Your Mark On The World

November 25, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1FkIJVZ. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Visit the crowdfunding page at Kickstarter: http://bit.ly/peaceflick. What if we trained peacekeepers the way we train generals? That’s the question that Burundi asked and answered with formal training for government and military leaders on building peace. Filmmaker Jamil Simon is producing a documentary called Fragile Island of Peace about that effort and raising money for the production via Kickstarter. Commenting on his reason for making the film, Jamil said, “Peacebuilding efforts are currently stuck in a negative cycle rooted in lack of awareness, that severely restricts their potential. Peacebuilding is not recognized as a viable solution to conflict. To reverse that cycle, we need to use media to promote the great, often heroic, work peacebuilders are

November 25, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1FkWIex. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Anisa Mirza created Giveffect to address the problems she faced in fundraising for nonprofits. “After graduating from McMaster University, I began working with various not-for-profit organizations,” Anisa explained. “Despite my passion for giving back, I absolutely despised the fundraising and data management aspects of my job. The software we were using at these nonprofits was certainly not user friendly – to say the least” “Created as a tool that would help nonprofits engage with donors, especially Millennials and vice versa, Giveffect combined my passion for technology and my knowledge of nonprofit fundraising management, and became a powerful operating system for nonprofits,” Anisa continued. “The nonprofit industry is seeing the same magnitude of disrup

November 20, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1vnntNw. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Conservation finance is a relatively new concept in impact investing circles that looks to create financial returns from conservation activities. The Freshwater Trust is a key player in this promising financial arena. Traditionally, most money spent on conservation comes from governments. Some additional philanthropic dollars are also invested in the space. About 75 to 80 percent of the annual $300 to $400 million required to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems globally is unmet. Folks like Joe Whitworth, President of the Freshwater Trust, believe that tapping in to investment dollars is the only way to cover the huge shortfall. In a statement, the Trust provided an example: The Trust has developed a natural system for cooling Pacific Northwest river water (im

November 25, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1vH0Y6d. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Singer David Osmond, who himself has MS, recently received the “Can Do Award” from Can Do MS, a national nonprofit working to empower people with MS. According to a Can Do MS, Osmond performed at a gala in his honor on October 23, 2014 where $189,000 was raised for the nonprofit. “I’m beyond humbled and honored to receive the Can Do Award,” said Osmond. “I know firsthand how essential role models are in overcoming difficulties in life and I’m excited to serve as one in the MS community.” Osmond, whose father Alan Osmond is one of the famous Osmond Brothers; he was forced to retire early due to MS. The younger Osmond says he lives by words his father spoke, “I may have MS, but MS does NOT have me.”

November 25, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1yVsBGj. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Social entrepreneur Kyle Thomas and his team have developed an app called Adora to deliver advertising to the lock screen of your phone with proceeds going to a charity of your choice. Adora is about a client of the Your Mark on the World Center. Kyle noted, “Adora is a win, win, win, – a win for advertisers, a win for charities, and a win for that app users.” Explaining the potential impact, Kyle said, “Doing good doesn’t have to always be a grand gesture. Add up many small good deeds and you can have an amazing impact.” “Advertising can mean something, giving users a choice in the advertising they see can play a huge part in reaching an individual in ways they actually want to be reached, and it creates more value for the advertiser. The fact that our app

November 20, 2014 - FRead the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/11zzFgJ. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Greg Lais, the founder and executive director of Wilderness Inquiry, a national nonprofit sharing outdoor experiences with all sorts of people, explains his philosophy in a few short sentences, “Attitude is more important than ability” and “Wilderness helps us discover our common humanity.” The RBC Foundation-USA recently made a $300,000 grant to Wilderness Inquiry to fund its youth-focused programs. “RBC and Wilderness Inquiry share a common commitment to natural resources in the U.S. and to young people,” said John Taft, CEO, RBC Wealth Management-U.S. in a published statement. “We are proud to be a part of a program that provides an educational experience for youth and inspires them to become environmental stewards for future generations.”

