#How to engage with nonprofit volunteers

[reasonsforhope]

Hazel Chandler was at home taking care of her son when she began flipping through a document that detailed how burning fossil fuels would soon jeopardize the planet.

She can’t quite remember who gave her the report — this was in 1969 — but the moment stands out to her vividly: After reading a list of extreme climate events that would materialize in the coming decades, she looked down at the baby she was nursing, filled with dread.

 “‘Oh my God, I’ve got to do something,’” she remembered thinking...

It was one of several such moments throughout Chandler’s life that propelled her into activist spaces — against the Vietnam War, for civil rights and women’s rights, and in support of environmental causes.

She participated in letter-writing campaigns and helped gather others to write to legislators about vital pieces of environmental legislation including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, passed in 1970 and 1972, respectively. At the child care center she worked at, she helped plan celebrations around the first Earth Day in 1970. 

Now at 78, after working in child care and health care for most of her life, she’s more engaged than ever. In 2015, she began volunteering with Elder Climate Action, which focuses on activating older people to fight for the environment. She then took a job as a consultant for the Union for Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization. 

More recently, her activism has revolved around her role as the Arizona field coordinator of Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group. Chandler helps rally volunteers to take action on climate and environmental justice issues, recruiting residents to testify and meet with lawmakers. 

Pictured: Hazel Chandler tables at Environment Day at Wesley Bolin Plaza in front of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2024.

Her motivation now is the same as it was decades ago. 

“When I look my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, my children, in the eye, I have to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could to protect you,’” Chandler said. “I have to be able to tell them that I’ve done everything possible within my ability to help move us forward.” 

Chandler is part of a largely unrecognized contingent of the climate movement in the United States: the climate grannies. 

The most prominent example perhaps, is the actor Jane Fonda. The octogenarian grandmother has been arrested during climate protests a number of times and has her own PAC that funds the campaigns of “climate champions” in local and state elections. 

Climate grannies come equipped with decades of activism experience and aim to pressure the government and corporations to curb fossil fuel emissions. As a result they, alongside women of every age group, are turning out in bigger numbers, both at protests and the polls. All of the climate grandmothers The 19th interviewed for this piece noted one unifying theme: concern for their grandchildren’s futures. 

According to research conducted by Dana R. Fisher, director for the Center of Environment, Community and Equity at American University, while the mainstream environmental movement has typically been dominated by men, women make up 61 percent of climate activists today.  The average age of climate activists was 52 with 24 percent being 69 and older...

A similar trend holds true at the ballot box, according to data collected by the Environmental Voter Project, a nonpartisan organization focused on turning out climate voters in elections. 

A report released by the Environmental Voter Project in December that looked at the patterns of registered voters in 18 different states found that after the Gen Z vote, people 65 and older represent the next largest climate voter group, with older women far exceeding older men in their propensity to list climate as their No. 1 reason for voting. The organization defines climate voters as those who are most likely to list climate change, the environment, or clean air and water as their top political priority.

“Grandmothers are now at the vanguard of today’s climate movement,” said Nathaniel Stinnett, founder of the Environmental Voter Project.

“Older people are three times as likely to list climate as a top priority than middle-aged people. On top of that, women in all age groups are more likely to care about climate than men,” he said. “So you put those two things together … and you can safely say that grandma is much more likely to be a climate voter than your middle-aged man.” 

In Arizona, where Chandler lives, older climate voters make up 231,000 registered voters in the state. The presidential election in the crucial swing state was decided by just 11,000 votes, Stinnett noted.

“Older climate voters can really throw their weight around in Arizona if they organize and if they make sure that everybody goes to the polls,” he said. 

Pictured: Hazel Chandler’s recent activism revolves around her role as the Arizona field coordinator of Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

In some cases, their identities as grandmothers have become an organizing force. 

In California, 1000 Grandmothers for Future Generations formed in 2016, after older women from the Bay Area traveled to be in solidarity with Indigenous grandmothers protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. 

“When they came back, they decided to form an organization that would continue to mobilize women on behalf of the climate justice movement,” said Nancy Hollander, a member of the group. 

1000 Grandmothers — in this case, the term encompasses all older women, not just the literal grandmothers — is rooted at the intersection of social justice and the climate crisis, supporting people of color and Indigenous-led causes in the Bay Area. The organization is divided into various working groups, each with a different focus: elections, bank divestments from fossil fuels, legislative work, nonviolent direct actions, among others...

“There are women in the nonviolent direct action part of the organization who really do feel that elder women — it’s their time to stand up and be counted and to get arrested,” Hollander said. ���They consider it a historical responsibility and put themselves out there to protect the more vulnerable.” 

But 1000 Grandmothers credits another grandmother activist, Pennie Opal Plant, for helping train their members in nonviolent direct action and for inspiring them to take the lead of Indigenous women in the fight. 

Plant, 66 — an enrolled member of the Yaqui of Southern California tribe, and of undocumented Choctaw and Cherokee ancestry — has started various organizations over the years, including Idle No More SF Bay, which she co-founded with a group of Indigenous grandmothers in 2013, first in solidarity with a group formed by First Nations women in Canada to defend treaty rights and to protect the environment from exploitation. 

Pictured: Pennie Opal Plant has started various organizations over the years, including Idle No More SF Bay, which she founded in 2013 alongside Indigenous grandmothers.

In 2016, Plant gathered with others in front of Wells Fargo Corporate offices in San Francisco, blocking the road in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline, when she realized the advantages she had as an older woman in the fight. 

As a police liaison — or a person who aims to defuse tension with law enforcement — she went to speak to an officer who was trying to interrupt the action. When she saw him maneuvering his car over a sidewalk, she stood in front of it, her gray hair flowing. “I opened my arms really wide and was like, are you going to run over a grandmother?”

A new idea was born: The Society of Fearless Grandmothers. Once an in-person training — it now mostly exists online as a Facebook page — it helped teach other grandmothers how to protect the youth at protests. 

For Plant, the role of grandmothers in the fight to protect the planet is about a simple Indigenous principle: ensuring the future for the next seven generations. 

“What we’re seeing is a shift starting with Indigenous women, that is lifting up the good things that mothers have to share, the good things that women that love children can share, that will help bring back balance in the world,” Plant said...

[Kathleen] Sullivan is one of approximately 70,000 people over the age of 60 who’ve joined Third Act, a group specifically formed to engage people 60 and older to mobilize for climate action across the country. 

“This is an act of moral responsibility. It’s an act of care. And It’s an act of reciprocity to the way in which we are cared for by the planet,” Sullivan said. “It’s an act of interconnection to your peers, because there can be great joy and great sense of solidarity with other people around this.”

-via The 19th, January 31, 2024

[drdemonprince]

I am feeling very conflicted because I want to do more activism but I live in a very isolated area, and the one organization that works here that I even remotely align with politically has had some issues with the people it's supposed to serve (immigrants in this case) complaining that it doesn't provide many services needed and some people in it are dicks. Also, the options they have to collaborate are very much not autistic friendly. At the same time, I hate the thought of sitting back and doing nothing -beyond what I already do, which is limited to people I know- because the option to do something is not perfect. What would you recommend?

It sounds as though the organization you are looking at is a nonprofit that provides social services. I would not consider working with such an organization to be activism, usually. They will present volunteering your time with them as "activism," but it's really just free labor, somewhere on the spectrum between being charitable with your time and labor exploitation.

There is very little that most nonprofits do to advance any kind of social or political change of any kind. For the most part, nonprofits function to maintain their own operations, with a side hustle of dispensing very limited resources to marginalized people who will remain just as marginalized afterward.

More on this:

If you'd like to be involved more in your community in a way that feels meaningful and that works with your disability, I would encourage you to think far more broadly than merely joining an existing easily-findable organization. That kind of search will tend to skew toward liberal, nonprofit-led, politically toothless efforts. Instead, think of what you can do to make greater contact with the people in your area who are marginalized and share struggles with you.

Can you give homeless people meals in the park and ask them how they're doing? Can you get involved in your local parks or nature reserves? (there if you're volunteering your time, at least it can be for something enriching and beneficial). Is there a local Food Not Bombs chapter? A local Muslim community center that could use safety marshalls? A local abortion clinic that could use the same? Do you have neighbors who are single parents and need childcare help? Dogsitting? Does the senior down the street need their lawn mowed?

