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Explore articles, toolkits, and information on corporate giving programs from the experts.

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10 Charitable Giving Ideas Based on Moments That Matter for Employees

If the business of HR is to manage — and enhance — the employee experience, an understanding of Moments That Matter (MTM) may be one of the most critical tools the HR professional can add to their repertoire. The HR world adopted the term from the customer relations department, which refers to the moments in a customer's life when they are likely to make the decision to buy a product or service. In HR, it refers to the moments in an employee's life, both professional and private, that can most influence their feelings about their job and their employer. There are many ways to employ a Moments That Matter approach to employee management, but there's one that's often overlooked — incorporating it into the company's corporate giving strategy. Here's why you should, and some ideas of how your company can do it.

Moments That Matter — What It Is and Why It Matters

The idea behind the MTM management philosophy is that certain moments in your employees' lives have an outsize impact on their work satisfaction and attitude toward the company. Some of them are fairly generic — the job interview, their first weeks on the job, and promotions, for example. Others are more personal: an expectant parent, for instance, is likely to be influenced by how well — or poorly — HR helps them navigate the changes surrounding that milestone. Each of these experiences contributes to the overall employee experience with your company, and managing them well can play a big role in improving employee morale, job satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

Which Moments Matter?

As suggested, the answer to that question can vary from employee to employee. There is, however, some agreement on the most common moments, and suggestions for determining which moments matter the most to your employees. Gartner, Inc., an internationally respected HR consulting firm, lays out five types of moments likely to have the highest impact on employees in a recently published paper. They include moments that are:

Emotion-generating: like personal anniversaries and life milestones.
Scalable: have the potential to influence many employees.
Frequent: happen many times over the course of a day, week or month.
Business-aligned: moments that align with corporate strategy or culture.
Critical talent-aligned: impact a specific population with critical talents in the organization.

Understanding which moments matter to your employees can help you create policies and procedures that acknowledge them and respond to them positively and positively. In order to do this, it's vital that you equip your HR department with the tools to identify important moments and respond to them with empathy and clear guidance.

Corporate Philanthropy and Moments That Matter

More and more research shows that employees care about working for a company that aligns with their values. They want to work for a company that makes them proud, one that takes corporate responsibility seriously (CSR) and that supports — or empowers them to support — the causes that matter to them. Many employees are motivated by a company's commitment to give back and are engaged by corporate giving strategies like donation matching, group volunteer efforts and community giveback days. When you incorporate MTM into your corporate giving strategy, you can exponentially increase the impact on both your employees and the causes they support.

10 Moments That Matter-Inspired Charitable Giving Ideas

If all of that explanation left you buzzing but still unsure how to combine it with your corporate giving strategy, here are 10 ways that you can use Moments That Matter to inspire, motivate and engage your employees.

1. Make Corporate Giving Part of Your Employee Benefits Package

The job interview is one of the first times your employee will have contact with the HR department. Use that moment to explain that corporate giving is part of your standard employee benefits package, and show them how you make it easier for them to support the causes that matter to them.

2. Celebrate Work Milestones With Charitable Donations

Instead of — or in addition to — recognizing work anniversaries or achievements with swag, offer a bonus donation to be made to the charity of their choice. If you're using the Groundswell platform, it's easy to simply add the appropriate amount to the employee's giving account. You can even set it up as part of the policies that administer the program.

3. Use Data From Your Employee Donation Programs To Help Identify Moments That Matter

Many employee benefits management companies provide data and feedback to your company that can give you insight into what matters to your employees. Use that data to help identify giving trends and refine your program to make it more appealing.

4. Reward Team Milestones with a Giving Stipend

Sure, go ahead and have that pizza party for the team when QA checks off on their work, but why not give them something even more meaningful — add a little something to their charitable giving stipend. You're being doubly rewarding by giving them the power to support the causes they care about.

5. Recognize the Employee of the Month with the Opportunity to Make a Difference

It's nice to get your picture in a place of honor when you're voted Employee of the Month, but you can do better by giving your EOTM a chance to do more good. It's easy to set up one-time additions to an employee's giving fund based on their designation as a valued employee.

6. Give the Gift of Giving for Birthdays

Birthdays are a classic personal moment that matters — and many people celebrate by making a donation to charity. Even Facebook recognizes that — their Birthday Fundraiser feature is one of the platform's most popular. Empower your employees to be more charitable on their birthdays by making a birthday donation part of their benefits package.

7. Mark Work Transitions with More Donating Power

Take the opportunity to recognize work transitions — the end of a probation period, a promotion to team leader, or moving to a new department — with a contribution to their giving fund. If the transition is a promotion or other permanent rise in the company structure, you can even make it a permanent increase in the company's charitable giving program.

8. Celebrate Personal Milestones With a Contribution

There's no better way to make employees feel valued than demonstrating that you notice — and care about — what's happening in their lives. In addition to standard milestones, such as weddings or a new addition to the family, you can also celebrate the achievement of a new degree or certification, closing on a new house, or being recognized by a community organization.

9. Share the Celebration of Company Milestones

It's common for businesses to mark milestones by making a donation to charity. Whether your company is celebrating Founder's Day, recognizing their 1 millionth sale, or marking the awarding of a big contract, let your employees share in the festivities by making a contribution to their donor funds to distribute as they see fit.

10. Extend Your Annual Holiday Bonus

Add a little something extra to your holiday bonus program — an extra contribution to their employee giving fund. Many employees celebrate holidays with a donation to their favorite charities anyway. Why not empower them to give a little more?

How Groundswell Helps You Meet Moments That Matter to All of Your Employees

The right software program can make it easy for you to match moments that matter to the unique interests and needs of all of your employees. Designing a corporate giving program can be challenging, with many factors to consider and incorporate. Groundswell is designed to be inclusive, private, and empowering. By putting the power to give into the hands of each employee, the platform eliminates many barriers to giving that are inherent in traditional corporate match programs.

Employees can donate on their own timeline, rather than during a specified giving period.
There are no complicated forms to fill out and have approved.
Charities get their donations all at once rather than having to wait for the matching part of the donation.
Employees can give to the causes they support without worrying that their donations will expose parts of their private lives they'd rather not reveal. You can read more about how the Groundswell platform helps make employee giving more accessible and welcoming to everyone in the blog Is Your Donation Matching Program Inclusive and Equitable? Probably Not.
The simple interface makes it easy for your company to respond quickly to current events that have a wide cultural impact and provides a way for your company to be supportive to diverse groups among your employees.

Of course, your company can — and should — support your employees' charitable efforts in other ways, as well. You can create moments that matter for your employees by, for example, sponsoring weekly, monthly, or annual team volunteer opportunities. The time spent building out playgrounds, repairing homes for seniors, and serving meals at a local food kitchen all have the potential to be part of the reason your employees feel that they matter, not only to your company, but to the community at large.

Final Thoughts

Moments That Matter is more than just a current HR trend. It reflects a long tradition in the HR field — one of philanthropy and benefit focused on employees and their needs. When your company recognizes the most impactful moments in the lives of its employees — and provides them with a way to recognize, celebrate and navigate them — you are strengthening the relationship between your employee, your company and the community. In short, everyone benefits. Learn how at Groundswell.

Featured Resources

68% of Nonprofits Say This About Donations vs Volunteers - “Show us the money!”

Recently, leaders have stopped organizing employee volunteer events and shifted towards gifting and matching programs for good reasons.That's because company leaders have discovered that they're not the only ones that think volunteering isn't the best place for highly-skilled employees to spend their limited time. In fact, two-thirds of nonprofit leaders agree that donations are often better than organizing and overseeing volunteer events.A recent poll conducted by Groundswell of 500 nonprofit leaders indicated 68% preferred receiving monetary contributions over facilitating a corporate volunteer event.If you've considered putting together a volunteer event for your employees or setting up a corporate gifting and matching program, you're in the right place.This article helps you decide what programs are best for you and your organization, what benefits and drawbacks come with organizing volunteer events, and why companies are moving away from sending their employees out and moving towards offering employees a gifting and donation match program that sends money directly to nonprofits.

Volunteers or Donations?

Volunteering is at the heart of many charity and nonprofit organizations. Without people willing to volunteer their time to support the causes they care about, some nonprofits would fall short of their goals.However, while the act of volunteering is noble and well intentioned, not all volunteers and volunteering activities are created equal. Most organizations that rely on volunteers to deliver services strive for volunteers who are willing to show up consistently, complete training, and execute tasks according to standards.For example, the Boys and Girls Club’s lifeblood is community members who sign up to mentor at-risk youth. Mentors who consistently meet with, coach, and encourage their mentees can have a profound impact on that child’s life. Conversely, a volunteer that quits after two meetings can devastate a child’s self-esteem.Similarly, Feeding America - the largest network of foodbanks in the U.S. - relies substantially on volunteers to help operate its food warehouses. But, just like any Amazon fulfillment center, maintaining an efficient operation requires effective human capital management, including volunteer scheduling and training on tasks like storing, packing and shipping different types of food items. Having dedicated volunteers that commit to consistent work shifts allows FA operations leaders to plan effectively.There are countless examples of how committed volunteers can make a difference, but anyone considering a day of volunteering should ask themselves important questions about what the nonprofit they’re aiming to support needs most: time or money?

