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.
Explore Civic Engagement Concepts in Your Classroom This School Year
With school starting across the U.S., educators have the chance to think big when it comes to civic engagement. You are at the forefront of shaping the next generations for a more equitable world, and while you may be somewhat limited in scope based on curriculum, there are ways of incorporating
civic engagement
and demonstrating concepts that help foster more compassionate,
inclusive
communities.
Work With Administrators to Address Curriculum Gaps or Resource Needs
As you teach certain principles such as equity, diversity or inclusion, and you identify areas that are lacking culturally relevant supporting materials, speak to your administrators. It might help to
engage in these dialogues
with a solution-oriented approach. Do some independent research to find the resources you need, then bring a proposal to your administrators.
There are nonprofits out there actively working to meet curriculum gaps and promote inclusivity in classrooms by creating resources for teachers. Take
Daily Point of Light
Honoree
Joe English
, for instance, who founded
Hope in a Box
. This nonprofit provides educators a curated set of books with LGBTQ characters for either middle or high school students, along with a detailed curriculum for the books, written by experienced English educators and adapted to Common Core State Standards.
Use the Impact of Storytelling to Instill Values in a Memorable Way
Educators know that teaching is not just about relaying information but using proven methods for students to comprehend and retain that information. One of the most potent ways educators can do this is through storytelling. Whether it be through personal stories that are age-appropriate and honor the boundaries of the student-teacher relationship or with illustrations of others who are impacted by the issues you’re teaching about, storytelling can resonate deeply and powerfully with young minds. Relate lessons to current events; have students examine political issues or real-time Supreme Court cases to explore their thoughts and feelings around them.
When Daily Point of Light Honoree
Srishti Gowda
found out that her eighth-grade English teacher was waiting for a kidney transplant, and discovered that approximately 120,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for life-saving transplants and 22 people die each day while waiting for one, she took matters into her own hands. She started by volunteering with existing organizations before
founding her own
to advocate for organ transplants.
Look for Opportunities in the Classroom to Demonstrate Concepts Taught
Just like storytelling can help students retain concepts, so too, can relating concepts to daily occurrences happening in the classroom. Try assigning a writing prompt that asks students to identify a need they see in the classroom or among their peers and propose a solution. Perhaps there’s an assignment for students to write anonymous notes of support or encouragement to each other. Whether it be recognizing when students share notebook paper, pencils or food with one another or demonstrating what compassionate and empathetic communication looks like in a conflict among students, you can teach lessons in a practical, relatable and hands-on way that can have a deep impact.
Daily Point of Light Honoree
Wendy Wu
is a piano teacher who shares her love for music with her students and runs the nonprofit she founded,
IMPACT Youth Club
, to foster growth, personality and empathy. During the pandemic, when most learning was happening virtually, Wendy allowed students to spot needs and help meet them. “Some kids felt isolated and frustrated during the pandemic, so one of our student volunteers created a virtual exercise class, and we also hosted online conversations for younger students,” Wendy shared.
As you prepare to teach concepts around inclusivity, empathy and civic engagement in your classroom, you can reference Points of Light’s
Civic Circle
, which provides nine methods for you to practice your power to lead, lend support and take action toward the issues you care about.
Watch videos
that cover each subject and read
Civic Life Today
, our free digital magazine on each element.
Changemaking in Action: Highlights From The 2022 Youth Summit
The 2022
Points of Light Conference
was filled with memorable moments, but one that stood out in particular was this year’s Youth Summit. In case you missed it, here’s a recap of what went down… Don’t forget to mark your calendar for June 14-16, 2023 so you can be in attendance at next year’s Conference.
The Youth Summit opened with a welcome from
Points of Light President and CEO Natalye Paquin
and
Points of Light Board Chair Neil Bush
. After sharing about his father’s founding of the
Daily Point of Light Award
program, Natalye and Neil awarded
Michelle Song of Greenville, North Carolina
,
with the day’s Daily Point of Light Award for her efforts in environmental conservation.
“With the right support, young people, you are changing the world,” Natalye said, before handing things off to President and Board Chair of KPMG Foundation Anita Whitehead. Anita introduced the various ways the KPMG Foundation has revitalized its mission and poured funding into equity and diversity efforts, committing millions of dollars to this focus.
Anita then interviewed the keynote speaker,
Orion Jean
, 2021 Time Kid of the Year and Ambassador for Kindness, who spoke about his personal journey and gave helpful advice to any young person looking to make a change.
“Sometimes, I have to admit, it’s not easy seeing a problem so large and figuring out how to go out there and make a big impact on that problem,” shared Orion. “But I think that with a little determination, perseverance, courage and compassion, you can really do anything.”
