Rethinking the Nonprofit Sector

I heard Dan Pallotta's TED talk on NPR's TED Radio Hour last week. Pallotta is an activist and fundraiser in the nonprofit sector and his talk is a great eye opener on the outdated constraints we put on nonprofits and people who dedicate their careers to helping others. 

He points out that the nonprofit sector has been stuck at earning two percent of the U.S. GDP for 40 years, compared to the for profit sector because our society discourages charities from advertising all the good that it is doing. We need to allow nonprofits to be more bold with their goal-setting and more risky in their ventures in order to fuel innovation.

Keeping nonprofit overhead low is not a goal. It is a hinderance. Getting the U.S. off oil by 2030 (AUDACIOUS!) now THAT is a goal. "Overhead" a.k.a. marketing and leveraging investment (things the rest of the free market is very good at) is a means to an end: Growth and scale to deal with major social issues. Changing the world.

“Philanthropy is the market for LOVE. It is the market for all those people for whom there is no other market coming. And so if we really want, like Buckminster Fuller said, a world that works for everyone, with no one and nothing left out, then the nonprofit sector has to be a serious part of the conversation.”
— Dan Pallotta

Say it with pompoms

Pompom. What a fun word. These furry little embellishments have been showing up everywhere—they are not just for first grade craft time anymore.

Pompoms can add an exotic and eclectic element of whimsy to so many different kinds of accessories, like pillows, scarves, bags, throw blankets, garlands...the possibilities are endless. Here are some of my favorites.

Bearable Shoes

Being a female professional usually requires that one wear heels whether we like it or not. It looks better and it's pretty much standard in a corporate environment. At the same time, heels are terrible for your feet, your back, and pretty much your whole bod. I am not a person who can wear heels. In fact, I hate heels. But sometimes I need to wear them.

The good news is while I was in Paris I noticed that the majority of shoes in boutique windows and on Parisian women's feet were reasonable heels, and looked somehow comfortable and walkable but still chic! This is definitely not the case in New York or LA, where women routinely carry their absurdly high heels in their bags and wear flats during the walk to the office. So, here are a few of my favorite French shoes for mostly play, and some for work—let's have some fun with these spring colors!

Layered Illustration Design

I came across this gorgeous Facebook Page ad on Facebook and I  LOVE the design! It is unique but classic, vintage-y, fun, and reminds me of spring time in Colorado! It especially reminds me of Lyons. Perfect for Lyons.

I am adding it to my inspo file...the colors, the illustrations, the layering, the typeface...Gorgeous.

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Communicating Data in a Changing World

Last night I went to Tableau Software in the Fremont 'hood to hear Cheryl Phillips, Data Enterprise Editor at the Seattle Times, give a fascinating talk about how technology and data visualizaiton influence journalism and story-telling.

Cheryl brought to our attention that back in the day, newspaper printing presses were an innovation! It changed the world just as the internet has changed the world. Journalism is ALWAYS changing, never static, like most things in the world, and it's important to remember that. Change is always around the corner!

It's important to whittle down to the data that is important to a story, and to show the compelling information instead of data-overloading a graph. The software they use at the paper includes Panda (an open-source software funded by the Knight Foundation, a non-profit that promotes quality journalism and media innovation) and Tableau. Tableau is one of the best data visualization tools on the market. 

Having graduated from journalism school and having worked at Rocky Mountain Institute where data is king, the topic was very relevant for me. It was also great to meet so many cool women in the tech space last night!

Blooming and thriving in your 20s....And the rest of your life, too

There is a journey that begins when you get out of college (and earlier) and have to decide what you're going to do next. And I have been told that this journey and the voice constantly asking "am I doing this right?" doesn't stop throughout life.

I have been doing some research on how to navigate this journey and this graphic is one of the products that came out of it. It's for everyone—not just those in their twenties. I am just in that decade and I feel like I don't have the authority to talk about what comes after because I haven't experienced it yet. I hope this helps you!

Is there anything you have learned to be true that's not here?

