The Social Impact Show

In today's episode, you'll learn about the unique challenges and opportunities for social impact in Rural America. We chat with Andrew Jones, a senior researcher at the Conference Board, and delve into the state of philanthropy in rural America, explore the socioeconomic issues corporations are addressing, and highlight the key partnerships needed to scale social impact efforts. 

Timestamp of our Discussion:
1:12 - Defining the term "Rural America"
3:27 - What are common societal challenges facing rural areas in the US?
5:47 - Migration from rural to urban centers?
7:14 - State of philanthropy and corporate citizenship in Rural America
9:41 - Challenges companies face impacting and scaling their corporate citizenship efforts in rural areas?
12:34- What are the key social, economic, socioeconomic issues companies are addressing in their rural corporate citizenship efforts?
15:51 - Impact of remote work on social impact efforts in Rural America? 
17:26 - What are the key partnerships that companies need to drive and scale social impact in rural America–including the public sector?

Connect with Andrew Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjjones1985/

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@iksonmusic

In this episode of the Social Impact Show, we explore the transformative power of skills-based volunteering (SBV) with Clément Douault, Associate Director of People Giving & Volunteering at Novartis. We delve into how Novartis has integrated SBV into its social impact program, discussing strategies for aligning employee skills with nonprofit needs and the significant role of SBV in employee development and business growth.

We'll discuss how they encourage employee participation in SBV and the impact on talent recruitment and retention. Clément will share Novartis' approach to measuring the impact of SBV on both nonprofit partners and the company itself, providing valuable insights for businesses looking to leverage their workforce for social good.

Timestamp of our discussion:

00:00 - Intro

04:33 - Meet employees where they are

07:43 - Build a needs-based relationship with nonprofit partners

09:50 - Shifting from volunteering program’s needs to a community-driven approach

11:43 - Specific example: what can skills-based volunteering look like

15:05 - What ‘social impact’ means and how to measure it?

20:43 - How can skills-based volunteering meet HR challenges?

23:12 - Tips for companies and nonprofits to implement skills-based volunteering

Connect with Clément Douault: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cl%C3%A9ment-douault-89390010/

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In today's video, we rewind to a previous episode on how to build global employee activism programs, the challenges of avoiding volunteer burnout, and strategies to scale impact such as leveraging templates and data.

We chat with Jo Jeffreys, Principle Social Value Consultant with Jacobs and explore what global activism looks like today through examples of replicating campaigns across regions, how to gain executive buy-in, and why in-person events are critical for inspiration and motivation. Jo shares advice for getting started like communicating the "why", putting structures in place to support volunteers, and making involvement fun through competitions and rewards. 

Timestamp of our discussion: 

0:54 - Defining Global Activism 
2:20 - How to focus on global and local activism at the same time? 3:13 - What does modern global activism look like? Examples? 6:15 - What challenges were you solving for at Jacobs? 
9:19 - How did you get buy-in for social impact programs at Jacobs? 
12:12 - How should companies get started in global activism? 15:00 - How to scale your companies global activism efforts? 16:40 - How to show the ROI of social impact programs 
18:45 - Greatest challenge in global activism, and how to overcome it? 

Connect with Jo Jefferies:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-jeffreys-818b7b5b/

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson
@iksonmusic

In today's video, we rewind to a previous episode how corporate citizenship has evolved over the past year and how practitioners should adapt their programs going forward. We talk with Chris Jarvis,  discuss how world events have shifted corporate giving to focus more on social justice causes and long-term humanitarian crises.

We discuss tangible ways companies can better integrate environmental justice and equity into their corporate citizenship strategies. We also tackle the challenges in implementing these initiatives, like addressing unconscious bias in funding structures. Finally, you'll learn key strategies to create a truly inclusive partner ecosystem and educate employees to become agents of change.

Timestamp of our discussion:
0:00 - Intro
1:28 - How has corporate citizenship changed over the past year? 3:46 - Will the changes in the past year remain or revert back? 9:28 - How to create experiences for more impactful engagement 13:41 - What every social impact professional should be thinking right now?
17:53 - What are employees expecting from their social impact programs?
20:30 - Do corporate citizenship practitioners create programs in stages?
23:39 - What makes a modern social impact program difficult to implement?
27:09 - Advice for corporate citizenship practitioners just starting their programs

Connect with Chris Jarvis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjarviscan/

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson
@iksonmusic

In today's video, you'll learn how to build a corporate foundation and scale your social impact initiatives. We chat with Chess Jakobs, the Head of Culture Amp Foundation, to how to engage employees in meaningful ways, and the importance of centring beneficiaries in your mission. Chess also shares insightful lessons from his past experiences and how they've shaped his approach to corporate philanthropy.

