BE A CHANGEMAKER

HOW TO START SOMETHING THAT

MATTERS
Laurie Ann Thompson

SIMON PULSE
New York London Toronto Sydney New Delhi Hillsboro, Oregon

SIMON

PULSE

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020

20827 N.W. Cornell Road, Suite 500 Hillsboro, Oregon 97124-9808 503-531-8700 / 503-531-8773 fax www.beyondword.com

This Beyond Words/Simon Pulse edition September 2014 Copyright 2014 by Laurie Ann Thompson Cover photograph copyright 2014 by iStockphoto.com All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. SIMON PULSE is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Beyond Words is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. and the Beyond Words logo is a registered trademark of Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected]. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Managing Editor: Lindsay S. Brown Editors: Nicole Geiger, Ali McCart Copyeditor: Ashley Van Winkle Interior and cover design: Sara E. Blum The text of this book was set in Adobe Garamond Pro and Interstate. Manufactured in the United States of America 0914 FFG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data TK ISBN 978-1-58270-464-7 (hc) ISBN 978-1-58270-465-4 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-4814-0169-2 (eBook)

TO MY FAMILY, FOR THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRITS AND UNFAILING SUPPORT.

Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

1: Its Your Turn Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Profile: Free the Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why Youth? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You Can Do It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 4 6

2: Whats a Changemaker, Anyway? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Profile: Team Revolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Changemakers and Social Entrepreneurs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Lets Go! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

3: The Secret Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Profile: Actores de la Prevencin (Prevention Actors) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Why This Chapter Matters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Whats Your Passion?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 What Are You Good At? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 What Needs to Be Done? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Some Areas to Think About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Passion + Skill + Problem = Venture! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 On Your Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

4: Researching Your Big Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Profile: Project ORANGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Save Everything! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Conducting Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Other Research Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 There Can Be Only One . . . For Now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

5: Building Your Dream Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Profile: Richards Rwanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Common Positions and Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 What to Look For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Who to Ask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 How to Ask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Elevator Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Holes in the Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Dont Worry If You Dont Have It All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Being a Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Leadership Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 The Magic Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 What If Things Dont Work Out? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

6: Enlisting a Savvy Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Profile: Greening Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Why You Need an Adult Mentor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Finding a Mentor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 How to Approach a Potential Mentor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Its Still Up to You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

7: Meeting Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Profile: Girls Talk, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 When and Where? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Breaking Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Meeting Musts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Standard Operating Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Unmeetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Last Words of Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

8: Business Planning 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Profile: Team aWEARness, Transitions House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Business Plan Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Putting It All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Sample Business Plan: Team aWEARness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 A Plan Is Just a Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

9: Money Matters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Profile: Youth Ultimate Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Budget: Planning What Might Happen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bookkeeping: Tracking What Did Happen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Banking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learning from the Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your Money Mind-Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 103 103 105 106 109 110

10: The Art of Making Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Profile: Les Manos United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Make Your Own. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Hybrids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Other Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 A Penny Saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Doubling Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

11: How to Sell Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Profile: Baking for Breast Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

What Is Marketing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Branding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Promotion Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making Your Own Marketing Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

129 130 131 133 135

12: Working the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Profile: StudentRND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traditional Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Media Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 139 141 147

13: Speeches that Sparkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Profile: Triple H (Homelessness, Hunger, Hope), Girls, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 150 First Impressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Golden Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 What to Say . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 How to Say It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Presentation Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

14: Event Planning Boot Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Profile: TEDxRedmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . To Event, or Not to Event? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checklists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Did You Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Is It Really Worth It?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 165 168 172 175 176

15: Covering Your Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Profile: Change the World Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Risk Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becoming Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Financial Risks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Legal Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with Young People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ask for Help When You Need It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

182 183 186 187 188 189 189 190

16: Pairing Up for Perfect Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Profile: NeverSeconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why Partner? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where to Find a Partner? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to Go About It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 193 195 196 199

17: Making It Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Profile: Everybody Dance Now! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avoiding Burnout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hand-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fresh Meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Multitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In It for the Long Haul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 204 205 206 208 210 210

