All People Making a Difference
Difference MakerDavid Hunt saves lives by teaching swimming in CambodiaDrowning is the top cause of death for children in Cambodia over the age of 1, according to a recent report.
Historic US railroads inspire 21st-century solutions: the Millennial Trains ProjectOver 10 days in August, the Millennial Trains Project will send 40 young Americans across the country by train, each rider with a specific, crowdfunded project to help build a better nation.
6 international organizations that support jobs and businesses Many organizations, both in the United States and abroad, seek to help entrepreneurial individuals and small businesses through microfinance and other means. Here are six organizations that support job creation and new businesses around the world.
10 biggest US foundations and what they do What are the 10 biggest foundations in the United States? Here they are in ascending order, based on their assets, along with a little bit about what social problems each addresses.
From a caged teen in a basement in India to literary fameSalma is now the most famous female poet in southern India 鈥� and the subject of a new documentary film.
Scott Zabelski found T-shirts were a perfect fit for hurricane Sandy reliefHe created and sold 'Restore the Shore' T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts 鈥� and raised more than half a million dollars for hurricane recovery efforts.
Difference MakerDavid Eads runs FreeGeek Chicago, 'an Apple Store for the rest of us'FreeGeek Chicago gives volunteers hands-on training in restoring old computers to sell or recycle 鈥� while they earn credits toward taking home their own desktop or laptop free of charge.
Solar pumps could boost farm yields in poor countriesFoot-powered irrigation pumps are useful but limited. Diesel pumps are expensive. Solar-powered pumps could be an answer.
Difference MakerJohn Ferguson spreads goodwill for America through the power of musicPianist John Ferguson founded American Voices, a nonprofit whose mission is to help aspiring young artists around the world pursue their interest in American jazz, Broadway, break dancing, and classical music.
Cereal banks empower women and fight famine in Africa's Sahel regionGroups such as the World Food Program and Care are joining forces to create all-women-managed cereal banks in villages throughout the drought-prone Sahel region of Africa. They help protect against famine, but also empower women.
If sci-fi spurs technology, can 'social fiction' spark change?If more movies, TV series, and other media were created to help people envision better future societies, 'I bet we鈥檒l create the societies,' says Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize-winning founder of the microcredit movement.
2013 Torchlight Prize honors grass-roots US community groupsThe Torchlight Prize, a project of the Family Independence Initiative, recognizes homegrown groups that are finding unique ways to solve local community problems.
Law student Yasmene Mumby already is a veteran education reformerIn a feat of tenacity and organization worthy of a veteran leader, young law student Yasmene Mumby helped push passage of $1.1 billion in funding to improve Baltimore's schools.
Elaine Hamel uses power tools to teach girl powerElaine Hamel founded Girls at Work Inc., which helps at-risk girls discover their inner power tools of strength and courage through building projects.
Difference MakerWar survivor Mariatu Kamara speaks for children at risk in conflictHer story shows 'the devastation conflict has on children's lives but also the power of the human spirit.'
Ashoka Future Forum tackles 'Tomorrow's Media,' 'Leadership'The Ashoka Future Forum May 30 and 31 in Washington, D.C., (see a live video feed below) brings together social innovators, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists to explore how people can solve problems in their families, communities, and workplaces.
Gaza Sky Geeks backs tech startups in the Gaza StripThe conflict-torn Gaza Strip produces more than 2,000 young graduates with technical degrees each year. Gaza Sky Geeks helps them launch their own high-tech businesses.
Filmmaker Mira Nair tells stories 'no one else will'Her latest feature film, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist,' and her free film school in Kampala, Uganda, are just two ways she's broadening the stories being told on screens.
100 years on, Rockefeller Foundation still promotes 'the well-being of mankind'The Rockefeller Foundation, chartered in 1913, took philanthropy in new directions with its global outlook and diligent, scientific approach that became a model for the field.
From housing to health care, 7 co-ops that are changing the economyHow manufacturers, retailers, restaurants, and others are doing business the cooperative way.