Is there a local Facebook group where you can offer help to people in your community in need? Start saying hello to people. Asking them about their day. Asking about what's going on in the neighborhood. What needs done, who needs help, what problems are plaguing the area that nobody is doing anything about? Are there any local businesses that are discriminatory and need to be taken to account publicly? Are there forests you can help protect from deforestation with tree spiking? Is there a jail near you where you can provide jail support, handing out food and clothes and water and letting released prisoners make phone calls?

Some of this stuff might not seem like activism in the most obvious, in-your-face, picket-signs-and-banners-in-the-streets sense. But it's a lot more impactful than a lot of that is on its own. It's community building. I'd also recommend reading some stuff on the Anarchist Library website about building one's own affinity groups. You don't need a big formal organization to make a difference -- in fact, for many structural and economic reasons, it can be harder to make a difference within a large group that faces public exposure and the risk of legal censure. A few new homies in your town who care as much as you do can do a whole lot of good.

Some reading:

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Do you all have any proof that Invictus wants nothing to do with Harry or is it just a hunch based on narratives you’ve made up yourselves? Or maybe it is just wishful thinking on your part?

First off, reading and context is fundamental. No one has said Invictus wants nothing to do with Harry. We’re saying that it doesn’t make sense why Invictus keeps Harry around when he doesn’t appear to provide them any value. From a liability and risk management perspective, they have to be doing something to protect themselves from his lack of engagement.

And it is actually data-driven speculation. I don’t make stuff up here; I am always researching, I am always reading, I am always learning, and that is what informs my theories. There is very little I take at face-value.

But since your insult was polite, I’ll let you look at my homework instead of telling you to go figure it out yourself. Just this one time.

So this is the financial report from the UK charity registry:

Expenses (money going out) and income (money coming in, i.e. the donations) are virtually the same. In other words: as of 2022, Invictus is barely breaking even. This is not good; it means, more or less, they're one crisis away from some serious problems.

It also means that their actual Games - which, in 2022 would have been The Hague/Dutch IG - are expensed entirely by the host city. So basically, the charity itself is nothing more than a glorified events planner spending someone else's money. That's...not exactly the mission we're told that Invictus Games is.

Now, that orange line there on the bottom is what the UK calls "governance." (In the US, we call it "administrative.") This is what it means, from IG's 2022 financial report:

Note that this doesn't include salaries for the 12 (as of 12/31/2022) employees at IG. According to Giving is Great, a UK charity watchdog, senior staff costs (i.e. salaries and benefits) is 26%, or approximately £500,000. Add the governance/admin costs, and we're looking at £750,000 a year just to keep the charity's lights on. When your total budget is £2 million, that's a big chunk of change. 40%, in fact.

Second let's look at their income. The UK charity registry breaks the "gross income" down into several subcategories. For Invictus Games:

(The column headers were cut off but from left to right it's 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.)

Meaning that in 2022, their income came from donations, trading, and charitable activities.

(Remember that in 2020, the Royal Foundation made a £1 million donation to Invictus Games, which I believe makes up the majority of that £1.4m donation. If that assumption is correct, then that means in 2020, Harry was only able to fundraise an additional £400,000 in donations. Now, 2020 was a very difficult year for a lot of charities and nonprofits so that steep dropoff isn't unusual to see in the financial reports.)

Now from the 2022 financial report, here's what these categories mean:

So just really quick. Unrestricted means that the recipient chooses where/how to spend the money. Restricted means that the donor directs where/how the charity spends the money. So Invictus could spend £381K of the donations (Category #2) anywhere they wanted to, but for the remaining £700K of donations they received, they had to follow specific directions on how to use it.

What this is saying is that of the total income earned by Invictus Games in 2022, only £1.08 million came from donations.

Now, in my (volunteer) experience working in nonprofit fundraising most lay people (i.e. members of the general public who donate to charities) don't usually direct or designate their donation. So most of the regular donations are going into the unrestricted pot. Corporate donors, sponsors, or partners are more likely to give restricted gifts, where they direct how the money will be spent. So based on my experience, I feel comfortable assuming, or suggesting, that £231,447 received in unrestricted donations is people like, you, me, and Sussex Squad donating to Invictus out of pocket.

That's a pretty poor showing. And in my opinion, it's a direct reflection of Harry's leadership; he isn't inspiring people to donate to Invictus. Instead, the bulk of Invictus's income/donations is coming from corporate sponsorships.

Most charities cannot survive on corporate sponsorships and partnerships. It does not guarantee long-term survival. Long-term survival is predicated on investments, endowments, and contracts...which Invictus doesn't have, which means their patron isn't doing his share.

Third let's look at the actual Games themselves. The Hague/Dutch IG was given a budget of €15 million (~$16 million). According to this leaked letter from the Dusseldorf IG Committee, the Hague IG Games actually ended up costing €25 million (~$27 million). That's a 60% increase, and it's impossible for all of that to be due to COVID-related inflation.

Going backed to the leaked Dusseldorf IG letter, their budget was about €27 million (~$29 million). It's being reported that the Dusseldorf IG actually ended up costing closer to €37 million (~$40 million). This is a 37% increase; they were also very over budget.

And in March 2023, Invictus Games 2025 signed and published, to their website, a Contribution Agreement outlining that Canada's budget for the Vancouver IG is $30 million CAD (~$22 million USD); $15 million CAD (~$11 million USD) from the province of British Columbia and $15 million CAD from the government of Canada.

So if I split the baby for budget overrun [(60% + 37%)/2=48.5%], we're looking at Vancouver IG to probably end up costing around $44.5 million CAD.

In other words...they're in trouble. Meaning that Invictus and its board should be working together with the local corporation(s) to cut costs and increase savings/get new sponsors and partners. Meaning that the patron should be out there campaigning and fundraising for money or figuring out how and where to cut costs...but he isn't.

Or those efforts aren't visible. Not when the competing PR is about Harry's attacks on the BRF, Spare, Meghan's merching, and stories like this one of key leaders being abruptly fired and whistleblowers leaking to the press.

Now why would someone be abruptly fired without notice? It's not for shock and awe. It's either for incredible malfeasance (like fraud and embezzlement) or because someone much higher up wanted it. Since there's no paper trail or proof of wrongdoing - which Vancouver IG would have leaked in some way, shape or form - all the evidence strongly suggests the two men were fired because someone else demanded it. Maybe, say, someone who costs so much more than he's actually worth, who causes more problems than solves, who has alienated a lot of public goodwill. Of course, that's just pure speculation. But it is strange. One person getting fired without notice, sure, not really worth paying attention. But two people? And two people who purportedly know a whole lot about what's happening behind closed doors? That's hinky.

Have I forgotten anything?

Oh, right. This: growing criticism and dissatisfaction from local host-nation communities, Invictus's competitors and their families, and social media over the Sussexes' inability (and disinterest) to promote anyone but themselves whilst attending events.

The last thing any brand wants (or needs) is an ambassador that alienates their core customer base and prospective supporters and dominates the news with controversy. Brands, including nonprofit organizations, rely pretty heavily on:

The goodwill and positive attention their ambassadors generate

The users, fans, supporters, customers, and consumers that follow their ambassadors and

The networks their ambassadors move in.

Harry doesn't do any of that either:

He loses public goodwill every time he opens his mouth and invites only criticism.

The customers (the veterans and their families) aren't happy that their efforts are overshadowed. The consumers (people at home following along) are unhappy and dissatisfied that they can't find information about the competitors or the Games themselves because the only press coverage is about Harry and Meghan.

Harry is completely excluded from the royal, military, international, and aristo networks that propped him up 10 years ago to launch this thing. Invictus can't tap into that anymore, so why should they keep him around?

Let's review.

Invictus's expenses and income barely break even. Further, their reserves allow them to operate for less than one whole year. That's a really uncomfortable place to be in. Where is their patron to help seek out income streams that would build up their reserves?

Based on donation data, they're wheezing along on spit and prayer. They rely almost exclusively on corporate sponsors/partners. There's no investments, no endowments, no contracts. Actual "from the people" donations is just paltry. Where is their patron to lead fundraising campaigns, recruit new sponsors, develop investment opportunities?

