The ProjectOKC Blog

Sarkeys Foundation gives OK nonprofits over $1.1 million

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:06:00 -0500

Sarkeys Foundation gives OK nonprofits over $1.1 million:

Sarkeys Foundation Executive Director Kim Henry has announced the Foundation’s 2009 grant awards in the amount of $1,186,054 to assist a variety of Oklahoma nonprofits, including several Norman organizations.

“During these difficult economic times, it’s especially important to help those in need, and the Sarkeys Foundation’s mission of improving the quality of life in Oklahoma is something we take very seriously,” Henry said. “We are pleased to be able to award over $1 million worth of grants and are proud to provide financial help and resources to our fellow Oklahomans.”

I want one of these! More than 510,000 tons of milk and juice...

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:51:17 -0500

I want one of these!

More than 510,000 tons of milk and juice cartons are generated every year in the United States, but sadly, less than .05% ever get recycled according to an EPA report of (MSW) Municipal Solid Waste). That’s what got us thinking and how Milkmuny.com was created. Milkmuny is reaching out to schools and non-profits, desperately in need of funding, paying them for the collected ‘empties’, then making clever origami-esque wallets and other products and selling them on this site and at specialty retailers. We are on mission, join us! Read the blog, learn more, and please recycle.

via milkmuny

Remember… These come from trees. This sticker on a paper...

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:50:14 -0500

Remember… These come from trees.

This sticker on a paper towel dispenser in a cafe in San Francisco’s Mission reminds the wet-handed that they’re about to use a product made from trees (and therefore they should be considerate). The stickers seem to be part of a “guerrilla public service announcement” orchestrated by Pete Kazanjy, the guy behind TheseComeFromTrees.com. Kazanjy says that a single “These Come From Trees” sticker can save around a tree’s worth of paper, every year (100 pounds)

TheseComeFromTrees.com

This March, to much fanfare, the Obamas planted a vegetable...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:14:44 -0500

This March, to much fanfare, the Obamas planted a vegetable garden at the White House, the first one since Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden there during World War II. Now, the garden is being harvested. So far, the garden has produced more than 90 pounds of produce which have been given to area soup kitchens and used in meals at the White House. Our latest Transparency is a look at what the Obamas’s garden will be growing this year. Maybe you can start your own and follow along.

Clicky the image for the ZOOM IN.

via awesome.good.is

21st Century Plowshare went on a mission this past April to...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:05:07 -0500

21st Century Plowshare went on a mission this past April to transform the urban landscape of Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. The group set out to plant wildflower seeds on every single patch of abandoned soil within the neighborhood, creating a massive”urban meadow”. We’ll keep an eye out to watch the results of this interesting rewilding project.

[via psfk - via eyebeam reblog]

Wes Welker, the Oklahoman who happens to play pro football for...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:13:44 -0500

Wes Welker, the Oklahoman who happens to play pro football for New England, is holding a football camp for at-risk kids in OKC this week.

I love hearing about people coming back to their communities and doing GOOD.

Head over to his website, http://www.83foundation.com, to see more pictures and details of the GOOD he’s accomplishing.

Downtown arts venues need everyone’s support

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:36 -0500

Downtown arts venues need everyone’s support:

Head out to Artspace at Untitled and then watch Shakespeare in the Park at The Myriad Gardens.

Downtown’s art scene is fantastic, we just need the crowds to show. Be a supporter of the arts in OKC by simply attending and being entertained.

(via newsok, click the title for the full story)

Oklahoma City parent-to-be has one worry eased

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:45:10 -0500

Oklahoma City parent-to-be has one worry eased:

Volunteering at Christmas Connection, a nonprofit organization based in south Oklahoma City, opened my eyes to how lucky I am. Christmas Connection gives clothes to parents several times each year, particularly right before school begins. I volunteered at their annual Spring Fling, when parents could choose summer clothes for their families off racks and racks of donated items. I helped parents and grandparents shop. They were all grateful.

I’m sure the caregivers left with many of the same worries they came with, but at least they wouldn’t have to worry about clothes the next day.

(via newsok, click link for full story)

Freelance developers keep OKC in tech game

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:38:41 -0500

Freelance developers keep OKC in tech game:

That was painfully evident to Shane Kempton from his years dabbling in local charities. He also realized that technology could provide a boost to those nonprofits by both streamlining the business models and raising awareness.

Kempton, who worked with nonprofits as director of consulting for Phase 2 Interactive, decided to plug the two worlds into each other with a group called Code4aCause.org.

Nonprofits don’t have money, and they need help with this stuff,” he said. “At Phase 2, we could have worked every day for free and still not met the needs of those guys.

Code4aCause.org takes proposals from nonprofits in the form of applications and then doles them out to groups of developers and designers. The system prevents burnout, he said. In the past, nonprofits would find a bleeding heart programmer and work them into cardiac arrest.

(click the title to be taken to the full story)

Sunday Twilight Concerts Series

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:22:09 -0500

Sunday Twilight Concerts Series: …features Stephen Speaks, an acoustic pop band with a unique sound and style.

In February 2009, more than 200 cities around the world hosted...

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:48:00 -0500

In February 2009, more than 200 cities around the world hosted events to raise awareness and funds for charity: water. Just shy of $250,000 was raised, and together with Twestival organizer Amanda Rose, our team documented the first well drilled from Ethiopia on April 11th.

