The Tastemakers

Despite the ominous weather forecasts on hurricane Hannah, the fearless group of OYFP-ers who showed up last Saturday to the second annual Apples & Wine, Wine & Apples fundraiser for Christopher's Haven were rewarded with a day of sunshine and the run of the orchard at Nashoba Valley Winery.

Huddled under umbrellas and hoodies, everyone nibbled on Starbucks pastries and sipped coffee while getting to know one another. Some people had heard about us through Yelp, others through our friends at SBS, and still others who'd had us on their radar for months.

Between the bus ride there and back, we noshed on pulled pork sandwiches and freshly dipped caramel apples, chatted with the juggler's wife about the lives of entertainers, sunbathed, and overlooked the orchard while sipping wine. Drowsy from the warmth of an Indian Summer day, nearly everyone laid out on the seats to nap on the ride home.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us--hope to see you around soon and take a look at more event photos on our Facebook group!

Related Posts: The Rain Did Not Keep Us Down; Apple Picking & Wine Tasting; The Best Eveah; OYFP turns three, Globe celebrates
Photos courtesy of Liz.

Make Love, Not Grass

I'd heard of the anti-lawn movement in vague terms before but a recent article in the New Yorker by does a good historical summary of the rise of lawnism and subsequent response of anti-lawnism. Among the main anti-lawn arguments: "toxicity, habitat destruction, resource depletion, enforced conformity" via homeowner laws.

A brief search to see if there was some way of supporting lawn alternative movements, aside from currently living without a lawn, yielded a garden variety of results (bad pun intended). People have found all kinds of lawn alternatives that are more economical, sustainable, and beautiful. However, I was surprised to see that there isn't any national association that exists to help these differing approaches work together.

An umbrella organization, or some sort of collaboration between all the lawn alternative movements and even related ideas like the development of sustainable golf courses, could prove useful in elevating the profile of these issues and pushing the antilawn agenda at a national level.

If someone out there feels so inclined, or knows of such a group, give me a shout out in the comments.

One urban dweller's alternative lawn solution - looks lovely to us!

Related Posts: Bike Sharing; Water, Water Everywhere, Not a drop to drink; A Creeping Problem; One little drip
Photo courtesy of Urban Eden.

DWBDG: a case study

Although they're not exactly the company that co-opted the motto "do no evil", Microsoft is channeling it's products toward good causes. From yogurt to magazines, cleaning detergents and Facebook apps, many for-profit companies have begun marketing their products under the DWBDG (do-well-by-doing-good) philosophy.

Microsoft's foray into this venue isn't exactly breaking news (the project began in 2007,) the i'm Initiative promises to donate a portion of advertising profits generated from the MSN Live Messenger and Live Hotmail products to various causes. Users do need to opt into the program in order to participate, and can then select a benefiting nonprofit partner.

Now what's really interesting is the way that Microsoft has begun promoting the i'm Initiative. Under the guidance of their PR/media/ad agency, McCann, a young, hip, urban blogger named "Parker Whittle" has started the i'm Talkathon, tracking the Initiative's progress and offering up success stories and conversation starters.

However, Parker's not a "he". He's a "they."

At the bottom of this deftly produced blog is an upfront disclaimer:

...As you’ve probably guessed, this blog is fictional, but the causes, and the i’m Initiative most certainly are not. The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness of the i’m Initiative and the worthy causes it helps. If we rubbed you the wrong way in the process that wasn’t our intention, so “sorry, our bad.”...A herd of well-compensated legal professionals in Redmond, Washington, says we also need to tell you something:

The Parker Whittle character depicted herein is fictitious and his activities are described for illustrative purposes only.

Okay, Microsoft, you pulled a fast one on us again. But knowing how the agency world works, I'm willing to bet that this idea originated in the head of a junior account exec and not within the Richmond city limits. The disclaimer itself is also pretty honest and does somewhat neutralize the blow of yet another manufactured blog/blogger.

Come on, it's 2008. I thought we were over this kind of bullsh*t! I thought we'd learned our lessons, moved on, become more innovative than that! Did they really have to undermine a potentially good campaign with a half-assed effort?

The final question remains, and is re-posed by the Disclaimer, Is the i'm Initiative really helping these partners and causes? A quick look around the i'm website reveals little transparency of the program, including the planned share of donated profits and to-date progress.

