Non Profit
EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT: Unlike Anything Else
Music is a phenomenon that's captivated people for ages. The emotional, spiritual, and mental response music creates transcends time and space. The Experience Music Project in Seattle recognizes the captivating power of music, and has turned it into a world class, one of a kind visitor experience. The Experience Music Project (EMP) engages museum goers in interactive exhibits that communicate the intricacies, innovations, and evolution of American 'pop' music. Between the unique architecture designed by Frank O. Gehry, the cutting edge technology, and the interactive exhibits, this museum offers something for everyone from Rock n' Roll fans to Hip Hop heads.
Those who visit EMP can look forward to a high tech journey that celebrates many different genres of American Music. Expect to see exhibits on Jazz, Soul, Gospel, Punk Rock, and Hip Hop that tie each genre to the next creating a unique timeline exploring the evolution of pop music. You can listen to musicians tell their stories, play an instrument, and see 80,000 rare artifacts and memorabilia that include "musical instruments (from one of the first electric guitars to those used by artists such as Bob Dylan, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters and Kurt Cobain), an extensive recorded sound archive, film, photographs, fanzines from around the world, stage costumes, handwritten song lyrics and rare song sheets" â€" all of these things come together to create the multi sensory experience that EMP has become so well known for.
EMP is centered around six different core programs that work together to create one truly unique experience. Sky Church was originally envisioned by Jimi Hendrix as a place where all people could come together to enjoy music. EMP took this idea, creating a space that functions as a grand hall by day and a live performance theater by night. The space is defined by massively tall ceilings (almost 90 feet), state of the art lighting, and world-class acoustics. Crossroads is the central exhibit area where visitors can experience the history of American music through traditional artifacts blended with new media. Trace the evolution of instruments, genres, traditions, and ingenuity that makes up our musical past in a way that welcomes personal interaction. From there travel to the Sound Lab where visitors can actually play instruments, from there check out On Stage, where visitors can perform in front of a virtual audience. While you're there you should also see the EMP Digital Collection that let's user browse through details on tons of artifacts, artists, and musical styles. EMP also has a Performance Stage set in a 200-seat theater that accommodates events like guest lectures, master classes, and performing arts productions.
For a multi sensory musical experience, the Experience Music Project is where it's at. This museum has shown us how to create an innovative space that appeals to a number of audiences. EMP is using the universal appeal of music to facilitate an experience that lives in visitor's memories for years to come.
Social Entrepreneurship at Scojo is Meeting the needs of 1.6 Million
Being able to read can obviously change someone's life. For years people have donated eyeglasses to impoverished countries in attempt to meet the vast needs of those with flawed vision. While this is helpful in practice, it remains limited in its reach and fails to allow a continuing avenue through which the needs of the poor can be met. Over the past few years Americans have began to fulfill the needs of these people while at the same time making a substantial profit. Business experts like C.K. Prahalad, author of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, asserts that companies can make money by selling to the world's poor. This is where Scojo recognized an opportunity for innovation which has since won them many awards.
Trained as an eye doctor, Jordan Kassalow had worked in more than 40 countries, helping treat river blindness and other ailments. "For [each person] who needed sophisticated eye care, there were 30 people who needed basic reading glasses," says Kassalow, 43. "There was a huge market failure, and a huge market opportunity to sell cheap reading glasses." Kassalow ultimately recognized a niche in the market where smaller companies take cost margins (selling to the poor) that larger companies are unwilling to take. Kassalow's innovation meets the needs of providing eyeglasses to millions who need them while simultaneously creating sustainable, local business solutions. The Scojo Foundation identifies local entrepreneurs and helps them get small loans to begin an eyeglass selling business.
Going beyond a simple physical donation of eyeglasses, Scojo finds women with leadership potential and trains them in all things business. The women then sell the glasses that are provided by Scojo. With a network in place, Scojo provides support for the local start-ups by providing hundreds-of-thousands of glasses that otherwise would not have been used. Why women? Research affirms that women who have access to their own capital use their money to feed, educate, house, and provide medical care for their children. Scojo therefore is not only encouraging temporary relief to vision problems, but seeks to empower these countries through sustainable, dispensable capital.
