Tag: give back Page 1 of 2

How to Put Your Community First as a Leader

On October 11, 2023

Leadership is not about power; it’s about empowering others. Influential leaders understand the importance of community and know that putting the community’s needs first can lead to collective growth and prosperity. But how can you, as a leader, truly put your community first? Let’s explore key strategies to help you positively impact and foster a stronger, more connected community.

Active Listening:

Being an attentive listener is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Take the time to engage with community members, listen to their concerns, and understand their perspectives. You gain valuable insights that can guide your decisions and actions by actively listening.

Collaborative Decision-Making:

Involve the community in the decision-making process. Encourage participation in town hall meetings, workshops, and brainstorming sessions. When people feel their opinions matter, they are more likely to contribute to the community’s betterment actively.

Education and Skill Development:

Promote education and skill development programs within the community. Knowledge empowers individuals and equips them to contribute meaningfully. Work towards creating accessible educational opportunities, workshops, and training sessions that enhance the skills of community members.

Resource Allocation:

Effectively allocate resources to address the most pressing needs of the community. This could involve investing in infrastructure, healthcare, education, or social welfare programs. Prioritize initiatives that have a lasting impact on the community’s well-being.

Fostering Inclusivity:

A strong community embraces diversity and inclusivity. Ensure that your leadership promotes an environment where everyone feels valued and respected regardless of background, ethnicity, gender, or beliefs. Celebrate the richness of diversity within your community.

Transparency and Accountability:

Maintain transparency in your leadership. Keep the community informed about decisions, budgets, and ongoing projects. Accountability for your actions fosters trust, a vital component of a thriving community.

Community Engagement:

Encourage community engagement by organizing events, cultural festivals, and social gatherings. These activities promote a sense of belonging and unity among community members. A connected community is a resilient community.

Support Local Businesses:

Promote and support local businesses within your community. By doing so, you contribute to the community’s economic growth, create jobs, and foster a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Environmental Stewardship:

Be mindful of the environment. Implement eco-friendly practices and support initiatives that promote sustainability. A clean and healthy environment directly impacts the well-being of the community.

Continuous Improvement:

Finally, leaders should be open to feedback and continuously strive for improvement. Learn from both successes and failures. Adapt your strategies based on the community’s evolving needs to ensure sustained growth and development.

Putting your community first as a leader requires empathy, active engagement, and a genuine commitment to the well-being of others. By embracing these principles, you can play a pivotal role in creating a vibrant, harmonious, and prosperous community for everyone. Remember, true leadership is not about being in charge; it’s about caring for those in your charge.

How to Find Growth Opportunities in Your Community

By Jerry Swon

On September 13, 2023

In Community, Jerry Swon

Community growth is essential for organizations looking to expand their reach, engage with a broader audience, and foster a thriving environment. To achieve sustainable growth, you must identify and capitalize on growth opportunities within your community.

Define Clear Objectives:

Before seeking growth opportunities, it’s crucial to define clear objectives for your community. Determine what you aim to achieve, whether it’s increasing membership, boosting engagement, or expanding your community’s impact. Having well-defined goals will guide your growth efforts.

Conduct Audience Research:

Understanding your community members is fundamental. Conduct surveys, gather feedback, and analyze member data to gain insights into their preferences, needs, and pain points. This research will help you tailor growth strategies to your target audience.

Leverage Data Analytics:

Utilize data analytics tools to track the performance of your community. Monitor key metrics like member retention, engagement rates, and conversion rates. Analyzing data can reveal trends and patterns that highlight growth opportunities.

Content Optimization:

Your community content plays a significant role in attracting and retaining members. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your content strategy. Identify what type of content resonates most with your audience and optimize your content accordingly.

Engagement Enhancement:

Improving member engagement is a powerful growth strategy. Encourage discussions, organize events, and facilitate interactions within your community. Engagement not only retains existing members but also attracts new ones through word-of-mouth.

Community Outreach:

Actively promote your community through various channels, including social media, email marketing, and partnerships. Showcase your community’s unique value to attract like-minded individuals who can benefit from it.

