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Craigslist Foundation Strengths Social Relations

In the year 2000, Craig Newmark and his cohorts chose to take their famed Craigslist phenomenon to an entirely new and improved level of service. They had a vision of utilizing their power to help others and therefore formed the Craigslist Foundation. The Craigslist Foundation is publically supported and non-endowed (non-grant making).

The vision by Newmark and his friends included the thought that the spirit and culture of their successful Craigslist site could be used to help society as a whole. The group continues to believe they can use meaningful community engagement to help strengthen relationships throughout the world. They quickly watched the success develop with the Craigslist original site and think the energy the initial site developed can be carried over into other areas of the community. Thus, they work hard to engage all of society to participate in community engagement via the Craigslist Foundation.

The main goal for Craigslist Foundation at this time is to create a community platform for civic engagement. Their "big picture" includes opportunities for everyone to come together, to share ideas. These idea sharing events would essentially allow people to connect, share, learn and tolerate all others in their community. One main goal of the Foundation is to help foster inspiration at all levels. The group often matches people with localized similar needs. However, they also have the power to attack policy at all levels and encourage people all over the world to become more engaged in their community and in society as a whole.

The Craigslist Foundation offers several non-profit programs for interested citizens to enjoy. The programs are catered to non-profit leaders and activists for community events and social issues. The events and resources were developed to help all leaders and citizens get the information and knowledge they need to help make all non-profit, social and community programs a success.

The Foundation's Non-Profit Boot Camp is among the most popular events. The goal of the Camp is to help non-profit leaders feel empowered. The experience helps them connect with others like them, potential supporters and other industry-related resources. The first Boot Camp was held in 2004, with thousands participating in the Camp since then. Via workshops, networking, coaching and professional development sessions, Craigslist Foundation helps leaders get the momentum they often need to be successful in their endeavors. When the Foundation describes their Boot Camp sessions, they say it’s a collective experience where hundreds of leaders and social entrepreneurs come together to share in their vision of changing the world.

Each Camp session offers over 20 workshops, talking about everything from starting a non-profit to running a social enterprise. There are also one-on-one coaching opportunities, career counseling and chances to ask experts questions on the industry. Sessions also feature potential supporters of non-profits and entrepreneurs and the opportunity to connect with local resources. Each experience ends with keynote speeches and appearances from social leaders around the country. The Camp experience is also available online, for those unable to physically attend the sessions. The Non-Profit Boot Camp Online allows leaders to see workshop podcasts, PowerPoints of notes from handouts and class notes from attendees.

For those in the Bay Area, the Craigslist Foundation provides an extensive list of support resources via their website. The Non-Profit Support Yellow Pages is a directory visitors can utilize for non-profit management vendors and support organization contacts in the Bay Area. Most of the resources are interested in giving leaders information, services, products, training and support. Many resources allow for the opportunity for leaders to connect with others in the area like themselves. The Foundation is planning to expand their lists to include more metro areas in the near future.

Current Bay Area contacts include experts in the following areas:

  • Community Building
  • Community Networking
  • Board Developmment
  • Events
  • Education/Training
  • Conferences
  • Finance
  • Fiscal Sponsorship
  • Fundraising
  • Graduate Programs
  • Greening
  • Human Resources
  • Insurance
  • Investing
  • Technology
  • Legal
  • Marketing
  • Telephone Support
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Volunteering

While the Foundation is continuously changing and growing in new directions, they are well known for their transparency throughout the evolution process they engage in. Thus, they welcome everyone to watch their progress and adaptation, building more contacts and resources along the way.