FREECYCLE: Saving the World one Gift at a Time
This non-profit organization's unique innovation is bringing entire communities together for a wonderful cause. Freecycle is made up of individual groups across the world who want to give and receive free stuff. Perhaps you've been in the position of getting new couches when your old ones are still in OK condition. Rather than throwing them out, you can give them to someone else in your community who has a need for them.
Freecycle was started when Deron Beal, a recycling junkie, returned to the U.S. after living eight years in recycling-forward Germany. Beal was so overwhelmed by the amount of perfectly good items being thrown away that he set up a nonprofit web organization in order to connect people with items that would otherwise become trash. The simple idea of 'changing the world one gift at a time' has evolved into a movement. Freecycle, which has more than 2 million members worldwide, is now talking about creating a worldwide gift economy (think eBay without the exchange of money).
So here's how it works. If you're getting rid of something, whether it be your old violin, TV, fax machine, etc., you can join a community group for free, send out information about what you're getting rid of, and wait to see who needs it. In turn, if you see something you want, just jump in and ask for it. Freecycle's policy is simple: the items must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Freecycle is cleaning up the planet while at the same time uniting communities to meet the needs of its members.
In addition to their yard-sale-like network, Freecycle provides tips about how to involve larger organizations in re-use processes. Schools and other non-profit organizations can post what they're searching for and a community group can help them come up with it. Freecycle empowers its community with the basic skills and knowledge to reconfigure the recycling industry one old coat, crib, or computer at a time.
DONORS CHOOSE: Everyday Philanthropy
Donors Choose is a great way to help provide public school students with the resources that educational institutions don't have the budget to support. This non-profit website allows teachers to submit proposals for projects and materials that help students learn, and then gives 'Citizen Philanthropists' the ability to choose which ideas they want to fund. Projects range in budget, with past proposals including "Magical Math Centers" ($200),"Big Book Bonanza" ($320), and "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Donors can look for projects according to areas of interest and basic needs, and then fund the project that they find the most compelling. After the project is done teachers send out a feedback package that includes things like thank you notes, an expense report, and a teacher impact letter to let donors know that their gifts are appreciated.
After the proposal (consisting of a one page essay that identifies specific needs) is submitted, Donors Choose volunteers review it to make sure that the project meets eligibility requirements, and then post it to DonorsChoose.org. Once the project receives funding, Donors Choose acts as the liaison between teachers and donors, purchasing and shipping project materials, and equipping teachers with the supplies needed for the feedback package (a disposable camera, feedback guidelines, and pre stamped envelope). Upon completion of the project, Donors Choose compiles the feedback package, develops the pictures, organizes student thank you notes, and prints a final expense report to be sent to each donor who contributes $100 or more. To make sure that the projects go smoothly, Donors Choice negotiates the best possible price for materials with outside vendors and constantly works to make their website more intuitive for teachers and donors alike. They also keep a working database of the public schools they can serve, tracking principal names and the number of students who receive school lunch assistance (one way to measure poverty).
The success of Donors Choose relies heavily on word of mouth; so don't forget to tell all of your pals about the unique, action-oriented approach they use to fund education. Donors Choose suggests doing things like funding a project in someone's honor, giving a gift certificate, or opening a gift registry as great ways to get others involved. Students are also helping other students fund projects, and many schools have held fundraising events in order to get another schools project off the ground.
In a time when school budgets are being cut nationwide and teachers are taking on bigger classes than ever before, it's important for each of us to give what we can in order to ensure the success of the next generation. Donors Choose is opening doors for people everywhere to support the causes, projects, and ideas they believe in, and prove that one person really can make a difference.
