40 Under 40 :The Faces of Social Change Part 2 of a 5 Part Series

Leaders of not-for-profits have served as agents of change to create social and political impact that transcends their organizations, sometimes even their specific cause. One of the most efficacious methods of building sufficient momentum for positive change from the not-for-profit sector has been to align your organization with like-minded entities and individuals by forming a regional or national coalition. Among the 40 Under 40 Award recipients are not-for-profit leaders who did precisely that. Let's take a look at their impact on public policy.

• Orson Aguilar serves as Executive Director of Greenlining Institute, a coalition developed to influence national policy, through grassroots organizing and leadership development, specifically to address racial and economic justice. By training and guiding grassroots leaders via a robust and diverse coalition focused on social justice, the environment, wealth creation (asset building), philanthropy, health care, energy, communications and higher-education, the Greenlining Institute plays a significant role in framing and shaping major policy debates. Their policy experts conduct research and coordinate multi-pronged strategies on major policy issues that inspire future leadership in a broad range of fields.


• Derek Blumke is President of the Student Veterans of America, (SVA), a coalition of student veterans groups from college campuses across the United States. Founded in of 2008, SVA is a coalition of local not-for-profit organizations focused on developing new student groups and coordinating activities among existing student groups, plus advocating on behalf of student veterans at the local, state, and national level.


• Tracy Van Slyke serves as Project Director of The Media Consortium, a network of the country's leading independent journalism organizations that supports smart, powerful and passionate journalism as a means of redefining American political and cultural debate. The Media Consortium creates a solid cooperative infrastructure with the capacity to serve a 21st-century audience, thus offering a sustainable future for independent media. As Americans seek honest, fair, and accurate journalism, The Media Consortium develops new ways to reach them through a three-pronged strategy: making connections; building infrastructure; and amplifying the peoples' voice. Such collaboratively built projects enable members to cultivate relationships and develop additional strategizes, while constructively working together to reinvent the independent media sphere.


• Liz Butler, Deputy Campaign Director of 1Sky applies a common sense approach to a number of crucial issues including job creation, the economy and sustainability. 1Sky is building a diverse, society-wide mobilization to influence the federal government to take bold action now to protect and preserve the environment. By identifying the necessary steps leaders need to take in order to shift our nation away from climate change, toward the prosperity of a prosperous green economy, 1Sky is reframing the issue of sustainability.


• Wendy Cohen, Digital Manager of Community and Alliances Participant Media Participant uses feature films, documentaries and other forms of media to tell compelling, entertaining stories that expand awareness of the real issues that impact our lives and public policy. Through entertaining audiences first, they inspire and invite others to actively participate in making a difference by engaging in specific social action campaigns developed specifically for each film and documentary. Their approach is designed to give a voice to issues that resonate in the films. Participant Media teams with social sector organizations, non-profits and corporations who share a common commitment to creating an open forum for discussion and education, who can offer specific ways for audience members to get involved, including action kits, screening programs, educational curriculums and classes, house parties, seminars, panels and other activities. These collaborate actions are designed to serve as on-going "legacy" programs.


• Patrick Keenan-Devlin, Campaign Director of Responsible Budget Coalition brings together many diverse organizations that represent and serve millions of Illinois residents. The coalition is building the consensus needed to resolve Illinois' urgent budget crisis; preventing harmful cuts to essential public services, attempting to save or create much needed jobs, and encouraging state legislators to support tax reform legislation that would make the tax code more equitable, while eliminating the state's long-term structural deficits. RBC activists have made powerful gains in building momentum at the grassroots level to correct the myriad issues with the state's budget.


• Coalitions by their nature can create greater awareness, thereby building strong momentum to impact public policy to generate social change. Methodologies unique to coalitions allows various organizations to present a unified voice.