18: Now What? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Profile: Project Believe in Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 But, What About . . . ?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Where Do You Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Looking Forward, and Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Foreword
BE A CHANGEMAKERNOW
Dont wait. Dont wait to be powerful, to change the lives and communities around you significantly. There is nothing like it. Once you discover that you can visualize the next step society should take, and then you discover that you can lead others to turn your vision into reality, you can do anything. The only way to know you are a changemaker is to be oneand the younger, the better. If you change your world in middle or high school, you will change it again and again throughout your life. (Almost all the social entrepreneurs I know had such early practice.) You can do so by creating a tutoring service, or radio program, or business, or whatever turns you on. Once you have made your dream work, and its value is apparent, others will keep it going after you have moved on. Becoming a changemaker is quite like getting on a bicycle and mastering its zen. Except it is far, far more important and requires far more practice. Laurie Thompsons book will help you get started. Laurie shows how everything starts with asking yourself, Whats my passion? Once you find your passion and apply it to a problem you care enough to do something about, then you are on your way! Lauries stories beautifully illustrate how everyoneand really we mean everyone can create powerful change in the world. Indeed in another ten or so years there will be very, very few opportunities for anyone who is not a changemaker. Artificial intelligence, algorithms, and the web are fast stripping away jobs of intellectual, not just
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physical, repetition. Already that includes, for example, almost half of what architects used to do and probably three quarters of archeologists work of exploration. Instead, as the rate and pervasiveness of change continue to accelerate exponentially (a mathematical fact), we will all be valued more and more in terms of how well we envision and enable others to move to better futures. If you are to contribute, let alone lead, in this everything changing, everyone a changemaker world, you need to begin writing your story now. As you launch your venture, you will master the most critical skills you will need in life: (1) applied empathy (deeply understanding all the people and groups around you so you will do as much good and as little harm as possible), (2) teamwork, (3) new leadership (very different dimensions when everyone is a changemaker!), and (4) changemaking (envisioning and engineering better futures). These skills are so rich and so subtle that mastery comes only with persistent, intensive, real engagement and practice. By the time you become an adult, you will know in your heart whether or not you are powerful, whether or not you are a changemakerand whether or not you have mastered the underlying skills. This core selfunderstanding will define your role in life and how you relate to others. What is the key to making your first, life-defining commitment to changing your world? Just give yourself permission. Many will tell you that you cannot. Please ignore thembut do so politely, gently: for those whose lives are limited because they never gave themselves permission, your stepping out stirs regret. That is what you are hearing. Far better to listen to your own imagination.

Bill Drayton Founder of Ashoka, an organization that finds and supports changemakers

| 1 |

Its Your Turn Now

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones weve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, in a speech to his supporters in Chicago on February 5, 2008

ouve heard the saying, If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Ive found this to be true more often than one might expect. Sometimes its because other people cant do it. They just dont have the skills or the tools that you do. Other times they just wont do it. It is, after all, what you want, and its your definition of right. How many times have you complained about something but done nothing to fix it? Or noticed something and thought, Someone should do something about that ? We all have those thoughts sometimes. And its okay, because none of us can solve every problem we encounter. But guess what . . . youre someone. And when you set your mind to it, you absolutely can do something that matters. Fortunately, there are some exciting changes happening in your world right now. People are realizing that applying the best practices from the business world to the worst problems we face as a society is an effective step toward creating the solutions we need. And, modern-day technology
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makes it easier for everyone to do, especially young people. You truly have the powernow more than ever beforeto be the change that you seek.

Profile

FREE THE CHILDREN

Craig Kielburger was flipping through the newspaper in search of comics when he came across the headline, Battled Child Labour, Boy, 12, Murdered! Because Craig was also twelve, the words grabbed his attention and he stopped to read the article. He soon learned that the boy, Iqbal Masih from Pakistan, had been sold into slavery at the age of four and chained to a carpet loom for nearly six years. After escaping, Iqbal spoke publicly against the common practice of child labor in his country and others. Many suspected Iqbals death was an attempt to silence him and his message. Craig had never heard of child labor, so later that day he did some research. What he learned shocked him: more than 250 million children were working around the world, many in slave-like conditions. It was more than Craig, growing up in a middle-class neighborhood in Ontario, Canada, could even imagine. So he decided to do something about it. Craig went to school and told his class what he had learned. When he asked if anyone would help him stop child labor, eleven friends raised their hands. Together they embarked on a journey, founding a group called Free the Children. In his book, also called Free the Children, Craig says, None of us had much experience with social justice workjust a desire to take action. As youll soon see, that desire is enough. At first, Craig and his friends had a hard time getting anyone to take them seriously. They approached several established charities to ask how they could help, but none of them were interested. What could a group
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of kids do about such a huge, complex problem? So, they finally decided they had to do it themselves. After years of hard work and determination, Free the Children has grown and expanded. Now a respected international charity, educational partner, and leader in the field of youth empowerment, the group addresses all kinds of social issues in addition to child labor. Since 1995, Free the Children has provided: Medical supplies worth more than $16 million around the world Clean water, health care, and sanitation for one million people We Day events to celebrate youth activism and volunteerism, attended annually by 160 thousand teens Daily education for fifty-five thousand children Economic self-sufficiency for thirty thousand women Quality activities for millions of young people Construction of more than 650 schools and school rooms Programming and building projects in forty-five countries So, what can young people do? Anything they set their minds to. And if they can do it, so can you.