The Truth About Why Companies Love Corporate Philanthropy

Corporations love sending employees to help nonprofits because they see it as a win-win-win: nonprofits get support, employees get engaged, and the company burnishes its reputation..It’s clear that an army of employees adorned in color-coordinated shirts emblazoned with the company’s logo, deployed out into the community with rakes or paintbrushes, makes for a great photo op. The activity sends a message to the community that the company cares, and that’s a good thing as corporate stakeholders increasingly demand that company’s focus on social impact.There’s also no doubt that the activity engages employees. It often gets them out of the office and mingling with one another in a low-stress, lighthearted way. Many will return to the office grateful that their employer prioritized making a difference.But what about the nonprofit? Have they received the resources they need most to execute their mission best?

The Pros and Cons of Hosting Volunteer Events

Corporate volunteer events are events organized by nonprofit organizations at the request of a company, often through a corporate social responsibility (CSR) team.These events generally last a few hours, typically around the same time as an employee all-hands conference or retreat. They can be hosted at the company’s headquarters or at the nonprofit’s location. Often, employee volunteers are untrained, and despite wanting to make a difference, likely have no direct tie to or passion for the nonprofit’s mission; meaning most will conclude the event with no intention of volunteering with the organization again.If coordinated with the nonprofit effectively and resourced appropriately, corporate volunteer events can create value.

Here are the pros and cons of corporate volunteers.

Benefits of volunteering:

Positive employee experience - employees that volunteer often walk away with a good experience and positive outlook on aiding others.
More hands on the project - some projects benefit from more people on a project, like with community clean-ups.
Positive company image - Employees that volunteer contribute to the philanthropic values of a company and improve its public image.

Drawbacks of volunteering:

Additional work for the nonprofits - Organizing an event, training new volunteers, and managing an unfamiliar person can take a lot of effort and resources away that could have otherwise been used on supporting the organization's cause.
Reduced efficiency - The best nonprofits build efficient systems to do their work. Oftentimes, corporate volunteer events operate outside these systems. This can happen geographically, by dictating the location be at the corporate office, or otherwise by having to accommodate volunteers unfamiliar with the established system or process.

Volunteering isn’t always equitable and inclusive - Not every employee can participate in a volunteer activity. For example, if you’re cleaning up a beach employees with mobility issues could be left out.
Smaller return on investment - Volunteer events take a lot of work to plan, coordinate and execute, and sometimes - especially absent an additional monetary contribution from the company - the effort doesn’t yield sufficient impact.
Unpredictable effort and labor - The skills of volunteers can range from amateur to expert, which can make it tough for organization leaders to get high-level contributions.
No time -- Businesses are busy. Not all employees, executives, investors, and board members have the time to commit to volunteering, making it easier to donate money instead of time.

While volunteering can have a handful of benefits, it can sometimes come with a great deal of unnecessary administrative duties that take valuable resources away from an organization's limited resources.

Four Valuable Insights From Nonprofit Employees

Along with uncovering the reality about corporate volunteer programs, our poll revealed important insights into the truth about how nonprofits leaders felt about shifting trends in corporate philanthropy.According to our research, 79.4% agreed that corporate volunteer events are often more focused on employee experience than generating desirable outcomes for the organization's causes.Notably, 56.2% experienced a corporate volunteer event that didn't lead to efficient outcomes for the organization's cause.Perhaps in light of that, 72.2% believe corporations should make monetary contributions to offset the effort required to facilitate corporate volunteer events.Finally, a remarkable 42.2% believe planning volunteer opportunities for companies is actually a distraction to their core mission.

Here's Why Donating Is Better Than Volunteers.

Just like any business, having working capital is crucial for charities to deliver consistent outcomes.For nonprofit organizations, donations help fuel campaign initiatives, purchase supplies, pay for employee salaries, cover the cost of insurance and support efforts made by the entity. Even volunteer events cost money! Who do you think covers the cost of those bottles of water, ham sandwiches, and cans of paint?In other words, donations support nearly every facet of an organization, from supporting their infrastructure to facilitating initiatives and backing campaigns.In nearly all cases, donations are much more flexible than volunteering. Donations can be used for anything related to the organization's operation while volunteering is limited to labor-specific tasks. Volunteering is also limited by the volunteer's level of expertise, whereas donations can be used to hire experts to accomplish the same task using less effort and resources.

Have You Launched Your Company Gifting and Matching Program?

Since donations generally contribute directly to the organization's central mission while providing them with ultimate discretion in how to deliver impact, corporate leaders and their employees are realizing their contributions can go a lot further when donating money instead of time.If you’re curious to learn more about how corporate gifting and matching programs work, you’ll find more resources on our blog.

Featured Resources

Is Your Donation Matching Program Inclusive and Equitable? Probably Not.

Corporate employee gift matching - where an employer matches an employee’s gift to a charity - has been a mainstay of major companies for decades. It has unlocked billions of dollars of community funding and helped donors double their impact. It’s also inequitable and lacks inclusion as matching programs currently operate. Fortunately, there’s a solution.

But first, a history lesson.

In many ways and for many reasons, GE is one of America’s most iconic companies - though notably its star has dimmed since its peak several decades ago. GE was born by Thomas Edison, became a founding member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (where it stayed from 1907 to 2018), and was awarded countless patents for innovation across aviation, healthcare, and energy.

However, an innovation GE rarely gets credit for is its innovation in corporate philanthropy. In 1954, GE rolled out what is often credited as the first workplace-giving program. In the nearly seven decades since GE reports that it has matched over $1.5 billion in employee gifts. That’s an astounding number.

Yet GE’s program has not evolved much since its inception. Sure, it uses a software platform to help facilitate gifts (one that could use a good ol’ fashioned overhaul) and they’ve probably increased the amount they’ll match (it’s currently a generous $5,000 per employee). But the basic construction remains the same - and therein lies the problem.

Today’s standard matching gift program works like this:

An employee gives money to a charity; they then submit that donation receipt to someone on staff (often in HR, finance, or perhaps a dedicated corporate social responsibility or CSR function). That staff member then must vet the charity to ensure it’s a registered 501c3 with the IRS and that it meets the company’s stated program requirements (for example, many companies won’t match gifts to places of worship - like a church - despite them being tax-exempt organizations). Finally, if all goes according to plan, a form is submitted to the accounts payable department and a check is issued from the company to the nonprofit - often weeks or months later.

Many folks would rightfully point out that this process seems like an administrative nightmare - and it is, both for the employee and the employer. But what’s often not discussed is that it is also by nature exclusionary and therefore inequitable.

How so? Let me explain.

The existing process - even if supported and enabled by software platforms that ease (but don’t eliminate) some of the administrative burdens - requires the employee to disclose where they have given to charity. On the surface, this may not seem like a problem - how else would the employer know where to send the matching money? But spend a moment and imagine all the reasons that someone may not want their employer or work colleagues to know the specific charities you are supporting.

For many people, their philanthropy is deeply personal and inspired by lived experiences. An employee that grew up in an abusive household may support a local domestic abuse shelter. A member of the LGTBQ community that is not yet open about their sexuality certainly wouldn’t want their coworkers knowing they support the Trevor Project. A recovering alcoholic may not want to submit the receipt for their monthly donation to Alcoholics Anonymous.

So what happens?

They simply don’t participate. They feel excluded.

The inequity is further exacerbated when companies determine that some causes or issues are worth matching, but others are not. In GE’s example, the determination that the company will not match contributions to houses of worship - churches, synagogues, mosques, and others - is akin to telling GE’s employees that what matters to them is not worth matching.

Now, we should be fair to GE. Because of GE’s matching program design, any matches sent to charities are coming from GE. Iconic brands like GE must be very careful in creating a perception that they are affiliated with or endorse any specific organization, or in this case, faith. That’s certainly reasonable - but it’s demotivating to the practicing Catholic who dutifully tithes 10% of her paycheck each week to her church.

(As a disclaimer, we draw the line at any nonprofit, religious or not, that stands for hate, and you won't find any classified hate groups available to fund in the Groundswell app.)

Essentially, today’s standard matching program makes about as much sense as if an employer chose not to deposit employees’ paychecks into bank accounts, but instead forced those employees to submit receipts for all of their expenses so that their cost of living could be reimbursed. How comfortable would you be with inviting someone into your personal life in that fashion?

So is there a better way? Yes, there is.

Modern matching programs must evolve to reflect the capabilities of our modern tax and financial technology ecosystem. Groundswell (www.groundswell.io) is doing this by making donor-advised funds (DAFs) accessible to anyone, and by specifically creating a corporate benefits platform that provides one to employees. By providing employees with Personal Giving Accounts built on top of donor-advised funds, our platform can disaggregate someone’s decision to be charitable (the moment they contribute to their Groundswell account) from their decision on what charity to support (sending their Groundswell funds to a nonprofit).