GOOD Magazine, on the other hand (to reference a for-profit with a similar initiative,) includes an upfront explanation of their motives and the business logic is sound--it makes sense for a paper publication. GOOD also shows the growth of their contributions on their website, making you feel like part of a greater whole and allowing you the gratification of "seeing" your contribution (extra Smart Marketing points for seamless real-to-digital integration.)

Sigh. Microsoft, Sometimes I want to root for you and I don't even know why I try. Maybe your motto should be "do no stupid."

"There is still work to be done"

On Thursday evening I attended the Ford Hall Forum's presentation of the 2008 Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award to Anita Hill, lawyer, civil rights activist, professor at Brandeis, and a living historical figure.

Prof. Hill's testimony against the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court opened the national dialog on sexual harassment law and civil rights in the workplace. This happened not too long ago; 1991 was within my own lifetime but I still learned about it in 8th grad civics. It is so easy to distance yourself from history. In my cushy white-collar workplace, most of my peers and I take for granted the ideas of equal pay and PC office decorum.

She was without question an inspiring speaker who shared her motivation and reflections in a frank and open manner, although she did demur from answering which Democratic presidential candidate she supported when prompted by the discussion moderator.

In her parting words to the audience, Prof. Hill said that she continues to be a public speaker because there is still work to be done, noting incidents such as the recent Ledbetter v. Goodyear case. It was an important reminder least we forget that the rights we enjoy today were won by those who fought before us, and that others can only share in those rights if we continue the fight.

If you'd like to listen to the presentation and discussion, you can find it at WGBH Free Online Lectures.


Photo courtesy of NOVA.org.

The Other "First Friday"

Everyone in Boston proper has heard of the meat market for 30-somethings that is the MFA's "First Friday" event--for the price of museum admission, you're invited to shmooze and flirt in one of the museum's grand halls. But here are my gripes: there's selection at the cash bar is small, appetizers aren't worth their price, the crowd is kind of dull, and the art is always the same in that hall of the museum.

So, when a friend asked if I was up for "first friday" tomorrow, I said no thanks. I dunno, it's just kind of a trite evening.

HOWever, turns out she was referring to the OTHER First Friday, at the Boston Center for the Arts:

"First Fridays are an important event in the South End, showcasing the premeir performing and visual arts and artists of our time. Artists working in studios at the BCA include painters, printmakers, sculptors, filmmakers, craftspeople, writers, performing artists, and others."

The BCA also provides affordable studio space to local artists, and I believe that the FF open studio showcases their work (see samples lifted from the BCA website below.)


Did you say local_artist_community? with new featured works every month? Sounds like a winner to me.

If you've been to the BCA's FF, drop me a note to let me know how it is~

Taking your celebrity gossip indulgence to the next level

This Sunday is the Academy Awards show, which everyone expects to be a little quieter than usual due to the recently ended writer's strike (no Vanity Fair party?? what was the point of this night again?!)

But do not fret, I'm sure your wait in the checkout line at the grocery store will still be filled with entertainment from the gossip rags.

As for actually watching the Oscars, it's always a night that falls between excitement and tedium. Yes, you look forward to watching it but then again, it's just glamour on tv.

Why not glitz it up with an Oscars party of your own, or even better, throwing a party to promote a local charity? The occasion is there for you, as is the entertainment.

The Ellie Fund always throws a black-tie Oscar viewing bash, with this year's taking place at the Hard Rock Cafe in Faneuil Hall. It'll cost you a pretty penny but it's a chance to experience fabulous Hollywood right here in Boston.

Turning your cause into a community: Is this the way to nonprofit success?

Mark Rovner recently wrote about how ineffective nonprofits are at using digital media to acquire new donors. He poses that people have tuned out nonprofit marketing in the same way they've tuned out commercial messages. "Shock and awe" message techniques show diminishing return and just come across as inauthentic--not exactly the kind of feeling that retains or attracts supporters of your cause.

Like commercial companies, nonprofits do have to think of their supporters as consumers. Maybe it's a callous thing to say, but there are a lot of causes out there and there has to be something in it for a person to become not just a supporter, but a member of the cause. In this era where every ad is trying to engage the consumer, how do you make your cause not just a human-interest story but a user-driven story?

OYFP has sort of addressed this problem from the start, by forming long-standing partnerships with very local Boston nonprofits to create fundraising, awareness, AND volunteer opportunities. If we were to take that one step further along, maybe we can figure out a way to create more of an online community for our members after events through Facebook photo gallery re-caps, for example.