WHY YOUTH?
Just like Craig (and in no small part thanks to Craig) more and more peopleyoung and old alikeare realizing that young people really
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can make a big difference in their communities, in their countries, and around the world. Its called youth empowerment, and many people think its the next big movement. Like other movements before itcivil rights, feminism, and gay rights, to name a fewthis new movement is about empowering a group of people whose opinions and abilities have previously been ignored by society. But this time, its about empowering the worlds youthabout helping people like you seize the power to make your world be everything you want it to be. And you can be a part of it. In the past, movements mostly involved people waving signs, participating in marches, and banding together for rallies and protests: actions intended to force the people in power to do things differently. Those are still valuable ways to change the world, but todays young people have more options. Young people everywhere are rising up and directly creating the changes they want to see in their communities and around the worldright now. Theyre applying modern business practices and using powerful new technologies to build brand-new organizations from the ground up. Theyre solving the problems they see in the world around themall by themselves. They are changemakers, and you can be one, too.

WHY YOU?
In case changing the world into what you want it to be and being part of the youth empowerment movement arent enough for you, trying your hand at changemaking has other benefits, too. Youll learn more about something that interests you, find out more about yourself, have fun with your friends (and make new ones), and solve real problems. Launching a social venturea project that seeks to fix a social problemgives you experience being creative yet organized, working with a team, managing your time wisely, and setting goals and taking action on themall skills that are critical to success in school, on the job, and in life.
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Todays companiesmore than ever beforeare on the lookout for employees with proven problem-solving abilities, creativity, critical thinking skills, collaboration experience, and communication techniques. After becoming a changemaker, your resum will practically write itself! Because of that, colleges and universities are looking for applicants who have these kinds of activities, too. Want something to show the college admissions officersnot to mention scholarship selection committees that you stand out from the other applicants? Changemaking shows off your real-world leadership skills and demonstrates a commitment to community service in a way that short-term volunteer positions dont. With all that to gain, what have you got to lose?

In My Experience
If someone had told me when I was a teenager that I could change the world, I think I would have laughed. I was female, at a time when that still limited my choices. I was short. I wasnt beautiful, wealthy, or connected to anyone with significant power or influence. I knew I wouldnt go to an Ivy League university. I had never led anything. In fact, I did my best to blend in and avoid being noticed at all costs. Change the worldme? Not likely. Skip forward several yearsokay decadesand I can only pity the girl I was then. That girl never knew I d have a successful career working at IBM, Microsoft, and Intelsome of the biggest technology corporations in the worldor that I d help launch a successful startup. She never guessed the satisfaction I d get from volunteering for organizations whose missions I care about deeply. She couldnt imagine that I would find my true calling and become a confident leader in the process. And she couldnt have dreamed I would discover my path to changing the world. I dont want you to have to wait that long. I want you to have all of those thingsthe sooner, the betterbecause I know you can dream it, and those dreams can come true.
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YOU CAN DO IT
Maybe you think this sounds like something for other peopleones with money, IQ, connections, confidence, free time . . . whatever? Think again. Everyone can be a changemaker! And that includes you. As Craig wrote for Santa Clara Universitys Architects of Peace project, I realize, now, that each of us has the power to be Superman and to help rid the world of its worst evilspoverty, loneliness, and exploitation. You already have the ideas, the passion, the energy, and the talent! You will have to learn a few new skillsbasic tools that will help you get the job done. And, youll have to work hard and do things youve never done before. But inside this book, youll find all the practical knowledge as well as the encouragement you need to go out and truly make a difference. Each chapter will introduce you to young people who have already changed the world. Youll see what they did, why they did it, and how they succeededor failedso you can learn valuable lessons from their experiences. Youll also gain a whole lot of knowledge and find many resources to help you do it yourself. Plus, youll discover some of the many existing organizations dedicated to helping people just like you. Some of this information might seem a little overwhelming at first, but just take it in small doses, if you need to, and work your way through it at your own pace. You dont even need to read this whole book before you start something that matters! You can read it cover to cover before you begin, or just start whenever youre ready and use this book as reference along the way. Its true that changing the worldeven a small part of itis rarely easy. You might not end up accomplishing what you set out to do, or it
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might take longer than you expected. But dont let that stop you! You can start creating the world you want to live intoday, tomorrow, and beyondanytime you choose. You dont have to do it all, and you dont have to do it immediately. Just start something small, and see where it takes you. As Craig says in Free the Children, It all begins when one person finds the courage to take action.