November 20, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://hope.ly/1pReK4m. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. A team of researchers at the University of Michigan’s William Davidson Institute have recently published a document called, “A Roadmap for the Base of the Pyramid Domain: Re-Energizing for the Next Decade.” The team of authors included Ted London, Stuart Hart and Sateen Sheth. According to Ted, “The Roadmap outlines a shared vision for the future of the BoP domain. It includes a set of actionable initiatives that serve as platforms to share knowledge, learn, and support BoP enterprises more effectively. The document helps chart the way forward for inclusive business ventures that serve low income communities in developing countries.” He further explained, “The Roadmap was created because, in the past decade,there has been tremendous growth in the n

November 25, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1vGVyrP. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. “Black Friday,” a label for the Friday following Thanksgiving, led to the moniker “Cyber Monday” for the peak on-line shopping day on the following Monday. In 2012, the next day of the calendar got a new name: Giving Tuesday (almost universally written as #GivingTuesday, complete with hashtag, reflecting its made for social media origins). This year, #GivingTuesday falls on December 2. President and CEO of the UN Foundation, Kathy Calvin, said, “UN Foundation is proud to be a founding partner of #GivingTuesday, which was launched as an alternative to the widely-recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to kick off the holiday giving season. In just three years, it has become one of the largest initiatives dedicated to giving back.” “#GivingTuesday

November 20, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1BLKhKm. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. One of the oldest crowdfunding sites on the web, GlobalGiving, just compiled a guide to crowdfunding that is available for free on the web. According to Michael Gale, Senior Program Manager, “The guide distills some of the best practices we’ve seen over the our last decade.” “We have a goal to support 10,000 nonprofit organizations around the world by 2020,” Michael said. “This guide, we hope, will help more organizations – particularly organizations that are new to online fundraising or crowdfunding – have greater success with their fundraising efforts, both on and off our platform.” “The ‘funding’ in crowdfunding is important – and its the reason most organizations are intrigued by the concept,” continued Michael. “We think there is also power in the comm

November 20, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1uwuOYf. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The wealth management firm Envestnet|PMC recently published a study that looked at investment returns on socially responsible investments. The results were surprising. “This Envestnet|PMC study shows that Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) funds perform as well, on average, as non-SRI funds, but with less of a downside in down-markets,” explained Brandon Thomas, Envestnet|PMC Co-Founder and CIO. “These findings could persuade conservative investors to use these types of funds as part of their portfolios as much for their particular investment profiles as for the ‘social good’ aspect - which is just an added bonus.” “It shows that investors who want to do good are not having to give up financial returns for societal/environmental returns, which is g

November 20, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1ti1EsN. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. On June 12, 2014 we visited here with Nicholas Fusso about the $20,000 D-Prize, a cash award for social entrepreneurs with a plan to effectively distribute proven poverty solutions. Nicholas is back to report. "During our first [interview], we talked about an upcoming D-Prize competition. We have since finished that, and found some extraordinary new entrepreneurs," Nicholas said. "We continue to see great proposals from US-based entrepreneurs. We are also excited to see a growing number of good proposals from candidates already living in developing countries," Nicholas continued. "For instance, this last competition included an entrepreneur from Nigeria." Nicholas went on to explain, “Our earlier winners are also making huge strides. Collectively t

November 13, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowd.info article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1xi3KQ3. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Two socially minded entrepreneurs have come together to create a new reality TV show called Crowdfunding Mojo, which they describe as “Share Tank meets American Idol.” Mark Grimes and Perry Gruber explain, “The show centers around everyday people who have an idea and want to see if crowdfunding is an option for them all while working with successful entrepreneurs as their mentors.”