NOVO ARTS: Making Art Accessible
Since 1975 Marlaina Deppe has been making fine art accessible to a variety of clients through her company Novo Arts. Marlaina's background as an art student at institutions like New York University, Pratt Institute, and Parsons School of Design, along with her later career as an art curator, no doubt influenced her business decisions. Novo Arts is dedicated to creating meaningful art for every environment; whether it be a two person start up or a thousand employee corporation. In the 70's and 80's many of Novo Arts patrons were for clients who were trying to build fine art collections from galleries and auction houses. By the 90's Novo Arts realized that they could also market themselves to corporations with restricted art budgets who nonetheless wanted to deck their walls with quality pieces.
This realization led Novo Arts to found the Studio Program, which consists of a number of artists all working with a specific goal in mind (as assigned by an art director). Corporations love Novo Arts for producing original, and affordable, works of art that will hang with pride from company walls for years to come. And since each piece is individually made, the artwork is able to be molded into something that's parallel with each companies specific mission, values, and business practice.
From there Novo Arts branched out into the non-profit world, creating the Give Your Art Foundation. This foundation essentially recycles past clients' art by donating it to hospices and shelters, ultimately helping to create a healthy dialogue between corporations and non-profits. The digital boom of the mid 90's inspired Art Novo to create an online digital archive of all of their original work, allowing potential clients to get a feel for who they are and where they've come from. The mid 90's also opened the door for Living Walls, a program that brings "digital and light images into spaces as ephemeral artworks."
For 31 years Novo Arts has been living up to their philosophy of "art for everyone," and remain a company that's dedicated to each client's unique needs. In a world of starving artists and exorbitantly priced pieces, Novo Arts is creating a common ground that's fulfilling for painters and designers, as well as buyers.
TWO ROOMS: the Best of Both Worlds
Ever wish that there was a space where you could take your kids, take your laptop, and know that you might actually get some work done? In a time when childcare is getting increasingly expensive and internet café are at maximum capacity, what options do parents who work from home have? This was the predicament that Elizabeth Kaiden, a New York City writer and first-time mother, found herself in six years ago. It seemed that an all-encompassing work/childcare space simply didn't exist. So she made her own.
Two Rooms is a nonprofit facility on Manhattans Upper West Side that provides office space, childcare, and community all in one place. Opened in February of 2005, Two Rooms prides itself on the ability to adapt to client's needs. Two Rooms is a fun, convenient solution for "nontraditional workers" like freelance and home based professionals who might not need, or can't afford full-time childcare. Two Rooms strives to provide an environment that fosters creativity for parents and children alike by offering a complete workspace as well as quality childcare. They have licensed childcare for kids ages 3 months to 4 years and offer a separate, quiet room for infants, story time, outdoor play, music and art, along with lunch and naps (these are administered according to each child's schedule). Parents use Two Rooms to network, create new friendships, share hand me downs, and just relax. The office and community spaces feature amenities like a printer, copier, fax and scanner, wireless Internet access, an onsite administrator, a kitchen, access to healthcare plans for freelancers, and a variety of classes, workshops, discussion and hobby groups. Two Rooms is a co-op, meaning that customers join as members (you get discounted user rates) and participate in Two Rooms activities at various times throughout the year. And if you're looking for a perfect spot to plan your kid's next birthday party, keep Two Rooms in mind. $250 will rent their space (on weekends) for three hours.
While Two Rooms satisfies the immediate work and childcare needs of nontraditional professionals, it also acts as a place for commradery and creativity. Using Two Rooms is more than an office space or a daycare, it's a community of people who you can relate to. Two Rooms stands out to us because they've taken very basic needs (childcare and workspace) and turned them into a cultural capitol generating machine.
MACHINIMA: Make Your Own Movie
You plan on ousting George Lucas from the "amazing filmmaker chair," and we think that's great. But you'll probably need some help. Meet Machinima, "the convergence of filmmaking, animation and game development. It's real-world filmmaking techniques applied within an interactive virtual space where characters and events can be either controlled by humans, scripts or artificial intelligence." It can be script-driven, whereas the cameras, characters, and effects are scripted for playback in real-time. While similar to animation, the scripting is driven by events rather than key frames. It can also be recorded in real-time within the virtual environment, much like filmmaking (the majority of game-specific Machinima pieces are produced in this fashion). Some of the advantages Machinima has over traditional animation include eliminating the rendering process and providing a space where characters can interact and "real world physics can be reproduced."
