Better The World is the world’s first, effortless fundraising platform that provides people with free and easy ways to raise money for the causes they care most about. The platform unites people, companies and charities with a shared interest in a cause - with the goal of driving positive social change.   Read more...

“What’s the good news today?”, I asked the group. Seventeen blank faces stared back at me in silence. I rephrased my question. “Who’s got some good news to share?” Still no response. “No one in this room has one good thing to say about something that is happening in their life today? I don’t believe it! What’s wrong with you people?” I joked.

This is a common routine, one which I repeat in each of my fitness classes at a YMCA in New York City. You’d think the folks who gather in those classes each week would be prepared for it by now and be ready with an answer. No such luck.   Read more...

"Change is only a click away" seems to be Social Actions' goal in launching their Change the Web Challenge. Social Action has created a database of 60,000 volunteer actions that you can take on the web. The challenge is to create an easy-to-use web application that allows net surfers to use the Social Action database in creative ways. The grand prize: $5,000, with 2nd and 3rd place winners receiving $3,000 and $2,000.

Social Action already has a few applications that might get creative juices flowing: one application uses keywords in Wordpress to generate an automated list of related volunteer actions. A Firefox extension allows the user to highlight phrases and find related ways to serve. The point is to create an innovative way for people to get involved.

Need an infusion of intelligent optimism? Ode now has a presence on some of the leading social networks, making it easy for you to stay on top of all the inspiring stories that are posted on www.odemagazine.com. Be sure to join and share Ode with your friends!   Read more...

One of my favorite brands, the anthroposophic cosmetics brand Weleda, decided to work together with Soil and More to become a climate neutral company.

The last couple of years Weleda worked hard on diminishing its CO2 emissions. Recently the company decided to compensate the remaining emissions by buying emission rights of Soil and More, a Dutch company which creates composting installations in Mexico, South Africa and Egypt. Their composting method transforms organic waste into superior biological dynamic compost. This process, which is certified by the UN, diminishes the output of CO2 gasses.   Read more...

While many have great hopes for President Obama, www.usaservice.org makes it clear that President Obama expects great things from us. Launched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day - as a reminder that one individual can make a difference - Usaservice.org is a site that connects volunteers with volunteer projects across the nation.   Read more...

We are living abundant lives. I hope we all let ourselves see that a little more.

Economists will tell you that the economy expands according to the FLOW of energy (money). In other words, energy (money) isn't "in" or "out" of the economy. The economy ebbs and flows proportionally to the flow of energy (money).

We are, to be sure, still evolving, and that evolution is being shaped by what we have already learned and, assuming we manage to continue, will be shaped by what new things we discover and how we respond to them.   Read more...

Forget about merely enduring hard times; Mark Stelzner decided to start an economic upturn, one job at a time, with JobAngles. Inspired by a twitter conversation among HR professionals interested in making a difference, Stelzner and some friends created a grassroots community of people invested in helping one individual get a job.

It could be a friend or family member. Or a complete stranger. The key point is that over 1,500 people - and counting - have pledged to help others find jobs.   Read more...

The challenge of living an environmentally responsible life style - collectively or individually - is shifting ever more rapidly from "Is it necessary?" or "Can we do it?" to "How can we be both environmentally and economically successful?" We know we can live green; it's a matter of making a green lifestyle sustainable and economically irresistible. RecycleBank addresses that very issue.

RecycleBank provides customers with hi-tech recycling carts: each one is fitted with a radio frequency identification tag that measures how much is recycled and links that information to the customer's address and account number. The more a customer recycles, the more RecycleBank Points they accrue. These points can be redeemed for gift certificates to over a 1000 brands, including Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond and Target.   Read more...