To see all 4 daily videos, and to learn more, visit charitywater.org/twestival

After prank, actress Jessica Alba sends donation to United Way of Central Oklahoma

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:10:28 -0500

After prank, actress Jessica Alba sends donation to United Way of Central Oklahoma:

Actress Jessica Alba made a donation to the United Way of Central Oklahoma to make amends for plastering a poster on one of the charity’s Oklahoma City billboards, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

Jessica Alba donates to charity Jun 19 Jessica Alba is making amends by donating to the United Way of Central Oklahoma for plastering a poster on one of the charity’s Oklahoma City… ADVERTISEMENT The amount of the donation was not disclosed, at the request of Alba’s representatives, United Way spokeswoman Erin Brewer said. But the donation, sent by mail, qualifies Alba for a group noting donations between $500 and $9,999.

Are CEOs of Nonprofit Organizations Paid too Much?

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:08:04 -0500

Are CEOs of Nonprofit Organizations Paid too Much?: A quick search of Charity Navigtor reveals that the average CEO salary for nonprofits is $148,972… the CEO of Johns Hopkins University weighs in at $1,579,820, the CEO of the Boy Scouts of America makes $589,143, and the CEO of the Nature Conservancy takes home $427,465. (Read the full report here.) My favorite report on that site is a list of the best-performing nonprofits with the lowest paid CEOs; that really is the sweet spot.

Free Concert with Michael Fracasso | Arts Council of Oklahoma City

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:50:52 -0500

Free Concert with Michael Fracasso | Arts Council of Oklahoma City : Enjoy the first day of summer and Father’s Day at the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s free Sunday Twilight Concert, featuring Michael Fracasso, an Americana-folk artist known for his songwriting skills and smooth tenor voice.

Oklahoma History Center offers dads free admission | NewsOK.com

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:43:38 -0500

Oklahoma History Center offers dads free admission | NewsOK.com:

The Oklahoma History Center is offering fathers free admission on Fathers Day.

The history center, 2401 N Laird Ave., is open noon to 5 p.m. Sundays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

"Nearly 4,000 foster children in Oklahoma County do not have a place to call home or a group of..."

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:42:16 -0500

“Nearly 4,000 foster children in Oklahoma County do not have a place to call home or a group of people to refer to as family. Every weekday, Sunbeam gets about 50 names of kids needing homes.”

- Sunbeam Family Services fosters help for Oklahoma children in need

United Way opens Volunteer Center

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:39:11 -0500

United Way opens Volunteer Center: “The new Volunteer Center creates a simple connecting point for people who want to get involved and nonprofits that need volunteer assistance. We know the tremendous value of volunteers so we’re pleased to offer this additional service to the community,” said Bob Spinks, president of United Way

Literati, An Indie Book Fair

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0500

Literati, An Indie Book Fair:

Browse for books by state and regional authors and enjoy readings, musical performances and poetry readings at “Literati,” an indie book fair June 27.

Poetry group Wayward Poets and artists’ cooperative Rampage Artists will present the book fair from noon to 8 p.m. at Individual Artists of Oklahoma, 811 N Broadway. Admission is free, and authors, publishers and independent bookstores can rent booth space for $20 to sell their products. Organizers also are welcoming narrative and comic book-styled artwork for sale.

The event’s goals are to feature state and regional authors across all genres, from experimental fiction, poetry, children’s books and graphic novels, and to elevate local readers’ awareness of the talented poets and writers living in Oklahoma. Readings, musical performances and slam poets spouting from “The Soapbox” also are on the roster.

via newsok

Creative Officing

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:30:00 -0500

Finding creative ways to solve problems is something I love to see. I believe we’re going to have a lot of great ideas come about just because of the downturn in the economy. It will force critical thinking that typically doesn’t happen when the gettin’ is good.

ProjectOKC offices in a unique way, we are in a shared space with companies, freelancers and artists, a co-op. We have our own space, but share conference rooms, class rooms and amenities such as a kitchenette and coffee.

While driving to work, I heard of another interesting office situation on Morning Edition. This one is designed to help folks who have lost their jobs and are getting back into the hunt. I pulled clips out of the article, so click through for the whole thing.

Ariel Horn, who runs The Horn Corp., a Manhattan ad agency, has found both a way to help the numerous unemployed ad workers in New York, and a new business model.

What Horn did was send out word that anyone in the advertising business who needed a job could use his office to look for work. They could bring their laptops, sit at one of his empty desks and spend the whole day sending out resumes.

On any given day, there’s a small, shifting crowd here, like a pickup basketball game. It’s a community of job-seekers.

And while these job-seekers are here, Horn encourages them to brainstorm with him as much as possible. He wants them to talk about projects they’d like to take on — and they have a real company behind them if they want to pursue them.

If one of the ideas takes, it could lead to a job for Horn and his agency. It’s happened before, and when it does, Horn hires the person who came up with the idea.

Unlike most unemployed people, they have a real company to work at each day — and it might lead to real work.

First Skate Park in East Africa

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:28:00 -0500

Love seeing people work together to make something big happen. Too many people and organizations spend time waiting on grants, waiting on funding, etc… Great things can happen when neighbors work together for GOOD.

Yann Gross’s “Kintintale Skates,” offers a glimpse at the first skate park in East Africa. Located in a working class suburb of Kampala, Uganda, the park was created both for and by local kids, without assistance from either NGOs or government. Gross describes it as both a source of pride and empowerment, a space that not only keeps kids out of trouble, but fosters the development of a real sense of community. It’s one defined by respect and solidarity, and it feels like a realized dream.

via good (click through to more images)