Member Onboarding and Support:

Enhance the onboarding experience for new members. Provide them with resources, guidance, and a warm welcome. Ensuring members feel valued and supported from the start can increase retention and referrals.

Networking Opportunities:

Foster networking opportunities within your community. Encourage members to connect, collaborate, and share their expertise. Networking can lead to organic growth as members invite others who share their interests.

Innovative Features and Tools:

Stay updated with the latest community management tools and technologies. Implement innovative features that enhance the member experience and provide unique value.

Community Feedback Loop:

Create a feedback loop where members can share their ideas and suggestions for improving the community. Act on this feedback to continuously enhance the community’s offerings.

Identifying growth opportunities in your community requires a strategic and data-driven approach. You can uncover valuable growth prospects by defining clear objectives, conducting audience research, leveraging data analytics, optimizing content, and enhancing member engagement. Additionally, active community outreach, effective onboarding, networking opportunities, innovative features, and a feedback loop will contribute to sustainable community growth. Keep evolving your strategies as you monitor results and adapt to changing member needs and preferences.

Easy Ways to Help Schools in Your Community

By Jerry Swon

On August 18, 2022

In Blog, Community, Volunteer

Schools are a critical part of supporting your local community. Unfortunately, many lack funding or are understaffed, which is where you come in! During the school year, we can all play a role in helping schools by donating supplies, volunteering, or buying a new backpack for a student. There are many easy ways to support schools in our community.

Volunteer Your Time

You can volunteer your time in various ways, such as volunteering in the office, taking field trips, or working on clerical tasks. Volunteers are beneficial in making sure that the school year is a success. Contact the school directly to find out more about volunteer opportunities at your school.

Donate School Supplies

When shopping for school supplies, ask your school or teacher if there are any items you can purchase that can be used for other students. Many students come to school with no supplies, and teachers spend a lot of money on their own supplies. By donating supplies, you can help ensure that all of your child’s classrooms have the necessary equipment to succeed.

Attend Board Meetings

Although school board meetings are not everyone’s favorite way to spend time, they can be very informative. They can provide valuable insight into the decisions that affect your child’s school. In addition to learning about the various choices that affect your child’s education, you can also participate in the discussion about the needs in your community.

Join a Committee

Usually, school districts and individual schools are looking for people to serve on various committees that are focused on specific goals. These include topics such as health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and school safety. Usually, these committees look for people with a passion for the subject and a background in working with children. These committees can give you a voice in how your local school supports these needs.

Ask About Specific Needs

One of the easiest ways to help schools in your community is by asking what you can do to help them. This can be as simple as volunteering at a kindergarten or middle school. By asking what you can do, you show the school that you care about their students and want to make a difference. Throughout the school year, there will be a variety of needs that need to be met.

How to Follow Through With Your Philanthropic Resolution

By Jerry Swon

On December 21, 2021

In Blog, Community, Volunteer

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, many people make resolutions to better themselves in the coming year. Whether it’s committing to a fitness routine or vowing to save more money, there are plenty of goals that people set for themselves during the first month of the year. But what about those who pledged to become more philanthropic? How can they follow through on their resolution and make a real difference in their community?

Here are a few tips for making your philanthropic resolutions a reality:

1. Define what “philanthropy” means to you.

The word “philanthropy” comes from the Greek words “Philos” (meaning “love”) and “Anthropos” (meaning “human”). So, philanthropy can be defined as the love of humans. But what does that mean for you?

Do you want to volunteer your time at a local homeless shelter? Or maybe donate to your favorite charity? It’s essential to define what philanthropy means to you to create specific goals and objectives for yourself.

2. Make a plan.

Once you know what you want to achieve, it’s time to make a plan of action. Figure out how much time you can commit to volunteering or how much money you want to donate each month. This will help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

3. Find a community of like-minded people.

It can be helpful to find a community of people who share the same philanthropic values. This can provide support and motivation as you work to make a difference in your community.

4. Be patient.

Don’t expect to change the world overnight. Remember that it takes time and effort to make a real difference in the lives of others. Have patience and be persistent in your efforts.