You are the changemakers and the change. Ive seen it, I believe it, and I know it to be true.
Monique Coleman, actress, founder and CEO of GimmeMo.com

| 2 |

Whats a Changemaker, Anyway?

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
Anne Frank, author of The Diary of a Young Girl

f our society is to continue to evolve and address the many problems we face, we must have more changemakers in all corners of the world who can and will take the initiative to create positive social change in their communities. Some of these people are social entrepreneurs, the ones who challenge the status quo with radically new and different ideas and then bring their visions to life to improve the world. Anyone, from anywhere, can become a changemaker or social entrepreneur. You can do it, too, just like Divine Bradley did.

Profile

TEAM REVOLUTION
Divine Bradley was no goody two-shoes. Growing up, he often felt the allure of life on the gang-infested streets of his Brooklyn
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neighborhood. Then, when Divine was seventeen, a close friend of his was murdered over a basketball game. That was Divines wakeup call. The kids in his neighborhood needed a safe place to hang out after school, but there werent many options. So, Divine decided to create his own after-school program. But just getting the kids off the streets wasnt enough for Divine. He wanted to build confidence, teach leadership skills, and inspire a sense of community participation, too. He wanted to give young people positive role models and offer them a new direction. He wanted to change lives. In 2000 Divine shared his idea with some neighborhood friends, and Team Revolution was born. The team started meeting on street corners, and then moved to Divines front porch, and then took over his familys basement. By 2002 the group had grown too big to fit in the basement anymore. Team Revolution needed its own space. Could inner-city teenagers find a way to pay rent on a commercial spacelegally? They werent sure, but they decided to try. They got a $500 grant from Youth Venture, and within two weeks, they had raised close to $25,000by selling candy! They secured their own space, and soon the members of Team Revolution had turned an idea into a safe, gang-free community center complete with a movie theater, a recording studio, and administrative space. That didnt necessarily mean happily ever after, though. Getting everyone to believe that I was someone who was capable of doing something great, something positive, was a huge challenge, Divine told HowStuff Works.com. So he worked hard to demonstrate results, forge strong partnerships, and build an organization that would last. Since then, Team Revolution has impacted thousands of young people in New York City and beyond and is a model for community centers around the world. Through his work with Team Revolution, Divine himself became what he originally wanted: a positive role model in the community. Hes now using his passions on an even larger scale and continuing to inspire
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youth as a Dream Director with The Future Project. Now thats what I call a happy ending.

CHANGEMAKERS AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS

Divine Bradley is a great example of a changemaker. Divine didnt start Team Revolution to make money for himself. He just wanted to provide a safe, fun place for the neighborhood youth to hang out. Still, he had to find money, manage it carefully, and continue finding more in order to keep the community center running. Thats where learning how to run a business came in, and it helped keep Team Revolution going strong for more than ten years. Consider some of the businesses and organizations youre familiar with. Many, like Apple or Wal-Mart, follow a for-profit business model. Their main goal is to maximize profit for their shareholders. Others, like the Red Cross or the United Way, are charities. They focus on collecting donations so they can redistribute the money and provide services to those in need. Todays changemakers often fall somewhere in the middlenot entirely for profit or simply charitable. They use effective business practices to actually change the way the world works, for the better. Some of their organizations, such as Free the Children and Team Revolution, may be charities or nonprofitsspending most of their energy fundraising and then using that money to help solve a problem. Others, such as TOMS Shoes, may be for-profit businesses, selling a product or service to make money, but running their companies according to a core set of values and donating a significant portion of their profits to charity. In these cases, the leaders know that doing good and making money are not mutually exclusive. In fact, combining those two elements helps them succeed by creating a sustainable organization that people grow to trust and respect.
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Some people get hung up before even starting any kind of venture because they think they need to decide right away whether its a nonprofit charity or a for-profit business. They either dont know which one makes the most sense for their unique idea or are uncomfortable with going down a certain path. Because for-profit businesses exist primarily to make money, sometimes people think of them as evil or bad. Conversely, they might think of all nonprofits as good because their main goals are altruistic. In reality, its just not that simple. Businesses can solve social problems and act responsibly while making a profit. And, of course, nonprofits can be wasteful, irresponsible, or even downright fraudulent. You dont need to decide whether you want to start a charity or a for-profit business right now. In fact, your project doesnt even have to be a real business yet. For now, you can simply be a group of people working together to solve a problem, just like Team Revolution was when it first started out. The only thing your venture needs to do is make something good in the world. And the only thing you need to know to make that happen is that you are a changemaker. After all, as Divines motto says, The best way to predict the future is to create it. So, what is social entrepreneurship? It isnt just doing a good deed, nor is it running a successful business. It isnt a charity that asks people for money and then gives it all away, nor is it a business that is 100 percent focused on profit at all costs. Social entrepreneurship is changemaking taken one giant step forward to actually change the way the world works. Social entrepreneurs invent brand new ways of getting things done and implement their visions throughout a society. As Bill Drayton puts it in his book, Leading Social Entrepreneurs Changing the World, Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry. Social entrepreneurship is a growing movement thats changing the world for the better, and you can be a part of it. The best way to become a social entrepreneur is to practice being a changemaker. Youve probably heard of other changemakers and social entrepreneurs and what theyve accomplished, even if you didnt know thats what they
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are called. Lets think about where you may have encountered changemaking and social entrepreneurship in your own life.

