5 Tips on How to be Transparent With Donors
Making sure you know how to be transparent with donors is essential to building trust. While every organization is different, many nonprofits rely heavily — sometimes exclusively — on donor support. In 2021, overall
charitable giving
in the United States increased 8.5% compared to the previous year. While you may be used to considering factors such as
donor churn
and
donor retention
, there’s another area to consider: donors and trust.
As a nonprofit organization, you thrive when your donors trust that their gifts are being spent wisely and effectively. But how do you communicate the impact that donations have in order to meet that gap between donors and trust? The answer is simple — transparency.
Donors and Trust, by the Numbers
The Independent Sector’s
Trust in Civil Society
report explores factors that drive trust in American nonprofits and philanthropy. As part of their key findings, they share that there appears to be a two-way street between trust and civic action.
Donors and volunteers both indicate they have higher trust for nonprofit organizations, while also identifying trust as a necessary factor for them to support the organization.
From the survey:
- 63% agreed that “many factors, including how much I trust a nonprofit to do what is right, determine whether or not I support it financially, or through volunteering.”
- 83% agreed that “nonprofits must earn my trust before I support them.”
According to the report, there are four primary dimensions that comprise trust capital: ability, dependability, integrity and purpose. For nonprofits, statistical modeling indicates that the latter two dimensions, integrity and purpose, contribute the most to building or reducing trust.
Transparency demonstrates both of these facets, even when it means admitting failure. In the article, “
Why Failing Transparently Is a Good Thing
,” author Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs, explains that discussing failure, and the learnings from it, can be a pathway to earning trust.
Here are Elsey’s quick tips for being more transparent with your donors and supporters.
Publish your nonprofit financials.
Even if you have a small organization, place your audited financials on your website. This action alone can significantly help bridge the gap between donors and trust.
Consider getting a Guidestar Seal of Transparency.
With a
Seal of Transparency
from Guidestar, you may be able to increase your donations by 53%. Guidestar is an independent organization, and having their approval can showcase the dependability and credibility of your nonprofit.
Publish your outcomes and impact.
Donors want to know what your organization does and your metrics for success. Be clear and transparent. For all of your programs, give regular updates via a newsletter or email blast. Always publish an annual report of achievements from the past year.
Make sure to have whistleblower and conflict-of-interest policies.
Have policies in place to discourage illegal or corrupt activities and promote speaking up. Not only is this tenet vital to maintaining your organization’s integrity, but it also demonstrates to donors that you understand best practices in these arenas and take corruption seriously.
Experiment and create pilot programs or initiatives.
Finally, nonprofit leaders must develop their organizations. Thinking outside the box with vision and transparency shows you want to be a better nonprofit leader and expand your outcomes and impact.
Want to learn more? Donate is one of the nine elements in the
Points of Light Civic Circle
Ⓡ
, your system for changing systems. Our Civic Life Today issue on
Donate
explores the act of donating, thoughtfully encourages individuals to understand the power of their donations and shows people how to approach donating through a thoughtful lens in order to have the greatest impact.
4 Facts to Make the Case for Your Employee Engagement Program
When launching an employee
engagement program
, you may need to provide supporting reasons for your leadership to invest. Here are four facts to help you make your case for formalizing employee engagement.
Employee volunteers have strong social impact
We know that
volunteers
can be a valuable human capital resource for communities, especially as local governments are often left with a shrinking pool of resources. Employee volunteers may hold the key to bolstering nonprofits and boosting community impact.
- According to VolunteerMatch, nonprofits continue to operate with reduced resources when compared to pre-pandemic operations, even in light of the record number of philanthropic dollars given in 2020.
- 65% of nonprofits said they’re working with reduced resources compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 10% reported their operations were “temporarily halted” altogether.
- Almost 90% of nonprofits say the demand for their services is rising while nearly 60% say they can’t meet demand.