He encouraged young people who see problems they want to fix to be proactive, reaching out to adults who can help them secure the resources they need to contribute their talents and energy to that issue. He also encouraged adults with resources to support kids with a vision, as the power to change the world lies in this type of collaboration.
Following Orion’s chat with Anita, four members of the Points of Light Youth Council—
Esha Venkat
,
Chase Hartman
,
Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun
and
Adom Appiah
—and Generation Amazing Youth Advocate Sayed Alam—joined a moderated panel discussion. Each spoke about their individual civic journeys and shared touching moments from their experiences.
From fostering hope in communities through uplifting words and gestures… to reinforcing the message that we are never alone, but supported… to releasing one’s ego in volunteering and learning to be a team player… these five leaders passed on a wealth of knowledge and encouragement for all the civically engaged youth in attendance. “Embrace the vulnerability of not knowing what you’re doing,” shared Adom Appiah.
One theme highlighted again and again was the importance of listening and learning before acting. Several Points of Light Youth Council members spoke about how their nonprofits or initiatives had changed as the leaders themselves continued to learn and grow.
Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun talked about “allowing the experience to evolve” with her – changing what she was doing as she continued to learn more and more, and honoring the people sitting across the table from her, even if she disagreed with them.
Hearing from community members about what would help them most, instead of assuming that they already knew what was most supportive, was illuminating for these leaders. Many times, they made strategic decisions for their volunteer projects or even revamped the structure of their nonprofits based on the feedback they heard from those they were directly working with.
While this year’s Youth Summit featured a powerful group of young leaders, Points of Light is committed to uplifting youth voices every single year at the
Points of Light Conference
. So don’t miss next year’s conference in Chicago June 14-16, 2023—save the date now so you can join us in person.
The Power of the Youth Voice with 2021 Time Kid of the Year
The Points of Light Conference is a rich experience for civically-minded folks of all ages and with all levels of experience.
We value the voice of youth, which is why we host a special Youth Summit as part of our overall conference experience each year. This summit is an all-conference session that will feature inspirational stories from young civic leaders who demonstrate that age has no limit in addressing the issues facing our world.
KPMG Foundation President Anita Whitehead will open the session with a discussion with Orion Jean, 2021 Time Kid of the Year and Ambassador for Kindness, about his story and what guidance he has for other young people.
This young man is on a mission, sharing the gift of reading with hundreds of thousands of kids. At only 11 years old, Orion has already created waves in his community with his involvement and advocacy. He has used his $500 in prize money from a kindness contest to donate toys to a local children’s hospital. He has also hosted food drives and partnered with a relief group to collect 100,000 meals for Texas families. And now he’s focused on spreading the gift of literacy to local households that may not have access to books.
Following the keynote, four members of the Points of Light Youth Council – Esha Venkat, Chase Hartman, Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun and Adom Appiah – will participate in a moderated panel discussion around the theme that youth are a powerful force for change. They’ll discuss listening and learning, mindful engagement, finding your “why” and “how” and much more.
Esha Venkat is a 16-year-old global changemaker, ambitious servant leader and groundbreaking “girlpreneur” passionate about advancing social progress across the globe. She is the co-founder and COO of NEST4US and a junior at Broad Run High School. In 2020, Esha and her sister, Shreyaa, were recognized with The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award for their servant leadership.
Chase Hartman of Tampa, Florida is a 16-year-old community changemaker, youth leader and “kidpreneur” dedicated to finding solutions to some of the toughest challenges in our country. Chase co-founded a nonprofit called Eco Brothers and an award-winning book distribution project called “read.repeat.”
Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun is from El Paso, Texas, and is the founder of Pennies FUR Pets and Kans for Kids. She is a member of the Yale College Class of 2025 with prospective majors in economics and global affairs. She joined the Points of Light family at eight years old when she became a National Make A Difference Day Winner for Pennies FUR Pets, benefiting homeless pets in her border city.
Adom Appiah is an author and the founder of Ball4Good – a nonprofit that supports communities through sports, volunteering and grantmaking. The Ball4Good team has fostered partnerships with community-based organizations to address homelessness, childhood cancer, child abuse, autism awareness, cultural representation and public health.
Youth ages 13 to 18 from local organizations will be in attendance, but Youth Summit content isn’t just for young people. The session is appropriate for attendees representing nonprofits, national service, government, social entrepreneurs and businesses that work with youth or who consider youth a target audience.
Be sure to check our agenda for other workshops with sector experts that highlight youth-focused efforts for organizations. And join us for this year’s Youth Summit by registering for the 2022 Points of Light Conference, held July 13-15, 2022.
