There I was enjoying a walk in the forests when a question came to my mind, a very simple one, I assumed. How many nonprofit organizations are there in the world? Well, it turned out that it’s not so easy to answer, and I ended up in the deep jungle, trying to make my way through all kinds of pages and authors attempting to answer this question as well. The path led to the conclusion that it’s impossible to tell! This is primarily due to the insufficient data and various approaches taken when defining and grouping NGOs, NPOs, and charitable organizations or when looking into data of organizations working in specific areas… ahhhh… thicket got so dense, there was no way through. So I left the jungle with a handful of numbers (all approximate). Let’s have a look! There are over 10 million nonprofits worldwide. India - 2 million nonprofits United States - 1.5 million and 15,000 are in the environmental and animal welfare areas Australia - 700,000 Brazil - 400,000 Japan - 50,000
RESEARCH TEAM
I might not be the best prospect for the research team at weMORI, and we have some serious work getting down there. I sat with Jo on our virtual chairs and asked her to share a few insights into the workings of the project and the team she's managing.
What is the goal of the research team?
Our team has two related objectives, to conduct research to diversify our network of local partners on the ground and, through our partners, share the content of forest conservation activities with weMORI users to help them connect with what's happening on the ground.
Initially, we wanted to create video content and stories through visits to the countries, but that objective is evolving.
Currently, we intend to create an easy/fun factbook on the status of forests in the countries we have researched, like a Forest Factbook. Also, based on our research and outreach to local organizations, we will create a portfolio of local organizations that we can potentially connect to companies in Japan that would like to contribute to tree planting activities abroad.
We have created a research document containing 250 pages of relevant information on 20 countries and a list of 196 organizations with whom we plan to/are in the process of connecting with.
How do you work as a team?
We have weekly calls to discuss what we have done and what we plan to do. At the start, each team member volunteered to research a group of countries, which led to the research document. Currently, the team is divided into those focused on organizational outreach while others are looking at creating a template for the Forest Factbook.
AROUND THE WORLD 🌏
by Kenny
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
The saying “when it rains, it pours” is true for many, and the literal meaning is quite accurate for parts of West Africa. In August 2017, a major mudslide hit Freetown in Sierra Leone and destroyed hundreds of lives and homes. It rained and poured for weeks with an unusually heavy downpour. Now, years later, scientists are worried this disaster could repeat itself. Deforestation may be a contributing factor, and it is expected that the situation will worsen in West Africa as the climate continues to warm. Yet, we continue to clear lands without thinking of the long-term effects. Is it worth the risk? That’s something for us to consider.
A TREE AS OLD AS TIME
The Sitka spruce stands at more than 180 feet tall and was once described in a 1917 publication as “the autocrat of timber.” This tree that’s as old as time… almost, will be cut down in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. The U.S. Forest Service chose the spruce to be cut down. This tree reportedly holds 9.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of nearly twice the amount of CO2 emitted by the US each year from fossil fuels. This tree may be prime timber but isn’t it worth more to us alive and standing?
There you have it, dear friends!
Thank you for sticking till the end.
Have a day that matters.
Joanna Arai
🖤
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