NYC ChangeMakers

Non-Profit Training Night

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:58:00 -0500

Last week we held our first non-profit training session at Attention— the social media marketing and PR agency where we work.

The plan for a non-profit training session originated after our first NYC Changemakers/Changebloggers meeting back in October. At that first meeting George Weiner, the director of technology at DoSomething.org, gave a great rundown of how online tools can be optimized in promoting causes. At the end of his talk a lot of people were hungry for more— and wanted specific advice on applying what they’d learned to particular issues in their organizations.

So we set up our first non-profit training night, complete with wine, cheese, a full room of enthusiastic do-gooders and our agency’s social media guru Jake Fisher. The idea was to offer these nonprofit leaders the same consulting that we give our corporate clients.

It was a great evening. Attendees represented organizations with a range of missions— from raising awareness of gender inequality in Hollyood to preventing rape and AIDS in Kenya. The people in the room had a wide range of experience with social media as well. Some were already blogging, twittering, etc… and others weren’t sure where to start.

Jake’s presentation was comprehensive and offered something for everyone. He covered best-practices for online engagement using all kinds of online tools and platforms.

Everyone walked away with something they could use to reach and inspire more people about their specific cause.

The next NYCChangemakers meetup will be Thursday January 15th. For more info, visit this link: http://nycchangemakers.eventbrite.com/

Memo to Our Parents: We Do Care

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:20:00 -0500

“I feel like I’m often defending my generation. And in defense of the critics, I can see why. As a generation seemingly obsessed with tabloids, reality television and Lindsay Lohan’s latest family dispute, can we blame our parents’ generation for asking where the passion has gone? Where is that grass-roots activism? What happened to sit-ins? War protests? And all the other loud, public activism that made the 60s and 70s revolutionary decades? Well mom and dad, the activism is still alive — it just has a new face.”

Check out Naomi Hirabayashi’s article on The Huffington Post!

Special Guest Speaker Nov. 13: Ami Dar

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:15:45 -0500

Idealist founder, Ami Dar, will be speaking at the Nov. 13 meetup, so don’t miss it!

Ami Dar’s Bio (via Idealist.org)

Ami was born in Israel and grew up there and in Peru and Mexico. At 18, he was drafted into the Israeli army, where he served as a paratrooper in the Lebanese war of 1982. The misery and senseless destruction he saw in Lebanon, combined with the extreme poverty he had seen growing up in Latin America, led him to start Action Without Borders as an organization that would make it easier for people everywhere to take action on the issues that concern them. In 2000 the Stern Family Fund awarded Ami its annual $100,000 Public Interest Pioneer grant (renewed in 2001) to help support his work with AWB. In 2002, 2003, and 2004 the Nonprofit Times included Ami in its annual list of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector, and in the fall of 2004 Ashoka invited him to join its global fellowship of social entrepreneurs.

Check out the event page for more info.

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:06:17 -0500

Check out the event page for more info.

Green Tacos!

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:33:00 -0400

Looking for an eco-friendly meal? Habana Outpost, New York’s first solar-powered eco-eatery, and the newest addition to the Habana chain, has just the thing. Artist and restaurateur Sean Meenan created the Outpost in 2005, envisioning a restaurant that focused on sustainability and fun.

Mission accomplished.

Not only are the frozen mojitos delicious, but the setup includes a solar paneled awning that powers the restaurant, toilets that run on recycled rainwater and picnic tables made from recycled plastic bottles and sawdust.

Meenan also launched Habana Works, a non-profit organization that provides free sustainability workshops using art, architecture, video and design to engage people of all ages and backgrounds.

So if you’re in the mood for some earth friendly Latin-inspired cuisine check out the Outpost. They’re changing New York, one taco at a time.

Photos From the 1st NYC ChangeMakers Meetup

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:37:00 -0400

Check out the NYC ChangeMakers Flickr Photostream for more!

Calling All Changemakers and Changebloggers in NYC

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:17:00 -0400

Calling All Changemakers and Changebloggers in NYC:

“As someone who is professionally immersed in the new media world, and personally interested in the nonprofit/social action realm, the fusion of the two spaces is something of great interest to me. But so many people outside of the industry don’t understand what the fuss is all about: Facebook is considered superficial, and various other online channels are scrutinized for devaluing real-world interactions. What the cynics don’t understand is the role social media can play in educating people on important issues, mobilizing activists, and increasing the visibility of passionate do-gooders around the globe.”

Check out Naomi Hirabayashi’s guest post on Idealist NYC!

Welcome to the NYC ChangeMakers Tumblr!

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:04:00 -0400

We created this Tumblr to help spread the word about NYC ChangeMakers and the projects they champion. We’re looking for you to submit events, news and general information that deserve some attention!

Please send anything you’d like to see published to nycchangemakers@gmail.com.

We’ll see you November 13th!