blogs

Have You Met Josh Becker?

Eugene Chan

Lucy Bernholz and Josh Becker

I met Josh Becker in 2001 when he launched the Full Circle Fund, a giving circle for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. As a growing and succesful network of highly connected people, Full Circle provides as much knowledge capital as financial capital to its grantees. In many respects, Full Circle reflects much of Josh’s values.

Laura Efurd Writes on Media Policy and the Next Presidency

Eugene Chan

I point to an article by Laura Efurd on media policy and the next Presidency over at Grantmaker’s for Film and Electronic Media’s website entitled Media Policy And The Next Presidency: The Time Is Now.

Here are her suggestions for funders:

  • Support educational and informational activities related to media and technology policy issues throughout the electoral process, such as education forums.

Who Owns What?

Jocelyn Yin

I got a chance to go to the 4th session in BAVC's Innovation Salon series, where I got a chance to hear from some great panelists about the past, present, and future of digital rights. A couple of things that I walked away with:

Social Enterprise Writ Large

Tessie Guillermo

Thanks to NCG, northern California grantmakers get a generous dose of social enterprise inspiration.

A Penguin in China

Jocelyn Yin

My sister recently left to study abroad for a semester in China, where she's getting to know millions of her closest fellow Chinese. She started to blog about her experiences but what really struck me were two comments: 1. it's the first time ever that she doesn't have access to specific sites (her high school wasn't that restrictive when she was younger) and 2. she can blog but she can't read her blog after it's posted.

Bridging the Digital Divide May Have Nothing To Do With Computers

Eugene Chan

In San Francisco, all residents of homeless shelters will get phone numbers and voicemail.

In New York, students that get “A” grade will receive cellphones and minutes.

Apply for BAVC's Nonprofit Institute for New Media Apps!

Jocelyn Yin

Last year, with the help of the MacArthur Foundation, the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) launched the Producers Institute, an exciting

Changing the Definition of "free"

Jocelyn Yin

I don't remember much of my economics education but I did walk away with the idea that it usually wasn't a good idea of your supply outpaced your demand and vice versa. Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired, recently wrote an article about the economics of "free" and how the combination of technology and "free" goods contradict some of the traditional economic models. You can find the article here (thanks Seth Godin).

Philanthropy and the Dilemma of Urgency

Tessie Guillermo

One of the most enduring areas of conflict between community-based non-profit institutions and the foundations who fund them is that of the urgency of need versus the how and why of making funding availabile to address need.

Youth Radio

Eugene Chan

Radio Free Oakland

This is why we do what we do.