With Groundswell, employees contribute to their Personal Giving Account and companies can match those contributions according to their matching program rules. At that point, the employee controls the funds - they can direct the full amount to whatever qualifying charity they choose when they choose.

Because funds sent to charities are distributed by the Groundswell Charitable Foundation, companies no longer have to restrict where their employees give - because the company is never directly associated with the gift.

Information provided back to the employer is anonymized. They will know all the charities that were supported but will not be able to associate them with individual employees. The result is that companies can better understand what their employees truly value, without violating their privacy.

With Groundswell, employers can take meaningful action that drives home their commitment to DE&I initiatives while providing a unique employee benefit that allows employees to freely be their authentic, charitable selves.

Let's have a conversation - what do you think?

Featured Resources

What Is Corporate Philanthropy and Why Should You Care?

If the words "corporate philanthropy" call up images of pink ribbon campaigns, big donations to very visible causes, and big brands improving their image through charitable donations, hang tight.There's a lot more to the picture than big-dollar donations to well-known charities and causes. In today's business world, businesses of all sizes and in all sectors are committed to giving back to their communities through some form of charitable giving — and "charitable giving" takes on many forms.In fact, as of 2021, 85% of U.S. companies have a formal corporate giving program in place, and they donated a combined $20.77 billion to charitable causes.But what is corporate philanthropy, exactly, and what are the best ways for your company to give back to the community? The answers to those questions are evolving as a society — and employees — become more knowledgeable, engaged, and interested in how the companies they deal with affect the world around them.

What Is Corporate Philanthropy?

Corporate philanthropy refers to activities and investments voluntarily made by businesses to make a positive impact on the community around them. That's a very broad umbrella. It covers everything from giving money to donating expertise and encouraging employees to volunteer for community organizations. If your company hosts a food drive for Thanksgiving, buys uniforms for a local soccer team, or offers a matching donations program for charitable giving, it is engaging in corporate philanthropy. Learn more about corporate giving and why it's important in our resource section.

Who Benefits From Corporate Philanthropy?

The benefits of giving back are many, and not just for the organizations on the receiving end of donations. The business also reaps benefits, as do the employees and the general community. In a world where consumers increasingly expect companies to be socially responsible partners in our world, having a formal corporate giving program in place is a vital part of doing business. Charitable donations aren't just a sunk cost of doing business, though. There are clear benefits for the company when they make the choice to give back. Those include:

7 Types of Corporate Philanthropy

The face of corporate philanthropy has been evolving rapidly, especially in light of the last few years of upheaval and technological advances. These are the seven most common forms of corporate giving. Many companies engage in more than one, and many more are rethinking their strategic corporate philanthropy plans as corporate social responsibility takes on more importance to customers and employees. More on that later.

Employee and Board Stipends

Some corporations provide cash stipends to employees or board members, which they can donate to the charities or causes of their choice.

Volunteer Support

Companies may organize, support or give paid time off to employees who volunteer for organizations in their community. The support may be technical — an accounting firm may provide training and expertise to a startup nonprofit, for example — or more general, such as gathering a team to help paint houses or build playgrounds in the neighborhood.

Corporate Sponsorships

The Little League team, a fundraising event by the local food bank, a fashion show put on by a local charity — these are all examples of businesses using corporate sponsorships as part of their overall corporate philanthropy strategy. The corporation makes a donation to charity in return for being prominently mentioned during the event.

Community Grants

A company may offer grants to community organizations that apply for them and meet specific criteria to qualify. Walmart, for example, offers grants ranging from $250 to $5,000 to local community organizations. Often, the grants are given through a foundation established by the company for the purpose of making corporate donations.

In-Kind Donations

In-kind donations are donations of goods or services instead of cash. This type of donation is more common among smaller businesses, such as restaurants donating pizza to a local homeless shelter, or providing coffee and donuts free of charge to a weekly parents' group meeting. Similarly, many companies donate a "portion of x sold" gifts to charity. Stop and Shop, for example, donates a dollar to a local organization for each reusable shopping bag purchased by customers.

Donor-Advised Funds

Donor-advised funds — DAFs — are a variation on making grants to charities and causes through a foundation. In a nutshell, a DAF is like a personal charitable giving account, similar to a health savings account. The donor can make donations at any time and receive an immediate tax advantage. The funds sit in the DAF until the donor decides to disburse them to the charity or cause of their choice. DAFs offer several benefits that make them the fastest-growing charitable giving vehicle in the U.S.

Matching Donations

We saved this one for last because matching donation programs are among the most common corporate giving programs — 9 out of 10 companies have employee matching programs. Traditionally, an employee makes a donation to a charity or cause, and then either they or the nonprofit submits a form to the company, which then makes a second donation to the charity, effectively doubling — or sometimes tripling — the original amount. Despite their popularity, matching gift programs account for only about 12% of cash donations received by nonprofits, and an estimated $4 to $7 billion in matching gift money is never distributed. That's because the entire process can be cumbersome, both for your HR department and for the nonprofit receiving the donation.

A New Kind of Corporate Philanthropy — Philanthropy as a Service

Groundswell believes that it's time to rethink how matching donations programs work. Groundswell makes it easy for companies to launch a charitable giving program that takes advantage of all the benefits of a DAF for them and their employees. The Groundswell platform unlocks the potential of DAFs reimagining corporate philanthropy using the x-as-a-service model. Philanthropy as a service — PHaaS — lets you skip the complicated process of setting up a foundation, hiring accountants and handling all the day-to-day nuts and bolts of managing a charity. Instead, you get a simple, transparent platform that allows your company and your employees to support the causes they believe in without all the friction that accompanies traditional matching donation programs. Your company reaps the benefits of having a defined charitable giving program. Your employees are more engaged, with their privacy protected and their autonomy honored, and the causes they support get their donations without the hassle of chasing down the matching funds. It's a win-win-win solution that empowers everyone in the equation.

Final Thoughts

Corporate philanthropy has evolved over the years, and it's evolving faster than ever thanks to technological advances and changing social attitudes. If you're ready to take the next step in corporate philanthropy, reach out to us to learn more about what PHaaS can bring to your company.

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6 mins read

Blog Post

Kathryn Minshew: On Redefining Workplace Culture

At Groundswell, we’re fortunate to know many people who support our mission to reimagine corporate giving. Whenever possible, we love to sit down and talk with these people. It was a pleasure to sit down with Kathryn Minshew, Founder and CEO of The Muse, which is dedicated to defining the future of work. Kathryn believes deeply in diversity and listening to what employees want. She believes employers must consider their employees' choices, values, and priorities if they are to thrive in the current workplace environment.

Hey Kathryn! Great to chat. Let’s dive right in. What are your thoughts on what's happening with the Great Resignation?

I believe we are witnessing a sea change in the connection between talent and employers. Many people, I believe, were compelled to reconsider their life choices, values, and priorities as a result of the pandemic. And they are now making changes based on a decision that they want to do things differently. We talk a lot about values-based careers at The Muse. And I believe there is a significant growth in the number of people who think about their work and professions in this manner.Businesses, I believe, are beginning to see that they must do more to recruit and keep the greatest employees. People want a values-based career. I believe we are also witnessing an increase in personalization. We're seeing an increase in the personalization of the workplace. We no longer all watch the same TV channels or listen to the same radio stations. In fact, many of us receive customized media suggestions or information streams depending on our interests. We're seeing the death of the one-size-fits-all workplace. Companies now need to respect the individual needs of every employee.

“The death of the one-size-fits-all workplace.” I love that.

Right? People are becoming very clear about the type of workplace they want to work in. Companies are beginning to recognize that, rather than catering to everyone in a large, generic fashion, they are most successful at recruiting and retaining individuals when they understand the personalized benefits they can offer. How can they be really strong on specific offerings, which might include anything from training and development to learning, generosity, and a dedication to a bigger purpose and mission?It could be a certain business culture or the way work is completed. It could be prestige, salary, and so on. Many of these aspects will have to be considered by every business. However, it is improbable that any single organization will be able to score a perfect 10 in every single category. As a result, firms must now select where they want to compete. How do they make themselves look the most appealing? And they're being compelled to be much more receptive to candidates, which I believe is a good thing.So, to answer your question about whether there is a positive outcome: I believe that when employees feel engaged and respected by the organizations for which they work, they are more productive, better retained, and have higher life satisfaction – which makes them better partners, friends, parents, spouses, and so on. So I believe we all stand to benefit in the medium to long run. But, in the short run, we'll see a lot of upheaval. And it's quite difficult for businesses to know how to respond right now.

Sounds like you believe it’s crucial for leaders at companies, from an analytics perspective, to gain insight into employee opinion about social issues?

I do, certainly. In recent years, Generation Z has been the most socially active generation. Unlike past generations, many members of Generation Z look to their organizations to promote or represent the type of world they want to live in, as well as the values that they hold dear. So knowing what their employees care about, what values they hold – this is extremely important for companies.