5. Celebrate your successes!

It’s important to celebrate your successes along the way. Not only does this help keep you motivated and cheerful, but it will also inspire others who want to make a difference as well.

6. Give back.

The best way to follow through on your philanthropic resolutions is to give back. Volunteer your time, money or skills to a cause that’s important to you. This is the best way to make a real impact in your community.

Resolving to become more philanthropic can be a rewarding experience. By following these tips, you can ensure that your resolution becomes a reality. And who knows? You might find that helping others is the best way to help yourself.

Jerry Swon Mendham New Jersey Giving Back Summer

Ways to Give Back to the Community This Summer

By Jerry Swon

On June 23, 2021

In Blog, Community

It has been a very long year for most people. The lasting impacts of the pandemic are ongoing and still significantly impact communities around the country. It was a challenging year for many people, and support is still needed to help get them and their communities back to their normal, pre-pandemic state. Some people were able to truly survive the pandemic and find a way to get back to their normal state. And many of these people are looking to find ways to give back.

There are a myriad of ways a person can try and give back to their community this summer. These also come in many forms, allowing anybody who has resources or time available to help give back to their community. By people giving back, communities will be able to return to normalcy faster and help keep communities thriving.

The first way someone can give back is to donate personal protective equipment. With the coronavirus still very much a factor in society, donating resources to help fight and prevent the spread of this illness is one easy way anybody can help. Masks are still a hot commodity and can be used in many scenarios and places, making them a much-needed item that could be donated. Hand sanitizer and hand soap are also highly sought after right now, as they help individuals stay clean and sanitary. Hand sanitizer is portable and easy to use, so having some on hand could be very important as communities begin to reopen and return to normal.

Sanitizing wipes are also needed and could be donated, as they are the easiest and quickest way to clean off and sanitize work and eating stations, helping stop the spread of the virus.

Another simple way for people to give back to their community is simple- get vaccinated. Certain events, places, and communities have vaccination goals they need to reach before they can fully reopen, and getting the vaccine is a simple way to help meet these numbers. This will also help states get closer to herd immunity and significantly reduce the spread of the virus. This is also a free option for people, and many establishments are offering rewards to those who chose to get vaccinated.

How to Host Virtual Fundraising Events

By Jerry Swon

On April 1, 2021

In Blog, Community, Uncategorized, Volunteer

During the past year, many organizations have had to cancel and postpone their fundraising events due to the pandemic. Although some places are beginning to open up again, it’s still wise to be cautious of your surroundings. Many nonprofit organizations have found ways to fundraise virtually, but not all have been successful. Let’s take a look at ways you can host a successful fundraising event virtually, even after the pandemic is over in years to come.

Online Gala Dinner

If your organization normally hosts a gala dinner every year with the same crowd in attendance, consider inviting the guest list from the year before to a video call. Surprise everyone with an invitation alongside a party box filled with snacks and party favors. Since gala dinners normally involve a ton of food, you can even partner up with a local restaurant to donate food and have it delivered to your guest’s home. During the virtual dinner, you can have speakers and do small ticket prizes for anyone who attends.

Virtual Races

Whether it may be a walk-a-thon, marathon, or ride-a-thon, virtual races are perfect for those who want to get a workout in a while supporting a cause. Just like regular in-person races, people who participate in these fundraising events can join on their own. This is a great way to encourage people to social distance and raise awareness for your organization’s cause. You can ask participants to send in videos and pictures of them during the virtual race so you can post them on social media. Typically people can donate money before the race to determine how many hours or miles participants should walk, run or ride.

Webinar

Plenty of organizations have hosted webinars before the pandemic, but if yours hasn’t done so, then right now is the time. Webinars are the perfect way to keep your audience educated and up to date with your organization. Aside from the informative side, webinars are a great place to hold fundraisers with experts and community leaders. You can charge a small fee for the webinar and share how the funds will fulfill your organization’s mission. The most successful webinars offer donation tiers and not just a set amount. It’s important to note that some people have more to give than others, but any amount is highly appreciated.