Machinima even has its own Academy headquartered in New York. The officially titled Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences is a non-profit organization established to promote, organize and recognize the growth of Machinima filmmaking and filmmakers. This organization was developed in March of 2002 by several leading members of the Machinima community with the goal to both make current creative industries aware of Machinima as well as to bring support and credibility to independent Machinima productions. The Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences is made up of a number of influential community members with a keen interest in Machinima as a viable medium. The purposes of the Academy are to advocate, develop and advance the arts and sciences of Machinima. In addition, the Academy looks to foster cooperation among creative leaders for cultural, educational and technological progress of Machinima, recognize outstanding Machinima achievements, cooperate on technical research and improvement of Machinima methods and equipment, provide a common forum and meeting ground for various Machinima branches and crafts, represent the viewpoint of actual creators of Machinima; foster educational activities between the professional community and the public-at-large.
Machinima offers insight into the future of the arts. It puts power into the everyday person's hands, asserting that our ideas are just as valid as Lucas's (well, some of them are). More so than being a new filmmaking experience, Machinima gives hope and promise to the masses, it's kind of like the Model T of movie making.
OPRAH'S ANGEL NETWORK: Giving a Good Gift
Not only did Hurricane Katrina leave millions of people homeless, it left them without hope. With their houses, jobs, and families destroyed it seemed that this was a cloud that lacked a silver lining. Days after the hurricane hit, Oprah went to do a special report from the Gulf Coast. The people she encountered and the destruction she saw changed her life, and Oprah vowed to not forget these people, a promise she dutifully kept. On the 20th season premier of her show, Oprah pledged $10 million dollars of her own money to rebuild as many lives as she could. She also opened up the Katrina Homes Registry within the Angel Network so that viewers could donate as well. In a matter of a couple months the Katrina Homes Registry raised more than $5 million dollars. With Oprah confident about the Katrina Homes project, she traveled to Houston to surprise 50 families with the gift of a new home. During the ceremony Oprah happily announced that all 50 of the families would be neighbors on Angel Lane, the name Oprah picked for their soon to be street. In addition to funding all of the houses, the Angel Network will also be furnishing them with everything from furniture to picture frames (with help from interior decorator Nate Berkus) to make sure that these survivors new lives get the good start they deserve. So, whether you like Oprah or you hate her (who hates Oprah?!) there's no denying the tremendous contributions she's made over the years. We can count on her to always be standing by, just waiting to give a really, really good gift.
DIGITAL DIVIDE DATA: Bridging the Gap
When Jeremy Hockenstein visited Cambodia he was inspired by the amount of roadside internet cafes crowded with youngsters trying to learn English. This experience made him realize that new technology and globalization could better this impoverished country. Jeremy thought he could help willing Cambodians in search of a better life by offering them a chance they were unlikely to receive from anyone else. Hockenstein and four of his friends journeyed to Cambodia in 2001 to found Digital Divide Data, a non-profit organization that "provides high-quality, cost-effective data entry and digitization services." At the same time Digital Divide Data (DDD) "provides for the social, human, and economic development" of the Cambodian staff they employ. DDD pays their employees about $2.25 a day, an almost non-existent number to us, but a salary between two and three times what most Cambodians make. Even in the midst of all the social and economic outreach DDD is committed to, chaos can erupt. A few years ago the Boston Globe published an article accusing DDD of using cheap, third world labor to increase their profits. In order to combat misconceptions of the organizations purpose, Hockenstein invites reporters to check out DDD for themselves. Upon a thorough tour of the facilities people understand what this company is really all about: reciprocity. While DDD employs people in safe environments that nurture healthy living and educational pursuits, their clients get the benefit of knowing they're giving back to the global economy while at the same time receiving a needed digital entry service. This is a company that knows how to generate profits and build cultural capitol for employees and clients alike - hats off to Digital Divide Data for breaking into the market with an innovative idea that works.
