While people say that technology is making us dumber, I’m convinced that the Internet is pushing us to focus on our writing again. There’s no doubt that our generation communicates through the written word more than our parents’ generation did, but we need to understand that text speak often isn’t the answer (tho it can b… sometimes). The reality is that most young people are natural storytellers, they just need a little help directing their creativity. The Telling Room is a Portland, ME based non-profit that helps them do that. The organization’s goal is “to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide real audiences for [its] students.” They work with young people from the ages of 6 to 18 with a belief “that the power of creative expression can change our communities and prepare our youth for future success.”
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There are two kinds of entry level jobs. There are the professional track positions that are typically targeted towards recent college grads (what we try to cover on ODOJ), and the jobs that have very minimal education and experience requirements. Both types are extremely important to our economy because they enable people to learn how to make a living, and both seem to be getting rarer. Today many of the best job opportunities in that second category are in the food service industry. That’s why FareStart is focused on them. They are a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “transforms lives by empowering homeless and disadvantaged men, women, and families to achieve self-sufficiency through life skills, job training and employment in the food service industry.”
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I never went on a study abroad trip while I was in school, so I figured that I had missed the boat. Little did I know that there are educational travel opportunities for people of all ages. Now probably wouldn’t be a great time for me (new wife, new puppy, new apartment), but maybe it would make sense later in life. If I do end up doing an educational travel adventure, I’ll definitely take a look at Road Scholar. They are a Boston, MA based non-profit that “offers 5,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries.” The organization was founded as Elderhostel in 1975 “to provide people over the age of 60 with low-cost educational and cultural programs,” but they seem to have committed to the Road Scholar branding as of late. My guess is that the word “elder” wasn’t helping them out in terms of getting people to sign up for their programming.
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While the USA may be the only country with America in its name, it’s not the only country in the Americas. Our region encompasses much of the Western Hemisphere and has an amazing diversity of geographies, cultures, people, and more. While most of us seem to get along pretty well compared to other parts of the world (at least recently we have), it’s still important to foster an even better inter-American relationship. That’s exactly what Americas Society/Council of the Americas does. They are two New York, NY based non-profits in one that aim to improve relations across the Americas. The Americas Society “is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas,” while the Council of the Americas “is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
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I don’t think that I’ve ever cared as much about how I look as I did on my wedding day. I was still pretty relaxed about it, but I made sure that I had a decent tan, a good haircut, the right amount of facial hair, and a great outfit. It’s not something that I usually care much about, but it’s nice to know that I can do what it takes to make myself look good with a little bit of effort For people with chronic and terminal illnesses, beauty often becomes an afterthought. It’s great to focus on what’s important (like health), but sometimes focusing on your appearance can improve your overall wellbeing. That’s the premise that Beauty Bus Foundation was founded with. They are a Santa Monica, CA based non-profit that “delivers dignity, hope and respite to chronically or terminally ill men, women and children and their caregivers through beauty and grooming services and pampering products.”
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Yesterday we looked at Institute for Educational Leadership, one of a seemingly endless number of non-profits devoted to improving educational outcomes. Education seems to be one of the most worthy and, as a result, pursued causes, but I think poverty reduction has to come in number one. Project Concern International is a San Diego, CA based international development non-profit that works to “prevent disease, improve community health and promote sustainable development worldwide.” The core idea behind PCI is that they identify areas with the greatest need and then deliver help in a way that can have lasting community impact.
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One of the most important areas that non-profits do work in is education. I have no doubt that education can be the solution to many of society’s biggest problems; however, improving educational outcomes for any group of people is never easy. There are organizations working on nearly every facet of education, so one would hope that we’ll eventually start seeing some significant gains. The Institute for Educational Leadership is a Washington, DC based non-profit that brings “together leaders across the various sectors of education (P-20), workforce development and child- and youth-serving systems” to build “partnerships across institutional boundaries, helping individuals and institutions tackle leadership challenges and leverage the resources of multiple partners to foster reform.”
