Technology helps break down borders – and the web acts as a simple tool that makes exchanging information easy. People can now access information and business tools that they previously couldn’t – and sharing information is exactly what the internet was originally created for. Essentially, professors needed a way to share information quickly across great distances. Necessity breeds invention.
Today I’d like to talk about some amazing Digital Philanthropic activities that have been made possible through the advent of the web. Are we becoming a more compassionate culture?
There’s a great quote from Margaret Mead –
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Small changes can make big differences – and when people come together they can make big change. When people throw their weight behind a good cause – they can really make a difference – five bucks alone doesn’t mean much – but when thousands of people throw in five bucks it really adds up. The web gives access to millions of people – if you can get your message out there – you have access to millions of people.
These websites make it easy to give to a worthy cause – but the idea of micro-loans is really interesting because they also empower the beneficiaries – they use the money to start a small business and then turn around and repay the loans so that others can also benefit. This is the 2006 Nobel Prize winning idea that micro-loan pioneer Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank use.
A few hundred dollars might not mean much to a North American business – but it means life and death to someone in the third world. The program has enabled millions of Bangladeshis, almost all women, to buy everything from cows to cell phones in order to start and run their own businesses.
Some of the amazing websites out there are givemeaning.com – they host fundraising pages on behalf of charities, non-profits and grassroots projects.
Designcanchange.org – it’s tackling climate change and issues about the environment by providing information and resources to businesses who want to make positive change.
Kiva.org is one of these micro-loan sites – lets you lend whatever amount you would like to a entrepreneur of your choosing in the developing world – empowering them to help themselves. You could be helping them built a bridge, expand a small retail business, or start a brand new one.
Freerice is a website that gives rice through the UN when you go and play a word game. For each word you get right – they donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. So you get smarter and hungry people get rice – it’s a definite win-win. Add it to your morning reading.
So whether you want to give to an entrepreneur in a developing country or help out a valuable resource closer to home – it’s just a click away.
EOL.org is the Encyclopedia of Life –
it is an amazing site that lets you explore virtually all the species of plants and animals on Earth. It’s wonderful – kids and adults will love it. The Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about all life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. It’s a global effort by Natural History museums, teachers, botanical gardens, resource centers – and soon, you’ll even be able to contribute by adding photos, drawings and videos. It’s growing and evolving all the time – just like us.
That’s it for today – you can learn more about the Encyclopedia of Life by watching ConnectedLife’s free video pod cast on iTunes. I’m Bradley Shende - until next week, keep clicking and stay connected.
Today I’d like to talk about some amazing Digital Philanthropic activities that have been made possible through the advent of the web. Are we becoming a more compassionate culture?
There’s a great quote from Margaret Mead –
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”Small changes can make big differences – and when people come together they can make big change. When people throw their weight behind a good cause – they can really make a difference – five bucks alone doesn’t mean much – but when thousands of people throw in five bucks it really adds up. The web gives access to millions of people – if you can get your message out there – you have access to millions of people.
These websites make it easy to give to a worthy cause – but the idea of micro-loans is really interesting because they also empower the beneficiaries – they use the money to start a small business and then turn around and repay the loans so that others can also benefit. This is the 2006 Nobel Prize winning idea that micro-loan pioneer Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank use.
A few hundred dollars might not mean much to a North American business – but it means life and death to someone in the third world. The program has enabled millions of Bangladeshis, almost all women, to buy everything from cows to cell phones in order to start and run their own businesses.Some of the amazing websites out there are givemeaning.com – they host fundraising pages on behalf of charities, non-profits and grassroots projects.
Designcanchange.org – it’s tackling climate change and issues about the environment by providing information and resources to businesses who want to make positive change.
Kiva.org is one of these micro-loan sites – lets you lend whatever amount you would like to a entrepreneur of your choosing in the developing world – empowering them to help themselves. You could be helping them built a bridge, expand a small retail business, or start a brand new one.
Freerice is a website that gives rice through the UN when you go and play a word game. For each word you get right – they donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. So you get smarter and hungry people get rice – it’s a definite win-win. Add it to your morning reading.
So whether you want to give to an entrepreneur in a developing country or help out a valuable resource closer to home – it’s just a click away.
EOL.org is the Encyclopedia of Life –
it is an amazing site that lets you explore virtually all the species of plants and animals on Earth. It’s wonderful – kids and adults will love it. The Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about all life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. It’s a global effort by Natural History museums, teachers, botanical gardens, resource centers – and soon, you’ll even be able to contribute by adding photos, drawings and videos. It’s growing and evolving all the time – just like us.That’s it for today – you can learn more about the Encyclopedia of Life by watching ConnectedLife’s free video pod cast on iTunes. I’m Bradley Shende - until next week, keep clicking and stay connected.
