Over 1 million high school seniors spent Thanksgiving writing college application essays. It is expected that 1.5 million kids will apply to U.S. Colleges and Universities this year.

The competition is tougher than ever. More kids are applying for fewer spots.

Thanks to places like U.S. News...

I've been waiting for a returned phone call or email or even a smoke signal from a potential corporate partner for the last 5 weeks. I flew to Chicago for one day, just to make the pitch. We had a terrific in-person meeting. I sent the proposal the next day....

As an estimated 80 million gallons (and counting) of oil has spilled into the Gulf. It feels like we're watching a class of kindergarteners try to perform a root canal. The problem is twofold: a lack of technical knowledge coupled with a failure of leadership.

Great minds (we assume)...

Not-for-profits use money in a completely different way from our for-profit siblings. Our goal isn't to maximize profit and we don't use the "industry standard" to measure return on investment. So why should you listen to us not-for-profits?

Simply, the best not-for-profits have incredible fiscal policies that are great at...

Not-for-profits know a lot about managing with zilch. That's right. A bit counter-intuitive, eh?

Cherished, valuable brands like Teach for America, Habitat for Humanity and Make a Wish could teach a lot to start-ups, government, even ginormous businesses about how to build brand equity... without taking a Superbowl ad...

Despite disappointment on some key issues, majority of young people would still vote for President Obama.

Today is the 1 year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration, so DoSomething.org asked young people whether they think President Obama "made the grade" during his first year in office. Their responses garnered some...

President Obama has made it a priority to re-position the United States as a leader in the global arena. One area where we are conspicuously silent--and could lead or at least participate more fully--is disability rights.

Over all, according to the U.N., 650 million people, 10% of the world population,...

Today was the last day of the National Conference on Volunteerism and Service. Nearly 4,000 people attended the gathering in San Francisco, including First Lady Michelle Obama, Governor Schwarzenegger, and other notables.

At the same time, thousands of young people across the globe were taking to the streets, organized via...

Apathetic. Vain. Indifferent. Selfish. These are typical words used to describe teenagers today...on TV, in movies, by frustrated parents. But these words don't actually represent this generation at large. Instead, statistical evidence and trendspotting refers to today's teens as outspoken, informed, mature and wired. I'd like to call them something...

Today I was on a conference call with senior chief advisor to the President, Michael Barr, during which I learned about the Credit Card Bill of Rights. I think this is a great start on behalf of young people, all of whom either have been or will be solicited to...

I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. I mean like David, as in Goliath, or the Bears, as in The Bad News Bears. (Yes, that might be the first time those two things were ever in the same sentence.)

This week, DoSomething.org was nominated for a...

Rick Wagoner's forced resignation proves the common stereotype: nice guys finish last. He is a man who doesn't live in excess, is honest, works hard, and values philanthropy. But he isn't just a nice guy he's a smart businessman. I know this because Rick Wagoner is my friend.

Rick,...

I hate caller-id. Sure, it allows me to screen calls from my mother, but it also allows foundations to screen my calls.

I run a charity. If my name pops up in your call id, chances are I'm about to ask you for something--money, free ad space, your first born....

The White House is quietly launching a Social Innovation Office. From what I can glean online (gossip) leads me to believe that the concept is to gather "founders" of innovative social organizations all in one place and pick their creative brains for ways to implement change.... kind of a government-sponsored...

I've got a simple, cost-free proposal for stimulating the economy: legalize gay marriage.

Forget your politics. Shelve your bigotry. Just listen to the numbers....

The average American wedding costs $20,000. The number of gay couples living together without the benefit of marriage is estimated at 3 million. Using those numbers,...

Nobody seems to know this awful fact: one out of every three homeless in America is under the age of 18. Yikes.

This year alone, there are 1.6 million young American adults who are homeless. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the majority of homeless and runaway...

"They don't get it...What planet are these people on?" cried Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MS). Billionaire investor Carl Icahn called it "egregious" and "absurd." The only people happy about bloated executive compensation? The late-night talk show hosts.

So this week, President Obama -- while calling these pay packages "shameful" and "the...

I don't run a non-profit. There are lots of non-profits in America--in Detroit, parts of Wall Street, etc. I run a not for profit. We're a business. The only difference is that instead of selling soap or sneakers, we sell hope and leadership.

For a long time, the for profit...

Do Something is the not-for-profit internet company that inspires and empowers kids to, well, do something. We believe that there is a lot of creativity and passion in generation Z (kids under age 25). Their idea of getting involved isn't writing a big check or attending a charity dinner--they actually...