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I was the kid who couldn’t finish the mile run in elementary school. I had a semi-legitimate excuse in that I had asthma, but even now that my lungs are healthy, I still hate running. But I know for many people running makes them feel more alive. It’s an empowering sport that is accessible to almost everyone, and it’s pretty much cost free. Chicago Run is a non-profit that uses running to achieve its mission of promoting “the health and wellness of Chicago children through innovative, engaging, and sustainable youth programs.” Chicago Run already reaches more than 16,000 children in Chicago public schools, and that’s in less than 6 years of operation.
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For me Father’s Day is all about wildlife. I’ve spent every one for the past 20 years in woods of Michigan on a fishing trip with my Dad. It used to mark the end of the trip, but this year it’s the beginning. Every year we get to reap the benefits of the work done by conservation organizations. Up there a lot of the work is done by non-profits with a sporting focus, but I’ve come to realize that there quite a few organizations that protect wildlife just because it’s something that should be done. One of these is Defenders of Wildlife. They’re based in Washington, DC, and they aim to “protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America by transforming policies and institutions and promoting innovative solutions.” The organization was founded in 1947 and operates at both a national and local level.
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It’s funny how we all have different tolerances for looking at inanimate objects. I can spend hours looking at 150 million year old rock formations in a national park, but 500 year old paintings don’t do much for me. I guess that means that I wouldn’t have the best time visiting the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, but maybe you would. The organization runs two separate museums: the de Young in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. Combined they make FAMSF “the largest public arts institution in the City of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States.”
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Your face is how you interact with the world (even though the Internet is doing its best to change that). Like it or not, how you look matters whether you live in New York City or a small village in India. Cleft lips and palates not only have a tremendous cosmetic effect that can cause shame and isolation, but they can also greatly inhibit the ability to eat and speak. Luckily, clefts are very easily repaired. Smile Train is a New York, NY based non-profit that believes that “every child born with a cleft – anywhere in the world – should have the opportunity to live a full and productive life.” That’s why they’re working towards making one million smiles (they’re already 88.29% of the way there).
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Latin America is a region with amazing economic potential. I haven’t spent a ton of time there, but I’ve spent enough to know that the business climate is very different from the U.S., and can vary significantly from country to country. Still, the economies of Latin American countries are very closely tied to each other, and that makes it extremely important that there is cooperation and communication amongst the business community. The Group of Fifty is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is made up of select “business leaders who head some of the most significant and forward-looking enterprises in Latin America.” The organization provides “a forum for the leaders of the region’s most important companies to address changes as they appear in different sectors and markets, to hear from their peers in other countries about alternative business strategies, and to compare experiences and exchange ideas about the future of the hemisphere, its economies and its politics.”
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If there’s a time to get out and enjoy your city’s parks, it’s right now. The weather is beautiful, everything is in bloom, and most people will be in a good mood as they enjoy the first few weeks of great weather. While a nice park is great on its own, it can be even better with some top notch programming to bring the community together. City Parks Foundation is a New York, NY based non-profit that creates “programs in parks throughout all five boroughs of New York City.” They got their start in 1989, and since then they’ve been enriching and connecting “New Yorkers through free and accessible arts, sports, education and community-building initiatives.”
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College students have a reputation for being broke, yet they always find a way to buy the essentials (most often that seems to be beer). In fact, most students borrow money to pay for their education, so it seems a bit odd to consider them a lending source. Yet that’s exactly what Lend for America is doing. They’re a New Brunswick, NJ based non-profit that believes that “with the right tools, college students can change the lives of their communities’ low-income families and gain a broader social perspective.” The tools they are talking about are centered around microfinance–a way that people even on college student budgets can make a meaningful investment.
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It’s extremely important to surround yourself with ambitious people. Unfortunately, that much easier said than done. Where do you find people who can challenge you? Even if you go to a great college or have impressive parents, it can be hard to find the right kind of people to push you. It gets even harder if you come from a low-income community. That’s why iMentor “builds mentoring relationships that empower students in low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions.” They’re a New York, NY based non-profit that was founded in 1999 and has connected well over 10,000 students with mentors.