The resources I have used and continue to use are:

GOAL-SETTING

igolu

lululemon

skillshare

LIFE & YOUR 20s

The Defining Decade, by Meg Jay, PhD

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Ruben

Desire to Inspire: Embody your passion, share your creative gifts, impact the greater good, by Christine Mason Miller

Pink Coyote, Pixie Campbell’s blog

The best way to be ECO & save on home goods

Today I went to Goodwill to drop off some donations and I noticed how much STUFF they have there! It is amazing! And also sad in some ways. I often wonder what they do with all of it—Are they able to sell ALL of it?

The past few times I have moved, I have first donated unnessecities to Goodwill, then bought "new" things at Goodwill once I have moved. It is a sort of rental process I have created, and it allows me to refresh my kitchen and other pieces in my home when I feel like it, without feeling guilty. Of course I enjoy investing in a new piece that I love from time to time, but buying used is a great way to recycle and do my part. Shopping at Goodwill is easiest when I have a list of things I need.

The best pieces you can buy at Goodwill are: 

1. Kitchen appliances (toaster, french press, whisk, kettle, etc)

2. Kitchen furnishings (plates, mugs, silverware, glasses, etc)

3. Home decorations (these are PLENTIFUL at Goodwill! Unfortunately I think some people view these as sort of disposable so they are usually in good shape and up to date)

4. Mirrors and furniture (e.g. side tables, chairs, coffee tables)

5. Storage containers and things that will help you stay organized

This article on a Goodwill project is curious and thought-provoking in more ways than one if you would like to read more. 

More French Obsession

When I go to the grocery store, I love to check out all the magazines. This past trip to the store, I came across TWO home decor magazines that had features about the newest collection by French company, Manuel Canovas. I found them both inspiring pieces. My favorite was a piece specifically about the design director, Ariane Dalle.

Canovas started the fabric company at the age of 28 and now Dalle is the lead on designing for the luxury brand, as she carries the Canovas name and respects the heritage of the company.  

The newest collection was inspired by the design team's travels in India—the people, streets, colors, and culture. I would love to travel there some time soon! You can definitely identify the Indian elements mixed with the fine French style: a very elegant and colorful juxtaposition. Beautiful!

Hi, Pacific Northwest

I decided to make a big change and move to Seattle! I have not updated this corner of the cyber world in a while because my time has been filled with working, packing, stressing out, driving from CO to WA, and most importantly, saying "see ya later" to everyone I know and love in Colorado. But now I'm here building something new.

For the past month while in Boulder, I was designing part time at Pivot Communication. It was so fun and excitingly fast-paced to work at an agency. I am very grateful to have had that great experience.

Among other things at Pivot, I was working on designing the campaign for Boulder's Walk & Bike Month through Community Cycles, a wonderful Boulder organization whose mission is to make bicycling more accessible to the masses.

I don't have the liberty of sharing that work in my portfolio with you quite yet, but I will as soon as I can.

I have another personal project that I will share with you later this week! 

The Campaign to Stop Bullying

As a kid, my mom always told me to stick up for people and never stand by and let anyone get picked on. I was picked on a fair amount myself, but I ended up being the person on the soccer field or the four square court at recess and in gym class "sticking up" for the kids who couldn't stick up for themselves. 

This habit and lesson has stuck with me throughout my life. I wrote papers proposing legislation to stop bullying when I was in middle school and high school, and sometimes I still feel like that kid in gym class confronting a bully in my daily life. 

Now, we see documentaries and campaigns to raise awareness about bullying frequently and it is great. Childhood is about learning, discovery, and imagination, and we should all work to protect that.

This awesome video is the story of a guy who was bullied as a kid. It's beautiful.

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My favorite kitchen appliance & how to use it

The immersion blender is a wonderful kitchen invention! A hand-held blender that faces down, the immersion blender is a lot less bulky than a regular blender, and faster.

I mostly use mine to make smoothies and soups.

A smoothie with chia seeds is a breakfast that will keep you full and energized all morning into the afternoon. Chia seeds are a superfood. They have more Omega-3 fatty acids than any plant food and they are 20 percent protein (source).

To add chia seeds to your smoothie, make sure you have soaked them in coconut milk, juice, or water for at least 30 minutes. I usually keep a jar of them soaking in my fridge to add to different recipes. Since the seeds can absorb 12 times their weight in water, they help hydrate you.

You can find more chia recipes here.