October 30, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Change.org, a Web site started 18 months ago to connect donors with charitable causes, has reinvented itself as a network of blogs that discuss social issues. People interested in a specific cause — be it humanitarian relief, homelessness, or social entrepreneurship — can come to the site to read about news and developments on a particular topic, while also learning about what charities are doing for that cause.
Joshua Levy, the site’s managing editor, and Ben Rattray, its founder, recruited 13 bloggers to help overhaul the site. The blog writers were chosen because they possess a scholar’s knowledge of their cause and a writing style that’s more accessible and witty than academic, says Mr. Rattray. The bloggers include Michael Kleinman, a former CARE employee who will write about humanitarian aid, and Mike Jones, communications coordinator of the human-rights program at Harvard Law School.
The bloggers will debate issues, highlight successful charities, and discuss new efforts by nonprofit groups to raise awareness and change public policy.
Mr. Rattray says the Web site’s overhaul is designed to appeal to readers who already have some knowledge of an issue but want to know what to do next.
To date, approximately 115,000 people have created profiles on Change.org. The site has raised $250,000 for nonprofit groups.
To get there: Go to http://change.org.