Organizations Helping Military Veterans

By Jerry Swon

On February 8, 2021

In Blog, Community, Volunteer

Choosing a charity can be challenging. There are numerous organizations and nonprofits, all with different causes. So how do you choose a charity to donate your time or money to? The first step is choosing what type of cause you’d like to become involved in. Many people would like to find ways to support the troops. Whether you’ve served yourself or have a veteran in your family, helping military veterans is a wonderful cause to align yourself with. If you’d like to make a difference in a service member’s or a veteran’s life then the next step is finding nonprofit.

The best charity organizations are those that focus on serving people in need. To do so, a nonprofit should be transparent with its finances and practices. If you’re looking for organizations to help military veterans there are a broad range of programs. Some groups focus on providing assistance such as utilities, rent, or medical expenses while others focus on boosting troops’ morale.

Here are a few highly-rated American organizations that are helping military veterans.

Freedom Service Dogs of America

This organization is special. The program adopts shelter dogs and then trains them to become service dogs. The majority of the dogs are then rehomed to military veterans and personnel who are injured or need assistance. The Freedom Service Dogs of America provides lifetime support to all of the veterans and their dogs and is 100 percent donor-funded. There is no charge for veteran clients.

The Gary Sinise Foundation

Actor, Gary Sinise has advocated for American military members for years. His foundation supports not only active duty service members and veterans but also first responders. The program’s mission to show gratitude towards those who serve this country through a number of programs. They host celebrations to boost morale, build homes for wounded veterans, and provide meals to families.

Operation Second Chance

This organization assists servicemen and women as they transition back into civilian life or back into active duty. Operation Second Chance has programs that pay and help to accommodate disabled veterans whether through remodeling housing or helping family members manage affairs. The charity does wonderful work in supporting soldiers in their rehabilitation and recovery.

There are many other ways to become involved with charities that don’t involve monetary donations. You can volunteer at a veterans hospital, provide calling cards, bake homemade treats, or write letters in support of our troops. Consider taking the time and finding a way to show appreciation for those who serve the country.

How a Philanthropy Program Can Help Business

By Jerry Swon

On November 20, 2020

In Blog, Community, Volunteer

Philanthropy programs in business involve financial contributions to society, donations to a specific cause, or employees volunteering their time to help or drive a cause. Many companies have embraced corporate social responsibility and are continuously dialing up their procedures to prioritize the activities. This factor is businesses have seen corporate philanthropy’s benefits for them, their employees, and the community. Here is how philanthropy is beneficial to a business.

Promote Company Image

Most people tend to align positively with companies that give back to the community that gives them business. They, therefore, develop a good impression of the company and will trust its services. In most instances, the result is more business from the community they support as they have built a bond of trust.

Happy Employees

Companies that involve their employees in philanthropy enjoy the benefits of a team with high morale. Enthusiastic employees are more productive and willing to be team players. Besides, the importance of corporate philanthropy is that it brings meaning to their staff showing them the organization cares about their personal needs and the community.

Excellent Recruitment

People always want to work for companies with a good reputation, and corporate philanthropy is a perfect mirror of this attribute. Philanthropic companies have an excellent resource of well-abled applicants in the communities they give assist. Individuals with a knack for giving back to society will be attracted to such businesses, bringing with them diverse talents.

Increase sales

People tend to spend more on brands that give back to society and support good causes than brands that do not have any social responsibility. Therefore, with a philanthropy program, businesses enjoy benefits such as high sales and profit margins and are likely to get more customers who support the same cause.

Brand Marketing

Since Corporate Social Responsibility has become significant in businesses, philanthropy is an excellent way to promote their brands in wider regions. Getting down to the community level and reaching out to customers to find out what matters to them and what changes they would like can market a business brand cost-efficiently. Philanthropy programs are ways for a business to present a unique identity that resonates with their clients and potential customers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an excellent philanthropy program is beneficial to the business, employees, and the community. It is a win-win for everyone if the intent is good and the ultimate goals are transparent. For a business, this is an investment that pays off in the long run.

