Just a few articles that caught our attention recently:

Crowdsourcing a Better World and On the Web, a Revolution in Giving (New York Times Opinionator blog):

In the first piece, Tina Rosenberg explores “what crowdsourcing can do to help civilians contribute to social change in a way that is both useful and emotionally satisfying.” In the latter, she breaks down the strengths and drawbacks of crowdfunding sites like DonorsChoose and Kickstarter.

Next Stop, Volunteering! The Do Good Bus Makes Community Service Easy and Fun (GOOD):

From the article:

For her birthday, [co-founder Rebecca] Pontius organized a party bus and noticed the camaraderie created amongst her friends just by traveling to a new location together. Teaming up with two of her friends, Hannah Halliwell and Stephen Snedden, the trio decided to combine the fun of a party bus with a service trip as a way to make volunteering easy and accessible.

Why Sting Operations Cheapen Public Policy Discourse (Nonprofit Quarterly):

NPR. ACORN. Planned Parenthood. Sting operations, writes Rick Cohen, “have reduced public discourse to the level of ‘Candid Camera.’” Cohen argues that in this era it is important for nonprofits to stay transparent; stand firm in their beliefs; keep egos in check; and correct misguided staff, improve management, and train employees carefully.

Serious stuff. Image via makelessnoise (Flickr/Creative Commons).

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