Episodes

7 days ago
7 days ago
UN General Assembly Marked By Climate Protests Both In U.S. And Abroad
On September 16, 2023, thousands of climate change protesters, predominately youth activists, poured into the streets of Lower Manhattan as part of a global week of demonstrations leading up to the UN General Assembly, according to The New York Times. The New York protests specifically targeted Wall Street, with activists blocking traffic, staging sit-ins, and demanding governments and corporations take bolder action on climate change. Speakers accused Wall Street of financing fossil fuel projects that contribute to the climate crisis and called for divestment. The demonstrations remained largely peaceful despite arrests, capping a week of worldwide youth climate strikes and protests aimed at urgently pressuring leaders to address the climate emergency. Climate activists, especially “Just Stop Oil” members in Europe, have made headlines for seemingly aggressive tactics that critics say undermine their cause.

Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Day of Service for 9/11 & Pay Gap at Nonprofits (news)
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Opening of New Performing Arts Center Coincides With Commemoration of The Events of September 11th
Every year, the week of September 11th is a week of commemoration. New York is filled with stories of this day — stories of loss, of bravery, of sacrifice, of reunion. But perhaps most visible, the physical World Trade Center, yes a place of reflection and commemoration, is also piece by piece becoming a place that has been rebuilt in the spirit of American persistence.
The WTC, operated by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, has announced the opening of its new performing arts center, as reported by AP. “The memorial is here for people to come and grieve and pay their respects. The museum is for people to learn, be aware and never forget,” says Khady Kamara, PAC NYC’s executive director. “And the Performing Arts Center is here for people to celebrate life and really celebrate the resilience of New Yorkers and of the country.”
The opening comes at a time when arts have struggled in the City, and could provide a meaningful jolt to the creative ingenuity that in many ways defines what makes New York great.
Other efforts to turn tragedy into action and resilience are highlighted by the work of nonprofits like 9/11 Day, which encourages folks do good deeds each year. It has become the largest day of service in the United States.
Summary

Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Elon Musk blames Anti-Defamation League For... (news)
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Nonprofit Brings NARCAN over-the-counter
A lifesaving medication that reverses opioid overdoses will soon become more accessible, thanks to an innovative nonprofit company. Harm Reduction Therapeutics has received FDA approval for RiVive, the first over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray created by a nonprofit.
Available in early 2024, RiVive aims to save lives by providing broad, low-cost access to this critical drug. Unlike big pharma, Harm Reduction Therapeutics is focused on equipping hardest-hit communities – not profits. At least 200,000 doses will be distributed free of charge where they are needed most.
This creative approach could be a game-changer in expanding access to naloxone, a medication that can mean the difference between life and death for those experiencing an opioid overdose. Harm Reduction Therapeutics exemplifies the power of nonprofits to drive real change.

Thursday Aug 31, 2023
From Dark Money to Digital Petitions: Reclaiming Government With Tech | MapLight.org
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Daniel Newman, president and co-founder of MapLight, joins to discuss how their technology improves government transparency and direct democracy. MapLight builds software for state and local governments to provide easy public access to campaign finance data, e-signatures for petitions, and other services. Their goal is to counter the undue influence of money in politics by empowering citizens and journalists to hold officials accountable. Newman argues digital petitions could enable more grassroots, people-powered ballot initiatives. However, institutional resistance and polarization often block reforms, even those that would help voters across the political spectrum. Newman wrote the book Un-Rigged to explain major democracy reform issues in an accessible, solutions-oriented way.
Links:

Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
60 Years after a Dream (news)
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
60 Years after a Dream
August 28th marks sixty years from Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington in 1963. To remember the event, tens of thousands gathered again at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday to declare that King's dream of racial equality was still unfulfilled.
Speakers like Rev. Al Sharpton called for an end to systemic racism, hate crimes, police brutality, gun violence, voter suppression, and other civil rights abuses that they said have persisted or worsened in recent years.
Although the crowd was smaller than the original 250,000, attendees carried "Black Lives Matter" signs and wore "I Have a Dream" shirts to continue the push for justice and progress that King began decades ago. Many voiced disappointment at how much work remains to fully achieve King's vision of liberty and justice for all.
Sadly the weekend also saw a racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville that left 3 people dead. The attacker orginally tried to target a historically black college before getting noticed by campus officers. The Florida Governor has pledged $1m to increase security at HBCUs in the state. This moves the U.S. past the 470th mass shooting attack this year.
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Nonprofit Health System Says It Is Ending Policy That Denied Care to Indebted Patients | nytimes.com
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Morning Report: A Nonprofit that Doesn't Exist Is Raking in Major ... | Voice of San Diego

Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Who are YOUR people? What is THEIR journey? | The Open Lines Marketing Framework
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Interview with Lindsay Dayton LaShell, Marketing Activist at Open Lines Marketing.
Discussion covers social trends on LinkedIn and the Marketing Framework Lindsay has developed:

Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Telemarketing Scam Costs Charities $22m (news)
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Telemarketing Scheme Indictments Surface Warnings On Safe Donation Practices
On Thursday, federal officials arrested Richard Zeitlin and Robert Piaro for allegedly defrauding donors of tens of millions of dollars that were meant for political nonprofit groups supporting causes like aid to military veterans and breast cancer research, according to reporting from The New York Times.
Zeitlin, who ran telemarketing call centers, is charged with fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. Piaro, who served as the treasurer of several political nonprofit groups, is charged with wire fraud and mail fraud. Both individuals could face significant prison sentences if convicted.
The indictment says that Zeitlin instructed employees at his call centers to mislead donors. It also says that Piaro made fraudulent claims about how donations would be spent.
About $22 million of the $28 million raised went to companies providing telemarketing services. Piaro paid himself about $526,000 from the money raised.
Investigations into Zeitlin and Piaro revealed that a significant portion of the money they raised for groups was kept by their companies or spent on fundraising vendors. This story underscores the necessity for transparency, accountability, and vigilance in nonprofit fundraising and management.

Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Why Don’t Governments Want Direct Democracy Online Petitions?
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
We interviewed Evan Ravitz, Guide, Photographer, Writer, Editor. He is the Founder, Strengthen Direct Democracy. They won the 1st ONLINE petitioning for direct democracy (and only).
Maplight's free offer of custom open-source online petitioning software is available to ANY city or state that has ballot initiatives: https://www.maplight.org/post/maplight-offers-free-software-to-governments-for-digital-signature-gathering

Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
NYC Asylum Seekers in the Street & Milk Money Story (news)
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Asylum Seekers Left Stranded Outside Hotel Draws National Attention To NYC’s Migrant Crisis
New York City has seen an unprecedented influx of migrants in need of assistance over the past couple of years, with that trend culminating in a high-profile debacle outside the Roosevelt Hotel, where migrants were left stranded on the sidewalk. Throughout last week, images of over 150 migrants sleeping outside the sidewalk of the apparently full midtown hotel (which had been converted to an emergency shelter) sparked national media attention as NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ office declared the city’s beds full. The migrants unceremoniously were moved on Wednesday night according to reporting from Gothamist and other outlets, apparently housed with the assistance of faith-based nonprofits and advocacy groups. More than 56,000 migrants are currently housed in the city’s shelter system in widely reported poor conditions. An additional emergency shelter appears to be coming online in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, which will be added to the more than 200 locations serving migrants. Exacerbating the crisis is that the influx of migrants (many of whom may legally qualify for asylum) comes as the Governor of New York estimates a housing shortage of approximately 800,000 units.
- Harry and Meghan Announce the Winners of $2 Million in Grants For Responsible Tech | Vanity Fair
- Deep-pocketed dairy industry continues war on plant-based milk as FDA hears comments on new draft guidance | OpenSecrets
- Niger: NGOs warn further instability and sanctions could exacerbate humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable including women and children | The IRC
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Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Humanitarians Sound Alarm On Conflict & Atrocities In Sudan While Donors Fall Short
Aid groups and international organizations are increasingly sounding the alarm on the humanitarian cost of conflict as Sudan’s civil war rages on. On April 15th, 2023, fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organization. These two entities were united as part of an anti-democracy regime that came to power during the 2021 coup—but ruptures have emerged—with civil war, violence, and ethnic cleansing threatening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. International donors have fallen short, pledging just half of the $3 billion the United Nations estimates is needed in aid. International NGOs have warned about severe obstacles to providing aid including safety concerns, lack of bureaucratic cooperation, and severely limited humanitarian entry points. Analysts call for international NGOs to instead refocus efforts on providing localized aid to community-based organizations. While the Save Darfur Coalition’s highly publicized campaign in the mid-2000s generated significant and sustained international awareness, Google Trends highlights how digital engagement with news of the current conflict returned to its baseline almost immediately after news of the fighting in April—despite the ongoing increase in need.
Summary
- Alix Dorsainvil: What we know about the American nurse kidnapped with her child in Haiti | CNN
- Bernie Sanders endorses plan to create nonprofit electric utility in Maine | Maine Public
- Twitter threatens to sue nonprofit that documented rise in hateful tweets; founder decries 'unprecedented escalation' | 13newsnow.com WVEC