If you're a nonprofit looking to stir some interest, think about what value you provide and ways in which your members can gain a sense of ownership over their contribution, whether that's their time or money.

Local TV Rocks

Premium cable is, as my friend JM put succinctly, "for rich people." Therefore, young workers like ourselves do not have extended cable as we tend not to be rich. But you'll find when you have only twelve channels to flip through, that you really give each one a chance to entertain.

I've become a big fan of independent and locally produced media shows as a result. Democracy Now!, anchored by silver-haired straight shooter Amy Goodman (Anderson Cooper, eat your heart out), Cambridge Community Television (check out these public service announcements), and of course the 200-lb gorilla of nonprofit broadcasting, PBS (late night series about international affairs and culture are the best).

Do you have any favorite local shows?

I'm gonna make my own tv show! That's golden!

Volunteering--a generational mindset?

This recent story from Entrepreneur magazine discusses how corporations are becoming more interested in being seen as valuable contributors to communities and not just profitable, exclusive entities. The article also mentioned several studies showing that a greater share of Generation Y-ers show an interest in a job with companies that incorporate volunteer work and related community values:

"...Research by Deloitte & Touche USA suggests that companies offering volunteer opportunities to employees could have an advantage in recruiting Generation Y talent. In the firm's 2007 Volunteer IMPACT survey, 62 percent of Gen Y respondents said they would prefer to work for companies that give them opportunities to contribute their talents to nonprofit organizations."

While I haven't looked into past years' surveys I think the trend is a result of our hyper-exposure to information, especially global and national news, and the ready access point of the Internet that expanded people's awareness of many different issues and needs. And somewhat naturally from that awareness comes interest and concern and hopefully action.

The speed and reach of new media of course also allowing advocates to reach more people as well. But we all know that we're overexposed to marketing messages and are quite talented now at tuning-out, and I think the sort of inadvertent education that the news could account for this generation's values.

Getting what you need in the nonprofit world

It is very easy to feel like there's a lot of money floating around for nonprofit support, but that it's just very difficult to make the right match with a sponsor. How do you find and filter through all the organizations, people and causes that are out there? How, as a nonprofit, do you make yourself heard?

Enter good2gether, an upcoming company that's still in pre-launch phase. good2gether is the brainchild of a serial social entrepreneur, and hopes to play a big roll in Boston's non-profit and philanthropy scene. It is "a new search and social web service that connects people to causes" and appears, accroding to the sneak-peek info page, to be a free service.

The site will connect nonprofits, volunteers and corporations with each other. But most interestingly, good2gether is also aiming to partner with major media outlets in 10 target cities such as New York, Boston, Houston, etc. My source who recently attended one of good2gether's recent sneakpeek meetings said that the comapny has already sealed a partnership with Boston.com, who will feature good2gether's CPC ads next to relevant content.

Conscious Gifting

A few years ago, when my brother and I (ostensibly) became grown-ups, our family decided to change the way we’d give gifts during the holiday, just as a way to cut down on all the materialistic crap that we didn’t really need or even want. Instead, we agreed to give “experiential” gifts, like taking each other out to dinner or a show, or buying a service gift certificate, or taking a family vacation.

And it looks like I’m not alone.

So, if you want to give a gift that makes you and the receiver feel good AND avoid the holiday crush at the malls, here are a few gifts that make a positive impact in Boston:

For the Culture-freak – Tickets to Angels in America ($25), produced by Boston Theater Works. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play is an astounding story that weaves together discussions about religion, politics, AIDS and relationships.

For your Mom – Unique (or limited edition) works created by the students and faculty at MassArt, on sale Dec 3-8 at the Annual Holiday Sale. Somehow, it’s not as cute when a 28-year-old presents his mother with his own homemade jewelry box crafted from paperclips.

For the Runner – Donation toward their Santa Speedo Run ($250 registration). A fairly new but already much-cherished Boston tradition, this year’s run benefits the Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime home for homeless women and children. You know you love watching semi-nude bi-gendered Santas run. Imagine if one of those Santas was your loved one.

For the Foodie – A whole season of farm-fresh fruits and veggies, sourced locally by The Food Project ($100-450). Band together with your housemates and look forward to weekly house dinners.

For Everyone – Share goodwill in your community whenever you shop online through iBakeSale. This national organization has a list of branded online retailers who will donate 2-7% of profits from your purchase to a participating, local nonprofit of your choice.

Got any other ideas? Share them here--I'd love to see what's out there