The costs to host the Games keeps ballooning. Some cost overrun is normal, expected, and even budgeted for, but not the amounts that Invictus keeps turning out. Where is their patron to help look for new partners or charm everyone over with budget cuts?

There was a personnel shakeup in the Vancouver 2025 leadership that caused a lot of questions and concerns about their readiness to host their events and revealed a lot of morale issues. Where was their patron to calm the chaos?

There's growing criticism over the patron's behavior that is reflecting badly on Invictus Games and their brand. Where is the patron changing his behavior, changing his attitude, changing his priority?

I'll tell you where the patron is. He and his wife are flying around the world to party at Soho Houses, whine about being cut off from his family after he spent 3 years attacking them, spending other people's money in ridiculous ways, and getting wastedly high after his wife and kids go to bed.

The longer Invictus Games is associated with that, the more it reflects on them and their brand. They can't afford that. Not when they're promoting themselves as "family friendly" or "family supporting" (which is how they've justified Meghan's involvement).

It doesn't make any sense for them to keep Harry on. He's not fundraising for them. He's not schmoozing. He costs more money than he brings in. The people they serve don't like him. He isn't bringing big donors in. He isn't speaking to or supporting his family.

And allllllllll this together is why I say "I wouldn't be surprised if Invictus is trying to phase Harry out." It's why I say "depending on how well Germany Invictys 2024 goes, that may be the proof they can survive without him."

It's data-driven speculation. Not something I've made up. The only thing that's made up is the speculation about why two senior leaders were so abruptly fired. But that isn't even part of the analysis or the calculation.

Next time, anon, you're doing your own fucking research.

[the-eternal-quest-for-balance]

BREAKING: OMG Team infiltrates secret NO MAS MUERTES encampment in the middle of the desert in Aravaca, Arizona near the border.

When the illegal immigrant asked where the Mexican men dressed in military attire associated with the No Mas Muertes nonprofit were from, one responded, “From Sonora,” while another was from Tijuana – notorious Mexican cartel hotbeds.  “I have a friend coming soon.  He will take you to the city,” said one of the cartel-appearing men.  “How much does he charge?” asked the illegal immigrant.  “$300,” responded one of the cartel-appearing men.  Hours later, these cartel-appearing men pointed guns at the illegal immigrant.

In the middle of the Arizona desert over 60 miles southwest of Tucson, O’Keefe Media Group (“OMG”) risked their lives to investigate the shady activity of No Mas Muertes, or No More Deaths, a nonprofit organization claiming to provide humanitarian aid to illegal immigrants but has been raided by US law enforcement and whose members have been arrested by border patrol numerous times.  Posing as donors and land surveyors, and with the help of an illegal immigrant working undercover, OMG recordings show this nonprofit repeating “we are a little paranoid,” refusing to state their names, voicing hostility towards law enforcement, interrogating the undercover illegal immigrant “Why don’t you ask for asylum? Why don’t you ask border patrol for asylum?” and offering to transport the undercover illegal immigrant for $300 cash before pointing guns at him – actions related more to a human trafficking operation than a humanitarian nonprofit.

No Mas Muertes workers refusing to provide their names or identifications stating: “You also don’t need the mask. I only put it on when the military shows up or when those white people show up, so they won’t take my picture” flies in the face of No More Deaths’ obligations as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization to follow the law.  Instead, it seems to skirt immigration laws and traffic humans.  OMG’s exposé of secret illegal immigrant compounds funded by Catholic Community Services of Tucson coupled with this undercover footage of No More Deaths reveals the shocking proliferation of private tax-exempt nonprofit organizations working with the government or potentially dangerous cartels to engage in what amounts to human trafficking into the United States under the guise of humanitarian aid, without any scrutiny or accountability.

Off the outskirts of the tiny town of Arivaca 40 minutes on a dirt road from Interstate 15 at 36455 S Papalote Wash Road, several people wearing construction vests planted flags into the ground as land surveyors would before being approached by someone who told them to leave: “Hey guys, this is private property.”  These people were not, in fact, surveyors.  They were James O'Keefe and members of his OMG team, equipped with hidden cameras to investigate the rise in suspicious nonprofit organizations operating at the U.S.–Mexico border.  The team was outside the secretive location of No Mas Muertes, or No More Deaths.

Couched as a ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, whose tag line is “a liberal light in the desert,” No More Deaths appears to use its relationship to Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson to evade filing IRS documents of financial transparency (IRS Form 990) under an IRS exemption for religious organizations.  After confirming the location was No More Deaths property, an OMG team member posing as a donor called Mary Weiss, an administrator for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson.  On the call, Weiss represented No More Deaths was an “organization we actually partner with,” as “a ministry of the church,” located in Arivaca with a staff of 4-5 employees and budget of $400 Thousand.

As the OMG team continued planting flags around the perimeter of the property, they sent a volunteer illegal immigrant with a hidden camera to observe No More Deaths from the inside.  No More Deaths workers welcomed OMG undercover illegal immigrant and explained how they “always have threats” at the camp on account of “bad people” and “the [border] patrols.”  They described wearing masks so they could not be identified or photographed “when the military shows up or when those white people show up” and declared the men at the perimeter to be white supremacists “looking to cause trouble.”  Apparently, government workers, law enforcement, and white people, made them “paranoid” – a very strange mental state for people working at a “humanitarian” nonprofit organization.

Upon the OMG team leaving the area, No More Deaths workers intercepted their car and questioned them.  After O’Keefe mentioned the Unitarian Universalist Church and No More Deaths, the No More Deaths workers denied knowing either organization and never provided their names. 

Back at the “humanitarian” camp, the two military-dressed men from Sonora and Tiuana – cities famous for Mexican cartels, interrogated OMG undercover illegal immigrant.  “Where are you from?”  “Why don’t you ask for asylum?”  “Where did you cross through?”  “Who are they?  Who brought you here?”  “How much did they charge you?”  “Your watch is expensive right, you got a camera in there?”  Ultimately, they offered to find someone to take him to Phoenix…for $300 despite the nonprofit’s budget of $400 Thousand.  OMG undercover illegal immigrant eventually reunited with the OMG team, but not before having guns pointed at him at “humanitarian” No More Deaths camp.

That night in the desert raised more questions than it provided answers.  Why are people at a nonprofit pointing guns at people?  Why is a humanitarian nonprofit adverse to border patrol?  Why does a humanitarian nonprofit have armed cartel-like men offering for-profit smuggling services?  How does an organization which routinely violates the law keep its tax-exempt status?  OMG’s investigation into No More Deaths reveals the growing abuse of nonprofit laws by organizations hiding under the cloak of religious affiliation and potentially profiting off human trafficking.  One thing is clear – men are armed, secrecy is rampant, and fear is wielded by nonprofit organizations running unfettered.

WATCH MORE ON YOUTUBE / ON X

[clonerightsagenda]

Getting Involved Locally

Every time I see a post implying the only two politically relevant actions you can take in America are voting or not voting in federal elections, I tell myself I will make this post, so now I am finally doing it.

As an American, it can be frustrating and dispiriting to feel like we're being held hostage by our politicians while the United States continues to be one of the biggest forces for suffering on a global scale. This post is not about what we can do on that scale but instead suggests that, if you're feeling powerless and depressed about your national/international impact, you can take action on the local level. I got involved with a local activist group a few years ago, and we've been able to tangibly help people in our community, get genuine policy passed, and net some legislative wins. It's much easier to influence a smaller system, and a lot more rewarding than doomscrolling on social media.

Disclaimer: I am an American who lives on the outskirts of a fairly large city. This post reflects my experience and not everything in it may be applicable to yours. Take what is useful and leave the rest.

What's out there?

There are a variety of ways to get involved locally depending on your preferences. I'm going to lump them into a few categories:

Local government. City council, school boards, library boards, etc. Many of these orgs have open meetings and allow public comment. They're often sparsely attended and members are frequently elected by small margins, so they're far more likely to listen to what you have to say than federal legislators. Check out your home's website to see if you can find minutes and agendas to learn what they're discussing and how you can weigh in. Great choice if you want to develop a first name basis nemesishood with a local politician.

Volunteering. If you have low bandwidth and just want someone to tell you what to do, but would like to know your actions immediately benefit real people, volunteering gigs might be for you. Lots of organizations need help! Community kitchens, greenspace cleanups, giving immigrants rides to appointments, phonebanking, tutoring, supporting cultural centers, etc. Find orgs connected to something you're interested in and see what they need.

