Common Impact Connections Newsletter: Holiday Edition

Happy Holidays! As we close out 2018, the Common Impact team is reflecting on the significant impact we've made with our partners this past year. We are excited to see skills-based volunteerism continue to play an important role in building stronger communities and developing purpose-driven professionals across all sectors. While we are proud of what we have accomplished so far, we know there is more work to be done in 2019 and beyond to continue to drive meaningful community partnerships. 

Interested in learning more about what is going on behind the scenes at Common Impact?

• Check out a preview of two key areas we are focusing on in 2019:
  • Skills-Based Volunteerism to Build Disaster Resiliency
    • We are shaping a more effective and efficient role for disaster response by enabling volunteers to use their skills to build community resiliency and alleviate the long-term impacts of community disasters. 
  • Developing Tools to Advance Pro Bono Service
    • We are working with a collaborative team of industry experts to reimagine The Readiness Roadmap platform, a tool that guides nonprofits through the process of preparing for, engaging in and evaluating pro bono.
       
• Looking for social impact inspiration over the holidays? Tune in to new Pro Bono Perspectives podcast episodes:
  • Hear from Tim Smith of The Boston Foundation and Pledge 1% Boston about emerging trends in philanthropy, Evan Goldberg of NetSuite about the importance of integrating social impact into a company's DNA, Robert Lee of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine about how he is working to prevent quality food waste and put an end to hunger in the U.S., and Kathleen LaValle of Dallas CASA about how skills-based volunteering has enabled her organization to more effectively fulfill their mission. 
  • Please take a moment to share your feedback with us to help us provide content that is most relevant to you in 2019!
     
• See our social sector spotlights:
  • Creating a business plan for program expansion
    • We paired CityLink with volunteers from Fidelity Investments to assess and recommend new partnerships that focus on skills training. Check out their video to hear about the impact. Spoiler alert - serious inspiration!
  • Supporting Veterans through Skilled Service
    • We paired PeopleFund with a team of JPMorgan Chase volunteers to lead market research that would uncover high-impact Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) throughout the U.S. that are focused on veterans. The project will support PeopleFund as they build an outreach strategy and develop new partnerships to better serve the veteran small business community.
      Read more about the project!
       
• Check out cross-sector partnerships in action:
  • Making Good Happen at Work with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
    • We spent #GivingTuesday in Boston with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation for the first-ever Making Good Happen at Work conference in Boston. The conference brought together leaders from the corporate, nonprofit and public sectors for an interactive conversation on creating and scaling employee service and giving programs
  • Omega Institute
    • We launched a partnership with Omega Institute, a pioneer in female executive education. The collaboration offers an immersive experience to two female change-makers by pairing Omega's novel curriculum on power structures and personal growth with Common Impact's capacity-building services, to enhance the community-driven approach of women leaders and strengthen their respective organizations' talent pipelines.
  • Points of Light Service Enterprise Initiative
    • We are excited to be part of Points of Light's Service Enterprise Curriculum Task Force to help build out their skills-based volunteer training for a national audience and strengthen nonprofit capacity across the country.
       
• Get involved in our upcoming events
  • Webinar: High-Impact Volunteer Engagement: Developing Effective Capacity Building Projects. Hosted by the Foundation Center
    • Calling all nonprofit partners! Join our Director of Consulting, Jackie Hodgson on February 21, 2019 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm EST to learn how to achieve organizational readiness and work through a project scoping process to ensure more effective pro bono service opportunities. Learn more and register here! 
       
• Consider giving to Common Impact this holiday season
  • Your gift to Common Impact will sustain and strengthen local nonprofits across the country that work tirelessly to ensure that every woman, man, and child has access to quality education, healthcare, housing, food, culture and more. We couldn't do it without the support of individuals like you who believe in our work and understand the importance of investing in the backbone of the nonprofit sector.  
     

Check out our full newsletter to stay up to date with the latest and greatest at Common Impact. Our warmest wishes for a happy holiday season!