The Future of Philanthropy

By Jerry Swon

On September 10, 2020

In Blog, Community, Volunteer

To say that COVID-19 has had an affect on everyone would be an understatement. There isn’t a single industry that hasn’t been impacted by the virus. While there has been a significant rise in philanthropy over the past several decades the pandemic has created a major need for more giving.

As the nation experienced major shutdowns millions of American people were left out of work and without pay. Although so many were left struggling there was an immense number of those willing to offer a helping hand. People donated what they could to food banks and handed out meals, masks, and hand sanitizers. Furthermore, corporations stepped up and gave large amounts of money to foundations and nonprofits.

Thus, COVID relief donations had reached $7.8 billion dollars by the middle of April. 60% of those donated dollars were reported to be from corporations, businesses, and religious organizations in the United States. Now, well into October the unemployment rate is continuing to jump, however, thankfully, so has the number of people who are donating their time and money to help others.

It is clear that the pandemic has caused a shift in philanthropy. Many of the country’s wealthiest people have altered their priorities and found ways to give back in the present, instead of donating money towards things that may not come to fruition for years to come.

There is a link to global health and economic prosperity which has only been highlighted during the global pandemic. Many leaders in philanthropy have moved to more transparent positions, inspiring others to do the same. Philanthropists such as MacKenzie Scott and Jack Dorsey made major contributions and commitments, publicly, setting a new standard among their wealthy peers.

Even Forbes has changed and redefined the way that it measures philanthropy. Whereas the amount of money a foundation had used to be used to measure the organization’s charitable acts, now Forbes is focused on judging the actual amount of giving that takes place. Other companies will surely follow suit, helping to make philanthropic acts happen faster and have a further impact.

People around the world have realized that everyone can make a difference and come to fully understand the importance of giving. There are a plethora of ways to contribute to one’s community and even people who are struggling themselves have stepped up to participate in philanthropy. Although the pandemic is still creating new challenges every day, it has altered the future of philanthropy in beautiful and important ways.

The Best Foods You Can Donate to a Food Bank

By Jerry Swon

On February 6, 2020

In Blog, Community, Volunteer

Throughout the United States, one in seven people struggle with not getting enough food. Many people rely on food banks to get the food they need to feed their families. Anyone can donate to a local food bank, but what donations help the most? Below you will find the best foods to donate to food banks.

Protein Sources That Are Shelf-Table

Protein is an important part of anyone’s diet. Protein helps build and repair tissue, as well as become an important building block for bones, muscles, and skin. Try finding canned protein items like fish or chicken. You will also want to donate vegetarian protein sources such as beans and peanut butter. For someone who can’t eat meat, these substitutions can create a filling meal.

Food Bank Donation Suggestions:

Canned fish like tuna or salmon
Canned chicken
Canned beans
Canned soups
Nuts
Trail Mix

Pantry Staples

Look for shelf-stable foods that can be flavored a variety if ways and incorporated into multiple recipes. For example, canned cream of chicken soup can be used in all sorts of recipes like casseroles, chicken pot pie, chili, etc.

Food Bank Donation Suggestions:

Rice
Pasta
Tomato sauce
Canned vegetables
Cooking oils
Flour

What You Should Avoid Donating

While any donations are helpful, there are a few things that you will want to avoid donating. Probably the most obvious thing you should avoid donating is perishable food. The majority of your food should have a longer shelf life, and not go bad after only a few days. Besides nonperishable foods, you should also avoid donating junk food and any canned food that is damaged, unlabeled, or home made.

Junk Food and Soda

Food that is both shelf-stable and nutritious, is something that people struggle with getting the most. You might think your donation of treats, candy, or chips is adding some variety to the food bank, but in reality, food banks receive a lot more junk food than what they actually need. While everyone likes junk food and snacks, this kind of food is difficult to cook healthy and filling meals with.

Canned Food That is Damaged, Unlabeled, or Homemade

Canned food that is dented or has a rusty can, can be dangerous to consume. Dented cans can cause leaks which will compromise canned food which in turn can cause food poisoning. You will also want to leave any unlabeled or homemade items at home.

If you have any questions of what you can’t donate, feel free to call your local food bank.