What do you view as the differing values for each generation – Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers?

For starters, the variety and diversity of individuals within a given generation is far greater than the hard and fast contrasts across generations. By no means do I believe that all members of a generation are the same. However, I believe that earlier career workers have spent more of their lives in a cultural setting where the products they consume are customized to their individual tastes, preferences, and needs, leading them to expect the same from the workplace.More seasoned workers grew up in a completely different work environment, as well as a very distinct cultural, technological, and immediate environment.The younger generations have grown up at a time when consumer products have a significant focus on ease of use, and are hyper personalized. Individuals who are accustomed to these products and services are bound to have different expectations in the job market.Also, I believe that the connection between businesses and politics shifted during the Trump era. A growing number of people of all ages want to work in increasingly diverse surroundings. We're seeing an increase in this across the board. I also believe that wanting to work for a company that respects you is not confined to any demographic. However, some of the most vocal supporters are early-career professionals. And I believe we've never been in an environment where the battle for talent has been so fierce. When there is a lot of rivalry for something, that thing gets to dictate a lot of the terms of the relationship. That's happening right now with talent. And we're just getting started; in fact, I believe most businesses can expect another large wave of resignations in early 2021. Unfortunately, managing teams for continuity is quite difficult right now. But I think it's very evident that's what's going to happen.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Thomas Gaissmaier: Keeping A Pulse On Employee Sentiment

Here at Groundswell, we’re lucky to know many people who understand and support our mission to reimagine corporate giving. And whenever we get the chance, we love to sit down and talk with these people. Here, we chatted with Thomas Gaissmaier – former Chief People Officer of Match Group and 21st Century Fox. Thomas has worked in human resources for a long time and is a strong believer in providing real benefits to employees. He truly understands the significance of keeping a finger on the pulse of employee sentiment, and understanding what employees care about.

Thanks for chatting with us, Thomas. Please tell us about your history and how you got into the area of human resources.

You’re welcome. So, the Boston Consulting Group is where I began my professional consulting career. In 2009, one of my consumer clients - PepsiCo - acquired two of its distributors and I was asked to lead the integration for BCG. Of course, with any merging of companies, there were significant ramifications for business models – but really, it all came down to people, organization, and culture.In this specific example, the question was about bringing together a marketing-centric and a heavy operations culture. How to integrate three organizations and its teams. How to realize efficiencies and built a better company. We spent a lot of time on thinking through the required change management and organization structure. That is what piqued my interest in people and organization. Over the next years, I focused my client work in this area and led BCG’s HR practice in North America - before leaving in early 2017 to become Chief HR Officer at 21st Century Fox and in 2019 at Match Group.

That’s quite the journey! Let’s talk about the HR landscape right now. We’re living through a so-called “Great Resignation.” What is going on, from your point of view? What are the major implications for businesses? Is there any possibility of a positive outcome?

The pandemic has fundamentally shifted the power balance between employees and employers. We had to rethink how, where and when we work. All of which required companies to be a lot more flexible and nimble. There will be no going back. Personally, I don’t believe that anybody really knows what the new way of working will be like, exactly. We will have to experiment with different models and reinvent many practices, processes and policies. One of the biggest changes in my view is that employees are looking a lot more for purpose and meaning in their work.If you look back five or ten years, it was sufficient for companies to donate some of their profits to charity. Now, many employees are demanding that social and environmental impact are more integrated in the day-to-day work and business - as we have seen in many recent employee surveys.For example, when companies talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, it is no longer enough to donate money to some organization if the internal practices don’t provide an inclusive and equitable environment.

The battle for retention is critical for an HR professional. What benefits do you see from your purview that are truly important to employees? What exactly do they expect from businesses these days?

Though I don't think anyone decides which company to join based just on the benefits., I believe that benefits can be an important differentiator and signal for the purpose and value a company stands for. You have the fundamental benefits, such as time off or healthcare. But beyond that? Donations are an area where we have seen a lot of employee interest, both dedicating time and donating money.I'm enthusiastic about Groundswell because I believe it is a great opportunity for businesses and employees. It's not that the corporation says: “These are the causes that we as a company have selected to promote.” Rather it's up to the employees to make the decision.

In the wake of the pandemic, we've adopted new ways of thinking about ourselves, the world around us, and our relationships with others. What are some of the things that businesses may do to help employees adjust to the new normal?

Two thoughts occur to me. First is what I would call the fundamentals, things that are necessary to show up for work. For example, providing work necessities like monitors or helping with child care costs. Most companies have put in place some form of stipend or reimbursement program.Then, there are bigger questions. How to retain the social connections amongst employees? How to avoid zoom-fatigue? How to maintain a boundary between work and life? How to deal with mental health issues like loneliness?

For an organization, what specific types of insights are extremely useful to have at the tips of your fingers in order to keep a pulse on employee sentiment? What does this have to do with the causes that people care about?

In essence, the job of HR is help the business grow by attracting, retaining and developing the right people. A big part is to establish an environment where employees can bring their full self to work. At Match Group, we conduct people surveys at least every quarter to understand where we are doing well and what areas we can further improve.When I was at BCG, we conducted a global study and found that especially millennials don’t focus on compensation alone, but look for a company that provides professional growth and whose purpose is aligned to what matters to them.

What are some pain points you've noticed from a corporate giving standpoint? And how can we use that to help us learn and grow as an industry?

I probably could name three pain points I’ve seen at companies over the years. First, the capacity to register charities that matter to employees and hence the ability to make donations on time.We have had issues where employees want to donate but it’s taken up to six months to match their donation because of administrative issues with the registration. Not because their wasn’t budget or willingness, but we didn’t have a registered and verified account.A second issue is the list of charities that qualify for donations and company match. In my view, it’s important to engage employees in the decision making, apply clear criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and communicate those decisions openly and frequently to avoid surprises and dissatisfaction.The third obstacle is about speed. To illustrate:After the murder of George Floyd, we - like many companies - wanted to take a stance by matching employee donations two to one. Of course, time was of the essence. But it always takes longer than you think to identify the list of relevant and qualified charities, register those organizations in the system and communicate the program. A way to shorten that process would be extremely valuable for both companies and employees.

Thanks for your time today, Thomas. Before we go, is there anything more you'd like to share?

I want to emphasize this: I think the idea to simplify giving, to truly put it in employee's hands, and to potentially make it a company benefit, is very compelling. I’m excited about what Groundswell is doing and really hope it takes off and inspires many companies!

6 mins read

Blog Post

Layla Kajer: Bringing Humanity Back To Giving

At Groundswell, we’re grateful to know many people who support our mission to reimagine corporate giving. Whenever possible, we love to sit down and talk with these people. Here, we chatted with Layla Kajer, the Director of Internal Communications & Community at Greenhouse Software. We discussed the current state of the workplace, and how humanizing giving may restore employee engagement and enthusiasm.*Disclaimer: Groundswell is a customer of Greenhouse

Hi Layla! Tell me a little bit about your background and your journey to the world of HR?

Happy to be here! I've always been in the business of behavior change. I’ve worked with companies like Roche, Marriott, Citibank and W.L. Gore to activate employees to drive change in an organization. I’m passionate about understanding what drives employee motivation, empowerment and habit building.

The key question is always: how can we reach our employees? How can we capture their hearts and minds? Are we providing the appropriate incentives? Are we rewarding appropriate behavior?

In my role at Greenhouse, I get the pleasure to work with many diverse leaders to drive emotional connection to our purpose and to each other. My main focus is to make sure we’re delivering a consistent, values-aligned experience from the moment a candidate learns about Greenhouse, through their entire tenure.

Let’s talk about the current moment. In recent months, millions of Americans have been quitting their jobs. What is going on, from your point of view? What are the major implications for businesses? Is there any possibility of a positive outcome?

I believe what we're seeing is a shift in attitudes regarding employment. When you go back through history, there have been periods of time where there is an obvious (in hindsight) shift in the way people relate to their work. Though some prominent people started talking about The Great Resignation before COVID, the pandemic forced all of us to embrace a new era of work. It prompted us to reevaluate our relationship with work.

People are in a state of flux and asking new questions about their purpose and the value a job creates for them. Change shakes the cobwebs out of our habits and you can see that happening all over. People are looking at what was routine and expected in an entirely new way.

Working 80 hours a week or enduring long commutes used to be largely acceptable in many sectors.I was one of these people. I was in the thick of it and it put a strain on my personal well-being. My partner and I lived in the Bay Area and had opposite commutes. It meant that I spent at least 90 minutes commuting - each way. My child was in daycare for 10-11 hours a day and most days I was just rushing from place to place - running to catch a ferry or hustling to grab a quick (overpriced) lunch in between meetings.But to be honest, it was just so normal. So many people I knew did the same thing so I never stopped to really evaluate whether it was working for me or my family. After moving out of the Bay Area and going fully remote, I could finally see how crazy my schedule was before. I’m just so glad that I got out and have now found a company that embraces a healthy work-life balance.

