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Causes I like in March 2026

Today I thought about that adage, “Think globally, act locally”. Sometimes I get a chance to act a little global too- in narrow volunteer technical work, as an Invited Expert at the W3C.

Right now there are three organizations which give me a lot of life:

  • Global: The World Wide Web Consortium
  • State-wide: Whole Washington
  • Local: Community First Whatcom

W3C - The World Wide Web consortium

Ive been engaged at the W3C for a few years as a volunteer. Recently I wrote this and got a great response:

Just wanted to say that the W3C is pretty good, thought about it today a lot. Everyone seems to be interested in something bigger than themselves, and even if they think a lot about themselves they are actually applying themselves to something bigger as a product. Ive volunteered a lot of time for various causes for like a decade now and this place has a really solid enduring vibe. Its somehow the most dignified time spent Ive spent. In New Zealand we might say “Tautoko”  or in the pacific northwest of the us we might just say “solid” to say respect or encouragement. - Morgan

To which an esteemed staff member wrote:

I’ve worked at the Consortium 27 years now (gasp!) and I concur on notions like “bigger than” and “solid enduring vibe”

Engaging at the W3C is my attempt at engaging with the whole world for the better.

Whole Washington

Ive been engaged as a volunteer for a while now and wow… what a good operational skill!

Its like there is a bunch of principled leaders who are healthcare experts followed by multiple teams, including a tech team with distributed skill and responsibility.

They care about accessibility and are trending on improving all the time.

The headings structure of the website has improved and the team has engaged with accessibility feedback to ensure that some of the calendar options are accessible as possible in the circumstances for people with assistive software and screen readers.

Engaging at Whole Washington is my attempt at engaging with the entire state I live in for the better.

Community First Whatcom

I support better public transit. Community First Whatcom has the institutional knowledge and skill to bring forward the issue in actionable terms:

Sign on: Support Fare-Free Transit & GO Line Investment in Bellingham

When more people use public transit, communities are healthier, more affordable, and more environmentally sustainable. Today, Bellingham stands at a crossroads. Fare hikes are imminent — doubling for fixed line routes and tripling for paratransit. At the same time, the City and WTA are planning enhanced GO Line Service. Both policy developments have significant implications for the goal of building ridership.

Community First Whatcom is an anchor to my community in Whatcom County, and I support them.