Innovative items and news to improve your life and the world.
At Idealist.org you can find jobs, internships, events, and volunteer opportunities at over 55,000 non-profit institutions all over the world. There's also a huge resource section with tools for nonprofits, a kids and teens center, an on-campus guide, and a guide for teachers on how to begin service projects with their students. The site's also available in French and Spanish, and has a thriving online community with searchable user profiles.
Check out ChangeThis, a publisher of thought provoking opinion pieces (or "manifestos") on a wide variety of often controversial subjects. Here's an excerpt from the site's own creation manifesto: "We're unique in our ability to consider thoughtful arguments and change long-held beliefs. This flexibility is at the core of our democratic ideals. All too often, though, we're led to change our minds on the basis of charisma, not facts. People are so easily influenced by a charismatic leader, the kind of person we'd be eager to befriend, to have dinner with, to follow. We choose someone based on his personality and then do whatever he tells us to do. It seems easier that way, and we all do it. We do it for the right boss or the right mate or the right political leader. We go to war or create a new product or move to Jonestown. The problem, of course, is that in our electronic universe it's easier than ever for one charismatic demagogue to sway the opinions of millions of people -- without resorting to rational thought, provable assertions or the longterm implications of their efforts." The site seeks to remedy that problem by presenting balanced, intelligent discussions on topics in business, politics, technology, etc. All manifestos are first submitted as proposals and voted on by the community, so in a sense it's like a giant collection of peer-reviewed magazine articles. The site is full of thoughtful ideas and completely ad-free, so take a few moments and browse ChangeThis. Your own manifesto may be waiting.
Check out the inspired new community of people at Zaadz (Dutch for "seed"). Their mission: "We're gonna change the world. Our math goes like this: you be the change + you follow your bliss + you give your greatest strengths to the world moment to moment to moment + we do everything in our power to help you succeed + you inspire and empower everyone you know to do the same + we team up with millions like us = we just affected billions = we (together) changed the world." Browse quotes, find events, or build a profile and meet other people working to make dreams come true in service of others. Zaadz is where it's at.
GiveMeaning is a new website where you can fund the charitable project most meaningful to you. 100% of your donation goes to the project you choose, no matter whether you're donating $5 or $5000, and you'll know exactly how your contribution is making a difference. You can start your own fundraising project or browse the 150 current projects that are seeking assistance. We like this new trend in websites that help individuals reach out and impact their communities.
