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Washington state takes to Facebook for voter registration!
Submitted by cityclub on Wed, 07/18/2012 - 4:56pmWe're proud to be Washingtonian.
While headlines all across the country are decrying instances of voter suppression, what's Washington state's headline? "Washington state to unveil voter registration on Facebook." Voter suppression outreach. Now that's more like it! Read the story here:
by Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Facebook users in Washington state will have something else to brag about to their online friends: that they registered to vote on Facebook.
The secretary of state's office said Tuesday it will have an application on its Facebook page that allows residents to register to vote and then "like" the application and recommend it to their friends. It's expected to launch as early as next week.
"In this age of social media and more people going online for services, this is a natural way to introduce people to online registration and leverage the power of friends on Facebook to get more people registered," said Shane Hamlin, co-director of elections.
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The most powerful word we have is "LET'S"
Submitted by cityclub on Mon, 07/09/2012 - 4:32pmLessons learned from my trip to the White House
by Diane Douglas, CityClub's Executive Director
On Tuesday, July 3, along with about 80 participants from across the country, I attended a White House forum on social enterprise and opportunity. Our charge for the day was to recommend a plan to bolster national citizen innovation.
It was inspirational from start to finish.
The White House emphasized the relationship between civic engagement and economic resilience. Because emerging data demonstrate causal links between strong social capital and the ability to weather recession, our work was cast as an essential strategy for economic recovery.
We learned that communities that have safety nets for their most vulnerable citizens, where neighbors know one another, where they participate in communal festivals and belong to groups and associations are communities that can better sacrifice and innovate together.
I felt a 2.0 version of John F. Kennedy’s famous charge, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” My sense of the White House’s purpose was to create a culture of partnership recognizing that government and the citizen sector have different roles, resources and powers, but we can achieve collective impact through mutual learning, support and collaboration.
Scott Heiferman, founder of the social media site, Meetup, summed it up this way: The most powerful word we have is Let’s.
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"Everyone’s Talking, Who’s Listening?"
Submitted by adiffendal on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:03amby Jennifer Martin
Member, CityClub's Board of Governors; Senior Officer, Grantmaking & Community Leadership, The Seattle Foundation
“Once a society loses this capacity [to dialogue], all that is left is a cacophony of voices battling it out to see who wins and who loses. There is no capacity to go deeper, to find a deeper meaning that transcends individual views and self interest. It seems reasonable to ask whether many of our deeper problems in governing ourselves today, the so-called “gridlock” and loss of mutual respect and caring might not stem from this lost capacity to talk with one another, to think together as part of a larger community.” - Peter M. Senge, in “A New View of Institutional Leadership” in Reflections on Leadership
I came across this quote the other day and was struck by how well Peter Senge’s comments from more than 15 years ago still capture what is going on today. We have in many ways lost our ability to have constructive conversations – most obviously on the national stage, but even in our local communities and sometimes in our day-to-day lives. Although the opportunities for sharing information have exploded, it’s almost mind-numbing as we are battered with tweets, blogs, likes, e-mails, videos, etc. We may think we’re getting our point across or “communicating,” but how much are we really learning from one another?
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Our Executive Director is heading to the White House!!!
Submitted by cityclub on Fri, 06/29/2012 - 11:34amOur Executive Director, Diane Douglas, is heading to the other Washington for
the Forum for Citizen-Based Social Innovators at the White House on Tuesday! Can't believe it? We could hardly believe it either! Read the invite for yourself:"The Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in coordination with the Office of Public Engagement would like to invite you to the White House on the afternoon of Tuesday July 3rd to participate in a forum to discuss the important role that citizen innovation plays in expanding opportunity and addressing social issues.
Senior Administration officials as well as leading citizen-based social innovators from around the country will come together for this event. The afternoon will be comprised of a series of briefings, panels, and small-and-large group discussions that will explore how organizations that focus on citizenship are creating innovative models and entrepreneurial ventures to make a positive impact on our economy and our society, often while serving our most vulnerable communities."