As an HR professional, the battle for retention is top of mind in the aftermath of the pandemic. What are the benefits you're seeing that are truly important to employees? What are they truly looking for from companies these days?

It's a great question. Ping pong is no longer a cultural driver! Greenhouse conducted research that showed that only 12% of candidates want in-office perks as a benefit while 63% want a flexible schedule.This may sound cliché, but I believe humans have always cared about purpose and significance. The video games and free snack culture was nice but ephemeral. Deep down people want to be connected to a company's mission - to make a real difference and leave a lasting legacy. Whether that’s having a positive impact on the company, a customer or whoever is a stakeholder. This is a cultural phenomena, not a benefit. It's about showing up and aligning one's ideals with the company's.To attract talent it's vital that companies provide all employees with an opportunity to understand how, and why, business decisions are made. One of the ways that we do this at Greenhouse is by hosting bi-weekly company-wide leadership AMA (Ask Me Anything) meetings. Transparency, flexibility and responsibility are core to our management style at Greenhouse. No topic is off limits and all employees - at every level and in every department - are encouraged to ask our executive team questions. Connection to purpose and a clear path for growth will be what sets companies apart from others and help them retain employees. Investing in your employees is always the right answer and, we’ve seen, results in better morale, improved productivity and happier employees who stay at the company.

More than ever, employees want to know the company they work for aligns with their ideals. They are voting with their feet and their careers.

How crucial is it for leaders at companies to have precise insight into their employees' sentiments for social causes?

Most, if not all, executives I’ve met are interested in knowing what their employees think. The difference comes down to their motivation for wanting to know. Maybe it’s more of risk management - "I want to know that I can squash something" or to manipulate -"I can take advantage of something." Or it could be a genuine interest in understanding what motivates employees to thrive.I'll focus on Greenhouse. Our leaders are extremely concerned about employee sentiment and go to great lengths to get feedback and stay connected. A large portion of this is accomplished through formalized processes. We do this in a number of ways.We do the traditional ways of collecting employee feedback with inclusion and engagement surveys. We’re looking at other survey mechanisms that could supplement those. Unique to Greenhouse, we host the AMA events, Intelligent Conversation sessions and we have a very active ERG (Employee Resource Group) community.I actually had suggested to the CEO that we move to a monthly AMA cadence instead of twice a month but he declined because he values the feedback and input that comes out of the AMAs so much. He’s investing a significant amount of time each month staying connected to employees.

How many steps does the process of corporate matching or corporate donating in general take in your experience? Has it been a complete headache?

In my experience, it varies significantly by company. Even at large, well-organized companies who have been doing corporate giving for years, the process to donate or secure corporate matching isn’t well communicated to employees. Other times there isn’t a clear owner for the giving process - does it live in HR? Marketing? Corporate Strategy? It can become a bit of a hot potato.The most important thing, in my opinion, is to be vocal about the programs and the interest in supporting organizations. At Greenhouse, our leaders have many times been vocal by posting on slack or creating donation campaigns on their teams. They also create a safe space for their employees to share what causes are important to them.

What are your thoughts about Groundswell?

For me, I need someone or something to help remove the roadblocks to giving and giving in a smart way. I’m not well versed on how to research which organizations are doing the right thing with the donations and, often, the seemingly small steps of following different processes to write a check can be a blocker for me to give. And I haven’t yet figured out a way to give on a regular basis and make it a part of my habits. I think Groundswell can make a big impact with this.Groundswell, in my opinion, acts as a community leader. Making a habit of giving, taking small amounts from each paycheck adds up to something significant. I think Groundwell is going to be a game changer.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Want to Make Giving a Habit in the Office? Here's How.

Here’s some good news, for a change: In recent years, Americans have shown a stronger and stronger desire to donate to charity. This is especially true for younger givers. Nearly 61% of Gen Z and 48% of Millennials say they plan to give more than they have in the preceding three years. Overall, 31% of people say they plan to increase their giving.And in 2020 – a tough year – Americans gave $471 billion to charitable organizations. In short, the giving instinct is alive and well. And companies can encourage this in the workplace.But here’s the challenge: Most companies’ go-to strategy for driving workplace giving is the corporate matching program. There’s nothing wrong with matching programs. On paper, they’re great – 84% of professionals say they are more inclined to donate if a match is available. The problem? The logistics around company matching can be a huge pain in the ass – involving Excel sheets, legacy software, and other inefficiencies. This is a major blocker because people want to enjoy giving.We give because it’s the right thing to do. But we aren’t emotionless altruism machines. We also like to give because it makes us feel good. We want the buzz, the warmth, the excitement of giving.This is what the current matching solutions lack. Delays and administrative processes get in the way of feeling. Read on to find out how company giving can be revamped – by using Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) to match employee contributions before they give to charity, not after the fact.

The Problem: Philanthropy Without the Buzz

The concept of corporate matching is a fantastic idea; businesses match their employees' charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations with cash contributions of their own. Employees get to double their impact and companies get credit for supporting organizations in the community.This impact-doubling method has enormous potential over the next few years. Evidence from Deloitte shows that 37% of employees will participate in philanthropic activities, motivated by the opportunity to make a difference with causes close to their hearts – such as hunger, homelessness, education, and social and racial equality. The prospect of doubling their impact is exciting.However, the problems start with how matching happens. With current matching programs, the actual matching happens in one of two ways:Scenario #1:Someone at the company – usually an overworked person in HR or finance – tracks everything in a giant Excel sheet, verifies each request one by one, and manually cuts checks to qualifying charities. The fun of giving stops and additional work becomes a tedious task. Employees miss out on the buzz and excitement of giving, as the whole thing just feels like paperwork (and nobody likes additional paperwork).Scenario #2:The company uses a legacy software platform that is meant to streamline the matching program – however, the platform is getting dustier by the day and is often a blocker. Employees have to find the portal, log in, get a password reminder, and go through the right steps. Then they make their contribution - say $100 - and have to trust that somehow someone somewhere is going to chip in the other $100. As a result, the energy is sapped out of the giving process. The thrill of giving is diminished and the whole process will be bland: no rush, no emotional boost, just dead morale.

The Solution: Match Donations Up Front

“Groundswell makes donation easy. Creating small habits that add up over time, in the same way you would for a 401k – I think that’s going to be a game changer. It should really be like, let's democratize that, and really listen to and trust our employees to be making good decisions.”

Layla Kajer, Director of Internal Communications & Community, Greenhouse

Imagine if this is how 401(k) programs worked: An employee buys a particular company’s stock within their 401(k). They then have to go to their benefits team, show them their purchase confirmation, and ask them to buy the same stock and deposit it into their account.This would be absurd! And yet it’s effectively how corporate matching currently takes place.This is why, at Groundswell, we are allowing companies to leverage DAFs in their matching programs. 88% of HR executives say that corporate giving, along with other effective employee engagement programs, has a positive impact on employee acquisition and retention. The way to maximize this impact is to make corporate matching as immediate, exciting, and animating as possible.How to do this? By structuring corporate matching around donor-advised funds. At Groundswell, we allow companies to place matching contributions into a DAF that employees then direct themselves. This way, when an employee makes the decision to give to a charity, they are making a donation that's immediately twice as big.No delays, no hassle. Just double the impact, right then and there. This way matched giving comes with the excitement and buzz that it should.Contact Groundswell today and start reinventing individual and corporate giving.

6 mins read

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Veterans Day Is A Good Time To be Thankful For What We Have

Jake Wood, former Marine and founder of Groundswell, joins the 'Halftime Report' on Veterans Day to discuss his company and philanthropic efforts through Team Rubicon.

6 mins read

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How Groundswell Is Shifting Giving From The 1% To The 99%

I scour the globe for stories worth reading about ventures that are a true force for good for humanity and our planet.

6 mins read

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Addressing the Great Resignation through Smarter CSR

“I think the idea to simplify corporate giving to put it in employee’s hands – and potentially make it a benefits offering for a company – is extremely compelling.”

- Thomas Gaissmaier, Global Chief Human Resource Officer (Formerly Match Group, 21st Century Fox, Boston Consulting Group)

You’ve seen the news: The so-called Great Resignation is upon us. A whopping 4.3 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in August, with that number rising to 20 million if extended back to April.Why? The reasons are complex. (It’s been a strange year or two.) But one big reason is that the modern employee will no longer settle for profit without purpose. They want their work life to integrate with their values, and they want their employer to help them express their values.This is doubly true amongst Gen Z, for whom a professional life imbued with meaning and impact is more important than ever.Unnerved by this nationwide mass resignation, how should leaders react? By reinventing corporate social responsibility programs to meet this new reality. By decentralizing CSR, and driving it through employees, companies can create a new type of benefit - a benefit with impact.

How Can Companies Adapt to the Great Resignation?

The Great Resignation is sending employers a message: The modern employee isn’t willing to settle. They aren’t willing to clock in and clock out like an automaton. After the pandemic – when all of us were reminded of things in life that really matter – this is truer than ever.As a BBC report puts it,

“The intensity has increased in terms of expectation; people are expecting more from companies. The early days of the pandemic reminded us that people are not machines. If you’re worried about your kids, about your health, financial insecurity and covering your bills, and all the things that come with being human, you’re less likely to be productive. And we were all worried about those things.”

