A Recipe for Effective Hashtag Activism: A Conversation with Susan McPherson, Founder & CEO of McPherson Strategies

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.

USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education Announce 2018 IWitness Video Challenge Winners

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.

Multipliers of Prosperity: Social Platforms, Social Change

Every month, Donna Bowen of Mattapan, Massachusetts, communicates with around 45 complete strangers. Some are looking for advice on saving or credit-building, while others want to compare notes on issues like housing or education. They come from all places: not just nearby Boston, but Detroit, Albuquerque and Oakland. Each has a personal goal in mind—like purchasing a home, getting out of debt or starting their own business—and whatever the case, wherever they are, Bowen is there to lend an open ear and a voice of experience. She’s a user of a platform called UpTogether, an online network connecting members of low- and moderate-income communities across the country.

You Didn’t Learn This in Business School

Few of today’s CEOs earned their job because they were socially responsible and spoke out on hot topics. Yet key stakeholders increasingly want to know where companies and CEOs stand on critical social issues. It might be argued that speaking out is becoming a 21st-century requirement for the leaders of major companies. Data confirms a shift in expectations from the public: research from Weber Shandwick indicates that 47% of Millennials believe CEOs have a responsibility to speak up about issues that are important to society [emphasis added].

Three Ways IBM Is Using Technology to Serve the Public Good

Technologies like AI, blockchain, and cloud are enabling us to make significant progress on many thorny social challenges. But without thoughtful stewardship about how these powerful new technologies are designed, developed and brought into the world, they can also be disruptive in a negative way. Companies that are leading the way in developing new technologies must also lead the way in ensuring they are secure, trustworthy, fair, and benefit all people.

New Ways Forward in Pro Bono at the U.S. Pro Bono Summit

The Taproot Foundation’s U.S. Pro Bono Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from across sectors and industries with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to social change organizations. As part of this year's Summit, Taproot gathered CSR, nonprofit, and government leaders at New Ways Forward to identify and co-design new pro bono solutions for pressing challenges like food access, developing leaders, and driving technology adoption and use in the social sector.

KeyBank Receives Ninth Consecutive "Outstanding" Rating from OCC On Community Reinvestment Act Exam

KeyBank has earned its ninth consecutive "Outstanding" rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), for exceeding the terms of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) exam. KeyBank is one of the only U.S. national banks among the 25 largest to be rated “Outstanding” by the OCC for nine consecutive review periods, since the Act's passage in 1977.

The Venetian Hosts Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness

On April 10, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Las Vegas District Office hosted an “Opioid Youth Summit” for all high schools in Clark County at The Venetian. One thousand high school sophomores, who were selected as student leaders from each school, filed in to hear several speakers discuss opioid safety.

Iconic Houses: Celebrating Modern Architectural Marvels

As the World’s largest travel network, American Express has a deep understanding of the influence buildings and landmarks can have on society. And, as regular readers of my blog know, we have a long history of helping communities thrive through the power of preservation.

The PepsiCo Foundation Announces Grant to the Robin Hood Foundation

The PepsiCo Foundation today announced a $4 million grant to the Robin Hood Foundation – New York City's largest poverty-fighting organization – to support high-quality education and workforce training programs for young women and girls in the Bronx.

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