Be an idealist.

Can you envision a better neighborhood, nation or world? Are you working to make changes in your society? Do you believe that your efforts will have positive results? If so, you may be an idealist, and Idealist.org is the place for you. Their mission is to connect "people, organizations and resources to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives."

You can visit Idealist.org in English, en Espanol, or en Francais. Here are some of the ways you can use the site:

* Search their database of over 46,000 nonprofits to identify volunteer opportunities in your town and around the world. Don't forget to add your organization if it's not already listed. It's free.

* Search their database to find nonprofit job opportunites.

* Read about news and other issues relevant to the nonprofit world.

Some people may think that being an idealist means being naive or looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. But idealists are those who have a clear vision of the world they want and work to make it a reality. I'm count myself as an idealist. How about you?

"Man is born a predestined idealist, for he is born to act. To act is to affirm the worth of an end, and to persist in affirming the worth of an end is to make an ideal." - Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841–1935), US Supreme Court Justice