Tag Archives: generation


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Looking for a Job in Social Change? Look No Further

Change.org made a major announcement Thursday in response to Obama’s call for public service: Jobs for Change.  This is to be a hub and marketplace for social change jobs that they’ve created in partnership with dozens of nonprofits including: Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, AmeriCorps Alums, Echoing Green, Network for Good, and Encore Careers.


The goal: Spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the common good – including nonprofit, government, and social enterprise jobs. (Cross-Fertilization–> This makes me especially happy!)

Status: Currently, Change.org is building a huge database of social change jobs with their partners and have just hired a team of career advisors who will be blogging every day to provide guidance on finding and developing a career in social change, including Rosetta Thurman! (Mentors, resources and role-models….even better!)

Now What? Besides just checking it out and getting some good food for action, Change.org is also reaching out to like-minded bloggers and non-profit leaders to spread the word–specifically by signing a statement to endorse the vision. If you think this sounds pretty sweet….then join me (and @mikekujawski @engagejoe @mindofandre @bbravo and many others in signing.

Some Highlights of the Vision:

  • People are the most important factor in advancing social change.
  • To attract leaders, we need to enhance the social sector’s ability to recruit, develop, and retain talent.
  • Innovative businesses should join as partners with nonprofits and government in the pursuit of social good.

Thanks Change.org for providing an avenue for people to cultivate their passion with their purpose for effective, long-lasting and positive change.

(For the record, I currently have no relationship with Change.org other than being a member of their community…I jam ust that impressed with 1) their blogger outreach strategy anf 2) the actual product/vision behind this initiative.) =)

The Blogger Neighborhood is Back with Some Perspective (from the Pipeline)

After some delay, the blogger neighborhood is back. To kick it off, let’s welcome Rosetta Thurman, author of Perspectives from the Pipepile.

I first began following Rosetta about a year ago. One scan through her blog’s homepage, and you will say, “She. is. impressive.” That’s what I did. And so did Avi Kaplan, a Harvard student who emailed me to nominate Rosetta for the Blogger Neighborhood. If you have someone you want to nominate, contact me at socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

Enjoy reading below and discover why Rosetta is definitely on her way.

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Blog Name: Perspectives From the Pipeline, observations on the nonprofit sector from the next generation

Blog Topics: nonprofits and leadership

About the Author: Rosetta Thurman is an emerging nonprofit leader of color sharing career advice, management resources and fresh ideas to inspire others to lead. Rosetta is a writer/consultant/fundraiser and has been quoted in articles about the nonprofit sector in the Washington Post, Nonprofit Quarterly, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Rosetta is also an Adjunct Professor teaching nonprofit management and leadership at Trinity University in DC.

If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?  Renaissance Boulevard.  I think we are in a time of great opportunity for young people to renew our responsibility to our communities.  It’s a very rich time in our history where we have the chance to lend all of our talent & skills to a movement, any movement that will create change.

Who would be your dream real-life neighbor? Nikki Giovanni, my favorite poet.  I think I would be inspired every day just by living next door to a literary genius.

What first prompted you to blog?  I felt that my generation’s voice was being ignored in the nonprofit sector, as if our opinions didn’t matter in discussions about the future of this sector that we will inherit. At first, I started Perspectives From the Pipeline as a learning experience for me as a young nonprofit professional to formulate my thoughts about the nonprofit sector.

As a member of the “next generation” of nonprofit leaders, I saw many challenges for our sector as well as many new ideas for solving them. Unfortunately, when people my age speak up, few people listen.  I write about nonprofit leadership and organizational issues to help others think more critically about their careers & day to day work. My goal is to bridge the gap between challenges and solutions within the nonprofit sector, especially as they relate to the younger workforce and nonprofit leaders of color.

If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why? OnMyWay.  Because my favorite quote from poet Carl Sandburg illustrates how I live my life. “I’m an idealist.  I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” 

What would you gift to a new neighbor as the perfect welcoming gift?  A three-layer red velvet cake.

If you were planning the next block party, what entertainment would you plan?  A big concert with Jill Scott and Kanye West.  A Soul Train line.  All-you-can-eat crabs. And a Taboo marathon. 

What’s your favorite blog post and why?

Of mine: because we don’t talk enough about the values that brought us to nonprofit work, Real Talk: Why I Work in the Nonprofit Sector. And from Seth Godin, Because we all need inspiration to make the leap to greatness.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging? I found that blogging gave me a way to speak to the issues I care about and influence others in the process.  On the internet, you can have such a huge reach, and impact on people who may not have given you a second thought otherwise.  I learned that people want to hear the truth, and they will support social media and online community if it’s real and authentic.

Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

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Consumerism. What’s Your First Reaction?

My guess is that it might have caused a slight wrinkle in the face and a sigh of stress? confusion? frustration? I offer that more and more…it should bring a smile. Consumerism is not just about what you consume, but about the choice (and power) you have as well.

Been meaning to post on this topic for a while, but a discussion I had at a friend’s gathering the other day prompted me to post. (Plus, a recent article regarding the optimistic power of consumerism found by a colleague of mine). The conversation circled around consumerism and capitalism….leisurely, get-to-know you chit-chat right…

But I was listening to two new friends, acquaintances really, debate consumerism versus capitalism:

  • Are they the same thing?
  • Does one breed the other?
  • Is one better than the other?
  • How to stop it, can we stop it?

Etc., etc., etc….you can only imagine. How many of us have found ourselves in these slightly awkward conversations over the weekend, when all you want to do is relax and make friends. Truth is, I secretly LOVE these conversations. Yup, I’m one of ‘them.’ I love the people who are open to talking about how they feel about the things that really matter, especially those amongst my generation. We do DO more than check Facebook 10 times a day, ;).

Onward. Fact is, I enjoy listening to these conversations because they get my mind tinkering and fueled. After each person shared their viewpoint, I offered this:

Nowadays, the power is transferring from the organization or company to the consumer. Consumerism in today’s terms is increasingly more powerful than it’s given credit. We are all consumers. We all have a choice in the types of services, types of products, types of media we support. Think about the power we have as individuals, let alone when communities and groups surround a movement!”

The best I’ve heard what I’m trying to communicate was at my grad school graduation where Ken Paulson, Editor and Sr. Vice President of USA Today, told my class:

“You are not going to change the world…You already have.”

He went on to explain how the Millennial generation changed the world when they decided they didn’t want to have to pay for music. Or, when they made new phrases like brb, lol and ttyl become common. He also went on to describe the danger we in the media landscape – from advertisers, to journalists, broadcasters, etc – create by referring to ourselves as: The Media. What IS that anyway? The media.

Mr. Paulson, I applaud your speech and would love a copy if you ever read this. It very much reflects what my own master’s research reiterates. There was a time when ‘the media’ (whatever that is) was not a business…and when it was a public service. If you don’t think so, research 1776 or the first newspaper, Publick Occurances. Or, recall Walter WIlliams’ infamous Journalist’s Creed. Or, email/comment me, and let’s have a conversation. 😉

Thus, I leave you with this: What’s your choice? Where do you stand?

Skeptical? Check out Joseph Jaffe’s post and what his power as a consumer is doing to Delta Airlines…at this point, not sure who I feel worse for: Jaffe, or the PR mess Delta is now in, lol. Wow.

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As an FYI: My research is being presented at the 1st World Social Marketing Conference this upcoming September in Brighton, England. There’s more to it than this paragraph, and it’s not quite publication ready yet. Let me know if you’ll be there, and hopefully, we can meet! =)


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