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I come from an extremely artistic family. My Dad is an architect, my mom is a graphic designer, and my sister is a painter, yet I have almost no artistic ability. Still, I realize how important it is for every person to engage in some form of creative expression. For me it’s building websites and cooking, but for many people it’s some type of art. Art Enables is a Washington, DC based non-profit that has found that “often people with developmental disabilities are better able to express themselves in images than in words.” The organization fosters this creativity by providing a group of about thirty people (the program is open to those “18 and over from throughout the Washington metropolitan area who are diagnosed with developmental disabilities and who have the desire and the discipline to work at becoming professional visual artists”) with “the resources and supports they need to become visual artists.”
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My dad is an architect. I was dragged on all kinds of architectural tours as a kid, and that hasn’t changed now that I’m adult. Whenever my parents come to visit Chicago, we end up spending an afternoon on some sort of architectural expedition. About half the time my dad comes up with a random place that he wants to see, and we drive around looking for it. The rest of the time, we end up doing a more formal tour–usually through the Chicago Architecture Foundation. It’s a Chicago, IL based non-profit organization that is “devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of architectural innovation.” It all started in 1966 when community members banded together to save the Glessner House (we already did that tour) from demolition. That eventually led to the founding of the Chicago Architecture Foundation, which was then a founding member of the Association of Architecture Organizations.
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I used to watch a show called BattleBots. It was a competition between teams that built robots designed to kill each other. I particularly enjoyed the robotic violence, but I could still enjoy watching friendlier robotic competition. That’s what FIRST promotes. They’re a Manchester, NH based non-profit that uses robotics and other forms of technology to “to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.” FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” and it was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen–the guy who invented the Segway along with quite a few other amazing things.
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Our country was built on railroads. Rail travel changed the way that nearly every entity did business in the 19th and early 20th centuries, much like the Internet has done during our lifetimes. The similarities don’t end there. The railroad system was subject to multiple boom and bust cycles, and that led to far more rail being laid than could ever be used. Chances are that you have abandoned rails somewhere near you. Rails-to-Trails is an organization that wants to put them to use. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that is aiming “to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.” Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been around for more than 25 years now, and in that time they’ve helped the number of rail-trails grow by more than 700%.
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One Day One Job is hiring paid Growth Interns/Apprentices/Hustlers! Help us help more student find their dream jobs.
I started elementary school terrified of “hot lunch” (apparently I’ve always had good instincts). One day my mom forgot to pack my lunch, and the principal had to buy me something from the cafeteria. I ate it out of sheer desperation, and was forced to get over my fear. Fast forward a couple of years, and I was the kid who got excited when the monthly lunch calendar came out. How could I pass up chicken nuggets and pizza days? And then my school started offering “doubles.” For fifty cents plus a lunch ticket, I could get twice as much food. I think I may have even had triples a few times. Weird coincidence: by sixth grade I was round. I’m a child obesity hipster–I was a fat kid before it was mainstream. But sadly now it is mainstream, and that’s why Red Rabbit is aiming “to fix the school food system—one community at a time.” They’re a New York, NY based company that provides healthy school meals in the New York metro area.
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For as long as charitable organizations have existed, they’ve been feeding people. Yesterday we looked at Food & Friends and how they’re feeding people who are suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses. Today we’re going to look at an organization that is more focused on the quality of food that we eat. Seattle Tilth aims “to inspire and educate people to safeguard our natural resources while building an equitable and sustainable local food system.” The organization is all about maximizing the health of the community through agriculture that respects the environment.
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I love cooking for friends and family. There’s something extremely rewarding about feeding people and helping to fulfill one of their most basic needs. But there’s more to it than that. Sharing a meal creates a connection and brings people together. That’s why Food & Friends exists. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that fosters “a community caring for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling.” The organization started in a church basement in 1988, and has continued to grow since. They are now able to serve 5,300 square miles surrounding the DC area.
