Tag Archives: neighborhood

501(c)3 or informal groups? Why going nonprofit is not always good for grassroots groups

February 28, 2018Neighbors making neighborhoods501c3, community, crowdfunding, funding, grants, incorporating, informal groups, neighborhood, nonprofitsKatie Lorah

If you and your neighbors have been working on a project to improve your community, the idea that you should turn your informal group into a formal nonprofit has likely come up. That’s understandable, since there are good reasons for some groups to do so.

But for other groups—especially small ones just starting out—incorporating can be unnecessary, even counterproductive. In some cases, it can be such a drain of time and money that it actually deprives communities of the very services the group is working to provide!

Continue reading 501(c)3 or informal groups? Why going nonprofit is not always good for grassroots groups →

How can I slow down traffic on my street?

January 25, 2018Neighbors making neighborhoodsbikes, cars, crosswalk, kids, neighborhood, pedestrians, sidewalk, speed limit, speeding, street, street safety, vehiclesKatie Lorah

“Historically, streets were not just for traffic,” writes David Engwicht, the irreverent public space thought leader, in his book Street Reclaiming: Creating Livable Streets and Vibrant Communities. “They were the epicenter of community life – a place for socializing, children’s play, drama, education, celebrations, social events, and economic activity. These important functions have been slowly eroded as car traffic has exerted its dominance.”

A glut of vehicular traffic—particularly of the high-speed variety—can quickly make your neighborhood feel less like a safe haven and more like the Autobahn. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to help calm your community’s streets.

Continue reading How can I slow down traffic on my street? →

Recipe for Change Video: How to Start a Time Bank

May 14, 2015Videocharity, community, cook, farm, food, garden, how to, neighborhood, neighbors, nonprofit, share, sharing, skillshare, timebank, urbanKatie Lorah

Time banks are an amazing way for communities to share using time instead of money as currency. The time bank movement is helping neighbors all over the country shift us away from economies based on consumption to economies based on relationships.

The concept is simple:

1. You spend 1 hour doing something for someone in your community

2. You earn one “time dollar” that goes into the time bank.

3. You spend your time dollar having someone do something for you and then

4. Repeat!

In this video, we present some simple tips and steps to starting a time bank in your own neighborhood.

This video was produced by Good Eye Video, in partnership with ioby and The Center for a New American Dream.

New Dream’s Get2Gether Neighborhood Challenge (happening right now!) encourages neighbors from all over the U.S. to start new ways of sharing to build and transform communities, and timebanks are a great way to start!

Visit our Vimeo page for more great videos on making change in your neighborhood.