From the TED video above, at around 5:08:

Our own sense of self-aggrandizement feels that big, important problems need to have big, important - and most of all expensive - solutions attached to them. And yet what behavioral economics shows time after time after time is in human behavior and behavioral change there's a very, very strong disproportionality at work - that actually what changes our behavior and what changes our attitude to things is not actually proportionate to the degree of expense entailed or the degree of force that's applied. But everything about institutions makes them uncomfortable with that disproportionality. So what happens in an institution is the very person who has the power to solve the problem also has a very, very large budget. And once you have a very, very large budget, you actually look for expensive things to spend it on.

What is completely lacking is a class of people who have immense amounts of power but no money at all.

What would the world look like if people like Mama Lucy had power?  What kind of MacGyver educational system could they create with a paperclip & some string? We restore power to those who remember how to do something with nothing.   In classrooms where kids share pencils, teachers share a piece of chalk between classrooms until it's turned to dust, and every child values each piece of paper to the point that every last inch is covered before it's tossed - in those classrooms, solutions will be born that don't needlessly exploit the planet's resources.  In those classrooms, solutions for all of us, not just the few, the lucky or the rich - but that are accessible for all of us - will be created. This is why we amplify the voices & visibility of grassroots changemakers like Mama Lucy.  This is why we are predominately funded by donors who are able to invest immense love, but only a few dollars. (For more on that, read this.)

"It is easy to despair that you can't create change; so my role is to provoke people to believe in their power" #AshokaFellow — Ashoka (@Ashoka) May 21, 2012

We think those with the smallest bank accounts just might have the biggest ideas. Special thanks to my friend John from the Florida StartupBus who shared this video with me.

Posted: May 22nd, 2012 under The Foundry.
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I've been silent. Because I've been scared. Scared that I couldn't wed and do this work.  Scared that I'd never have a child because I'd chosen this path, that I'd never be healthy or well-rested or beautiful again. Scared that I'd never again have the time or money to take care of myself or my family. Scared that whatever I'd build would turn on me like a monster and devour me whole - and wreak havoc or harm rather than the good I'd intended.  I am wary of good intentions.  Even my own. But I have decided to trust myself.  And to trust the universe.  And to trust love. I'm letting go of the fear for now.  I do not yet know where that will lead. Or what Epic Change will become. I cannot control the outcome.  But I choose now to invest my heart in whatever the universe has in store for me next. (I still hope it comes with a baby.) And so, an invocation for beginnings from Ze.  Beware.  He will cuss.  A lot. And you're probably gonna like it. PS:  This site may go quiet, or even go away.  I'm not sure yet where the road leads.  I just know I'm ready to travel.

Posted: May 21st, 2012 under The Foundry.
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A few weeks ago, we invited you to participate in PhD research about online giving by participating in a survey about Epic Change.  While the researcher is still analyzing the results, we wanted to provide you with the initial aggregated data we received to give you the chance to highlight any findings you believe may be particularly informative or interesting for us to examine further.  Aggregate data, as well as additional charts and graphs, are available in this Google Doc. As expected, by far, the most interesting responses were found in the open-ended sections of the questionnaire. We were incredibly moved and motivated by your heartfelt, thoughtful responses.  Here's a few of the key findings: SAMPLE SIZE: Nearly 220 people responded to the survey. MOTIVATIONS: In response to the multiple-choice question "What motivated you to participate in Epic Change?" The most highly rated responses were:

• "I believe in the power of positive emotions like love & gratitude."
• "I appreciate their innovative use of social media & technology."

The lowest rated responses were:

• "I feel specifically connected to a particular project because of its purpose or geography."
• "I feel directly connected to the organization's partners in Tanzania."

When responding to the open-ended question "Share why you participate in and/or follow the work of Epic Change," the most commonly provided response was a relationship to or respect for one or both of the organization's founders.  Other often-cited themes appear in the wordle below.  Specific people, projects, and programs were excluded from this analysis, as well as categories that comprised less than 1% of the data set.  Word height is presented relative to the number of survey participants whose response was reflective of each theme. IMPROVEMENTS & NEXT STEPS: When asked about desired next steps and proposed improvements to Epic Change, respondents were somewhat divided.  Some wrote comments suggesting expansion and additional projects, like:

• "Expand beyond Tanzania programs," and
• "Grow the organization."

Many others, however, requested that Epic Change remain small & focused on our efforts in Tanzania, commenting:

• "Deliver and expand on the current projects rather than spreading thin;"
• "I'd keep the original consistency in place - don't be a slave to the #techsoc sector's misguided obsession with big scale;"
• "Keep a focus that continues to build on existing projects. Don't look to expand too broad, both in terms of theme and geography;" and
• "I  personally enjoy the connection to Mama Lucy, the school, and the kids. I'd prefer to have the organization continue to work with them in various ways, rather than to see them branch out to other projects."

Other than comments suggesting scale or focus, respondents most often suggested improvements to organizational communication, with comments like:

• "Better communication and follow up. I receive very little correspondence from them. Until receiving this survey, I kind of forgot about the organization and initially couldn't even remember what Epic Change was."

In addition, several respondents suggested improved focus on organizational sustainability, saying things like:

• "Find new ways to make money. Epic Change will not survive if it doesn't take care of itself."

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: In response the question asking respondents to rate their overall experience as a member of the Epic Change community, the average rating was 5.66 (+/- 1.15) on a 7-point scale, where "7" represented an "incredible" experience and 1 represented a "terrible" experience.  Nearly 33% rated their experience a perfect 7, and nearly 55% of respondents rated their overall experience with Epic Change a six or above.  Only 2 respondents rated their overall experience below average. Zero respondents rated Epic Change below 3 on the 7-point scale.

DEMOGRAPHICS:

• Nearly 99% of respondents reported completing at least some college-level coursework.  Over 86% reported completing a bachelor's degree, nearly 40% reported completing a Master's degree or higher, 5% reported receiving professional degrees, and 5.5% reported receiving PhDs.
• Approximately 75% of respondents were female, and 25% were male.
• 23.5% of respondents reported annual income under $50K, nearly 9% reported they were not in paid employment, over 30% reported annual income of over $90K, and 67% reported annual income of over $50K.
• Respondents were nearly evenly split 50/50 between those who were over & under 40 years of age.
• Nearly 50% of respondents reported that they worked in the social change sector.  (e.g., social change consultant, social entrepreneur, nonprofit employee, etc.)

Additional charts, aggregate data and anonymized responses to open-ended questions are available in this Google Doc. Over the coming weeks and months, your thoughts and ideas will help create the future of Epic Change.  As you review this information, we hope you'll let us know if any interesting insights or ideas emerge by commenting below. We're so grateful for your open, honest feedback. Thanks!!!

Posted: April 26th, 2012 under The Foundry.
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