Organizing. Organizing involves long term work to build groups of people who can push for change. Outside of labor unions, there are tenant unions (renters pushing their landlords for better conditions) and groups organizing around a specific issue. (Off the top of my head, in my area I'm aware of multiple groups organizing around abolition/decarceration, minimum wage, environmental justice, transit, and reproductive justice.) These groups require more commitment, but that also means you'll have more input than showing up to volunteer for a nonprofit a few times a month.

(The group I'm currently involved with is organizing-focused, so if you're curious I'm happy to share more details of what that's like, I just don't want this post to be even longer.)

How can I learn about opportunities?

Word of mouth

Local government websites

Library, college, and community center bulletin boards

Local events (I tabled at a music festival last summer)

Protests and rallies

Local news outlets (might be covering actions, etc.)

Social media

Google (try 'mutual aid' and your location)

Start getting involved. I cannot express how much I've learned about the activist landscape in my city just from joining one org. Between partnerships, solidarity requests, etc., so many groups are now on my radar that weren't before. As I said before, I'm in/near a fairly big city, but you might be surprised by how much is going on where you are!

A note on self-interest

Something we talk about in organizing is self-interest. Why are you passionate about this cause? Why are you in this fight? Identifying your self-interest is important for a few reasons. First, it helps you convince other people to care. Second, it keeps you engaged. If you start volunteering out of a vague sense that you're 'helping', it's much easier to lose interest. If you recognize how winning this fight makes your life better, you're more likely to stick with it. I'm not saying you should only get involved in causes that immediately materially benefit you, but it's worth thinking about your personal stake so that you can return to that when you think 'ugh I don't want to get out of bed for this meeting'. You may have seen the quote credited to Lilla Watson and a group of other Aboriginal Rights activists: "If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

In conclusion

This is work. I've spent weekends in campaign retreats and driven 45 minutes across the city to make care packages. I am doing group projects and not even getting paid for it. But when you're frustrated with the state of the world, it's nice to be able to roll up your sleeves and make a visible impact on something you can control. It's also a great way to meet people irl who care about the same things as you and learn ways we can support each other when larger structures let us down.

As yet another American election season draws near with its avalanche of posts about voting, whether you intend to vote or post on tumblr about how much voting sucks or are a long-suffering non-American cursed to always see this shit, I challenge you to take a step* into your community and tackle a problem there. Who knows? You might even help solve it.

*Virtually if necessary. Many orgs try to be accessible. I attend many of my org's meetings on zoom!

[end-otw-racism]

Feedback on OTW’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan Update

The OTW posted their 2023-2026 Strategic Plan on July 24, following up on six years of work since their previous 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. A Strategic Plan is a guiding document that many organizations and companies will develop to outline long-term goals and how to achieve them.

OTW’s Strategic Plan consists of three parts:

Vision Statement 2022-2025, which outlines the mission, priorities, and challenges for the organization, and was published a year ago.

2023-2026 Strategic Plan, which gives a timeline for what the organization plans to work on and achieve at various intervals, beginning in July 2023.

Strategic Planning Implementation Support Plan, which provides guidelines for the Strategic Planning Committee and the entire organization to monitor the progress of the priorities outlined in the plan.

We wanted to provide our analysis and feedback on the Strategic Plan from the perspective of our goals to hold OTW to its commitments to hire a diversity consultant by the end of 2023, update their Terms of Service (TOS) to address racist harassment and abusive content on AO3, and provide more transparency.

Strategic Planning Process

The process for developing the Strategic Plan was opaque for people who are not staff, board, or volunteers with the OTW. The draft version of the Strategic Plan was not circulated to members or AO3 users outside the organization before it was finalized. While it is not unusual for nonprofits to only solicit feedback from their own staff and board on such a document, most nonprofits and websites tend to do other forms of proactive community engagement such as through surveys, focus groups, workshops, and more to understand the needs of people who do not work for the organization. In the absence of that kind of engagement, the Strategic Plan could have been an opportunity for the OTW to seek input from a wider base, including OTW members, AO3 users, Fanlore editors and viewers, editors of and contributors to Transformative Works & Cultures, mods of archives imported through Open Doors, and more.

Additionally, the OTW mentions that they received feedback from volunteers in the year between when the Vision Statement was published in 2022 and when the final plan was published this year, but the Vision Statement itself has not been updated to reflect that input. Given that the Vision Statement guides the organization’s priorities and themes of work, this is also a missed opportunity.

Strategic Planning Timeline and Actions

Diversity Consultant

The Vision Statement includes one bullet point under “Diversifying Spaces” on this topic: “Contracting with an individual or organization to consult on issues of racial bias and inequality within the Organization and its projects. Options for this will be researched by a dedicated Diversity Consultant Research Officer, appointed by the Board of Directors.”

The timeline in the Strategic Plan includes goals for the Diversity Consultant Research Officer (DRCO), the volunteer who was appointed in April 2022 to research diversity consultants. The DRCO is to give their first report to the board in three months (October 2023), a year and a half after being appointed. The DRCO is supposed to then give reports every three months, which will be “shared both internally and externally to users”, and the DRCO and/or consultant are to check in with Volunteer Coalition leaders every six months. 

There is no other mention of the goals for the diversity consultant themselves in the timeline, nor a confirmation of the commitment to hire a diversity consultant by the end of 2023, which the OTW Board stated in their July 1 public meeting.

Anti-Harassment Policy Updates to TOS

There is no mention of TOS updates to address racist harassment and abusive content on AO3.

Transparency

The Vision Statement included two sections that are relevant here: one on “External Communication” as a priority area, and a section under “Challenges” on “Public Narrative” that included possible goals such as sharing more information about OTW’s history, purpose, and structures in infographics; encouraging committees to create public-facing video content to explain the work that they do; and revising the overall communications strategy to improve transparency and communicate the missions effectively. 

The timeline in the Strategic Plan includes two goals that follow up on this in 18 months:

“Strengthen Overall Communications Strategy: International and multilingual external communications strategy is clarified and further developed.”

“Strengthen Consistency and Reach of Public Messaging: Clear guidance for consistency across our platforms to support raising awareness of the OTW mission is developed.”

The Strategic Plan also mentions that the DRCO will give quarterly reports to the Board on their progress, which will also be shared both internally and externally.

Other relevant areas

The Vision Statement’s section on “Diversifying Spaces” also had other strategies intended to address racism, including creating volunteer resource groups who “may suggest, advise, be consulted on, or provide information for OTW policies that may affect their experience within the OTW and our projects”; trying to expand recruitment to diversify volunteer, staff, and board candidate bases; and providing more features to give individual AO3 users more control for filtering and customization.

The timeline in the Strategic Plan included these goals: 

Recruitment: In 6 months, “each committee will have reviewed research on and taken action to improve diversity and decrease bias in candidate selection processes”.

Volunteer Coalitions: In 12 months, “research into volunteer coalitions is completed and initial volunteer coalitions start being formed”; and every six months from there, the DRCO and/or consultant will check in with the Volunteer Coalition leaders.

Implementation

The Implementation Support Plan primarily consists of actions that the Strategic Planning Committee and leadership will take to ensure plan implementation, including checking in with teams, evaluating progress on goals and creating documentation, providing support for committees, monitoring the plan’s feasibility, and celebrating goal completion.

Our recommendations

Given that the hiring of a diversity consultant has been lagging for three years, and since it is not in these documents, the commitment to hiring a diversity consultant by the end of 2023 should be reiterated in other official OTW communications.

When the DRCO and Board have developed a scope of work for the diversity consultant, the Strategic Plan timeline should be updated to include key milestones and expected deliverables for the consultant within the 2023-2026 time period.

The regular updates that are currently assigned to the DRCO in the timeline should be extended to the diversity consultant once hired, to ensure transparency.

The Strategic Planning Committee should provide more specifics on how they are evaluating progress on the plan’s goals, and ideally give updates at regular intervals on that progress.

For the next Strategic Plan, the OTW should engage with the Volunteer Coalitions, particularly those that are intended to support volunteers of color and non-western volunteers, as well as reach out to stakeholders outside of the organization itself, including OTW members and people who engage with OTW’s projects (AO3, Fanlore, Open Doors, and Transformative Work & Cultures).

