Our Key Accomplishments: Fall 2006 - Spring 2008

Fall 2006: The Idea is Born

• Project concept formed through conversations with each other and Matt’s mentors, Bob and Alice Evans (founders of Plowshares Institute).
• Developed preliminary goal: to capture and disseminate the wisdom and experience that Bob and Alice had acquired over their careers.
• Quickly expanded our mission to include a diverse selection of accomplished changemakers whose stories could inspire and equip a new generation of social leaders.
• Began researching the extent of our generation’s social involvement, and studying and talking to members of our “target audience” to define the challenge and opportunity.

Winter 2006: Concept Developed and Project Launched

• Conducted visioning, research, and market testing to develop and refine project mission.
• Established fiscal sponsorship through Duke University, providing the project with non-profit status and the ability to receive tax-deductible contributions.
• Secured donated office space.
• Constructed a network of key contacts and initiated conversations to learn from and engage stakeholders, foundations, and publishers.
• Established project goals and priorities, while developing core project elements and methodologies for implementation.
• Developed clear action plan with intermediate goals, outcomes, and benchmarks.

Spring/Summer 2007: Building the Base

• Recruited a steering committee and broadened base of advisors, funders, and implementing partners.
• Raised start-up funding of approximately $35,000.
• Conducted extensive interviews with, and research on Bob and Alice Evans, founders of Plowshares Institute, the subjects of the book’s first complete chapter.
• Wrote the book’s “first chapter” about Bob and Alice Evans’ sojourn to Uganda in 1972, shortly after the rise of Dictator Idi Amin, and their process of joining the fledgling resistance movement.
• Developed and researched a comprehensive list of approximately 80 other compelling changemakers as a starting point for future subjects.

Fall 2007: Developing Products and Partnerships

• Conducted multiple interviews with Billy Starr (Founder of the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge) and Liz Titus Putnam (Founder of the Student Conservation Association), and are currently working with them and their staffs to compile their stories.
• Hosted kick-off gathering for approximately 80 supporters and advisors to “inaugurate” the project and build support for funding and implementation.
• Secured commitments from, and conducted preliminary interviews with Nancy Schowyer (Founder of Wellspring House), Ed Kelly (Director of the R.F.K. Children’s Action Corps).
• Launched new, blog-based website where we can share and engage users in our progress and incremental writings/interviews.

Winter/Early Spring 2007-2008: Research and Writing

• Held smaller events for prospective donors and advisors at Duke University and in the San Francisco area.
• Initiated conversations with Wangari Maathai (Founder of The Greenbelt Movement) and are currently exploring the possibility of including her story in the project.
• Developed comprehensive business plan outlining strategy for raising the remaining resources necessary to support the implementation of the project.
• Outlined subsequent two chapters on Billy Starr and Liz Titus Putnam
• Began working with partners to develop pilot elements of the “Action Toolkit” that will accompany the stories to develop them into teaching tools and resources for action.

Continue on to Where We’re Headed: An overview of our vision and plans for the next two years.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Progress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.