These worries have morphed into new expectations, and are a big reason why employees leave their jobs in 2021.And the youngest generations of talent are the most discerning. 63% of millennials – essentially workers under 35 – said the primary purpose of businesses should be “improving society” instead of “generating profit”. This demonstrates that millennials place a higher importance on making a difference in the world than simply earning a wage.And Gen Z are even more committed to their causes. On social media, they share content related to environmental, human rights, political or social issues even more than Millenials.

Steps to a Smarter Form of CSR

How can leaders adapt to the needs of the modern employee to ride out the Great Resignation? By getting smarter with their CSR.Historically, philanthropy has been slow to innovate. Many companies, brands, and vendors have popped up with new ideas and tools – but these have often worked within the status quo. They don’t really offer the satisfaction that employees need to consider their workplace a socially responsible company.Real CSR innovation means decentralizing the program, and empowering employees. Leaders need to recognize that everyone's circumstances are unique and diverse – as are the challenges they attempt to resolve.The key here is the individual. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all CSR solution. It’s time for employers to recognize the need to give employees a say in where corporate impact happens.Here are some ideas on how to bring your talented and passionate employees into the CSR conversation.

Align Your Company Values with Benefits

Brand consistency is important, and it doesn’t need to stop at your employee benefits. Thomas Gaissmaier, former Chief People Officer at Match Group, tells us how to take a human-centric approach that aligns with your brand.

“What I’m passionate about is benefits that really help employees with their life situation. One of the things we did at Match Group was real fertility support. When the company is about dating, the company is about relationships, and ultimately about long-term relationships. From a benefits perspective, thinking through relationships and then family. It was these things where we believed they can have a real impact on life and have brand consistency. If the business is about relationships, we invest in relationships.”

Encourage Employee Volunteerism

One of the reasons we are living through the Great Resignation is because people lack the time to do things that matter. They are quitting their jobs so they can spend their time on activities that have purpose.Leaders can give employees what they want – but retain talent – by giving them dedicated time off for volunteerism. Volunteering is a great way to take a meaningful break and has proven mental health benefits, including reducing feelings of stress and overwhelm and increasing the sensation of fulfillment.Giving employees 16 hours of PTO to volunteer where they want, or work on a topic they care about, is generally more effective than trying to get 100 employees to all show up for a one-off event. A group exercise can feel like busy work and may not promote a cause that each individual is personally interested in. But allowing people to select where they want to make a difference, and targeting their efforts there, strengthens diversity.

Show Employees That You Value Things Beyond Profit

Amidst the turbulence of the Great Resignation, companies need to differentiate themselves from apathetic competitors, and signal their values.Today, people want to work for (and buy from) businesses that have an active involvement in their community and in good causes. To retain talent, leaders should strive to integrate with their local community, and find causes to back.This could be on social media, it could be through live events or webinars, it could be through partnerships or sponsorships. Whatever you choose, these genuine actions will demonstrate to employees that they are a part of something more than a money-making machine. This type of morale boost will leave employees feeling fulfilled and inspired – and far less likely to quit.

Let Employees Drive Your CSR

Here is the most powerful way to evolve your CSR and maximize your chances of retaining your best talent: Put your employees in the driver's seat of corporate philanthropy.Solutions like Groundswell revolutionize how companies approach employee compensation and corporate philanthropy by empowering employees with their own personal donor-advised funds (just like what the 401k did for retirees).Groundswell’s CSR technology gives employees their own personal foundation, and a payroll integration will let them automatically divert their charitable giving into their account — with the option for the company to match those funds or gift money directly into it, eliminating the antiquated post-donation matching programs that companies operate today.

Fighting the Great Resignation by Making Giving to Charity an Employee Benefit

For leaders, the Great Resignation is an understandable worry. Losing good staff is a bruising experience for any company, and it can be tricky to know how to offset this risk.What we need to do is work with the reality of why so many people are quitting: because they want more than a paycheque, because they want their workplace to be an empowering place that helps them make a difference.With Millennials and Gen Z-ers accounting for an ever-larger majority of the workforce, leaders urgently need to innovate on their CSR. As we move into the coming years, providing purpose alongside profit will be crucial to the companies who want to hold on to their best talent. Today, for young employees, social responsibility is more important than a large salary or a corner office.At Groundswell, we’ve built the tech to help companies unlock a smarter CSR. We help companies support employees in having the social impact they desire – driving satisfaction, retention, and growth.

Contact Groundswell today helps employees give more.

6 mins read

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The Next Corporate Benefit

Take things only accessible to rich people and make them available to everyone else.

6 mins read

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Celebrate National Nutrition Month by Supporting These Nonprofits

National Nutrition Month is an annual nutrition education and information campaign in March created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Making wise food choices and being physically active are essential components of good health and wellness. During National Nutrition Month, registered dietitian nutritionists and other health professionals provide education and advice on how to keep up with your health. With their help, everyone can learn how to make informed food choices and create balanced meals that are both nutritious and enjoyable.

Donate to any of the organizations below using the Groundswell app.

List of nonprofits that support health and wellness for National Nutrition Month

The American Nutrition Association (ANA)

The American Nutrition Association (ANA) is devoted to educating and providing invaluable resources to nutrition professionals and health-conscious consumers alike. With the goal of helping people make informed decisions about their health and nutrition, ANA strives to provide evidence-based information, research, and services to those who seek it.

ANA also has a comprehensive website full of helpful information and resources that are designed to assist individuals in their journey toward a healthier lifestyle. The American Nutrition Association is a great resource for those who are looking to become more educated and empowered when it comes to their health and nutrition.

Table For Two (TFT)

Table For Two (TFT) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to reducing hunger and obesity, and promoting healthy and sustainable eating through its meal program. TFT works in partnership with a variety of institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias, to provide nutritious meals to those in need.

The program is designed to ensure that everyone has access to healthy, affordable meals, and to make sure that no one is left without a proper meal. TFT is committed to making a difference and creating a healthier, more sustainable food system that benefits everyone.

The Food Trust

The Food Trust is a national nonprofit organization that is committed to providing everyone with access to affordable, nutritious food and the knowledge they need to make healthy choices.

Through their work with communities, policymakers, and other national partners, The Food Trust strives to create and implement powerful programs that not only increase access to healthy food, but also provide opportunities for nutrition education and physical activity.

Wellness in the Schools

Wellness in the Schools (WITS) is a national nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the health and learning of students in underserved communities. Through working in collaboration with educators, communities, and organizations, WITS is able to provide comprehensive nutrition, physical activity, and wellness education to children in K-12 schools across the nation.

WITS is committed to creating a healthy and equitable school environment for all students, providing them with the opportunity to learn in an atmosphere of respect and safety.

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK)

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is a national nonprofit organization that is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles among students. Through nutrition, physical activity, and other health-related initiatives, AFHK works to create a safe and healthy school environment.

With the support of schools, families, and communities, AFHK strives to help students develop lifelong healthy habits. AFHK's mission is to provide resources, support, and education to help students achieve their full potential by living a healthy and active lifestyle.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation works to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and improve the health and well-being of children across the United States.

The Alliance works with schools, families, and communities to provide resources, education, and support to promote physical activity and healthy eating habits. They engage and empower young people to make positive changes to their individual health and the health of their communities.

Harlem Grown

Harlem Grown is dedicated to bringing positive change to the Harlem and surrounding community. By providing education and access to fresh, healthy food, the organization works to empower youth and create a healthier and more equitable food system.

They partner with local schools, businesses, and community organizations to create a more sustainable food system that will benefit the community for years to come.

Wholesome Wave

Wholesome Wave is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of low-income Americans across the country. Through their innovative programs, Wholesome Wave works to increase access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.

Their initiatives also include nutrition education and training, as well as the promotion of healthy eating habits and lifestyles. Wholesome Wave's mission is to empower people to make healthier food choices, and to ensure that all Americans have access to the freshest, healthiest, and most affordable food possible.

City Harvest

City Harvest is a nonprofit organization that works to reduce food insecurity in New York City. They partner with food donors, volunteers, and community organizations to rescue, collect, and deliver food to those who are hungry and in need.

City Harvest aims to ensure that no one in the city goes hungry, and their efforts have gone a long way in helping to reduce hunger in the city.

Feeding America

Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, working to provide food and resources to those in need. They partner with local food banks, pantries, and meal programs to ensure that everyone has access to the food they need.

Through education, job training, and health and nutrition programs, they strive to make a lasting difference in the lives of those around the country.

National Health Freedom Coalition

The National Health Freedom Coalition (NHFC) is a nonprofit organization that works to protect and support the rights of individuals to make informed decisions about their health. NHFC is dedicated to making sure that individuals have access to safe, effective, and affordable healthcare options.

They work with policymakers to monitor changes in healthcare regulations and to advocate for the right of individuals to make their own decisions about their health. NHFC strives to ensure that the public has access to the latest research and information about healthcare so that they can make the best decisions possible for their health.