The next Strategic Plan should also be completed in a timely manner to prevent missing coverage of years, which was what happened for 2021 and 2022.

[petervintonjr]

“I was born and raised in the North, and I knew that there was discrimination… but I had never seen that type of hatred on the face of anyone before. It forced me to work harder, to come back and work harder. It forced me to take a good look at people that I knew and what was going on in my own community.”

Today we study the achievements of social justice giant Constance Mitchell, someone who truly understood the intrinsic connection between poverty and racial inequality, and infused that into her every action.

Born in 1928 New Rochelle, New York, little is known of the childhood or coming-of-age years of Constance (“Connie”) Mae Jenkins, but in 1950 she married Louisianan John Mitchell (part of the Great Migration) and moved to Rochester, New York –-the city for which she would forever be associated, despite her initial impression of a place where “people here didn't know how to smile and they weren't friendly at all.”  Her first foray into Rochester community activism was as a volunteer with the Delta Ressics, a group of Baden Street Black activists who pushed for better housing and living conditions for migrant farm workers living in shacks near Sodus.  She also fought against deplorable living conditions at the Hanover Houses, Rochester’s first low-income apartment complex.  

In 1959 at the urging of a fellow Delta Rassick, Walter Cooper, Mitchell ran for --and lost-- a race for a seat on what is now the Monroe County legislature (Ward 3, then known as the Monroe County Board of Supervisors).  However she made another run in 1961 and was this time successful, and was then re-elected in 1964: the first woman and the first African-American to be elected to that body --though not without enduring resentment, routine insults and slurs, and even threats from her fellow legislators.  From this position she and her husband came into regular contact with such figures as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, among many other civil rights leaders of the time --even entertaining visits from Malcolm and then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.  In the wake of the violent 1964 racial unrest in Rochester, Connie expressed in an interview for Life magazine, “I'm not telling you, I told you so. I'm saying please listen to us."  These two terms were the full extent of Connie’s political career but her commitment to civil rights was just getting started: in 1965, she walked alongside Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery, but while this heroic act itself disillusioned her, at the same time it reinvigorated her determination to improves lives and conditions in her own community. 

Perhaps one of Mitchell's enduring achievements was the founding of Action for a Better Community, a Rochester-based nonprofit devoted to helping people in low-income areas become more self-sufficient and lift themselves out of poverty.  She also worked closely with the United Way and the Urban League of Rochester, and created the Urban League Black Scholars program.  In later years (1978 to 1989), she became the Program Director for an initiative called PRISM (Program for Rochester to Interest Students in Science and Mathematics).  In 1993 Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson, the first elected Black mayor of that city, credited Connie with inspiring him to get into politics; and in 2013 mayor Lovely Warren, the first Black woman to be elected to that position, similarly credited Connie as a role model. 

In February 2017, Mitchell was awarded the Frederick Douglass Medal for outstanding civic engagement by the University of Rochester.  She died the following year (2018); today the Monroe Country Office Building bears her name at the Constance Mitchell Concourse.

Read a truly absorbing transcript of a lengthy 2008 interview with Constance and John Mitchell at: https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/rbfs-CMitchell

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Julian Adorney, Mark Johnson and Geoff Laughton

Published: Jun 29, 2024

American communities have been systematically hollowed out over the past 50 years. In Bowling Alone, Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam makes an exhaustively-researched case that confirms what most people who lived through this period already know: community life is on the decline. For most of the first two centuries of American history, people were enmeshed in a dense web of civic associations. We bowled together, attended church, participated in Rotary Club meetings, and volunteered for local political groups together. We played bridge with our neighbors and gathered for regular book clubs.

This vibrant communal engagement fostered a deep-seated trust among neighbors. In 1964, a remarkable 77 percent of Americans agreed with the statement, “most people can be trusted.” But starting in the 1970s, the fabric of American society began to unravel. The strong community bonds that once unified us began to fray, one by one; and our social capital (Putnam’s term for the “connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them”) has decreased dramatically.

For instance, Putnam notes that while the total number of national nonprofit associations more than doubled from 1968 to 1997, the average membership per association plummeted—from roughly 10,000 in 1962 to around 1,000 in 1988. This translates to an almost 80 percent decrease in the number of Americans involved with national nonprofits over three decades. Additionally, Putnam cites time diaries showing that in 1965, Americans spent an average of 3.7 hours per month in non-religious organizational activities, such as Key clubs, Rotary clubs, bowling leagues, and others. By 1995, that number had fallen to 2.3 hours per month.

It’s not just organizational ties that are being frayed; we’re spending less time with friends too. As Putnam notes, “In the mid-to late 1970s, according to the DDB Needham Life Style archive, the average American entertained friends at home about fourteen to fifteen times a year. By the late 1990s that figure had fallen to eight times per year, a decline of 45 percent in barely two decades.” 

Since the publication of Bowling Alone in 2000, the societal disengagement Putnam described has gotten worse. The rise of social media and streaming services like Netflix are keeping us increasingly alone in our rooms, plugged in but disengaged from meaningful interaction with our fellow humans. A 2018 Adobe report focusing on the United Kingdom found that Millennials spend an average of 8.5 hours per day engaging with online content. For Generation Z, that number rises to an astounding 10.6 hours per day. When you account for hours spent sleeping, there is little time left for young people to engage in face-to-face community activities. Indeed, data show that they’re not engaging. In his book The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt notes that the percentage of middle- and high-school students who report meeting up with friends “almost every day” outside of school has fallen dramatically since the 1990s—a trend exacerbated by a global pandemic that confined everyone to their homes for two years.

[ Source: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/research/notes-and-figures ]

What does the decline of community life since the 1970s have to do with rising illiberalism? As social animals, our sense of connection greatly influences our happiness. A study published in The Journal of Socio-Economics highlights just how essential community is for our well-being. This study surveyed 10,000 adults in England, examining the factors that make them happy or unhappy. Surprisingly, money didn’t seem to matter much. According to the authors, “Income only plays a small part in influencing our well-being.” Instead, a sense of community was paramount to participants’ happiness. In particular, having a single close friend was deemed as valuable as an additional $150,000 in yearly income.

In 2021, nearly half of Americans (49 percent) reported having three or fewer close friends, a significant drop from 27 percent in 1990. Maybe that’s why so many Americans are unhappy these days. According to Gallup’s 2024 World Happiness Report, America ranks 23rd in global happiness. An MSNBC report also notes that “Self-reported happiness in the U.S. has been on the decline for the past two decades.” Furthermore, 32.3 percent of American adults—and a stunning 49.9 percent of young people aged 18-24—suffer from anxiety or depression.

Could this widespread dissatisfaction with modern life be causing a shift away from liberalism? Data suggests it might be. A study published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences titled “The rise and fall of rationality in language,” systematically analyzes the relative frequencies of emotional and rational words in massive databases of written language, from Google Books and the New York Times, from 1850 to 2019. Emotional words such as “angry,” “unexpected,” “embarrassed,” and “tortured” are contrasted with rational words like “indicate,” “area,” “program,” and “determine.” The study found that from 1850 to the 1980s, the relative proportion of emotional words consistently decreased, while rational words increased. However, starting in the 1980s, a reversal occurred; our discourse became more emotional and less rational. By 2019, the use of rationality-related words had declined to levels not seen in over a century.

What does this decline in rationality signify? The authors suggest that it might reflect a growing “disillusion with ‘the system.’” As they note, “rationality…helped build and defend the system” in which we all live. Thus, a move away from rationality might reflect our collective anger at the liberal social order that we think is making us lonely and disconnected.

The connection between social isolation and political illiberalism isn’t new; it has been well-established by social psychologists. As Haidt writes in The Righteous Mind, social connectedness serves as a bulwark against totalitarianism.

If people can’t satisfy their need for deep connection in other ways, they’ll be more receptive to a smooth-talking leader who urges them to renounce their lives of “selfish momentary pleasure” and follow him onward to “that purely spiritual existence” in which their value as human beings consists.

In contrast, “a nation that is full of hives [Haidt’s term for civic associations] is a nation of happy and satisfied people. It’s not a very promising target for takeover by a demagogue offering people meaning in exchange for their souls.”

Putnam argues that social isolation may fuel political extremism for a different but related reason: it puts us into echo chambers, which moves us politically towards the fringe.

