Category Archives: Uncategorized

8 Crowdfunding Projects We Loved To See This Year!

Every year at ioby, we are in awe of the projects leaders come up with to strengthen their communities. As we celebrate our 15th year, that couldn’t be more true. 

In every inch of the country, people have deepened their neighborhood bonds through ground-breaking ideas, from farms growing delicious, organic produce in Upstate New York  to free jazz concerts in Northwest Arkansas and storytelling workshops for climate resiliency in frontline communities worldwide.

Here are 8 of the crowdfunding projects we loved to see this year—and all of them are still raising funds! If you feel inspired, share and donate to celebrate the holidays. Plus, you can use these crowdfunding examples to brainstorm projects for your own community in the New Year. Already have a great idea? Share your idea with us and we can help!

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Report from The Field: The Northwest Arkansas Neighborhood Match Program

Do you live in Arkansas’ Benton & Washington Counties? If so, you can be part of ioby’s transformative network of neighborhood leaders that have doubled their impact through our match partnership with the Walton Family Foundation. So far, the program has supported everything from folk music instrumental repairs to a Dia de los Muertos celebration. 

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10 Climate-Conscious Projects We Love

Many scientists and activists have declared this decade “make or break” for climate action, and if you step outside, it is not difficult to understand why. Whether you’ve experienced extreme heat waves or intensifying drought, it’s clear that the climate crisis is already having a tangible impact on the world around us. With such high stakes, it is essential for groups—both small and large—to take action for a liveable future. However, such action can often feel daunting. The climate crisis is unfurling at a global scale, we might ask ourselves, so is it really possible to make change at the local level? The answer is yes and no. It is essential to organize against corporations such as oil companies, which are the largest contributors to global emissions by far. However, local action can help us discover solutions that can have a much larger impact than we might originally believe. Plus, it allows us to embody the future we hope to live in, resisting despair and embracing a better world. If you’re looking for some inspiration, we’ve outlined 10 projects to stop climate change we love. 

Hungry for more? Check out our new Active Transporation Toolkit, which highlights projects using transportation to address climate change and create healthier communities.

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ioby’s Comprehensive Guide to End-of-Year Fundraising

It’s the end of the year, which means gathering with friends and family, celebrating the holidays, and—yes—fundraising. According to Double the Donation, 30% of all annual fundraising happens during the month of December. This makes the last four weeks of the year crucial for next year’s success, but that pressure can be overwhelming. How do you know even know where to begin? With limited time and capacity, what’s most important to focus on? What’s the best way to demonstrate all that you’ve accomplished this year? 

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ioby’s Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Funds & Building a Network of Donors You Love

Here at ioby, we believe in the power of small groups coming together to fundraise for big change. Through this step-by-step guide, we’ll outline the steps to cultivating meaningful relationships with donors that will sustain your work over the long haul. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with each project you launch, so let’s dive in and make those dollars stretch as far as they can, block by block! 

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ioby’s Comprehensive Guide to Creative Placekeeping

If you’re a neighborhood leader who wants to find creative, strategic ways to maintain the spirit and vibrancy of your community, look no further! ioby’s comprehensive guide to creative placekeeping outlines everything you need to know to launch a transformative project in your neighborhood. Maybe you heard about placekeeping through the NEA creative placemaking and placekeeping grants, or maybe there’s a cultural site in your community that you are longing to preserve. Either way, this guide will give you the tools you need to ideate, launch, and maintain a compelling creative placekeeping project. 

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5 Creative Placekeeping Projects We Love!

Arts and culture inspire communities, deepen neighborhood connections, and transforms lives. Whether a Pride parade in June or afterschool music sessions for teenagers, culture is an essential element of thriving public life. 

Here at ioby, we believe strongly in the possibilities of creativity, and a large part of that is due to creative placekeeping. Creative placekeeping refers to a community-driven approach to preserving and enhancing the character, history, and values of a space. Instead of focusing exclusively on adding to a neighborhood through physical development such as museums, creative placekeeping emphasizes the assets that already exist. 

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