Can an Old Fashioned Day of Service Strengthen Post-pandemic Connections?
The collective global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways. The shift to remote work has revolutionized the workplace, with positive outcomes such as reduced commuting times and increased flexibility. On the flip side, it has resulted in isolation of workers from colleagues, a depleted sense of belonging and sometimes struggles with mental and physical health. These disruptions to workplace relationships, as well as volunteering, have kept us apart, separating us from our communities and each other.
Workplaces around the world are seeking strategies to build post-pandemic culture and reset toward a future vision. As a civic engagement leader, it got me to thinking, can an old-fashioned day, week or month of service hosted by businesses around the world spur a culture comeback and reconnect colleagues and communities?
The answer is
yes.
At Points of Light, we live by this principle every day, and it’s a clear affirmation of everything
Global Volunteer Month
stands for.
In a recent conversation, a Points of Light corporate partner reflected that, “Volunteering used to be a way to get people out of the office. But now, perhaps, it’s a way to get people back in.”
Focusing on greater purpose, both individually and for your company, can boost your mood, improve work performance and help rebuild a values-based culture. Bea Boccalandro’s,
Do Good at Work
and
purpose generator
are both fun and meaningful tools for exploring how you can build purpose. purpose.
There are countless ways to help your community — a host of issues just waiting for a willing pool of volunteers to help solve. Throughout the pandemic, communities have struggled
as rates of litter and illegal dumping
have increased and spread from cities to suburbs. Volumes of residential waste and recycling have placed increased demand on city workers and infrastructure. There’s no denying the increase in plastics and cardboard usage as ordering-in and home delivery have thwarted our reduce, reuse, recycle goals. School districts and parks need a helping hand to refresh and revitalize their public spaces.
Can your company build a day of service into its return to work plan? The classic example of a clean-up day provides much-needed extra hands to tackle a real need. It also engages colleagues, captures the health benefits of people being outside and introduces everyone to neighborhoods and communities for ongoing learning and action.
Perhaps there is a hybrid volunteer model that matches your company’s hybrid return to work.
Recent research from McKinsey
showed that all students are behind in reading and math, and students in majority-Black schools are now 12 months behind their peers in majority-white schools. Programs like
AT&T Believes
are responding to those challenges with new initiatives that engage employees as mentors and coaches and use aligned talent and capabilities to bring programs that close the gap both in-person and online. A great volunteering experience can address important community needs, inspire your employees and support your company’s comeback strategy, but how do you make it great? Points of Light recommends working at the intersection of good for community, good for employees and good for your brand:
- Focus on Company Values: What aligns with the authentic products, services and values of your brand? Who are your customers? What community needs align with these attributes? Company values demonstrated by volunteering in support of a community need offer the greatest opportunity to instill refreshed purpose and strengthen culture. These efforts can start in the virtual world as listening and learning efforts that prepare employees to be better leaders and citizens when in-person volunteering returns to your company. Many companies are expanding their employee engagement and volunteering programs to include training that serves a social purpose or benefit. Examples include providing opportunities for employees to learn sign language or take disaster training courses through the American Red Cross. Are the uncertainty, delay and hybrid variations challenging your planning? Some companies have had great success with projects like “virtual” cleanups, where employees coordinated and tracked cleanup efforts in their local areas.
- Listen to Your Employees: Employees are citizens first. Are they raising community needs? How can you support them as change agents to tackle the challenges they identify? Consider offering volunteer time off and matching grants for volunteer time. Can you help organize teams of colleagues for a day of service? Can you bring leadership together with employees hired in the last two years for a litter pick up or schoolyard refresh?
- Identify Your Strongest Assets: Can a day of service launch a place-based commitment for your organization? Perhaps a schoolyard update introduces your company to a school and community that might welcome mentors, advisors and coaches for students and faculty. Are there career learning experiences that your company could offer? Can leaders build relationships that expand the networks of nonprofit leaders to help them better connect to media, mentors and money?
Board training and matching programs present an impactful and scalable opportunity to engage employees. Not only can companies track and set targets for employee board service,
but
these programs can also support the organization’s DEI initiatives to increase minority board representation and expand support for racial equity-focused organizations. Check out organizations like
DiverseForce
to further diversify your boards:
No matter where you chose to start, now is the time to build service into your comeback plans.
Points of Light supports companies of all sizes that are interested in building and growing their civic engagement programs. You can access tools and resources to help you get started at
the
Points of Light
’s
Community for Employee Civic Engagement
and
contact us
for program design consulting and engagement solutions.