When people lack connections to others, they are unable to test the veracity of their own views, whether in the give-and-take of casual conversation or in more formal deliberation. Without such an opportunity, people are more likely to be swayed by their worst impulses. It is no coincidence that random acts of violence, such as the 1999 spate of schoolyard shootings, tend to be committed by people identified, after the fact, as “loners.”

In other words, when we feel lonely, adrift, and unhappy, we may be more susceptible to the appeals of extremists on both the left and the right who promise community and utopia contingent on our willingness to overturn the existing social order.

So, if a decline in community life is fueling a demand for illiberalism, what can we do about it?

First, we can robustly and emphatically defend liberalism. We can clarify to people that their social malaise is a product of many factors unrelated to liberalism, and that abandoning a liberal social order is unlikely to alleviate it. We can peel back the curtain and reveal the realities of societies that have moved away from political, economic, and epistemic liberalism, demonstrating how these changes often worsen people’s lives. This is essential work, and we are indebted to the many great organizations and websites (including Reality’s Last Stand and New Discourses) that have been doing it.

But even as we articulate the benefits of liberalism, there is another approach we can simultaneously pursue: rebuilding the American community.

Putnam’s analysis is bleak, but he shares an essential silver lining: we have been here before. At the end of the 19th century, Americans faced many similar issues. Rapid industrialization had ushered in unprecedented material prosperity, but small towns and rural villages were being gutted. Increasingly, people found themselves lonely, adrift, and disengaged—but they recognized the problem and went to work. They founded churches, schools, clubs, and political organizations, sparking a social renaissance. Here’s how Putnam describes the “massive new structure of civic associations” that emerged as a result:

In the last decades of the nineteenth century Americans created and joined an unprecedented number of voluntary associations. Beginning in the 1870s and extending into the 1910s, new types of association multiplied, chapters of preexisting associations proliferated, and associations increasingly federated into state and national organizations. In Peoria and St. Louis, Boston and Boise and Bath and Bowling Green, Americans organized clubs and churches and lodges and veterans groups. Everywhere, from the great entrepôt metropolises to small towns in the heartland, the number of voluntary associations grew even faster than the rapidly growing population.

This civic renewal helped to knit the country back together. It rebuilt a new wave of civic associations to replace the ones that had been frayed or bulldozed by rising industrialization.

So, what if we did the same? What if our commitment to defending liberalism inspired us to look out and up, rather than merely down and in? What if we joined—or founded—PTAs, local churches, Rotary Clubs, and sporting leagues? What if we invited others in our community and networks to join with us, especially those who seem lonely and disaffected?

By fostering a civic renaissance, we could not only become happier and more connected; we could also address the root cause of illiberalism at its source.

-

About the Authors

Julian Adorney is a columnist at Reality's Last Stand and the founder of Heal the West, a substack movement dedicated to preserving liberalism. He’s also a writer for the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR). Find him on X: @Julian_Liberty.

Mark Johnson is a trusted advisor and executive coach at Pioneering Leadership and a facilitator and spiritual men's coach at The Undaunted Man. He has over 25 years of experience optimizing people and companies—he writes at The Undaunted Man’s Substack and Universal Principles.

Geoff is a Relationship Architect/Coach, multiple-International Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and Workshop Leader. He has spent the last twenty-six years coaching people world-wide, with a particular passion for supporting those in relationship, and helping men from all walks of life step up to their true potential. Along with Mark, he is a co-founder of The Undaunted Man.

==

Not churches, but okay.

[thriveforgood]

Enhancing CSR Impact Through Collaboration with Marpu Foundation

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer a minor issue; it is a strategic requirement. Companies are increasingly realising the significance of balancing economic success with social and environmental responsibilities. However, accomplishing significant CSR objectives might be difficult. Collaboration with the Marpu Foundation provides an effective solution.

Marpu Foundation stands out as a leading organization for maximizing CSR impact. Marpu offers a unique platform for businesses to enhance their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, thanks to its broad network of partners, which includes over 250 enterprises and thousands of nonprofit organisations.

Here's how:

Marpu's projects target important SDGs like; Social development

Excellent health

Quality education

Poverty alleviation

Environmental sustainability

Companies can strengthen their CSR credentials by partnering with Marpu to provide demonstrable support for these global objectives.

Marpu offers a wide range of CSR projects. Companies can choose initiatives that align with their core values and areas of expertise. This ensures CSR efforts resonate with stakeholders and have a focused impact.

Marpu facilitates impactful employee volunteering programs. By channelling employee skills and passion towards meaningful projects, companies boost employee engagement while achieving CSR goals. Marpu's vast network ensures volunteers work on projects aligned with their interests and skill sets.

Partnering with Marpu extends beyond delivering outstanding CSR results. Here are some more benefits:

Association with a reputable organisation such as Marpu enhances a company's reputation for social responsibility, attracting ethically concerned customers and investors.

Collaboration with Marpu strengthens relationships with stakeholders who recognise a company's commitment to social responsibility.

Marpu's strong community connections enable companies to identify new market opportunities and develop solutions to social and environmental concerns.

Partnering with the Marpu Foundation provides a strategic and impactful approach to CSR. Companies that leverage Marpu's experience and network may meet their CSR objectives more effectively, contribute to the SDGs, and establish a stronger brand reputation. In today's society, collaboration is essential for making a beneficial social and environmental effect. Marpu Foundation is the right venue for transforming CSR goals into actual results.

[pastel-charm-14]

volunteering

hey everyone! let's talk about the power of volunteering. whether you're lending a helping hand at a local soup kitchen, cleaning up your neighborhood park, or tutoring students after school, volunteering is a meaningful way to make a positive impact in your community and beyond.

here are a few reasons why volunteering is so awesome:

it feels good

there's something incredibly rewarding about giving back to others and making a difference in their lives. volunteering can boost your mood, increase your sense of happiness and fulfillment, and give you a greater sense of purpose.

it builds connections

volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make meaningful connections with others who share your values and interests. you'll have the opportunity to work alongside like-minded individuals and form lasting friendships in the process.

it strengthens communities

by volunteering your time and talents, you can help build stronger, more resilient communities. whether you're helping to feed the hungry, clean up the environment, or support local charities, your efforts can have a ripple effect that benefits everyone.

it develops skills

volunteering is a fantastic way to develop new skills, gain valuable experience, and broaden your horizons. whether you're honing your leadership abilities, improving your communication skills, or learning new technical skills, volunteering can help you grow personally and professionally.

it makes a difference

perhaps most importantly, volunteering allows you to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. whether you're mentoring a child, caring for animals, or advocating for social justice, your efforts have the power to create positive change and leave a lasting impact on the world.

so whether you're passionate about animals, the environment, education, or social justice, there's a volunteer opportunity out there waiting for you. so why not roll up your sleeves, get involved, and make a difference today? here's a lil step-by-step guide to help you get started:

identify your interests: think about the causes and issues that are near and dear to your heart. whether it's animals, the environment, education, or social justice, there's a volunteer opportunity out there for you.

research volunteer opportunities: once you've identified your interests, start researching volunteer opportunities in your community. you can check out local nonprofit organizations, community centers, schools, and religious institutions to see what volunteer opportunities are available.

reach out to organizations: once you've found some volunteer opportunities that interest you, reach out to the organizations directly to express your interest and inquire about how you can get involved. you can call, email, or visit the organization's website to learn more about their volunteer programs and how you can help.

attend an orientation or training session: many volunteer organizations require volunteers to attend an orientation or training session before they can get started. this is a great opportunity to learn more about the organization's mission, values, and volunteer policies, as well as to meet other volunteers and staff members.

start volunteering: once you've completed any required orientations or training sessions, it's time to roll up your sleeves and start volunteering! whether you're helping to feed the hungry, care for animals, clean up the environment, or support local charities, your efforts will make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

stay engaged: as you continue to volunteer, stay engaged with the organization and the cause. attend volunteer meetings and events, participate in fundraising activities, and advocate for the cause in your community. the more involved you become, the greater impact you'll have!

additional resources:

[realest8saint]

Discover Spielbound: Omaha's Ultimate Winter Family Fun Spot

Winter is just around the corner, and if you're a parent like me, you're probably wondering how to keep your kids entertained during those cold, snowy days. Well, worry no more! In this weekly blog series, I'll be sharing unique and affordable winter experiences right here in Omaha that are perfect for families. Whether you're new to the city or a long-time resident, I hope to help you discover some fantastic places to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Today, let's dive into a place that my family absolutely LOVES... my first featured spot: Spielbound! Their mission statement, purpose and goals are directly from their website.

