What’s the big deal about the “meaning” of a product (or a fund-raising proposal)? Roberto Verganti, professor of a leading design school in Milan, Italy says meanings are at the heart of who we are, what we do, and, by extension, what we buy. If we are donors, it is meaning that helps decide what [...]
Category Archives: Innovation
Insert Text Here
10/25/2011 – 9:16 am
Do you communicate to your volunteers/donors via mobile text messaging? ‘Texting’ has been proven an effective means to organize large amounts of people, as seen in the numerous protests, riots and revolutions over the recent months. Do Something, an organization that encourages youth to volunteer in their communities is looking to increase it’s membership by [...]
Change by Design – thinking Tim Brown’s way will change you too.
10/17/2011 – 6:33 pm
When Tim Brown’s book on Change by Design (HarperCollins, NY, 2009) came out it created quite a buzz and not just because it was a different way of looking at design. It was also about thinking. How to think is new? In Brown’s hands it is. This is design thinking – a way to innovate [...]
‘Daily Deal’ Philanthropy
10/04/2011 – 1:51 am
Have you heard of Philanthroper? It’s like a Groupon with non-profits, where everyday a new charity is showcased and users are asked to donate $1 and no more than $10. With the default donation of $1, the people behind Philanthroper hope that users will find it easy giving $1 to another charity the next day, [...]
&you
08/29/2011 – 4:47 pm
Arm your tribes with a digital tool that allows them to share their passions for your cause and your organization. Johnson & Johnson is offering a free widget for individuals and non-profits. The customizable &you widget offers one central location for information on volunteer and job opportunities, events, news, and donation capabilities. Place the widget [...]
Seeing The Same Differently
07/21/2011 – 2:35 am
Steve Tobak writes that innovation is not necessarily about inventing or building something new or different. Rather, a huge part innovation is seeing an existing model or idea in a different way. Apple CEO Steve Jobs didn’t invent the mp3 player, the portable tablet or the smartphone. He just envisioned these products differently and introduced [...]
A Relaxing Donation
06/30/2011 – 11:15 am
It’s summer. Take a vacation. You deserve it. And while you’re enjoying some R&R by the pool, why not help a deserving charity at the same time. You can. Geronimo is a website that brings together owners of holiday homes, vacationers, and non-profit organizations. If you own a vacation property, list it on Geronimo, maybe [...]
IDEO’s New Idea
06/13/2011 – 10:04 pm
Global design firm IDEO announced it will launch a nonprofit division this fall. Ideo.org aims to bring product innovation and design consulting to the social sector, working with projects in low-income communities around the world. We’re excited to see more creativity entering the non-profit sphere. Design thinking is a powerful methodology to help solve challenges of [...]
Give A Little, Get A Lot
05/16/2011 – 4:15 pm
Google is collaborating with acclaimed art museums across the globe to display artwork online. Each museum was able to choose the number of pieces and information to include in The Google Art Project. The high-resolution images are copyright protected, and thus far, 17 museums are participating including MoMA (New York), Tate Britain (London), Van Gogh [...]
Digital Divide And Conquer
04/19/2011 – 11:59 am
Organizations often recognize their donors by putting their name on something: a wing of the hospital, the university library, bricks of the church, or plaques on an honour wall. Are you effectively using naming to motivate giving? Are you making it exciting? These two organizations are divvying it up and raising funds from smaller parts. [...]
