

In 2007, Mackenzie Bearup of Alpharetta, Georgia, found out that a local residential treatment facility was trying to start a library because the children there did not have books. Another option is to form a new nonprofit to address unmet needs.Īs the Baltimore battle against the incinerator suggests, even kids can do this. In most cases, the people serving on these boards are unpaid volunteers. nonprofits, including thousands that are working hard to make communities better by helping vulnerable groups like the disabled, victims of domestic violence and at-risk youth.Īll of them must have a board of directors that helps guide the nonprofits’ goals and programs. DIY nonprofitĪ third alternative is to join a nonprofit board or even start your own organization. GreenThumb community gardens are located in all five of New York City’s boroughs. The company planning to build the incinerator eventually lost its permit.
#I can hear your voice 3 free
Members of Free Your Voice succeeded following years of hard work and countless more meetings, mobilizations and innovative attempts to make their case. Other organizations soon followed the school district’s lead. But once members of the group made a passionate plea at a school board meeting about their concerns regarding the potential pollution in an already contaminated neighborhood, those officials reversed their decision. The local school system, other city agencies and local nonprofits had already signed contracts to buy energy from the incinerator. In some cases, this feedback can make a real difference.įor example, a group of Baltimore teens formed a group called Free Your Voice when they learned of plans to build the nation’s largest trash-burning incinerator less than a mile from their high school. You can also speak up at public events like school board and county board meetings. You can write letters to your local paper, serve on task forces, email elected representatives or provide input on proposed new policies. Ordinary people can do this many different ways. One approach is telling government officials what you think about public policies and services.

In our book “ Citizen Participation in the Age of Contracting,” we identify several things anyone can do to make their community a better place.
