End-of-Week/Quarter Economic News: Glass Half Full Or…?
Don’t call us stupid. We know it’s the economy. It is of central importance to our political, philanthropic, aesthetic, and working decisions. So for the end of this week MKCREATIVE tapped into the bright minds at The Atlantic Magazine as some of its economists commented on the recent numbers released for Q1 2010. The numbers beg for the rhetorical question of whether the glass is half full or half empty, for some of the numbers are wonderful, though, as Derek Thompson also points out, we are still dragging a ‘heavy anchor,’ namely, the housing sector.
Popularity: 1% | Category Banking & Finance, Community, News and Current Affairs, Opinion | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
Roundup Of Some Social Media Developments
(Part 2 of 2): The Experts
Yesterday we outlined some success stories of philanthropic and social-action groups who have been able to leverage social media to help with fundraising. As promised, today we look at the backside of some social media developments, and it is not always pretty. The truth of the matter is, many have built up claims to be social-media experts, but most of them are promoters of self, not strategists who can help your organization move through the wealth of opportunity (and desultory time-wasting) made possible by the technology. The self-appointed Expert receives a good deal of roasting in any profession, but the grilling of the social-media guru can be pretty hot. And why not? She/he is being called out by the very producers of content (and the consumers) who he/she claims to be able to help.
Popularity: 1% | Category Media Review, Technology, Technology for Education, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
Roundup Of Some Social Media Developments
(Part 1 of 2)
Facebook has gotten most of the press lately, and the MKCREATIVE blog discussed some of that buzz earlier this week. Facebook’s staff seek to build and weave together the new ‘Social Graphs’ of one’s “Friends” with the use of the already nearly-ubiquitous “Like” button. But another site is under development by Chris Hugues (one of the founding developers of Facebook) that seems to have similar ambitions within the world of mission-based businesses and philanthropy groups. That site is Jumo.com, a name meant to convey ‘working together.’ Though not the first site to try to bring together these constituencies, the knowhow of Mr. Hugues and his colleagues in the area of social networking might give Jumo a big jump once it is presented some time this fall. One can register an email online to get updates (and, of course, to register one’s ‘Like’ of the site) as they progress.
How has social networking fared as a qualitative and quantitative part of the philanthropic and mission-based communities?
Popularity: 1% | Category Media Review, Nonprofit, Technology, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
Greening Your Business Requires A Recipe For Success
Earth Days and Ecofests help keep us motivated and connected in our efforts to go green. When it comes to baking in long-term and structural improvements, though, we need tried-and-true ingredients and good guidance. Julie Gabrielli, founder of GoForChange has provided just such a recipe to move us all toward a greener work environment and a greener economy all around. The company’s general mission (and one that was founded in the early days of interest in any greening movement) is to work with small- and mission-based companies to improve their eco-standards and their bottom lines:
Julie Gabrielli, from her site GoForChange.com
GOforChange has a big vision for a community that is life-affirming in all senses. We work with small business owners who want to find simple, practical ways to increase their profitability, satisfaction and success by going green. We’ve been at this for 20 years, so green isn’t a fad or trend to us. We know how to go right to the heart of the matter, cut through the clutter and get to the gold. Using timeless, grounded frameworks, we work with you to customize a plan that fits your unique values and interests
Popularity: 1% | Category Climate Change, Greening, Marketing, Sustainability | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
A Conversation with Dave Michaels of Ecoprint
Image via Wikipedia
This month marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and once again green is back in fashion. For some companies, like Ecoprint, green has always been in season. Based just north of Washington D.C., this printing company was founded by an environmental activist who participated in the first Earth Day and proudly proclaims its “environmental leadership since 1977.” Today Ecoprint is forging ahead on a number of fronts, demonstrating many ways for graphic arts businesses to become more sustainable environmental stewards.
MKCREATIVE has worked with many printers over the years and has always required they use soy-based inks and paper from sustainable sources on clients’ print jobs. We’ve also required that they take other longer-term measures to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Ecoprint ‘s commitment is on another order of magnitude. We see them as kindred spirits: both Ecoprint and MKCREATIVE are run as businesses that are trying to create positive social change through sustainable practices. Both organizations are providing services to clients who make a difference in their own communities, while also offering education and guidance.