Add to this picture the fact that
more than 40% of Gen Z employees
see a sense of purpose at work as more important than a big paycheck, and you’re left with an unprecedented opportunity for companies to step up to lend their time and talent to drive positive impact in communities
Volunteers provide a skilled and talented volunteer pool to raise awareness of critical community needs and create quantifiable social impact. In fact,
the
average nonprofit
spends just 2% or less of its total budget on infrastructure, compared to the 20% average traditionally spent by companies.
Employee engagement and employee retention are linked
Employees can discover a host of benefits through their engagement, including the satisfaction that comes from sharing time and talent for a good cause and amplified awareness about the diverse needs of their community.
Gen Z
wants to work for
companies with purpose
.
Ninety-one percent of employees
say their company’s purpose makes them feel like they are in the right place through tumultuous times, like the pandemic and economic instability.
Turnover dropped by 57% in employee groups most deeply connected to their companies’ giving and volunteering efforts, according to
Benevity
. And employees who were more engaged in
donating
and
volunteering
showed markedly
lower turnover rates
. In fact, social impact projects can
reduce employee turnover
by roughly 50 percent.
Employee engagement supports employee wellbeing
According to
MIT Sloan Management Review
, nearly one-third of all employees mention opportunities for education in their reviews. Through a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, employees have access to growing their skills at work and becoming community ambassadors at the same time.
Pride and sense of purpose can come from a strong employee engagement program, enabling volunteers to feel good about their coworkers, their team and the company itself. It builds camaraderie and teamwork and allows for a change of pace by doing something different or applying talents and skills to a new situation. In fact,
studies show
that the more a person volunteers, the happier they become. In fact, people who begin with lower levels of happiness may get an even bigger boost from their engagement.
Varied perspectives give your CSR program a competitive edge
Creating a successful community engagement program takes hard work, an investment of time and resources, and a variety of perspectives. Many companies invest too little in their programs, making measured success difficult to attain. Companies that don’t invest enough will often get limited results, leading to potential cuts in program investment and poor participation. This deterioration continues until the program is so misaligned with the company’s goals that it simply no longer makes sense.
An increasing body of
research
shows that companies with diverse and inclusive cultures have a competitive edge. It’s not a reach to see how the same idea would generate better outcomes for employee engagement. Getting participation from multiple functional areas of the company and senior leaders is essential, each offering different motivations and perspectives. Managers have the difficult task of bringing these diverse parties together to develop a successful volunteer program that molds and adapts as the business continues to grow. A well-thought-out volunteer program can satisfy overlapping motives and unify all stakeholders.
A
s you build your case for initial or deeper investment in your social impact strategy, consider partnering with a knowledgeable and experienced strategic partner like
Points of Light
to help you create a strong employee engagement program.
Learn How to Spot Social Intrapreneurs Within Organizations
Social entrepreneurship is one of nine elements in Points of Light’s
Civic Circle
, a framework to help people understand how doing good can come in many forms. (If you haven’t read the Civic Life Today issue on
social entrepreneurship
, we highly recommend it!)
Social entrepreneurs get to the root causes of today’s issues and work to find innovative solutions. They identify a need that has not been met by traditional structures, research the existing landscape and then lead the charge to solve the issue in a new way.
While social entrepreneurs operate outside of organizations, did you know that they can exist within organizations too? Social “intrapreneurship” has a few definitions, but generally, it is the “Successful adaptation of entrepreneurial attitudes and strategies inside of a bureaucratic organization.”
Think about your own organization – do you know any intrapreneurs? They could be existing leaders at your organization or even highly-engaged volunteers that serve with you. Or maybe you are one yourself. There are many different qualities you might expect from an intrapreneur, but here are a few common ones.
Qualities of Social Intrapreneurs
Social intrapreneurs are passionate about the cause or issue they are supporting. Like any successful social entrepreneur, they take the time to understand the issue they are seeking to address. (By the way,
listening and learning
about issues before acting on them is another element of Points of Light’s Civic Circle!)
