In light of the massive job layoffs, and with my home state of Wisconsin being one of the hardest hit in the nation, I asked around for any employment opportunities in Wisconsin.
As it turns out, the Urban League of Madison, WI, holds an 8 week free training program. This program trains people to become medical document staffers. They told me that graduates of the program easily find jobs within the health care industry with pay starting at $10-$12 an hour. If you are interested send me an email at qdblackwell@gmail.com.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Meet a Commuity Organization: The Gamaliel Foundation
In today's segment of Meet a Community Organization we will examine a community group recently thrust to center stage: the Gamaliel Foundation. You can contact the Gamaliel Foundation at http://www.gamaliel.org/default.htm.
The Gamaliel Foundation was swept up by the presidential campaign since one of their former organizers, Barack Obama, was on his way to winning a historic election. Gamaliel Foundation is a national community based organizing network. They organize around issues such as health care reform, jobs, immigration, and transportation. This is a well known and very credible organization operating in several states.
You can contact the Gamaliel Foundation at info@gamaliel.org
The Gamaliel Foundation was swept up by the presidential campaign since one of their former organizers, Barack Obama, was on his way to winning a historic election. Gamaliel Foundation is a national community based organizing network. They organize around issues such as health care reform, jobs, immigration, and transportation. This is a well known and very credible organization operating in several states.
You can contact the Gamaliel Foundation at info@gamaliel.org
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Reassessing Measuring Social Sector Success
I've been reading Jim Collin's distinguished book, Good to Great, and the accompanying monograph Good to Great and the Social Sectors.
He makes an important point for all of us involved in any social sector organization: knowing how to assess and separate our inputs from out outputs. Too many of us make the mistake of assessing our performance by assuming our inputs are the same as our outputs. For example, most people analyzing a non-profit with a high percentage of its budget allocated for administrative, fund raising, and salary costs would think that this group is performing poorly since not enough money is not going to its "mission". The problem with this analysis is that for social sector groups money is an input not an output. Therefore, it is possible for an organization, such as a community's orchestra group, to have relatively high admin costs, but to produce stellar musical shows, attract large audiences, change the morale of a community, be invited to exclusive festivals, etc.
In this case, the outputs for the orchestra group would be measured by the quality of music, show attendance, impact on community feeling, etc. Therefore, according to these measures they would be fulfilling their mission. If each community group could develop a set of quantitative and/or qualitative output measurements to assess their ability to fulfill their mission, then this would be a better gauge of whether high input costs such as money for administrative purposes are justified.
He makes an important point for all of us involved in any social sector organization: knowing how to assess and separate our inputs from out outputs. Too many of us make the mistake of assessing our performance by assuming our inputs are the same as our outputs. For example, most people analyzing a non-profit with a high percentage of its budget allocated for administrative, fund raising, and salary costs would think that this group is performing poorly since not enough money is not going to its "mission". The problem with this analysis is that for social sector groups money is an input not an output. Therefore, it is possible for an organization, such as a community's orchestra group, to have relatively high admin costs, but to produce stellar musical shows, attract large audiences, change the morale of a community, be invited to exclusive festivals, etc.
In this case, the outputs for the orchestra group would be measured by the quality of music, show attendance, impact on community feeling, etc. Therefore, according to these measures they would be fulfilling their mission. If each community group could develop a set of quantitative and/or qualitative output measurements to assess their ability to fulfill their mission, then this would be a better gauge of whether high input costs such as money for administrative purposes are justified.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Meet a Commuity Organization: Grassroots Global Justice
We continue our examination of community organizing groups by taking a look at the Grassroots Global Justice organization. You can find GGJ online at http://www.ggjalliance.org/.
Grassroots Global Justice is organizing to push an agenda for poor and working people. They see themselves as part of a larger global movement for justice and actively seek to build relationships with other like minded groups in the US and abroad. Recently, they have focused on job and economic issues in light of the economic downturn.
You can reach Grassroots Global Justice at http://www.ggjalliance.org/contact.
Grassroots Global Justice is organizing to push an agenda for poor and working people. They see themselves as part of a larger global movement for justice and actively seek to build relationships with other like minded groups in the US and abroad. Recently, they have focused on job and economic issues in light of the economic downturn.
