Where Do You Belong?
By: Stephanie Benney
We all belong to a community…whether it be our neighborhood, city, state, church, charity group, school or sports team. It’s nice to be a part of the greater good of something, which is why many of us choose to get involved. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride to work with others towards a common goal.
When you begin to think about how many communities you belong to, it becomes amazing how many more you discover. Nowadays, communities are becoming more and more classified by personal interests and passions. It is also a great way to meet other people with like interests and beliefs.
Today, it is even easier to join a community as a result of the internet, social media and blogging; it is literally right at our fingertips. How many of us use Facebook, Twitter, and other online communities to regularly connect with friends, family members and business connections?
Because I am constantly researching and exploring sites for ideas and fresh content to present in my “Good and Green” articles for BizChicks, I started exploring the online green community phenomenon. While many of them seem to repeat the same mission, there are few truly unique sites sure to get you involved.
For those who are eco-entrepreneurs, Greenbusiness.net is a perfect fit. This site allows you to share ideas, brainstorm, learn from others, develop partnerships, network, get feedback, forge alliances, generate ideas for new businesses, share best practices, discover cost savers and develop strategies to increase profit. So, if you have an idea for a green company, why not present it on greenbusiness.net and see what kind of feedback you get!
Even though this site’s motto is “Climate change is not a spectator sport”, Celsias.com is an online environmental community based on actions, not words. “Members participate in green projects, track progress, and share results. A strong, diverse community and useful features make this a worthwhile stop on your exploration of the green web. Big on action, low on chatter – there is something very refreshing about that.”
Change.org – the name says it all(and my personal favorite). This site is for individuals who are activists and want to “be the change they see in the world”. It is extremely user friendly, clear and concise. Type in the change you would like to be a part of in the search field and the site produces relevant sites, projects and organizations. If you are not sure what change you would like to get involved with, you can browse through the main page for suggestions. Or you can create your own organization and get other people in the community involved. It is a great place to connect with other nonprofits and like-minded individuals.
I just began my membership with Greeniters.com. A fellow connection on LinkedIn is actually the inventor of this site, so of course, I had to show my support. It is a relatively new online community for people who want to “Green It”. This site is like a green Facebook and LinkedIn rolled all in one. Here you can build a profile for yourself, invite friends, post pictures, videos, jobs, and blogs. There are also forum discussions, groups to join and a green directory.
Carbonrally.com and AboutMyPlanet.com are also frontrunners to check out on the green web. I hope that at least one of these sites strikes a chord in you and that I have opened your eyes to a new way to get involved in sustainability and social responsibility.
Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com