They’re also willing to take risks. They don’t see the status quo or any traditional approaches as limiting to their potential, and they’re comfortable with taking data and their broader lived experiences to try different ways of solving issues.
Social intrapreneurs are resilient and driven, helping them to be more adaptable to adversity. Beyond resiliency though, there is a hopeful optimism they possess. They truly believe change is possible and that they have the passion to make it happen!
Intrapreneurs are also able to understand and work within existing organizational structures, while also seeing opportunities to adapt them in order to foster change. Intrapreneurial talent can be a significant benefit to your organization in moving your mission forward and serving your community. Instead of forcing these individuals into a box, it’s a good idea to cultivate their creative solutions and encourage idea sharing.
Supporting Your Social Intrapreneurs
If you read through that list of qualities and have one person or a few people in mind, read on for a few ways your organization can help support and cultivate their intrapreneurship (ideas adapted from
The Innovators Handbook
.)
First, create a culture of learning. This may come as no surprise, but an organizational culture that is unwilling or unable to adapt and learn will likely not be able to support new, entrepreneurial ideas. A culture that values creativity and future thinking will better fit intrapreneurs seeking to create change.
Next, recognize biases. We all have them; no one is exempt. Fostering a culture or system that avoids biases isn’t possible unless you can recognize them in the first place. Three to be particularly aware of:
- Authority bias: Our tendency to attribute greater accuracy to anyone in a higher position. Also known as the HiPPO effect – or the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion.
- Bandwagon bias: Our predisposition to replicate and emulate what others are doing.
- Law of the instrument: Our habit of becoming unquestioningly enamored with a methodology, process or tool. Hence the well-known idiom, “if you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
Finally, try to see innovation as an opportunity, not a requirement. Great ideas can come from anywhere, but they shouldn’t just be more criteria on a job description. Ideas are opportunities and leaders should assume that there is already much untapped potential throughout their organizations. Organizational structures should invite everyone to the innovation table.
What other ways can your organization foster innovation and creativity to support social intrapreneurs? Do you have any particular intrapreneurs who have inspired you? Share with us on
Facebook
,
Instagram
,
LinkedIn
and
Twitter
!
3 Steps to Help Employees Find the Right Election Volunteer Opportunities
Election Day is drawing nearer and we’ve reached the fourth and final installment of our series on how to activate your employees to more fully participate in democracy and find the right election volunteer opportunities. Pr
eviously we’ve explored how you can support employees to
vote
, to
listen and learn
, and to
use their voice
.
There are countless opportunities for volunteerism on Election Day – which will take place Tuesday, November 8, 2022 – as well as early voting during the days and weeks leading up to it.
In this article, we’re covering some of the top ways you can
mobilize your workforce
to lend their time and talent in volunteering to promote voter turnout and advocate for the causes and candidates they believe in.
Recognize that Corporate Responsibility Plays a Role in Voter Turnout
Points of Light’s recent
research
shows that today’s workers expect businesses to lead by example. Sixty percent of people choose where they work based on their beliefs and values, and companies are starting to take notice of this trend.
According to the
Civic Alliance Corporate Civic Playbook
, 94.7% of respondent companies gave their salaried and hourly employees time off to vote. That time included anywhere from two hours to a full day off. When you indicate to your employees that fulfilling the civic responsibility of voting and promoting voter turnout is crucial to participating in democracy, you demonstrate that your organization cares about more than just your bottom line.
Provide Paid Time Off to Vote and Volunteer on Election Day
While providing time off to vote is no doubt a critical component of sustaining and fostering a healthy, thriving democracy, so is the support of volunteer-related activities around elections. Consider giving your employees the opportunity to engage in any one of the many election volunteer opportunities that exist during this season, from staffing the polls to providing transportation for voters who need it. You might even host a polling place at your company site, allowing your employees to volunteer their time and efforts throughout the day.
