This feature offers the day’s most interesting and important story on nonprofits from the world’s media. For a full survey of media coverage of topics relating to nonprofits, philanthropy, volunteering, and civil society, go to the Hauser Center’s news blog, Nonprofit News & Comment.
Volunteers have always played central roles in municipal government, not only serving as volunteer fire fighters and peace officers, but also as members of the boards and commissions which are the primary decision making bodies in many towns and cities.
This story from the Wall Street Journal highlights a new role for urban volunteers: as creators of technologies that enable governments to address a variety of pressing problems.
“A Peace Corps for Civic-Minded Geeks; How young techies are saving cities time, money—even lives.” By Holly Finn. Wall Street Journal. August 25, 2012.
At least one hurricane expert put the odds of a mandatory evacuation of Tampa during the Republican convention at a reassuring 0.2%. Tropical Storm Isaac could pass right by. But that doesn’t mean no bluster. And there will be even more of it at the Democratic convention. In the next few weeks there’s no avoiding partisan froth. If we want our civic spirit genuinely cheered, we’ll have to look away from the four men in rolled-up shirt sleeves and focus closer to home.
So-called Government 2.0, tapping online power to tackle offline problems from city hall on up, is an underappreciated, and still revolutionary, idea. Also, it seems to work. Take the new nonprofit Code for America (CfA), a kind of Peace Corps for geeks. This Gov 2.0 standout handpicks a team of sprightly tech stars each year to give up their lives and jobs for 12 months, offer their services to local governments nationwide and bring the Web to the wide-eyed. This year there are 26 fellows for eight cities, and 550 have applied for the 25 to 30 spots next year. Average age: 28.
Surely, their youthful idealism will get chewed up and spat out by the bureaucracy, right? Well, maybe not. These young folks aren’t just writing the code, they seem to be cracking it.
Government spending on information technology in 2012 is set at $79.5 billion federally and $55.4 billion for state and local. Meanwhile, to complete one government project—estimated at two years and $2 million—it took a couple of CfA fellows just 2½ months.
NONPROFIT NEWS & COMMENT STORY OF THE DAY – AUGUST 25, 2012
by Peter Dobkin Hall on August 25, 2012
This feature offers the day’s most interesting and important story on nonprofits from the world’s media. For a full survey of media coverage of topics relating to nonprofits, philanthropy, volunteering, and civil society, go to the Hauser Center’s news blog, Nonprofit News & Comment.
Volunteers have always played central roles in municipal government, not only serving as volunteer fire fighters and peace officers, but also as members of the boards and commissions which are the primary decision making bodies in many towns and cities.
This story from the Wall Street Journal highlights a new role for urban volunteers: as creators of technologies that enable governments to address a variety of pressing problems.
“A Peace Corps for Civic-Minded Geeks; How young techies are saving cities time, money—even lives.” By Holly Finn. Wall Street Journal. August 25, 2012.
At least one hurricane expert put the odds of a mandatory evacuation of Tampa during the Republican convention at a reassuring 0.2%. Tropical Storm Isaac could pass right by. But that doesn’t mean no bluster. And there will be even more of it at the Democratic convention. In the next few weeks there’s no avoiding partisan froth. If we want our civic spirit genuinely cheered, we’ll have to look away from the four men in rolled-up shirt sleeves and focus closer to home.
So-called Government 2.0, tapping online power to tackle offline problems from city hall on up, is an underappreciated, and still revolutionary, idea. Also, it seems to work. Take the new nonprofit Code for America (CfA), a kind of Peace Corps for geeks. This Gov 2.0 standout handpicks a team of sprightly tech stars each year to give up their lives and jobs for 12 months, offer their services to local governments nationwide and bring the Web to the wide-eyed. This year there are 26 fellows for eight cities, and 550 have applied for the 25 to 30 spots next year. Average age: 28.
Surely, their youthful idealism will get chewed up and spat out by the bureaucracy, right? Well, maybe not. These young folks aren’t just writing the code, they seem to be cracking it.
Government spending on information technology in 2012 is set at $79.5 billion federally and $55.4 billion for state and local. Meanwhile, to complete one government project—estimated at two years and $2 million—it took a couple of CfA fellows just 2½ months.