All People Making a Difference
- Difference MakerA little book has a big impact on how to run a charityMario Morino wrote a little book that's had a big effect 鈥� urging nonprofit groups to prove that they're really doing what they say they're doing.
Solar-powered phones recharge Kenya's conversationsAn inexpensive solar cell phone made of recycled materials opens new opportunities for people in rural Kenya.
Journalist Kevin Fagan looked for solutions to homelessnessHis newspaper series on the homeless in San Francisco emphasized solutions 鈥� what really works and what doesn't. The result: constructive changes.
World Bank unit, MasterCard Foundation boost crucial small loans in AfricaThey'll spend $37.4 million over five years to provide microfinancing, which helps people lift themselves out of poverty by starting or expanding small businesses, sending children to school, or improving farms.
A quirky, tiny grass-roots effort backs only 'Awesome鈥� projectsThe Awesome Foundation is a loose collection of some three-dozen local groups usually made up of 10 volunteers each, who offer $100 a month toward a simple, no-strings-attached grant, or Awesome Fellowship.
Public-private teamwork helps save Connecticut's threatened alewivesThe once-abundant fish have played a big role in Connecticut's development. But now they need help to reach their freshwater spawning grounds.
Difference MakerThey opened their home 鈥� and hearts 鈥� to South Africa's abandoned babiesChristo and Lanie de Klerk have founded the Baby Moses sanctuary for abandoned babies in South Africa.
Farmers' markets go onlineOnline ordering systems, like Arganica Farm Club in the mid-Atlantic, Green Bean Delivery in the Midwest, and SPUD in the Northwest, deliver fresh local produce to consumers.
Ethikus offers a Groupon-like service to find ethical, sustainable businessesNew York City startup Ethikus provides vouchers for small businesses whose practices embody principles of sustainability.
African farmers grow trees as a natural crop fertilizerIn Africa, planting trees along with corn in soil that is low in nitrogen can substantially increase corn production without expensive fertilizers. In a decade, the number of small farmers using Fertilizer Tree Systems has ballooned from a few hundred to more than 250,000.
Mama Hope uses humor to change the West's view of AfricaNonprofit Mama Hope has released three videos that employ humor to create new perceptions of Africa and to show that it is full of capable people with the potential to support themselves. The aim is to create a new conversation about the continent and humanize the people who live there.
Difference MakerAn engineering mom leads effort to save an old-growth Russian forestYevgenia Chirikova found out a national forest was quietly being sold off. What she did to try to save it may change Russia forever.
A Kenyan woman stands up against a massive dam projectIkal Angelei is helping lead a campaign to stop construction of the Gibe III dam in Ethiopia that threatens the water supply and way of life of tens of thousands of indigenous people.
Looking for a few good boomers to help othersRetiring baby boomers are proving to be valuable volunteers. 'A part of paying for our spot on earth is to help those who need help,' says one.
Transition Towns moves communities beyond sustainability to resiliencyThe 320 Transition Town initiatives in 14 countries focus on urban agriculture, crowdfunding, and other social enterprises, using a 12-step model to organize a community toward a sustainable, resilient future.
Actor-activist Sean Penn says he's in Haiti for the long haulSean Penn's role in Haiti has evolved from heading a band of volunteers and serving as unofficial mayor of a homeless camp to becoming ambassador-at-large for President Michel Martelly, the first non-Haitian to receive the designation.
Catherine Rohr helps ex-cons return to society by learning to start businessesFormer venture capitalist Catherine Rohr founded the nonprofit Defy Ventures to train ex-prisoners in the ethical and other demands of becoming legitimate entrepreneurs.
Bakery charity feeds North Korean childrenLove North Korean Children has built four community bakeries with the humble intention of providing 5,000-plus youngsters with one steamed bun per day.
'One Day on Earth' captures the variety of human experienceKyle Ruddick and Brandon Litman got some 19,000 people to make videos of what they saw on a single day in every country in the world. The film 'One Day on Earth' shows what they found.
Karen Armstrong argues for practical compassionThe historian has helped world religions unite behind the idea of a worldwide charter for compassion. Can it become more than just a nice idea?