Return of Environmentalism to New York Backyards
In 1989, the Oxford English Dictionary included an entry for the word “nimby” for the first time. An acronym for “not in my backyard,” nimby refers to the attitude of residents who object to hazardous sites being developed close to them – landfills, power plants, incinerators, and the like – but have no problem with the projects being sited in another neighborhood. While the OED has yet to include a similar listing for “ioby,” or “in our backyards,” a New York startup launched in July 2008 just might lead to the word being included in the Dictionary’s next edition.
Ioby is a nonprofit based in Brooklyn, NY. The company is using online microphilanthropy to further its mission of encouraging engaged, transformative environmentalism across the five boroughs of New York City. This trendy new form of charitable giving has been quickly gaining popularity across philanthropic circles due to its ease of use, speed of transfer, and direct connection between a giver and a specific project. In the words of ioby, “you don’t have to be wealthy to participate in microphilanthropy – you just need to care.”
So how does it work? Groups planning environmental projects in NYC neighborhoods are invited to submit their cause to ioby, along with the dollar amount required to keep their project moving forward. Approved projects are then posted to the ioby website, enabling donors around the world to pledge money to contribute to the project budget. Each project is given seven months to generate their required donation, and the collected funds are only disbursed to the group at this time if they have met their monetary goal. Successfully financed projects then document their progress with regular updates to the ioby blog, allowing project supporters to track the impact of their dollar.
Interested in helping fifteen high school interns to rebuild a shade structure at a South Bronx community garden? Supporting a three-day workshop that will teach Queens second graders to make reusable grocery bags out of repurposed materials? Assisting in the creation of a Manhattan public composting demonstration center? Point your browser to ioby.org to support these projects, and check out dozens of other examples of small-scale environmental entrepreneurship, searchable by borough and category.
- Claude de Jocas