SHARE OUR STRENGTH
Everyday millions of people go hungry in communities around the world. Providing a way to help out has been the focus of many people, but Bill Shore found a distinctive way of approaching the problem. In 1984 Bill founded Share Our Strength, a hunger and poverty focused non-profit with local, national, and international reach. Share our strength looks to long term problem solving and outreach to solve the world's hunger issues. Unlike many local food banks, Bill's program includes "food assistance, job training, economic development programs, and advocacy" to create a lasting impression.
While working on Share Our Strength, Bill had an idea to help raise money that he called Taste of the Nation. He would ask famous chefs from around the country to participate as a means of generating attention for the nonprofit. He sent out personalized invitations to chefs, asking if they would be willing to make a substantial donation to the organization. No one wrote checks. So he rethought his approach. The next letter that went out was an invitation to help host dinner fundraisers in New York and other major cities. Chefs were asked to donate not just funds, but also food, equipment, and staff. Suddenly, Shore found he was hearing from more chefs than he could accommodate. Since 1988, Taste of the Nation has raised $46 million, and tens of thousands of people volunteer to participate, and the event has attracted huge interest. Chefs get an opportunity to showcase their skills, and prepare delectable dishes, while still benefiting a great cause, and guests get magnificent meals prepared by the world's best. No wonder these events are getting so much attention. The success of this innovation lies in the dazzling social and taste extravaganza that is put on. We would be keen to be invited. Interestingly, Share Our Strength is branching out into for-profit enterprises as well. They've obviously realized the power of innovative experiences.
GIVE MEANING: Everyday Philanthropy
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GiveMeaning.com is an online charity pool headquartered out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that links philanthropists from all walks of life to various projects and organization that are in need of financial assistance. Whether you want to donate $5 or $5000 to support a specific cause, your contributions will help change lives of people as close as your neighbors or as far away as the other side of the world. This innovative approach to everyday philanthropy was started by a small group of working professionals who wanted to stand up for the things they believe in, but didn't know where to start. Thanks to their efforts, people everywhere now have the resources needed to make an impact in the areas they're most passionate about. Talk about giving a good gift.
GiveMeaning.com is set up so that people from many different locations, lifestyles, and backgrounds can link up to create change without ever even meeting one another. These projects that involve groups of people working toward a common goal are known as Giving Groups. Giving Groups need more than just financial resources â€" many times they need resources, advertising, and time. Word of mouth advertising is huge for Giving Groups, and GiveMeaning.com has found that once word gets out, newly established giving communities quickly take on a life of their own. If you've always had a project or organization that you've wanted to help, but haven't yet, feel free to create your own Giving Group and don't forget to invite friends, co-workers, and family members to join in. Giving Groups are established by identifying the specific resources needed, including budget and volunteers- making it easy for donors to see where the project is in contrast with where it needs to go.
If you want to give a gift with real meaning, may we suggest a GiveMeaning Card â€"a gift card that the recipient can use on any charity they like (you still get the tax receipt). And you can rest easy knowing that %100 of all the money donated through GiveMeaning.com goes directly to the charity that you choose â€" no hidden fees or garnished funds involved. If you want to give someone a Give Meaning Card for a birthday, anniversary, or holiday present you can choose to put anywhere from $5 to $1000 on a card. In the event that your Give Meaning card recipient doesn't use the card before it expires (3 months from the date of issue), GiveMeaning.com will email them notifying them that they have 30 more days to make their donation choice. If the 30 days passes without any action from the recipient, the money on the Give Meaning card will be allocated to the Give Meaning Pool and the funds will be distributed evenly amongst all GivingGroups.