You can reach Grassroots Global Justice at http://www.ggjalliance.org/contact.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Meet a Commuity Organization: The Industrial Areas Foundation
Sorry for the delay. I've been spending the last several days preparing for my return back to the States as I wrap up my Peace Corps service. Today, we continue our exploration into the world of community organizing groups with a look at one of the oldest and most storied groups around: the Industrial Areas Foundation. You can look them up at www.industrialareasfoundation.org.
Based in Chicago and founded by the legendary Saul Alinsky, the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) organizes neighborhoods using broad based organizing techniques in order to empower and improve the lives of everyday people. They have over 54 affiliates throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, and England.
The IAF has been around since 1940 and has won major victories to insure affordable housing, jobs, living wage, civil rights, environmental protection, business accountability, education reforms, etc. The IAF is very much the foundation of just about every other organizing organization in the country since many of them use some variation of Saul Alinsky's principles.
If you are interested in getting to the roots of traditional community organizing, the IAF is the first place you should look into. You can contact them at iaf@iafil.org
Based in Chicago and founded by the legendary Saul Alinsky, the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) organizes neighborhoods using broad based organizing techniques in order to empower and improve the lives of everyday people. They have over 54 affiliates throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, and England.
The IAF has been around since 1940 and has won major victories to insure affordable housing, jobs, living wage, civil rights, environmental protection, business accountability, education reforms, etc. The IAF is very much the foundation of just about every other organizing organization in the country since many of them use some variation of Saul Alinsky's principles.
If you are interested in getting to the roots of traditional community organizing, the IAF is the first place you should look into. You can contact them at iaf@iafil.org
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Meet a Community Organization: Institute for Global Communications
After a brief break from my blog due to meetings here in Bangkok for my job, we will continue with the next installment of Meet a Community Organization. Today, we will examine the Institute for Global Communications. You can locate them at www.igc.apc.org
Based in San Francisco, IGC dedicates itself to bringing advanced communication technologies to grasroots organizations. They maintain four flagship computer networks: PeaceNet, EcoNet, WomensNet, and AntiRacismNet. Over 250 non-profits use their hosting services currently.
IGC continues to provide first class information technology service to help community groups advance their work. You can contact IGC at support@igc.apc.org
Based in San Francisco, IGC dedicates itself to bringing advanced communication technologies to grasroots organizations. They maintain four flagship computer networks: PeaceNet, EcoNet, WomensNet, and AntiRacismNet. Over 250 non-profits use their hosting services currently.
IGC continues to provide first class information technology service to help community groups advance their work. You can contact IGC at support@igc.apc.org
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Meet a Commuity Organization: Jewish Organizing Initiative
We will take a look at a more ethnically focused style of organizing today: the Jewish Organizing Initiative. You can find more information about JOI at http://www.jewishorganizing.org/.
The Jewish Organizing Initiative, based in Boston, has been around for ten years and seeks to train young Jewish leaders. They have a fellowship program which recruits young Jewish adults from all over the world to promote this effort. This program consists of a broad network of trainers, mentors, community organizers, and supporters and trains them in Jewish values of dignity and justice for all people. These people work to insure social and economic justice, Jewish learning, training in community organizing skills, and Jewish community building.
JOI focuses on community organizing as a strategy for community building and social change. They believe that community organizing fosters a spirit of shared public responsibility and creates grassroots leaders. Their community organizing program is immersed in Jewish tradition and religion as fellows study Jewish texts and make the connection between Jewish identity and social change.
You can contact the Jewish Organizing Initiative at joi@jewishorganizing.org
The Jewish Organizing Initiative, based in Boston, has been around for ten years and seeks to train young Jewish leaders. They have a fellowship program which recruits young Jewish adults from all over the world to promote this effort. This program consists of a broad network of trainers, mentors, community organizers, and supporters and trains them in Jewish values of dignity and justice for all people. These people work to insure social and economic justice, Jewish learning, training in community organizing skills, and Jewish community building.
JOI focuses on community organizing as a strategy for community building and social change. They believe that community organizing fosters a spirit of shared public responsibility and creates grassroots leaders. Their community organizing program is immersed in Jewish tradition and religion as fellows study Jewish texts and make the connection between Jewish identity and social change.
You can contact the Jewish Organizing Initiative at joi@jewishorganizing.org
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