Idealist.org’s new Online Community Launch (3/11 at noon or 11pm)

Anyone on the Idealist.org email list has been getting mysterious emails about an online launch party taking place on March 11. In case you haven’t heard of this yet, the invitation is posted below. We recommend this for anyone who is interested in the art and science of online community building and wants to see how a big player like Idealist is approaching this ambitious project.

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idealistA few weeks ago I wrote you about a new network we are launching on March 11 to help people everywhere connect and take action, online and in person.

More than 10,000 people in 140 countries have RSVP’d at www.idealist.org/March11 and we are excited to see what we can build together.

The most frequent question we received from that initial email was, “Is this like a Facebook or Linkedin for nonprofits?”

No. We are thinking bigger than that.

Imagine how the world would change if:

  • Whenever you read a news story that moved you, instead of just clicking on Like or Share, you could hit an Act button and *do* something about it.
  • Several people who wanted to start the first women’s shelter in their town (or fight corruption or clean up a local river) but weren’t connected in any way, could easily find each other, and then connect with someone who’s already done this and is willing to help.
  • Any organization that wanted to promote an innovative solution—from a better malaria net to a new teaching curriculum—had at their disposal a global distribution channel already set up, ready to test and scale new ideas.

And to make all this happen, imagine that in every village, town, and workplace there was a team of people focused like a laser beam on connecting people and resources, finding and sharing good ideas, and helping people move from intention to action.

That’s the world we are inviting you to help build. It’s a world that’s within reach, and together we can do this.

For more details about the online presentation on March 11, and to RSVP, please click on this link:

http://www.idealist.org/March11

And for a bit more about why I think real change is possible, and why we need your voice in this conversation, please click here:

http://www.idealist.org/invitation

Below is a short FAQ about March 11. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to write me at Ami.Dar@idealist.org

Thanks again!

Ami Dar
Executive DIrector
Idealist.org

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Q: On March 11, can I participate from anywhere?
A: Yes. All you need is a good internet connection on your computer or phone (good enough to watch a TED talk or a YouTube video, for example).

Q: Are you really doing this twice?
A: Yes, we want to accommodate people in every time zone, so we’ll do this twice. You can join us live on March 11 either at Noon EST (9:00 AM Pacific) or at 11:00 PM EST (8:00 PM Pacific).

Q: How long will the presentation be?
A: Including some time for questions, it would be great if you could put us on your calendar for an hour.

Q: What happens after March 11?
A: We’ll present this whole idea in more detail and suggest a variety of ways for people and organizations to get involved.

Q: What kind of commitment will be required?
A: This will be completely up to you. We’ll have a menu of options to fit every time frame, starting from a minute or two, and up from there.

Thanks again for your interest. To RSVP, and to see what thousands of people around the world are saying about this initiative, please visit www.idealist.org/March11