Timestamp of our discussion: 

01:51 - Starting your new role at Culture Amp, what steps did you take to get to know the company, people, programs and nonprofits it supported?

4:33 - How did you integrate your insights and learnings to shaping the vision for Culture Amp's foundation?

7:45 - How has social movements evolved over the years

10:43 - How can businesses partner with non-profits beyond just employee engagement goals

 12:47 - How do you create your program pillars for foundation? How do you balance keeping your core business at the forefront while considering location of employees and communities?

 17:45 - With the mission of "building a better world of work", How does Culture Amp support social impact initiatives to contribute to this mission?

22:18 - What were some lessons learned from programs or experience that didn’t work?

22:56 - How do you ensure a balanced approach between immediate goals and long-term strategies

27:34 - How to pivot your strategy when major social impact events occur Learn more from other social impact professionals by watching this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

Connect with Chess Jakobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chessjakobs/

Learn more about the Culture Amp foundation: https://cultureamp.com/foundation

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson

@iksonmusic

In today's episode, you'll learn about the transformative potential of generative AI for nonprofits. We delve into the opportunities and challenges AI presents and discuss why many nonprofits are slow to embrace this technology. We chat with Kyle Behrend, founder of NFPS.AI, about how nonprofits can use AI to enhance their outreach, fundraising, and operations. We also discuss ethical considerations nonprofits must navigate when using AI. 

Timestamp of our discussion:

1:10 - How generative AI can play a role in the non-profit sector

6:02 - How AI helps nonprofits enhance outreach and fundraising?

9:31 - How AI can improve non-profit productivity

12:51 - Why are nonprofits slow to adopt AI

17:52 - Widening gap between AI frequent user and infrequent and non-users

22:54 - What are AI ethics and safety issues non-profits should be aware of?

30:20 - Where does human connection fit in?

32:03 - Advice for nonprofits looking to get started with AI?"

Connect with Kyle Behrend:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylebehrend/ 

https://nfps.ai/

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson

@iksonmusic

In today's video, you'll learn about the challenges and progress for DEI in the workplace. We chat with Amena Chaudhry, DEI Strategist, Consultant and Coach to explore how businesses must build leadership capacity and use data strategically to drive systemic equity. We explore why many DEI roles are being eliminated and how leaders can develop the skills needed to understand exclusion and shepherd authentic culture change.

Timestamp of our discussion:

1:05 - The State of DEI in the workplace today

3:45 - Was there long term DEI strategies at all?

8:47 - Current challenges for DEI practitioners and programs?

16:48 - What are some ways to overcome these challenges?

24:00 - Positive outcomes that come from DEI work (besides reputation management).

31:04 - How must DEI evolve with both the current business and economic climate?

39:11 - About Zarafa Consulting

Connect with Amena Chaudhry:

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amena-chaudhry/

Music by

https://youtube.com/ikson

@iksonmusic

In today's episode, you'll learn about the potential impacts of the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in higher education admissions. We explore what this means for minority applications and diversity in the workforce. We discuss how this could affect DEI and CSR programs and strategies corporations may take to adjust. Finally, we consider how this highlights the importance of investing in minority-serving institutions.

Timestamp of our conversation:

1:31 - U.S. Supreme Court Ruling and impact on minority applications and admissions process 5:31 - Potential reset of higher level education admission process?

8:52 - Role of minority servicing institutions like HBCU’s

11:37 - Impact to diversity hiring and recruitment in the workforce

17:18 - How can social impact programs and professionals prepare for polarized opinions on ESG and DEI?

Connect with Jerome Tennile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdtennille/

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson

@iksonmusic

In today's episode, you'll learn about environmental justice and its significance in our society. We delve into real-world examples of environmental injustice, highlighting the pressing need for awareness and action.We chat with Social Responsibility Manager, MK Racine, and we explore how corporations can integrate environmental justice into their CSR strategies. Finally, we tackle the challenges faced when implementing these initiatives and offer insightful predictions on how environmental justice will shape the future.

Timestamp of our conversation:

0:42 - Defining environmental justice and why is it important?

2:39 - Examples of environmental injustice

5:00 - Integrating environmental justice into CSR strategies

6:35 - Challenges to implementing environmental justice initiatives

8:08 - How environmental justice will evolve in the future?

Connect with MK Racine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkracine/

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson

@iksonmusic

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to proceed if your social impact strategy is denied by leadership. What are your next steps and why all is not lost. We explore how to avoid this path and how you could still move forward even if your initial strategy is not approved.

Timestamp of our discussion

0:41 - How to Build a Social Impact Strategy

2:25 - What are your next steps if your strategy is not approved?

6:33 - How to deal with rejection for a new program and an existing program 

10:09 - The unknown variable impacting your pitch

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson
@iksonmusic