“Many Americans believe that U.S. democracy is at risk. Today, it is business and specifically ‘my employer’ that is seen as the most trusted institution and sector best poised to drive social impact. Companies have the ability and perhaps even the responsibility to signal trust in the democratic process through workplace policies and incentives that support all employees in voting and participating in our country’s electoral process.”
– Christine Schoppe, chief strategy & growth officer, Points of Light
Publicize Election Volunteer Opportunities
In addition to supporting your workforce in volunteerism on and leading up to Election Day, you can also provide them with tools and resources to find election volunteer opportunities. Send an all-staff email blast or mention volunteer opportunities in your next team meeting or newsletter.
Points of Light Engage
offers a global database with in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities in your area and beyond. Include a link to Engage in your internal communication materials to support employees in finding election volunteer opportunities that best suit their needs and capacity.
For more on the importance of volunteering in creating and sustaining democracy, check our
Civic Life Today: Volunteer
. This digital magazine explores the power of every single volunteer, finding the right volunteer opportunity, the diversity gap in volunteering and much more.
Don’t miss our first three posts in this four-part series that cover ways to activate around
voting
,
listening and learning
, and
voice
.
What is Civic Engagement?
At Points of Light, we believe we’re on the cusp of a new era, one we call the
Civic Century
– an age when people become the driving force that transforms our world. We believe when future generations look back on this time, they will see it as an era of sustained and meaningful civic engagement. But
what is civic engagement
?
Answering the Question: “What is Civic Engagement?”
Simply put, civic engagement is change led by the power of people. In this modern era, it isn’t as always as simple as individuals volunteering their time and effort to advocate for the changes they wish to see in the world. Today’s generations engage in a variety of ways – from how they spend their dollars with socially responsible companies to how they use their voices on social media. People are eager to understand, identify and engage in the full scope of civic life.
That’s why we created the
Points of Light Civic Circle
, a framework designed to help individuals and organizations lead, lend support and take action for causes they care about. The
nine elements of the Points of Light Civic Circle
demonstrate the many ways people can become more civically engaged, whether it be their career calling, making an informed donation to a cause or taking a small action taken in the workplace.
Here are some articles on civic engagement you can read through for more information. And be sure to check out our digital magazine,
Civic Life Today
, for deeper dives into each of these elements, including interviews, supporting resources and more.
Listening and Learning to Foster Equity in Volunteerism
Karmit Bulman
, Esq., executive director of the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA), talks us through
listening and learning
to build equity in volunteerism and providing services. We discuss MAVA’s recent initiatives and the important work they are doing as an organization to listen and learn.
Helping Communities Through Voter Engagement
Voting
is one of the key ways communities can advocate for themselves and an important part of participating in a democracy. But since 501(c)(3) charitable organizations are limited in what they can legally do during elections, we published some guidelines on how to help your community members
activate to vote and build accessibility and equity
among all voters.
How to Leverage People’s Purchase Power to Move Your Mission Forward
Have you considered the collective
purchase power
of your volunteers? The truth is that the way your volunteers spend their dollars and consume their goods can have a lasting impact on the communities you serve – as well as the world at large. In this article, we share
three ways you can help activate the purchasing power of your volunteers
in ways that serve the very causes your organization is addressing each day.
Use Your Voice During Elections: Tips for Employees and Organizations
Pr
eviously in this series centered around voting as a way to engage in your community, we covered how employers can support their employees to
vote
, as well as to
listen and learn
ab
out the candidates and issues during election season.
As Election Day approaches on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, we’re diving into ways that you can use your corporation’s voice during elections, as well as encourage employees to use their voices, throughout the election season.
According to Points of Light’s research on
the state of Civic Engagement in the United States
, 40% of respondents said they posted or shared content on a social media platform, making their voices heard. There’s no doubt that your employees will likely be posting their individual opinions on the issues and candidates this year.
But as companies are often limited in what they can publicly support, what are some other ways – outside of social media – that you can make your corporate voice heard, and encourage your workforce to make theirs heard, too?