Donate to any of these organizations using the Groundswell app.

6 mins read

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Nonprofits to Support on World Cancer Awareness Day

World Cancer Awareness Day is an annual event on February 4th dedicated to increasing awareness of cancer and encouraging its prevention, detection, and treatment.

This day is coordinated by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to highlight the global impact of cancer and to inspire people to take action against it. The day is marked by events around the world, including public awareness campaigns, screenings, and educational activities.

Organizations across the world participate in World Cancer Awareness Day by hosting events and participating in online campaigns to raise awareness about the disease. Some events focus on promoting the early detection of cancer through screenings, while others focus on providing education about the disease.

This list of nonprofits supports the research, prevention, and treatment of all types of cancer. Consider donating with the Groundswell app for World Cancer Awareness Day.

Support these nonprofits for World Cancer Awareness Day

American Cancer Society

Founded in 1913, the American Cancer Society (ACS) is dedicated to saving lives and creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. It funds and conducts research, shares expert information, provides services and advocacy, and helps people take action to reduce the risk of cancer and its burden.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting blood cancer. LLS focuses on finding cures and providing access to treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improving the quality of life of patients and their families.

National Pediatric Cancer Foundation

The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer. NPCF works to provide access to treatments and to improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families.

International Myeloma Foundation

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the world's oldest and largest myeloma-specific organization. It provides education, advocacy, and support for patients and their families. IMF also funds research to find a cure for myeloma and to improve treatments and quality of life.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a leading children's hospital dedicated to advancing cures and preventing childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. St. Jude is focused on providing the most advanced and compassionate care possible while finding cures through research and treatment.

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer through research, education, and advocacy. BCRF funds research to discover new treatments, improve screening and diagnosis, and provide support services for patients and their families.

Colorectal Cancer Alliance

The Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting those affected by colorectal cancer. CCA provides education, patient support, advocacy, and research to increase awareness, find a cure, and improve the quality of life for those affected by colorectal cancer.

MD Anderson Cancer Center

MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world's leading cancer centers and is dedicated to providing the best possible care for patients and their families. MD Anderson is committed to research and education to improve the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Movember Foundation

The Movember Foundation is a global charity dedicated to changing the face of men's health. The Foundation's mission is to stop men from dying too young and to help them live healthier and happier lives. Movember funds research and supports programs that focus on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for multiple myeloma and improving the quality of life for patients and their families. MMRF funds research to find new treatments and cures, and to better understand the disease.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing research, providing patient support and advocacy, and creating hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer. PanCAN funds research and provides resources and tools to help patients and their families through diagnosis and treatment.

ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer

ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending prostate cancer. ZERO funds research to find a cure for prostate cancer provides support and resources for those affected by the disease, and advocates for policy changes to improve prostate cancer care and outcomes.

Cure Childhood Cancer

Cure Childhood Cancer is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research and providing education and support for children and families affected by childhood cancer. Cure Childhood Cancer funds research to find cures and new treatments and provides resources and support for families facing the diagnosis of childhood cancer.

Learn more about Groundswell

Groundswell is an affordable workplace giving program built for modern businesses. We give organizations the infrastructure and tools to make it easy to empower employees to support the causes they care about during moments that matter most.

Subscribe to our newsletter and reach out to our team to learn more about Groundswell.io. Donate to these organizations using the Groundswell app.

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Nonprofits to Support for American Heart Month

American Heart Month is an annual observance in February that raises awareness about heart health and encourages people to take action to reduce their risk of heart disease.

During Heart Month, organizations, businesses, and individuals come together to promote heart health education and resources. Heart Month also serves as a reminder for people to get their blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health screenings.

By taking these preventive steps, people can reduce their risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack or stroke.

Did you know?

A person dies every 36 seconds in America from heart disease, and globally it is the leading cause of death - with nearly 18 million deaths every year.

Although it is a leading cause of death, there are also steps to take to prevent or mitigate it - including regular physical activity, dietary improvements, and monitoring of blood pressure and cholesterol.

Support these nonprofits for American heart health month

There are a lot of charities working to combat heart disease, from research to preventative care to critical medical innovations and cardiac medical care.

They rely on the support from donors to help sustain and advance their essential work - consider supporting them today.

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1924 that is dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. It carries out its mission through research, education, and advocacy.

The organization provides information and resources on heart-healthy lifestyles, as well as funding for cardiovascular research and public health initiatives. The AHA is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has a nationwide network of volunteers and supporters.

Mended Hearts

Mended Hearts is a non-profit organization that provides support, education, and hope to heart disease patients, their families, and caregivers. The organization operates through a network of chapters and support groups and offers services such as peer-to-peer visits, in-person support groups, and online resources.

Mended Hearts is dedicated to improving the quality of life for heart disease patients and helping them to reclaim their health and independence.

National Coalition for Women with Hearth Disease

The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease (NCWHD), now known as WomenHeart, is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease as the leading cause of death in women.

The organization aims to empower women to take control of their heart health through education, advocacy, and support. NCWHD works to educate women, healthcare providers, and the general public about the unique signs and symptoms of heart disease in women and the importance of early detection and treatment.

The organization also advocates for increased funding for research on women and heart disease and works to improve access to quality cardiovascular care for women.

Children's HeartLink

Children's HeartLink is a non-profit organization that works to improve pediatric heart care in developing countries. It achieves this by providing training and education to local healthcare providers, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to provide life-saving care to children with heart conditions.

Children's HeartLink also works to raise awareness about the importance of pediatric heart care and the impact it can have on children and their families.

Masonic Medical Research Institute

The Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) is a non-profit medical research organization located in Utica, New York. It was established in 1958 with the aim of conducting and funding medical research to improve human health.

MMRI focuses on research in areas such as cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, genetics, and pediatrics. The organization has a strong reputation for its cutting-edge research and has made significant contributions to the advancement of medical science.

Pulmonary Hypertension Association

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is a non-profit organization founded in the United States in 1999.

It is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by pulmonary hypertension (PH), a rare and life-threatening condition characterized by high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. PHA provides education and support to patients, families, and healthcare professionals, and raises awareness about PH.

The organization also funds research aimed at finding a cure for PH and improving treatment options for those affected.

The Heart Foundation

The Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization in many countries, including Australia and New Zealand, dedicated to fighting heart disease through research, education, and community programs. Its mission is to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the impact of heart disease.

The organization funds medical research, provides information on healthy lifestyles, and works to improve access to quality care for heart disease patients. The Heart Foundation also raises awareness about heart disease and its risk factors, and advocates for policies that promote cardiovascular health.

More about Groundswell

Groundswell is an affordable workplace-giving program built for modern businesses. We give organizations the infrastructure and tools to make it easy to empower employees to support the causes they care about during moments that matter most.

Subscribe to our newsletter and reach out to our team to learn more about Groundswell.io.

Donate to these organizations using the Groundswell app.

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Live Discussion: Supporting Turkey & Syria Earthquake

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Nonprofits in Support of Ukraine

The Ukraine humanitarian crisis refers to the ongoing conflict and suffering in Ukraine, which has led to widespread displacement and need for assistance.

The conflict has caused significant loss of life and displacement, with over 1.4 million people being forced to flee their homes. The crisis has also had a severe impact on the economy, with many people struggling to access basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare.

As winter weather deepens in Ukraine, and power outages from Russian attacks impact heat, electricity and other key infrastructure, nonprofits are working to help the millions of Ukrainians who continue to be affected by the conflict.

Whether those displaced within the country, those who have fled to neighboring countries like Poland, or those trying to stay in their homes, there continues to be a need for life-critical aid and protection services.

Humanitarian nonprofits continue to work tirelessly to support affected populations all across Ukraine and in neighboring countries, and donations are still needed to help sustain this important humanitarian response.

List of vetted nonprofit organization supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine

Razom for Ukraine

Razom (meaning "together" in Ukrainian) is a non-profit organization that supports democratic values, human rights, and social justice in Ukraine. It was founded in 2013, in the aftermath of the Maidan Revolution, with the goal of promoting transparency and accountability in government, and supporting civil society in Ukraine.

The organization works on a variety of issues, including promoting reforms to fight corruption, strengthening the rule of law, and defending human rights. It also supports projects that aim to improve the lives of ordinary Ukrainians, such as initiatives to promote clean energy, improve access to education, and support small businesses.

Direct Relief

Direct Relief is a humanitarian organization that provides assistance to people affected by natural disasters, poverty, and emergencies. The organization works to improve the health and lives of people in need by providing medical resources and aid, including medications, medical supplies, and health services.

Direct Relief operates globally, with a focus on supporting underserved and vulnerable communities. The organization partners with a network of healthcare providers and organizations to deliver aid and support to people in need. Direct Relief is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund its programs and operations.

Save the Children

Save the Children is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children around the world. It was founded in the United Kingdom in 1919, and today it operates in more than 120 countries. The organization focuses on providing education, healthcare, and emergency aid to children in need. It also works to protect children from abuse, exploitation, and violence, and to advocate for their rights.

