Positive Change

One of my favorite annual events is Points of Light’s Service Unites. Not only is the conference an opportunity to connect with peers to celebrate best practices and commiserate lesson learned, but it is also a chance to share updates on emerging philanthropy trends and hear from global service leaders. This year’s event delivered on its promise of incredible speakers and insights on the state of volunteerism, and I am happy to share my reflections on three networking and learning-filled days in Atlanta.

Meet Susan Goodsell, a member of the Aflac Green Committee who uses her communication skills to help promote Aflac’s environmental sustainability initiatives through education, community activities and volunteerism.

For the 11th year in a row, Sears and Rebuilding Together have teamed to launch the Heroes at Home initiative, which benefits veterans and their families.

Service Unites 2018, powered by Points of Light, convened nearly 2,000 nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders from 38 countries to gain and share the knowledge, resources and connections needed to galvanize the power of people to create change globally. During the three-day Atlanta event, Points of Light recognized four inspiring changemakers by presenting them with Daily Point of Light Awards, a prestigious honor started by President George H.W. Bush during his presidency. Points of Light also announced the 2018 honorees of The Civic 50, a recognition of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

Last week, the Common Impact team gathered in our Brooklyn offices to connect as colleagues and plan for the work ahead of us. As a growing and geographically dispersed organization, it was the first time many of us had a chance to engage face-to-face in important conversations on the future of pro bono work, and it also provided an opportunity for the team to re-connect with our mission and each other.

In this episode of the Champions for Social Good podcast, Rachel Hutchisson, vice president of Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy at Blackbaud, speaks with Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, about how organizations can effectively leverage social media activism to advance a cause.

Susan explains the best uses for hashtag campaigns and why social media activism sometimes doesn’t work, and details the steps to creating successful and sustainable social campaigns. Susan also talks about why hashtag activism has been a powerful tool for empowering women and girls. Finally, Susan and Rachel discuss some successful hashtag campaigns led by nonprofits and companies and what made them work so well, and what organizations need to do to successfully engage Gen Z.

Deloitte employees spent a recent Friday out of the office, cleaning, organizing and applying fresh paint to the walls of classrooms and hallways at Covenant Preparatory School as part of their 19th annual Impact Day.

In an effort to spark a social movement against hatred in all forms, USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the winners of the 2018 IWitness Video Challenge.

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) held its fifth annual Sands for Singapore Charity Festival in 2017 with overall results again surpassing previous years’ efforts. A primary initiative for Sands Cares in Singapore, the week-long festival raised S$3.9 million (USD $2.8 million) for local community charities and welcomed more than 20,000 visitors to its various events. Since 2013, Sands for Singapore has raised more than S$20 million (USD $14.7 million).

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA Educational Foundation and Discovery Education awarded Porter Christensen of Pine View High School in Utah (Washington County School District), the grand prize for the annual Operation Prevention Video Challenge. Christensen’s public service announcement entitled “Waiting to Die” elicits the visceral experience of opioid misuse while taking viewers inside the mind of one teen’s decision making.