Appoint Democracy Champions
One way to ensure that messaging is consistent across the organization is to appoint a “democracy champion” – or a task force of multiple team members, depending on the size of your organization – to spread the word about the upcoming election. Provide them with tools and goals and connect them to your Government Affairs team for training and counsel.
Not only will this model provide a leadership development opportunity, it will help you plan for local and state elections, and stay abreast of legislative proposals that might impact the communities in which your company operates. Make sure these champions understand this is a nonpartisan role meant to lift up the power of the vote, educate and inform fellow colleagues. Be consistent with messaging, and be clear on when these champions can make commitments on behalf of the company.
Voice Perspectives on Crucial Legislation
Encourage employees to engage individually in civic action by voicing perspectives on hot topics, especially legislation that could impact your workforce. Not only can you use your corporate voice to thoughtfully voice the company stance on these issues, but you can encourage your employees to contact their representatives to advocate for the causes they care about.
“Gen Z and millennial workers are looking for more than just a paycheck – they want to work for an employer that provides ways for them to use their voice and strengthen communities through the democratic process. ”
– Katy Elder, vice president, Business Innovation, Points of Light
Partner With Voter Advocacy Organizations
One of the most powerful ways for your employees to use their voices, especially if you’re being mindful of maintaining a nonpartisan stance at your company, is to advocate for election turnout. Partner with voter advocacy organizations like
Vote Forward
to write letters or make phone calls to registered voters. Vote Forward has seen over 245,000 volunteers write 27.4 million letters since 2018, educating people on how to show up to the polls on Election Day, how to vote by mail and where to check their voter registration status.
A great place to start learning about the power of voice is in our
Civic Life Today issue on Voice
. This digital magazine shares first-hand accounts from contributors who are using their own voices to change conversations, and provides tools and resources for you to learn more and take action.
Don’t miss our first two posts in this four-part series that cover ways to activate around
voting
and
listening and learning
. Our
fourth and final piece
covers how you can encourage employees to volunteer this election season, from helping with transportation in the community to staffing the polls.
How Nonprofits Can Leverage People’s Purchase Power
As a nonprofit, you already know the passion your volunteers have for your mission. They volunteer,
share your social media posts
,
donate
to your campaigns, and advocate for your shared cause. But purchase power can also be a dynamic tool, and we’ll show you how to help your community leverage it to drive change.
Purchase Power: A Key Piece of the Civic Engagement Puzzle
One of the most powerful, and often untapped, resources that a nonprofit has is the collective
purchase power
of its volunteers. Purchase power represents an individual’s ability to make decisions around spending or consumption of goods or services. Each of your
volunteers
has the ability to make decisions around how they consume or purchase goods and services.
These purchasing decisions may reflect their values or advance a social cause or issue. Buyers may deliberately purchase or avoid purchasing a product or service based on a company’s policies, social causes, size and scale, environmental footprint and more. In the same way your volunteers choose to share their talents with your organization, they may also choose where their purchase power goes.
When considering purchase power, it’s essential to recognize that, for many people, there is limited choice in where or how to shop. This circumstance can be for a variety of reasons, from lack of access to financial limitations, but there is still great value in being more informed and being able to share that knowledge with their own networks.
Even when choices are limited, there is decision-making power in these choices. And in those instances, when the only step we can take is to be more informed and share that information with others, this action is still meaningful and has value. Here are three ways you can help activate the purchasing power of your volunteers.
Curate a List of Businesses to Support
Maintain a list of businesses or brands that support causes that are aligned with your mission and share it on your website. A great example is
The Good Shopping Guide
, which generates and compares ethical rankings of the world’s leading brands across various issue areas.
Share Points of Light’s “Civic Life Today” Issue on Purchase Power
Points of Light partnered with The Starbucks Foundation to bring the
Civic Circle
to life through nine issues of “Civic Life Today”, a free digital magazine series, each issue highlighting an area of the Civic Circle and taking a deep dive into how people can activate this in their own life. Share the link to the
Purchase Power
issue with your staff, volunteers and network.