Do you want to follow the conversation? Diane will be tweeting from the White House using the twitter handles @SeattleCityClub and @dianemdouglas, and hashtags #whsummit and #socialinnovation.
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Fun facts about the "Compassion Corridor"!
Submitted by cityclub on Wed, 06/20/2012 - 4:40pm
To get y'all excited about next Thursday's event, "Building a Culture of Philanthropy", check out these fun facts from Philanthropy Northwest's 2012 report* about giving in our region!- Giving to the Northwest grew more than $142 million from 2004 to 2010.- Giving to education grew 63% in six years.- 80% of dollars to Northwest nonprofits came from Northwest foundations and corporations in 2010, a decline from 87% in 2008.- Corporate giving increased dramatically in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho from 2008 to 2010.- Corporate giving represented 15% of total dollars to Washington state in 2010. Microsoft was the largest corporate contributor, giving $32.2 million in cash donations and matching gifts.Be sure to register for our event to hear more about the organization's findings from our moderator, Philanthropy Northwest CEO, Carol Lewis!
*Read the entirety of Philanthropy Northwest's 2012 "Trends in Northwest Giving" report here.
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Meet "Building A Culture of Philanthropy" Panelist, Colleen Willoughby
Submitted by cityclub on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 11:13am
In September 1995, CityClub founder Colleen Willoughby and four other visionary women established the Washington Women’s Foundation to create a new fund of major money from women donors and to train donors to become effective philanthropists. Since 1996, WWF’s members have invested millions of dollars in hundreds of nonprofit organizations to support five main focus areas: arts and culture, education, environment, health and social services. Today, the Foundation has over 500 members, and the grant committee reviews more than 250 Letters of Inquiry annually. Willoughby served as WWF’s president from 1995 to 2008. Currently, Willoughby is teaming up with the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs to determine if the innovative model of women’s collective giving developed by the Washington Women’s Foundation can be seeded in China. -
2011 Jefferson Award Winner wins Golden Tennis Shoe Award!
Submitted by cityclub on Thu, 06/14/2012 - 11:19amMegan Johnson, CityClub's 2011 Washington State & National Jefferson Award Winner, was selected as one of three winners of Senator Patty Murray's 17th annual Golden Tennis Shoe Awards! Each year, the Golden Tennis Shoe Awards honors Washingtonians who are improving their community. The name of the award takes its title from a story told of Murray's early political career, when she reportedly decided to get involved in politics after a politician dismissed her as “just a mom in tennis shoes.” Read more about Megan here.
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Did you miss our 30th Anniversary & Conversation with Colin Powell?
Submitted by cityclub on Mon, 06/11/2012 - 11:18amNo worries. We've got you covered.
Watch the video, check out these photos, and read our live tweets.
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Civic Study Gives Failing Grade to American Youth
Submitted by cityclub on Thu, 05/24/2012 - 3:03pmYesterday, the Educational Testing Service released a new study that gives a failing grade to American youth for civic proficiency.
Among the dismal findings:
Only approx. 25% of middle and high school students demonstrate “proficient” civic knowledge and understanding of American history.
The oldest, most highly educated, and highest income Americans are 7 times more likely to vote than young, less educated, and low income Americans.
What can you do? Join CityClub & our new Youth Civic Education initiative!
Read the full study, Fault Lines in Our Democracy: Civic Knowledge, Voting Behavior, and Civic Engagement in the United States.
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Colin Powell on NPR's "All Things Considered"
Submitted by cityclub on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 10:53amDid you miss Colin Powell on NPR yesterday?
No worries. (You can check it out here.)
But - don't miss him again! Register today for CityClub's "A Conversation with Colin Powell" to see him in person on June 6th! Moderated by KING 5 Anchor Jean Enersen, this exciting event will feature Q & A with the four-star general and former Secretary of State!