July 10, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1sObwP4. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Dr. James Mayfield has spent much of his life working to end poverty and he thinks he’s got it figured out. “Go to the people, live among the people, learn from the people, plan with the people, work with the people, start with what the people know, and build on what the people have,” he says. In 1982, after years as an academic and a consultant, he helped found CHOICE Humanitarian, a nonprofit organization, to work actively to end poverty. CHOICE is working now in Nepal, Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and Kenya. The CHOICE model has three distinct phases: Organizing: All projects are village based and begin by having the village identify leaders and key community resources to build upon; this process can take up to one year. Mobilizing: The village, over the course of

November 13, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowd.info article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1xtLq3Q. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Hey guys my name is Matt Ward and I’m the guy behind the Art of the Kickstart podcast and blog. I’m not some world-renowned figure or overly accomplished individual but an ordinary guy like you looking to change the world and create amazing. As an engineer, entrepreneur and aspiring inventor I believe in the power of innovation and its ability to empower individuals the world over. My podcast focuses on fueling creators, designers, and developers dreams of crowdfunding success and creating the world of tomorrow. All-in-all I walk a path of entrepreneurial unknown in which I have overcome frequent failures, screwy startups and many many mistakes in order to learn, live and lead others on their own unexpected entrepreneurial adventures.

November 13, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1xhLuGm. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. I am so excited! Fresh off my Rotary trip to Ethiopia for polio immunizations, I’m now looking forward to my service expedition with CHOICE Humanitarian to Nepal in February. Here’s the news: you can join me. I hope you will! Wade Alexander, who recently returned from Kenya himself, is the expedition leader for CHOICE. He says, “Expeditions are life-changing experiences. Expeditions allow others to broaden global perspectives and serve hand-in-hand with rural villagers.” See my interview with CHOICE Humanitarian Founder Jim Mayfield for Forbes.

November 13, 2014 - Read the full GoodCrowd.info article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1u1Qxa2. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Fairfundr has an ambitious goal to help 1 million creative entrepreneurs around the world raise $10,000 over the next five years. Now that’s a goal! Fairfundr founders Jeannine and Rajiv Srivastava explain, “We found out that more and more people want to make a living with their talent and they are not satisfied with current funding models – crowdfunding platforms that are mostly DIY, Bank loans that require Collateral and VC models that require equity and lead to endless discussions.”

November 13, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1u1Xvfc. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Emmy Award winner Cara Jones gave up her fabulous career as a television report to build Storytellers for Good to share stories about people who are doing good. Cara explained her work to me, saying, “Storytelling has the power to cut through the digital noise and create authentic connection.” She added, “People want to be part of something that is inspiring and makes them feel good and are motivated from that place.”

November 13, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1xhJ7TP. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Chevron CVX +0.81% has committed $140 million to education in the U.S. since 2010 and will top $45 million in 2014 alone, according to Brent Tippen, a spokesman for Chevron. In a partnership with the crowdfunding-for-teachers site DonorsChoose called “Fuel Your School” over 17,000 projects at more than 3,000 schools have been funded, according to Tippen. Commenting on Chevron’s motivation, Tippen noted, “Effective STEM education – science, technology, engineering and math – is one of the most fundamental requisites to securing healthy future economic growth for the country.” “Innovative approaches are needed to help public school classrooms,” he added. DonorsChoose CEO Charles Best reported, “This back-to-school season was our best ever at DonorsChoose.org, whi

October 30, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1Dzshyo. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Tides is a nonprofit organization that offers a wide range of services to donors and nonprofit projects. Based in San Francisco, Tides taps into the Silicon Valley community and brings an innovative approach to charitable giving. Entrepreneurs and others use Tides to manage donor advised funds that reportedly total billions of dollars. Tides also helps people running nonprofit projects, that is nonprofit efforts that are not conducted by 501(c)(3) organizations, with a variety of services, from office space and consulting to fiscal sponsorship, which allows the projects to accept tax deductible donations through Tides.

October 30, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1DyiE2W. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The Hult Prize, arguably the most prestigious student business competition of any sort, awards student social entrepreneurs with a $1 million prize from the Hult Family presented by President Bill Clinton at the the Clinton Global Initiative. In a special series on the Hult Prize, we are profiling all of the finalists at YourMarkOnTheWorld.com. The winner was profiled at Forbes. Reach Diagnostics, a student team from York University in Toronto, and the youngest team among the Hult Prize finalists, treats urban slum dwellers living with diabetes. By combining old and new technology to create affordable treatment plans for the poor, the team hopes to improve health outcomes dramatically.