Encourage Volunteers to Shop Local
Highlight businesses in the community you serve to help increase awareness among your volunteers and their networks. Consider engaging local businesses to volunteer with your organization and cross-promote both of your organizations through social media.
Add These 9 Reads to Your Civic Engagement Book List
Calling all bookworms! Have you been following our series on ways you can activate around the
Points of Light Civic Circle
? If you’ve checked out our other articles with resources like
apps
,
documentaries
and podcasts you prefer the written word, we’ve got the civic engagement book list you’ve been waiting for.
These books take a deeper dive into the various elements of the Civic Circle, a framework designed to help individuals connect to opportunities and understand that doing good comes in many forms. Written by authoritative voices in their spaces of expertise, these reads are a must for any budding volunteer, donor, social entrepreneur or engaged citizen.
Looking for an easy-to-understand guide on donating responsibly? Advocate Dan Pollotta delivers in this book exploring topics from researching nonprofits to understanding overhead ratios to the actual impact you’re making with your donations. Written for people from all walks of life and of all ages, Dan will demystify donating so you can make better decisions about where and how to give.
American poet, essayist and playwright Claudia Rankine is perhaps best known for her award-winning collection of essays,
Citizen
, but
Just Us
is a powerful confrontation of racism. She demonstrates what racism looks like in the United States – from restaurants to theaters to airports – in this moving arrangement of essays, poems and images.
Using your wallet to make a statement? Influence your clients and customers to do the same? Become a conscious consumer and master marketer for good with this comprehensive guide to marketing based on shared values and a unique brand purpose. Even if you aren’t in marketing, this book can help you more fully understand how the companies you support with your dollar are marketing to you. A must read!
It’s not often we get to peek into the personal lives of military personnel, and even less common for us to hear detailed narratives from women in combat. Journalist Helen Thorpe follows the lives of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and the effect of their military service on their personal lives and families – over the course of twelve years. It’s a compelling illustration of just what it takes for military personnel to serve their countries.
If only social entrepreneurs had some kind of manual for exactly how to launch their enterprise… psst – they do! This playbook is the authoritative guide on the three phases of the start-up to scale-up process. Written by two Wharton professors, this tough-love approach will help social entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls and navigate the landscape of solving the world’s toughest issues in innovative ways.
Penned by journalist Erin Geiger Smith, this book looks at the past, present, and future of voting, including the ongoing fight for voting rights. It covers the voting process, actionable steps for voters to take to become more civically engaged, and an examination of why, in the 2016 presidential election, about 40 percent of Americans didn’t vote. Even the most well-versed voter will walk away having learned something new about democracy from this read.
Your voice matters, but using it to better the world is not always clear-cut. Get a leg up with insights about the ways you choose to live your life. Jonah Berger takes us deep into the concept of social influence and how others’ behavior shapes our own. Once we fully understand why we do the things we do, we can decide what we want to to resist and what we want to embrace.
Poverty remains one of the leading issues our world has yet to solve, and it can feel so big and overwhelming that you may not know where to start. Join Peter Singer on this journey of exploration into the current state of global poverty and how you can be part of the solution. You may be surprised at some of the ways you can start working to end poverty right now, in your very own community.
VeraWorks President Bea Boccalandro teaches readers how to transform “meaningless” jobs into purpose-driven ventures in her book about making work more fulfilling. Through real-life stories and plenty of tools, tips and techniques, she offers employees in any industry a way to draw civic engagement into the workforce.
Intrigued? Time to get reading!
Tag us on social media
to share your favorite book from the list, and let us know how it impacted you and your journey of advocating for the causes you care about.
This piece is part of a series that highlights the many ways you can activate the
Points of Light Civic Circle
using various tools.
Check out all the ways you can live your best civic life
.