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As you’ve probably noticed, we cover non-profit internships on the weekends. Occasionally I come across a company that feels like it should be on the weekend, but rules are rules (even if I’ve created them arbitrarily). Social Impact is one of those companies. They’re an Arlington, VA based management consulting firm and “global social enterprise dedicated to helping international agencies, civil society and governments become more effective agents of positive social and economic change.” Social Impact was founded in 1996 has grown to serve five regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, Europ & Central Aisa, and Middle East & North Africa.
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I’m pretty sure that I’ve run out of football related non-profits to write about. For past Super Bowls I’ve covered the National Football Foundation, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, USA Football, and even the NFL (which is technically a non-profit). I’ve even taken the advertising angle with Common Sense Media and the Advertising Research Foundation. (We also covered World Vision which gives away the loser’s championship gear to developing countries.) So even though football is on my mind, we’re going to go in a completely different direction. When I was in college my parents and sister decided to replace me with a basketball (not football or American football) playing Italian exchange student who came through AFS. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. Youth For Understanding USA is a Bethesda, MD based non-profit foreign exchange organization similar to AFS that is “committed to preparing young people for their responsibilities and opportunities in a changing, interdependent world.”
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My high school had an excellent community service program. We were all supposed to do at least 25 hours per year, so there was a mix of in-school and out-of-school service opportunities. One of the organizations that we worked with was AmeriCares. I can’t for the life of me remember what project we worked on, but I know that I had a t-shirt with their logo on it that ended up covered in paint (that may have been from a completely different service project). AmeriCares is a Stamford, CT based “nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs – and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs – for all people around the world.”
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When you’re in school, you get a distorted view of what principals do. You see them deal with troublesome students and institute new rules, so you kind of assume that discipline is their main role. As you get older you realize that the job goes much deeper. They’re the CEOs for their schools. They have to manager a team of teachers, work with school boards, communicate with parents, and much more. A good school is often the product of good administrators, which is why a non-profit called New Leaders “develops transformational school leaders and designs effective leadership policies and practices for school systems across the country.” The organization is based in New York, NY and also has locations in 12 urban areas.
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While the Holiday Season is a time that many of us offer help to the less fortunate, it’s usually in the form of gifts or donations. This kind of help is great, but it’s typically temporary. Homelessness and poverty are both societal and individual problems, so bringing about real change is going to take a lot more than a few weeks of giving. Real Change is a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “exists to provide opportunity and a voice for low-income and homeless people while taking action for economic justice.” By focusing on helping the individuals while at the same time pushing for societal change, Real Change is able to make a meaningful difference.
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We often think of technology as a bunch of ones and zeros, but it’s really “the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function” (at least according to Wikipedia). Technology is really the story of human advancement, and that’s why The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA must be a fascinating place to visit. It’s a place that aims to create “experiences that invite people to learn through play, evoke emotions of wonder and joy, contain solid and accessible science, show how technology can improve lives, provoke thought and inspire action, and represent [their] local Silicon Valley community.”
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I went to the same college as both of my parents. There’s no doubt that this made my transition to college easier–I knew what I was getting into, and they knew what I was getting into. The statistics back this up. Students whose parents went to college are far more likely to graduate than first-generation college students. So how do we give these students the advantages and support that typically come with a parent or parents who went to college? New York Needs You is a non-profit that is taking a crack at it. They are aiming to enable “first-generation college students to realize their college and career ambitions” through an intensive fellowship program.
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I grew up about an hour outside of New York City. My parents would take me in a few times a year, and from those experiences I developed an idea of what big cities are like. It took a while for me to realize that New York is remarkable as cities go. It’s huge. It has a prime geographical location. Its people are diverse in a multitude of ways. It’s filled with wealth, yet more than 20% of its citizens live in poverty. There is no other city in the world like New York, and that’s why the Museum of the City of New York must be a fascinating place to visit. They are a non-profit that explores “the past of this fascinating and particular place for lessons about our future” while celebrating “New York’s heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation.”
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