Spielbound: Where Fun and Games Meet

Mission statement:

We believe games inspire, motivate, and help us grow. In this positive space, we seek to provide all people the challenge, art, and fun unique to the world of board games.

Purpose:

Spielbound educates, engages, and creates community through board games.

Goals:

collect and maintain a comprehensive collection of board games from around the world;

provide a comfortable space for the community to come together and play board games;

encourage creativity through designing board games;

promote and reward positive gamesmanship;

spread joy and critical thinking through increased game playing by all.

Location: 3229 Harney Street, Omaha, NE

Overview: Spielbound is not your average hangout spot; it's the largest board game café in the entire United States! With games for sale, and a whopping collection of approximately 3000 playable games, this place offers endless hours of fun and entertainment for kids and adults alike. Plus, it's a family-friendly environment where everyone can enjoy quality time together.

More Than Just a Game Café

Spielbound goes beyond just being a board game café. It's also a nonprofit corporation with a heart for spreading the joy of gaming. They accept donated games in good condition, and you can even sign up to volunteer monthly to help catalog and repair these games. It's a wonderful way to give back to the community while sharing your love for board games.

Opening Hours and Contact Info

Spielbound is open to the public during these hours:

Sunday to Thursday: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 AM

Website: www.spielbound.com Phone: (402) 763-8444

Food and Drinks

While you and your family enjoy your gaming sessions, you can also indulge in some delicious treats. Spielbound offers a variety of options, including coffee drinks, craft beer, wine, and an excellent menu featuring really good pizza and other snacks. It's the perfect place to refuel and recharge during your gaming adventures.

The Spielbound Challenge

Don't forget to ask about the Spielbound challenge! It's a fun way to test your gaming skills and possibly win some exciting prizes. Challenge accepted, right?

In Conclusion:

If you're looking for a winter destination that promises fun, quality time with your family, and a wide selection of board games, Spielbound should be your next stop. Whether you're a board game enthusiast or just looking for a unique way to beat the winter blues, Spielbound has something for everyone. So, bundle up and head over to 3229 Harney Street to create unforgettable winter memories with your loved ones. My family and I hope to see you there!

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit environmental advocacy American group working to protect the ocean from today's challenges. During Q&A live on IG with the Vice President of Conservation, Ocean Plastic. SH has no responses or a clear strategy on how to engage his fans to address the ocean plastic crisis, staring us in the face.

So, Will he send his fans off to remove ocean plastic 🌊 from miles of coastlines, beaches, and waterways in the US 🇺🇸, or will he encourage his fans to come into the UK 🇬🇧 to remove litter from beaches and coasts in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Organising and participating in a Beach or Rivers Cleanup with fans as “volunteering” willing to work for him during the MPC gala on his big day! a birthday present?

If these 'visitors' want to turn the tide on litter in Scotland, this incidental volunteering must work for a charity registered at the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. It would be very disconcerting to see them breach the law once again as a volunteer in a private company not-registered as a charity just like they did last year.

UK is lucky to have many Ocean Conservation charities and famous faces most dedicated supporters; all helping to raise the profile of the ocean emergency and inspiring change.

Maybe SH wants to create nudist recreation beaches to spend his holidays 🤷 a community for healthy oceans 🌊… Be careful this ‘activity' could spook marine wildlife!

@winston1crappy Before you have any idea, read carefully because I didn't say this has no value. Scroll down in my blog to see I considered this a good cause. This is a sustainability issue that hardly addresses the issue. When it does, it indirectly allows for a wide range of interpretations. He shouldn’t brag, he has an opportunity to support remarkable initiatives like this and spread the word about the wonderful work.

He wants to be involved with Ocean Conservancy, but first, he has to learn how to manage his goals. He acts like he doesn’t know what to do or doesn't see where to start. Its role is to transmit criteria to accomplish ecological coherence. The lack of management based on ignorance of the natural environment is an important limitation. What actions will he take, plastic will have an increasing impact on our ecosystems, health, and economies.

Cleanup efforts will help, but not solve the plastic pollution crisis in the world's seas. Cleaning can be a shock treatment, but an educational or follow-up action must accompany it. Otherwise, shock treatment can only leave a feeling of helplessness.

On the other hand, if you are not comfortable knowing something about SH contrary to your ideas, or if you are convinced that the point of view is incorrect, do not read the article. Aim for this instead. It just means that not everyone sees SH in the same light, especially when he doesn't refrain from breaking the law to get what he wants. We know what his peakers or “volunteering” did in Edinburgh last year, it’s proof, they did not meet certain specific requirements in the UK. Maybe SH wanted to hear happy birthday in several languages from his peakers.

No, you’re wrong, It was to clarify your thinking, driven by emotion over logic.

[sidewalkscienceguy]

SCIENCE EDUCATION NONPROFIT FUNDRAISER POST

DONATE HERE

Hey everyone, I run a science education nonprofit in Florida called Sidewalk Science Center. I created SSC back in July 2018, and to this day, host FREE sessions of science experiments, telescoping, and other forms of science outreach 3-4 days per week. We do this at playgrounds, parks, beaches, outdoor malls, and other public spaces.

The mission of SSC is to provide regular and reliable access to educational tools and resources in public spaces. As of this writing, I have personally hosted free sessions of SSC a total of 390 times, as well as more than five dozen private events for families, the Girl Scouts, schools, and other organizations. In mid-November, I saw my 50,000th visitor!

We're in the middle of our end-of-year fundraising campaign. We have a goal to raise $5,500 by December 31, 2022. These funds will cover all of our expected business operation costs for 2023. As of this writing, we have raised $1,932.54, which is 35% of our goal. This amount alone covers all of our website, email, insurance, printing, and data storage costs for 2023, plus some of our physical and online marketing costs for the upcoming year.

One of our larger purposes for doing this is to increase scientific visibility, literacy, and overall engagement. Science is often relegated to schools and museums, but where else do we encounter it on a day-to-day basis, actively thinking about and practicing it? By placing SSC in spaces where people already visit and congregate, we hope to help improve the interest, support, and ability in science literacy throughout all levels of society.

In 2023 we will also start gathering volunteer educators to operate standard SSC sessions. We will also offer paid positions through our volunteer base, as a significant source of our revenue comes from paid private events. All educators will take our self-designed training courses that cover performing public science outreach, public science communication, and how to navigate and maintain civil discourse with pseudoscientists and misinformation in public spaces.

Going forward, we want to open regular SSC locations around the state of Florida, the US at large, and eventually, the world. Creating these spaces has been an incredible experience that truly impacts the communities we serve, and levels the playing field for underprivileged communities, allowing everyone to use resources and have experiences they otherwise might not have access to at home or even school.

Please consider making a donation to help cover these 2023 expenses (viewable on the donation page). A minimum of $5.00 is required using the DonorBox.org form, but you can also support us on Patreon for any amount.

Disclaimer: while recognized as a nonprofit in the state of Florida, Sidewalk Science Center is not yet federally recognized as a 501(c)(3) corporation. We are actively working to achieve this designation. As such, any contribution you provide is NOT tax deductible at this time.

Website: www.sidewalksciencecenter.org

FEIN # 92-0360191

Facebook | Instagram

Thank you for your support. One day, you might come across a Sidewalk Science Center in your own town! Right now we are headquartered in Bradenton & Sarasota, Florida. We are in the works to create a west coast tour in October of 2023, with plans to go through Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego during our trip to watch the October 14th Annular Eclipse at Crater Lake. Maybe we'll see you there!

DONATE HERE

We have a future to create.

[kim-edpalina]

"Empower Your Community: Engage to Promote Financial Literacy and Education"

Week 4: Advocacy and Community Action for Financial Literacy

As we wrap up Financial Literacy Month, Taking the initiative and becoming active in the fight for financial education and literacy in our communities is essential. Everyone should be able to manage their finances, but sadly, many people do not have access to tools or knowledge on the subject. We will talk about the value of community involvement in promoting financial literacy and education in this blog, offer resources and helpful advice on how the audience can get engaged in financial literacy advocacy in their local area, and motivate readers to get involved in the cause.