Listen to These 9 Podcasts About Civic Engagement
There are many ways to live a full civic life. Today’s post is part of a series that has already covered
apps
and
documentaries
that can help you reach your civic engagement goals. As we continue exploring ways you can activate around the
Points of Light Civic Circle
, we’re looking at nine podcasts about civic engagement that highlight timely and relevant ways for you to champion social good.
Points of Light’s Civic Circle is a framework designed to demonstrate the various ways that individuals and organizations can lead, lend support and take action for causes they care about. After all, volunteering and donating are important facets of civic life, but doing good comes in many other forms, too. The following list of podcasts* about civic engagement will help you bring all nine elements to life.
*Note: These podcasts may contain mature language or content. Parents and caregivers, we recommend being mindful to listen first, before sharing them with children.
This podcast, brought to you by BBB Wise Giving Alliance Give.org, exists to educate and empower people who are interested in donating responsibly. By showcasing stories of philanthropic leaders, government figures and active donors who have a passion for giving, episodes discuss strategies and tools to help listeners make impactful gifts that stretch far and benefit many.
This episode of the podcast Hidden Brain tackles the idea of “listening and learning” head-on. When we believe we are experts in something, we imagine that we know more than we do. Psychologist Adam Grant discusses what actually happens in the brain when we choose to challenge our own deeply held beliefs.
Green Dreamer is a beautifully produced podcast for those pursuing more environmentally conscious lifestyles. It takes on the concept of capital as a means of expressing deep values
and building a more responsible economy. The podcast features themes of creative transformation as it discusses the deconstruction of harmful economic systems, healing from materialism, addressing global waste and how people can repair their relationship to consumerism.
Each week this podcast interviews a different person with a career in public service to gain insights on why they do what they do. You can hear from U.S. Senators, think tank employees and leaders of advocacy groups on their journeys to public service. If you’re interested in serving in any capacity – whether on your local school board or in national government – this podcast is for you.
This multi-award-winning podcast is sure to move you to action (and possibly tears) with incredible stories of courage and purpose. Finding Humanity takes listeners into the heart of the most complex social and political issues facing our world, featuring global leaders, human rights experts and more. Each season of the podcast zeroes in on a specific realm of advocacy, and the “B Lab Special Series” focuses on people in the business sector who are addressing today’s biggest challenges.
As a United States citizen, one of the most powerful ways to ensure your values are represented in government is to participate in democracy. This nonpartisan podcast examines a different aspect of democratic life each week — from voting to criminal justice to the free press. You might be surprised at what you learn about the origins and issues of these facets of democratic life, as well as what you can do to help build and sustain a healthy democracy.
This riveting podcast highlights impactful people working for social change, including educators, activists, social workers and more. Each guest shares a bit about their personal journey as well as real-life stories from the field. Discussions are honest and bold, with guests leaving listeners tangible tips for getting involved in addressing issues like racism in education, equity in mental health, immigrant rights and responsible crisis intervention.
The Pro Bono Perspectives podcast from nationally-recognized nonprofit Common Impact covers a wide variety of topics, including social impact, CSR, philanthropy, partnerships, climate justice, how companies can take action for racial equity, where pro bono can be a solution for some of society’s biggest challenges and much more. You’ll finish each episode feeling inspired by social impact thought leaders who are creative transformative change in their spheres of influence.
The Fairer Cents podcast is a cheeky, often comedic podcast taking on some serious issues, like the wage and wealth gap, the economics of motherhood and the roots of economic inequality. Whether you’re a woman in the
workplace
or simply curious about the role of your money and career on your personal relationships, this is a fantastic podcast to start exploring big themes.
Now you’re equipped with these nine podcasts about civic engagement you can listen to on your next walk around the neighborhood, daily commute or unwind time before bed. If you find one you really love, tag us on social media to let us know! Remember, educating yourself on the issues is just one piece of the puzzle, so be sure to find ways you can
take action
on the issues once you’ve been more informed through these podcasts. Check out all nine issues of our free digital magazine series
Civic Life Today
for inspiring stories of civic engagement and actionable steps you can take to live your best civic life.