1. Think of famous people youve learned about who changed the world for the better. Perhaps you think of Mahatma Gandhi for his nonviolent approach to achieving social change. Or maybe you think of Steve Jobs because of the empowering technology he brought into being. The people on your list might be historical or more recent. 2. Now, consider people in your community who started something that matters. Did a teacher at your school volunteer to lead an afterschool activity? Did a government official launch a campaign to change citizens behavior? Who organized the 5K your uncle ran in last November that raised money for cancer research? Each of these people could be considered a changemaker. Maybe they founded programs you or someone you know has benefitted from, or perhaps it was just something you heard about or saw advertised. 3. Think about your friends and classmates at school. Have any of them organized something that didnt exist before? Have any of them already made their marks on the world? Theyre changemakers, too! 4. How about your family? Do any of them run their own businesses or nonprofit organizations? Do they use business skills and procedures to do good in the world? You could easily be related to a changemaker or even a social entrepreneur. If none come to mind right away, ask your family members if they can think of anyone. Many of us have ancestors who were changemakers. Did you notice how many different kinds of people popped into your mind during this exercise? That just goes to show that anyone can be a changemaker. It doesnt matter what race you are or whether youre
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rich or poor, a genius (or not), male or female, good looking (or less so), outgoing or introverted, straight or gay, old or young, or anything else.

In My Experience
I never considered myself to be a leader. I was a shy, quiet introvert who hated public speaking, avoided arguments, and tried not to state an opinion. Then, the two leaders of my regional Society for Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) announced they were both stepping down. Someone needed to step up and assume the leadership roles, or the organization would shut down. It was a daunting role. At the time, the organization served almost a thousand people, put on more than a dozen events every year, and had a six-figure annual operating budgetit was all way out of my league. But no one else stepped up. I was already working on this book when this happened. I d volunteered in various roles for several different organizations. I d been a manager at a major technology company, and I d helped found an internet startup. But I had never done anything even close to what leading the SCBWI chapter would entail. It was way outside my comfort zone. But then it hit me: how could I write a book encouraging you to go out and be a leader if I myself had never actually done the same kind of thing? I loved that organization, and I love this book, so I took a deep breath and jumped. I ended up being a co-president of SCBWI Western Washington for three successful years. Someone I barely knew stepped up to be co-president with me, and we became great friends. My team members from that experience are like family to me. I learned skills I never thought I could, gained a tremendous amount of self-confidence, experienced unbelievable personal growth, and had a ridiculous amount of fun doing it. Taking that role was one of the most positive, transformative decisions I have ever made, and I dont have a single regret. If I can do it, so can you.
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LETS GO!
Youve seen how Craig and Divine started something amazing while they were young. In addition to sharing more stories like theirs, this book will show you how you can do it, too. Youll learn how to choose a cause, recruit helpers, make a plan, manage your money, sell your ideas, and more! As Divine Bradley told New Yorks Daily News, I didnt know exactly how to go about doing it. I just did it. And so can you. It wont be easy, of course, but no matter what happens, some piece of your world will be better simply because you tried. You will make a difference to yourself and others. Youll gain new skills. Youll inspire people around you. Youll make new friends. And youll have fun doing something you love while you solve a problem you care about.

The future starts today, not tomorrow.

Pope John Paul II, leader of the Catholic Church from 19782005

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