Community Action's Vital Role in Fostering Financial Literacy

Community involvement is essential for advancing financial education and literacy. Programs and efforts promoting financial literacy can be implemented locally, and community organizations and leaders can make a substantial contribution to their promotion. We can aid people and families in making wise financial decisions, lowering debt, increasing savings, and securing their financial future by fostering financial literacy.

Practical Advice for Readers Who Want to Support Financial Literacy

Here are some useful tips on how readers can participate in their community's financial literacy advocacy:

Volunteer: Numerous organizations provide initiatives and programs for financial literacy that depend on volunteers. Think about lending your time and knowledge to your local community's efforts to encourage financial literacy.

Write to your local school board, city council, and other decision-makers to express your support for initiatives that promote financial literacy and instruction.

Donate: Funding for financial literacy initiatives frequently comes from donations. Think about contributing to a neighborhood group that works to promote financial literacy.

Educate: Inform those in your community about financial literacy by sharing your knowledge and experience in the field. Organize a webinar, workshop, or seminar on financial literacy issues.

Financial Literacy Advocacy Resources

The following content are for promoting financial literacy:

The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and tools to advance financial literacy and education.

Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy: This organization provides information and tools to support young adults' financial education and literacy.

Financial Literacy Month: Throughout the month of April, Financial Literacy Month provides information and tools that encourage financial education and literacy.

We can promote economic education and literacy in the communities we serve and give people the tools they need to manage their finances by taking action and participating in financial literacy advocacy. Let's keep working to create a stable financial future for our generation and those to come.

References: National Endowment for Financial Education. (n.d.). Home. NEFE. https://www.nefe.org/#:~:text=NEFE%20promotes%20a%20better%20understanding,tanks%20and%20round%20table%20discussions.

Kobliner, B. (n.d.). Get Involved: Financial Literacy. Beth Kobliner. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://bethkobliner.com/advocate/get-involved-financial-literacy/

[bfpnola]

hello again, it's children's rights volunteer anon :)

I don't know much about how minor consent works at all.. when you do get the paperwork finalized, would that mean I can sign up without parent permission? May I ask how the minors who didn't get parent permission were able to volunteer? Was it like under-the-table work?

Also I'm really not sure where to ask this, but I have been wanting to set up a private email (private meaning like.. not connected at all to my parents) for stuff like setting up a tumblr, discord, etc. for a while now and I don't really know how to do that.. I try to avoid Google but I'm not familiar with Outlook or other email services, do you have any advice on that?

thank you so much

hey pumpkin, welcome back!

minor consent forms are paperwork that essentially allow a parent to sign off and acknowledge a minor’s participation in some sort of activity, work, trip, etc. the other volunteers didn’t have a need for “under the table” work simply because their parents were already supportive if they asked for permission (usually our younger folks like ages 13-15) and our older minors (16-17) tend to have the autonomy to join organizations on their own and therefore simply never thought to ask to begin with. that isn’t to say some of our volunteers are living in perfect worlds where their parents absolutely love leftist politics but rather that the conversation simply never came up.

i work for another way more established nonprofit (founded in the 1980s) as well now and they engage plenty of minors in their work, acting as a safe space away from often abusive homes, so i plan to ask them by the end of this week how they go about intake forms with minors and if minor consent forms are absolutely required or if they’re just helpful to have as legal protection. i’ll try to let you know what they say, and based on their answer, that will affect what happens next.

for the email part: if you’re not comfortable using google for setting up an account, i’ve heard this site is amazing for encrypted messaging back and forth, a lot of activists use it:

and even for browsers, i use firefox instead of chrome, but there’s also tor as well which in simplest terms can hide your identity and make it look like you’re in a new location every time you load it up. one day you’re in switzerland, another day you’re in new york city. i really love it actually, another activist favorite:

[facesofcsl]

Kendra F. Senior Coordinator of Research and Knowledge Mobilization at Volunteer Alberta.

Kendra Fincaryk is the Senior Coordinator of Research and Knowledge Mobilization at Volunteer Alberta. Volunteer Alberta focus on promoting civic engagement and volunteerism throughout the province, primarily by utilizing a network of volunteer centers. Essentially, they work on connecting and catalyzing this kind of community to make it easier, better, and more fulfilling for volunteers to be volunteers

Can you trace your involvement with the CSL Program?

I only participated in one CSL class, a Knowledge Mobilization course (PSYCH 505), a course designed for students who have had a Community Service-Learning experience or have considerable volunteer experience and wish to gain a deeper understanding of civic engagement and community changes. Students can investigate community engagement as a means of knowing the political contexts of volunteerism, self- and social narratives, concepts of community and citizenship, and community-based research methods. 

I first got involved because I was interested in the topic, but I was doubly excited when I learnt that there was a CSL component. Since I transferred from the University of Ottawa to the University of Alberta in my third year as an Honors Psych Student and getting involved in my community was really important for me, CSL could help me find some grounding in a new place. Therefore, I did a work experience internship through the science internship program for sixteen months, and when I got back, I learned a bit more about the CSL program, and that's how I got to know about CSL. 

Why did you choose to incorporate CSL students into your organization?

Being one of the first CSL students to work at Volunteer Alberta and knowing the experience I brought to the table during that time made me want to advocate for CSL students. Students can bring in fresh perspectives and bolster our work, especially since we often have a plethora of data to sift through. As a nonprofit, we're really limited in the amount of funding we have and the amount of staff we have, so taking on eager, engaging students was an excellent way for us to not only be able to provide experience for them as they get their hands on community-based research but also a way for us to be able to analyze and report data that we might not have been able to previously do as well as utilize the great knowledge that CSL students can bring forward.

What do CSL students learn in their placements?

CSL students can learn a lot because Volunteer Alberta is a diverse place that provides opportunities to grow in various areas. For example, one of our departments focuses on youth engagement. One of my first roles at Volunteer Alberta was working with the Youth At The Table Program, which gets youth involved in board governance. My role included qualitative data analysis followed by a knowledge mobilization activity.

Mainly, CSL students would be doing research-based activities, whether that be assisting with focus groups, interviews, survey development, data analysis, or communications design. We want to ensure that the work that we do is something that our community needs, and that our processes reflect that.

What have CSL and CSL students added to your organization?

CSL students have brought a lot of fresh perspectives. Especially being a nonprofit, this is a sector few know about, so it can seem very complicated to look into when trying to comprehend the structure of it all. It’s nice to have students come in and be that perspective of questioning what we're doing and pick apart why we do certain things this way or provide suggestions for how we can work more efficiently. Curiosity and inquisitiveness are valued in our organization, and we really like allowing people to flourish. Students have such a great capacity to do that with Volunteer Alberta. 

What have you learned by being involved with CSL?

In terms of being involved in CSL as a former student, personally starting as a student and taking this Knowledge and Mobilization course has helped me better understand the nonprofit sector. Also, the added factor is that I would have never gotten this job if it weren't for CSL. I started my CSL placement in January 2022 and volunteered with the organization as an evaluations intern that summer. Then that fall, I was recruited part-time during my final semester of school. Afterwards, I was hired full-time in January (working two different roles initially to be a full-time employee), received a full-time contract and have been working here ever since.

For me, not only did I learn about the nonprofit sector, I was able to develop many connections while working with an organization that cares about its employees. Also, through CSL, it was cool to see the other work students in my class had done and the impact a program like that could have on the community. 

When I continued volunteering with Volunteer Alberta after my placement, it was cool to feel valued as a person. The sense that often, I think, unfortunately, the university system tends to say, "you're an undergrad; you don't know anything" or "you need to cite your work" because your opinion doesn't matter yet. However, the organization I'm working in is incredible because I found that people valued my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge, which I was grateful to be able to experience.

If you can, sum up your experience with CSL in one sentence.

I'm a woman of many words, so I'll try my best. 

"My CSL experience was very validating and rewarding."

This organization valued me so much as a student, not even as a student, a person, a potential employee, and someone who had knowledge and experience. So my CSL experience was very validating as well as fulfilling. As a student, before my full-time contract, I learned many concepts and skills from the CSL course, which allowed me to bring my knowledge from class to the real world in a way that was rewarding for myself and the organization.