Report" would probably raise the anxiety level of some readers—a result most nonprofits probably want to avoid.
Godin and Dalhousie are both cited in a recently updated entry in Idealist's Nonprofit FAQ, along with other comments from experts about what needs to go into an annual report. Timely help with planning the annual report is just one of the useful items to be found in this collection of Frequently Asked Questions covering every aspect of nonprofit organizations and their work.
This entry is by Put, the editor of the Nonprofit FAQ.
There's always a need for fresh leadership and big thinking in the nonprofit sector, and finding those leaders can be a herculean task. A friend and I were thinking about new approaches to finding untapped leadership online and thought it would be interesting to develop a reputation-based search engine that could help recruiters look at how users interact across different social media websites.
By Flickr user neXres
Right now it's already possible to sort through user behavior across social media sites using available tools and combining user profiles with technologies like Google's Social Graph and the microformats rel-me and hCard. Using these together, we can begin to identify passionate individuals with the skills and ideas that will benefit the nonprofit community. (Note: This is entirely hypothetical and definitely raises privacy issues. The views here are my own, and this topic is mainly just for discussion.)
So how would this work? I could begin using the reputation-based search engine to find out who is submitting Habitat for Humanity stories to Digg, or who the passionate editors of the Greenpeace article on Wikipedia are. A few more questions I might think about include:
- Who submits the most stories per given category?
- Who comments or votes the most per category?
- What are the keywords for stories that a certain user has voted for or commented on?
Say, for example, that I want to find the "top" users on different social media sites using keywords like "nonprofit," "solar power," or "Red Cross." Which users would the search engine return? Here are some hypothetical examples:
- On Twitter, JohnDoeX returned with the most tweets related to the keyword "nonprofit."
- On Digg, Ghostman returned with the most submitted links related to the topic "solar power."
- On Delicious, PaulRT returned with the most saved bookmarks related to the keywords "nonprofit" and "solar power" and also "volunteer" and "Brooklyn."
- On Wikipedia, Starman88 made the most accepted changes on Wikipedia related to the "Red Cross."
Maybe PaulRT seems like the type of person my organization is interested in recruiting and I want to find a little bit more about this user. I want to use the reputation-based search engine to see how PaulRT measures up on a variety of different social media networks. What sort of data will be returned? How do the results compare to what I'm looking for? I'd be able to answer these questions across a number of different networks:
- What types of stories has PaulRT submitted on average?
- What types of stories has PaulRT favorited on average?
- What types of stories has PaulRT voted for or against?
- Which topics does PaulRT vote up or favorite most often?
- What are the keywords from PaulRT's comments?
When I look at the overall picture of PautRT, it looks like he's very passionate and proactive in the alternative energy community. He's able to articulate his thoughts fluidly and his ideas are very interesting. And it looks like he's very adept at using social media tools to promote his cause. PaulRT might be exactly the sort of person my organization is looking for.
With more people using the web each year than the year before, we're able to find new leaders and big thinkers much more easily than in years past. This approach for finding new leadership is just one idea and it definitely raises privacy concerns, but it's a start in locating the leadership the nonprofit community will need to continue the work we feel is so important.
What do you think?
This post is by Scott S., our resident expert on social media.
Design by SOA Architects
Two Idealist staffers recently attended All Day Buffet's Social Innovation Conference, tantalizingly dubbed The Feast. Joanna reported back that she'd heard Dr. Dickson Despommier speak about his ambitious plans for reinventing how we farm. Dr. Despommier is the pioneer behind the concept of the vertical farm, a potential solution to the dual problems of rising populations and the pending farmland shortage. In the interest of helping good ideas travel, I started Googling the topic.
The idea is both simple and ingenious. Let's build off the local food movement, reduce transportation costs and pollution, reduce deforestation, and reduce the need for pesticides by growing food in environmentally friendly urban skyscrapers. Imagine a 30-story building in the middle of New York City with its own irrigation system, recycling system, solar paneled roof, and enough food crops to feed 50,000 nearby people. Doubt all this food can be grown indoors? Hydroponic and aeroponic growing methods (researched by NASA for the purposes of space farming—seriously, the future is now) make it theoretically possible.
The price tag for such a venture is huge, and critics argue the plans aren't cost-effective or practical. In this video from the Big Think Blog, Dr. Despommier responds to the naysayers: "The first one of anything is expensive."
The idea is gaining attention and supporters. Dr. Despommier says there are 12 vertical farms being planned around the world. If you want to learn more about this big idea, check out the Vertical Farm Project.
This entry is by Hannah, who is becoming more and more interested in food issues.
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