So the next time you're shopping for a gift and want to give something that exceeds materialistic value, keep GiveMeaning in mind. This organization has reinvented the elitist world of traditional philanthropy and turned it into something that everyone, regardless of age, income, or location can participate in. GiveMeaning proves that innovation can exist anywhere and inspires us to think and act globally.
COMMUNITY VOICEMAIL: Putting People in Touch
Community Voice Mail is a simple, reliable solution to one of the biggest obstacles homeless and other displaced people are faced with. You see, without having a phone it's difficult to find a job, housing, or healthcare. Community Voice Mail recognizes that if more people had access to a constant telephone number they could get their lives back together in a time efficient, embarrassment-free way. Enrolling for a phone number through Community Voice Mail generally takes less than three minutes, and includes dialing into Community Voice Mail, recording a greeting, and creating a password. From there employers, doctors, teachers, and other family members can call in and leave messages that allow users to stay connected to the rest of society. Once the account has been activated, users can check their messages from any touch-tone phone, and a Community Voice Mail (CVM) number looks and acts just like a real phone number so no one has to know that you're homeless or phoneless. Once the user is no longer in need of their account, the phone number gets recycled to a new user. By using this method, a single voice mailbox can be used two to three times each year â€" benefiting more people at once than traditional phone numbers ever could.
This innovative and much needed idea started in Seattle in 1991 after it was realized that homeless and displaced people often remain that way because they don't have a secure, reliable communication link with the world around them. CVM employees brought their business model to Active Voice (a Seattle based voicemail company) a year later and managed to get a voicemail system donated that helped 145 over the course of 6 months. Of the 145 people initially served, 70% found a job within 2 months. With a successful beginning behind them, CVM applied for and won the $100,000 Harvard/Ford Foundation Innovators Government Award in 1993, and used the money to install their system in other cities around the U.S. Last year alone CVM reached over 44,000 people in 37 cities nationwide, and they have plans to add another 30 sites by 2008.
Community Voice Mail is working to end the debilitating epidemic of homelessness one customer at a time. They know that if people in need are given resources amazing things can happen. Their model of making meaning through a basic form of communication is one that inspires innovation and hope in technology industries from internet communications to electricity, and illustrates the importance of taking the time to think outside the box.
PLAY PUMPS: Problem Solving
Play Pumps International is a nonprofit organization that enables private donors, governments, foundations, and corporations to donate PlayPump water systems to African communities and schools that are in desperate need of clean drinking water. In addition to providing safe water to drink, Play Pumps also works to enhance public health and provide play equipment to millions African children. Play Pumps, formerly known as Roundabout Play Pumps, is a company that's dedicated to doing well by doing good. They manufacture, install, and maintain PlayPump systems throughout Africa, and strive to provide rural communities with a sustainable, and free, supply of water. Play Pumps is also working to further the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals by bringing better health to an estimated 10 million people over the course of the next three years. To date hundreds of Play Pumps have been installed in South Africa that provide clean drinking water, which is the first step to curing many health, education, gender, and economic issues. Clean water ultimately means longer, healthier lives for African children and their families.
Play Pumps creates other benefits that compliment the value of clean drinking water like enabling children to stay in school instead of hauling water. Women also benefit a they no longer have to risk injuries from taking heavy containers of water across far distances, and can focus on taking care of their children and starting their own business enterprises (a growing trend with African women). Play Pumps also feature health messages that are intended to help limit the spread of HIV/AIDS in rural Africa. The best part about Play Pumps is that they're sustainable and have the power to create economic benefits. Each 2,500 liter water tank has huge potential for advertising opportunities â€" two sides of each tank are leased for consumer advertising while the other sides are used for additional public health messages. The advertising revenue alone pays for maintenance of the pump for up to 10 years. And the pumps themselves create new jobs for local residence for things like maintenance and installation.
PlayPumps found an innovative solution to the clean water epidemic in Africa. By thinking outside the box they were able to create a fun, interactive experience for children while at the same time alleviating pressure, stress, and physical hardship for parents. By creating a product that enables kids to contribute to their family's well being they've added substantial meaning to an already attractive activity.