This piece is part of a series that highlights the many ways you can activate the
Points of Light Civic Circle
using various tools.
Check out all the ways you can live your best civic life
.
Watch the Points of Light Civic Circle Come Alive in These 9 Documentaries
We’ve been exploring ways you can activate around the
Points of Light Civic Circle
, a framework designed to help individuals connect to opportunities and understand that doing good comes in many forms. The Civic Circle represents your unique power as an individual or organization to lead, lend support and take action for causes you care about.
Since a big part of being civically engaged is being informed, we’re offering nine interesting, must-see documentaries that will educate, inspire and stay with you as you continue on your own journey to make the world a better place.
*Note: As these documentaries are capturing real situations and circumstances from across the globe, viewers may find some scenes to be graphic or disturbing. Parents and caregivers, we recommend being mindful to screen these films first before showing them to children.
This incredible documentary has won more than 60 international film festival honors. It challenges each of us to consider whether what we’re contributing could actually be part of a big problem that has developed in the world of philanthropy. With over 200 interviews filmed in 20 countries, the film will empower you to donate your dollars, goods and time more consciously.
When this film was released on Netflix, it became one of the most-viewed documentaries the streaming network had seen. In a world where many people are receiving the bulk of their information via social media, which, unlike credible news media or peer-reviewed publications, isn’t vetted by experts. This film gives some great insight into how this phenomenon is shaping public opinion.
Fashion can be a fun and unique way to express oneself, but “fast fashion” has devastated many critical cause areas, including the environment and workers’ rights. This film documents the lives of real people around the world living in poverty and war-torn areas, who make clothes for the world’s fashion. It will have you thinking twice about doing your research on clothing brands you support and how to spend your dollar in a way that supports sustainable fashion.
This film, narrated by Annette Bening, has garnered accolades too numerous to count. It dives into the nearly six decades of the trials and transformations of this agency through stories from its incredible host country nationals, Peace Corps Volunteers and staff, as well as scholars and journalists.
This fascinating documentary will not only help you understand the concept of social entrepreneurship but also follows the journeys of three Millennial changemakers who are prioritizing meaning and purpose above financial considerations. You’ll finish this film feeling inspired by how entrepreneurial-minded people are using their skills to find creative ways to solve some of the world’s toughest issues.
Tune into this intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis, following his life, legacy and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism, from the bold teenager on the front lines of the Civil Rights movement to the legislative powerhouse he was throughout his career.
It will leave you feeling empowered in your right to vote in every eligible election and championing the right for all people to vote.
When it comes to the power of one voice to make an impact on an issue or cause area, perhaps few modern people come to mind as vividly as Greta Thunberg. This compelling documentary follows the teenage climate activist from Sweden on her international crusade to get people to listen to scientists about the world’s environmental problems.
Volunteers share their time and talent with organizations working to advance the causes they care about. Volunteering is one of the best ways you can directly support the solutions to any issues that you’re passionate about, but volunteering comes with responsibility too. This documentary illuminates the impact of international volunteering on local communities. If you’re interested in volunteering overseas, you’ll want to watch this first so that you can plan to do so consciously.
Who says that businesses and their employees can’t use their for-profit work as a way to change the world for the better? Real Value is an award-winning economics documentary that interviews top leaders in the world of agriculture, apparel, insurance and biofuel. This inspiring look at what happens when businesses value the planet and its people in the same way as its profit will leave you both informed and inspired to make change in your own workplace and want to support socially-minded businesses too.
With nine documentaries highlighting nine different ways to lead a civically engaged life, we know you’ll find one that speaks to your specific passions and interests. Once you’ve watched,
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This piece is part of a series that highlights the many ways you can activate the Points of Light Civic Circle using various tools. Check out all the ways you can live your best civic life.
