Vetting Charities and The Virtue of Small Nonprofits

Craig Newmark discusses the world of nonprofits.

Craig Newmark of Craigslist (dot) org now lives outside his comfort zone as he's emerged himself in the world of philanthropy.  In a conference sponsored by The Guardian, Newmark praised the work he's seen done by smaller nonprofits and wants the world to be able to easily access the best nonprofit organizations so that charitable giving can be done responsibly.  He is empowering donors, journalists, and featured organizations.

Currently, Newmark's website, Craigconnects (dot) org, relies on three organizations that provide details about the effectiveness of thousands of nonprofits.

• Guide Star (dot) org
• Charity Navigator (dot) org
• Great Nonprofits (dot) org

Newmark invites the world to become involved.  Find ways to communicate your charity's awesomeness.  Champion a cause you believe in.  Responsible giving means effective empowerment.

(See Newmark's presentation at The Guardian Activate conference here.)

TechSoup Global: Serving Up Technology

TechSoup Global serves those in service to others, namely nonprofits, libraries, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations).  The mission is providing the access and knowledge needed for these organizations to reach their full potential.  As of right now, more than 300,000 users visit TechSoup each month to bone up on technology, request donations, and to become part of the TechSoup community.

"TechSoup.org has a catalog of more than 450 products generously donated by a growing roster of 44 technology corporations, including industry leaders such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Intuit, and Symantec. To date, these partners have made more than U.S. $2 billion in product donations available to the nonprofit sector."

Since 1987 (orginally founded as CompuMentor), TechSoup has supported those nonprofits and NGOs working as facilitators of positive social change.