Blog
Contributor Guidelines
Submitting guest blogs is open to Global Washington’s members of the Atlas level and above. We value a diversity of opinions on a broad range of subjects of interest to the global health and development community.
Blog article submissions should be 500-1500 words. Photos, graphs, videos, and other art that supports the main themes are strongly encouraged.
You may not be the best writer, and that’s okay. We can help you shape and edit your contribution. The most important thing is that it furthers an important conversation in your field, and that it is relatively jargon-free. Anyone without a background in global development should still be able to engage with your ideas.
If you include statistics or reference current research, please hyperlink your sources in the text, wherever possible.
Have an idea of what you’d like to write about? Let’s continue the conversation! Email comms@globalWA.org and put “Blog Idea” in the subject line.
Posted on April 6, 2015
The following story was originally posted on the Zillow News blog and written by Melissa Allison
Photo: Adam Cohn
The ethical sourcing of chocolate is important for many reasons: the health of our bodies, the health of the planet, and the financial and physical well-being of cocoa farmers, among others.
So it was with great interest that Zillowites packed the house to hear guest speaker Nathan Palmer-Royston, the cocoa sourcing manager for Theo Chocolate, the country’s first organic and fair trade-certified chocolate factory — and a source of Seattle pride, located just four miles north of Zillow Tower.
Palmer-Royston spends much of the year in tropical zones, working with farmers and extension officers in countries where cocoa is grown. Continue Reading
Posted on March 30, 2015
By Jeff Halvorson
On Friday, March 20, 2015, Global Washington partnered with Seattle International Foundation to host a business roundtable with Transparency International’s Regional Director for the Americas, Alejandro Salas. In Russell Investments’ downtown Seattle headquarters with a backdrop of Elliot Bay, leaders from six global companies discussed corruption, one of the biggest issues facing organizations across both the private and public sectors.
Following three Seattle-based groups making Ethisphere’s 2015 list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, the discussion with Salas was timely. Seattle is home to a number of corporations known for their progressive business practices. This breakfast brought together leaders from Russell Investments, Holland America Line, Expedia, Costco, Carrix and Starbucks. Continue Reading
Posted on March 23, 2015
By Nancy Long, Executive Director of 501 Commons
More and more voices from within philanthropy are arguing that funders need to stop directing the specific uses of their funds and provide general operating grants. Despite studies that show this to be the most effective type of funding, the percentage of general operating grants has been stagnant for the last 10 years.
The narrow channels for money into our sector cause nonprofits to be underfunding administrative and fundraising staff and infrastructure (finance and HR systems, technology, databases, etc.).
General operating grants allow organizations to build organizational capacity and program effectiveness by improving administrative processes that are essential to program success. Nowhere is the capacity conundrum clearer than with evaluation. Funders increasingly expect organizations to have complex data analysis and impact metrics to demonstrate their effectiveness. However, they are often unwilling to provide funding for the administrative staff, evaluation consultants, databases, and infographics needed for robust reporting. Continue Reading