Expand the Unconsumption Project

Knight News Challenge

The Knight News Challenge accelerates media innovation by funding breakthrough ideas in news and information. Winners receive a share of $5 million in funding and support from Knight’s network of influential peers and advisors to help advance their ideas.

Throughout 2012, innovators from all industries and countries are invited to participate in three challenge rounds, each with focused topics on emerging trends.

Round 1 - on networks - is closed, and the winners will be announced June 18.

Round 2 - on data - will be open May 31 - June 21. We’re looking for new ways of collecting, understanding, visualizing and helping the public use the large amounts of information generated each day. Winners will be announced in late September.

Details on Round 3 will available later this year.

Anyone, anywhere can apply for the challenge - whether for-profit start-ups or non-profit ventures. For more information on a variety of topics - from guidelines for for-profits, on intellectual property licensing, open source software and more - visit our FAQ.

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Knight News Challenge Update

Winners in Knight News Challenge: Networks

Expand the Unconsumption Project

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Expand the Unconsumption Project

1. What do you propose to do? [20 words]

Expand Unconsumption’s capacity to serve as a resource for sharing stories and ideas about creative reuse and mindful consumption.

2. Is anyone doing something like this now and how is your project different? [30 words]

Not that we’re aware of. The Unconsumption project is unique: it’s an all-volunteer enterprise advancing an idea; it’s not a commercial entity; it’s ad-free, by choice.

3. Describe the network with which you intend to build or work. [50 words]

We intend to build on our existing network on Tumblr — our primary online home since January 2009 — and our networks on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, PBWorks (where our wiki resides), Instagram, and Google+. Funding from the Knight Foundation would enable us to broaden and expand our efforts.

4. Why will it work? [100 words]

1.) We understand and are effective at community building, networking, and reaching a target audience: Over the past three years, we have cultivated not just a community, but one that actively engages with us and with each other. As evidenced by our continuing growth, we’re convinced that a growing community both seeks and values our content.

2.) We already enjoy visibility, with mentions on various sites (partial list here), including TIME Magazine “30 Must-See Tumblr Blogs” recognition.

3.) We’re good community players, promoting and crediting other Web sites.

4.) The potential for our project’s continuing growth and sustainability is high.

5. Who is working on it? [100 words]

Project team leaders include:

Rob Walker — founder and editor of the Unconsumption project; journalist and author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are.

Molly Block — editorial and community manager for the Unconsumption project; fundraising professional who has secured and managed grants (for annual fund, capital, and endowment campaigns) and handled communications for several arts and cultural organizations, including the Houston and Pacific Symphony Orchestras, and Hermann Park Conservancy, among other groups, and the University of Houston.

6. What part of the project have you already built? [100 words]

As mentioned above, we already have built a strong online presence and community on several existing platforms — platforms already integrated into people’s lives — to convey information and news. On Tumblr alone, this consists of 2,300+ published posts and 20,000+ followers. Add to that our presence, content, and reach via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and PBworks. We also have an existing (modest) presence on Instagram and Google+.

7. How would you sustain the project after the funding expires? [50 words]

During the Knight News Challenge award period, we would seek additional funding from other sources — primarily foundations — to help us continue to extend and build upon our work.