Popularity: 1% | Category Climate Change, Community, Interview, Nonprofit, printing, Sustainability | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
Folks Like Facebook And Facebook Links the Likes
Back in March we posted access to a wonderful video sendup of the Fox News/Glen Beck phenomenon – a video that can, if you allow it, tap into your Facebook information to have you stand at the center of the conspiracy working to bring Communism to the United States. After the cackles died down (and the secret handshakes of the Illuminati were shared), we at MKCREATIVE wondered about the privacy implications of such a video. One short-term point we made, and one that bears repeating, is that by enjoying the video with our own mugs and friends-as-co-conspirators we are simply drawing from information we have already chosen to make public about ourselves. But the possibility of our semi-private (pseudo-private?) information running away from our control has been further heightened by Facebook’s latest move to have us link our likes around the net – what CEO Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook calls the ‘Social Graph‘: “We’re building toward a web where the default is social. Every application and product will be redesigned from the ground up to use a person’s real identity and friends.” Who will vouch for that ‘real identity’ and what will be bought and sold with the information linked are but two questions worth asking.
Popularity: 1% | Category Software Review, Technology, Technology for Education, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
Some Green Goodness To Sum Up Green Week
We have posted a number of tidbits about Green Week, from Baltimore Green Works’ EcoFest through various local and national events this week. We must keep the enthusiasm up, of course. Green Week draws to a close, but not the need to be creative and disciplined with our use of resources and our development of sustainable technologies. But in the spirit of a well-earned Friday afternoon, we wanted to end this week’s series with a few local and a (surprising?) international marks of success.
We have already praised Baltimore City for (finally) getting hybrid-technology buses on the road, and we note the development again. But Baltimore is full of projects and efforts that are greening urban neighborhoods, giving options to driving cars, and producing green products for us to enjoy.
Popularity: 1% | Category Climate Change, Community, Greening, Sustainability | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
E-Seminar “Freelance Writing for Nonprofits” Filling Fast – Sign Up Now!
Today’s topic is just too topical, and critical, to pass by or put in with other materials. Kivi Leroux Miller (whose work and whose guidance MKCREATIVE have often referred to) is hosting a four-week seminar on “Freelance Writing for Nonprofits,” which is limited to but ten quick registrants (actually, SEVEN as of last count!). If you are writing for nonprofits or want to do so, or if you want to sharpen your game for your nonprofit, get to the registration page quickly.
Why?
Popularity: 1% | Category Conference/Congress, Grants and Funding, Marketing, Nonprofit | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#PublicPolicy: Public Option in Health Care Still On The Table, Because We Aren’t Getting What We Pay For
The Atlantic Magazine sponsored a forum on health care on Monday in Washington DC, at which Henry Waxman gave the keynote address. According to the write-up of the moderator, Atlantic editor Joshua Green, the public option remains the go-to strategy if the current plan of establishing insurance exchanges does not create the sorts of health-care coverage and competition demanded. Mr. Green also pointed out that such monumental legislation takes on its own life, which means it needs constant monitoring and reconsideration as the US healthcare environment changes. To assist in that monitoring, Gerard F. Anderson and Patricia Markovich of Johns Hopkins University (with support from The Commonwealth Fund) have recently posted a statistical report entitled “Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data, 2008.” Though statistical, the report presents a series of easy-to-grasp comparative charts that compare spending and outcomes of a number of advanced western economies/countries.
Popularity: 5% | Category Community, Healthcare, National/International, Opinion, Politics | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
Colleges And Universities Are Greening Up For Spring
“Education: a debt due from present to future generations.” (George Peabody)
Though much is owed to future generations, and each of us must do our part to pay forward our share, the MKCREATIVE team have taken a particular interest in the greening/sustainability/new-energy nexus of our economy and environment. We were thus especially pleased to read some recent articles about how college students are working with and beyond their institutions of higher education to expand Green Week into a personal habit and a drive for sustainable change throughout the economy.
Popularity: 1% | Category Community | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner
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