Save the Children is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations, and it has been recognized for its transparency and effectiveness in using donations to make a positive impact on the lives of children.

Team Rubicon

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit organization that brings military veterans and medical professionals together to respond to disasters and emergencies. The organization was founded in 2010 by two military veterans, Jake Wood and William McNulty, who wanted to use the skills and experiences of veterans to help communities in need.

Team Rubicon deploys teams of volunteers to provide disaster relief services such as debris removal, search and rescue, and medical assistance. The organization has responded to a variety of disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires, in countries all over the world.

In addition to disaster response, Team Rubicon also provides veterans with opportunities for ongoing training and development, as well as a sense of purpose and community. The organization has grown significantly since its founding and now has over 100,000 volunteers in its ranks.

Nova Ukraine

Nova Ukraine is a nonprofit organization giving humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine. Their goal is to raise awareness about Ukraine in the United States and to support them during the time of hardship.

The organization envisions aiding Ukraine in its recovery from social and economic crises and to build a stronger country aligned with democratic values.

IRC

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. It was founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein to help refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Today, the IRC provides assistance to people affected by conflict, natural disasters, and other emergencies. It operates in more than 40 countries around the world, delivering services such as health care, education, economic development, and protection to millions of people every year.

The IRC also works to promote the rights of displaced and vulnerable people and to lobby for more effective policies to address the root causes of conflict and displacement. The organization is headquartered in New York City and is governed by a board of directors.

International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1863 by Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, and is the oldest and most respected organization of its kind.

The ICRC's mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. It does this through a variety of means, including providing medical care and supplies, promoting international humanitarian law, and working to protect and assist prisoners of war, refugees, and other displaced persons. The ICRC is an independent, neutral organization, and it operates in countries around the world, often in conflict zones or other areas of crisis.

Revived Soldiers of Ukraine

Revived Soldiers of Ukraine is a nonprofit focused on providing aid to the people of Ukraine in support of their fundamental human rights.

The organization coordinates rehabilitation services for Ukrainian army soldiers. Their work has saved the lives of many soldiers, giving them the resources to return to their family after having suffered injuries from war. Some soldiers return with life-changing injuries, having made the ultimate sacrifice of putting their bodies on the line to defend their country.

International Medical Corps

International Medical Corps is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides medical assistance and health care to those affected by war, natural disasters, and other emergencies. The organization was founded in 1984 in response to the Armenian earthquake, and it has since provided medical care and other services in over 50 countries worldwide.

The International Medical Corps has a strong focus on training and building the capacity of local health care workers, and it works in close partnership with local organizations and governments to ensure that its efforts are sustainable and have a lasting impact. The organization's work includes providing primary care and mental health services, conducting public health campaigns and disease outbreaks, and supporting the development of health systems and infrastructure. International Medical Corps is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

World Central Kitchen Incorporated

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a non-profit organization founded by chef José Andrés in 2010. It aims to provide meals to people affected by natural disasters, hunger, and poverty, as well as to promote the use of local and sustainable food systems. WCK has provided millions of meals to people in need in countries around the world, including the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, South America, and Asia.

The organization works with local communities, partners, and volunteers to help communities recover from disasters and build resilience to future challenges. WCK also runs programs to address food insecurity and promote nutrition education, such as its "Plate of Nations" initiative, which brings together chefs and community leaders to celebrate local food cultures and promote healthy eating habits.

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Nonprofit Organizations Supporting National Poverty in America Awareness Month

National Poverty in America Awareness Month is observed each January, which aims to recognize the severe conditions of poverty that many live in.

Nearly 40 million Americans are living in poverty, which manifests in different ways, from hunger and malnutrition to limited access to education, healthcare, and unstable housing.

The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many Americans into poverty, and many families are having difficulty recovering, especially with the current levels of inflation and volatility in the economy. Many charities that support those in or on the brink of poverty are themselves struggling to keep up with demand, alongside rising prices for food and other basic services.

Explore these nonprofits on the frontlines of the fight to stamp out poverty and consider supporting their important work.

List of Nonprofit for National Poverty in America Awareness Month

Miriam’s Kitchen

Miriam's Kitchen is a non-profit organization located in Washington D.C. that works to end chronic homelessness by providing meals, case management, and other supportive services to homeless individuals in the community. The organization was founded in 1983 and is named after Miriam's daughter, who struggled with homelessness and addiction.

The organization operates a dining room that provides breakfast and lunch to homeless individuals every day, as well as a variety of other programs, including employment training, housing assistance, and healthcare services. In addition to its direct services, Miriam's Kitchen also advocates for policies and initiatives that aim to end homelessness and improve the lives of those experiencing it.

Compassion & Choices

Compassion & Choices is a national nonprofit organization in the United States that works to improve care and expand choice at the end of life. It was founded in 1987 as the Hemlock Society, and its mission is to provide information and support to people with terminal illness, their families, and caregivers.

The organization advocates for the legal recognition of medical aid in dying as an end-of-life option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults. It also provides services such as counseling and referrals to people who are considering medical aid in dying or other end-of-life options. Compassion & Choices works to educate the public and policymakers about end-of-life issues and to promote public policy that respects the rights and dignity of dying individuals.

Partnership to End Homelessness

The Partnership to End Homelessness is a non-profit organization that works to address homelessness in New York City. It was founded in 1987 with the goal of helping homeless individuals and families move out of shelters and into permanent housing.

The organization provides a range of services, including case management, job training, and education programs, as well as temporary housing and assistance with finding permanent housing. The Partnership for the Homeless also works to advocate for policies and programs that address the root causes of homelessness and to raise awareness about homelessness in the community.

Mobilize Love

Mobilize Love is a nonprofit who believes everyone should have access to basic human services and after-school programs.

The organization deploys a fleet of outreach trucks, each designed to serve the community in different ways. Among their fleet includes a Laundry Truck, Stage Truck, Food Truck, and Stories Truck.

Roca Inc.

Roca Inc. is a nonprofit aiming to reduce urban violence by helping the youth work through hardships and become contributing members of society. Their team is diligent in aiding people in their most critical stages of life between 17-24.

Their intervention model promises to reach hard-to-reach individuals by continuing to show up for them even after setbacks and relapses.

Horizons For Homeless Children Inc.

Horizons for Homeless Children is a non-profit organization based in Massachusetts that works to improve the lives of homeless children and their families. The organization provides early education and play programs to homeless children, as well as professional development and support to the educators who work with these children.

In addition to its education programs, Horizons for Homeless Children also provides resources and support to homeless families to help them secure stable housing and achieve long-term stability. The organization works with homeless shelters, transitional housing programs, and other organizations serving homeless families in Massachusetts to reach as many children and families as possible. Is there anything specific you would like to know about this organization?

Bayview Senior Services

Bayview Senior Services is a non-profit organization that provides a range of services to seniors in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, California. These services include meals, transportation, social and recreational activities, and health and wellness programs.

Bayview Senior Services also provides assistance with housing, finances, and other daily living needs, and works to connect seniors with resources and support to help them maintain their independence and quality of life. The organization serves seniors of all income levels and backgrounds, and is committed to meeting the diverse needs of the seniors in the community.

Central Arizona Shelter Services

Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) is a non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter, food, and other services to homeless individuals and families in Maricopa County, Arizona. The organization was founded in 1984 with the goal of providing a safe and dignified place for people who are experiencing homelessness to sleep, eat, and receive basic services.

CASS operates several shelters in the Phoenix area, including the Men's Shelter, the Women's Shelter, the Family Shelter, and the Multi-Service Center. In addition to providing emergency shelter, CASS also offers a range of services designed to help people transition out of homelessness, such as case management, job training, and access to healthcare.

Bread For The City Inc.

Bread for the City is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to low-income individuals and families in Washington, D.C., including food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services. The organization was founded in 1974 and has since grown to include three neighborhood centers in the city that offer these services to community members.

In addition to providing immediate assistance to those in need, Bread for the City also advocates for systemic change to address the root causes of poverty and inequality.

The Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Catholic Charities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is a non-profit social services organization that serves the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. The organization provides a variety of services to people in need, including assistance with housing, food, and clothing, as well as counseling and support for individuals and families.

Catholic Charities also runs a number of programs specifically designed to help refugees and immigrants, such as language classes and job training. The organization's mission is to serve the community and promote social justice, and it is guided by the values of compassion, dignity, and respect for all people.

Filling in the Blanks

Filling in the Blanks is a nonprofit fighting childhood hunger. They provide children in need with nutritious meals on weekends. They use the help of volunteers to distribute food directly into the hands of hungry children.

The organization serves pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, camps, after school programs, and partner agencies. Filling in the Blanks was founded by mothers and community activists Shawnee Knight and Tina Kramer. They’ve delivered over one million meals.

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Spotlight: Polaris Project

The Polaris Project is a nonprofit organization that works to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

They operate both domestically and internationally, and their efforts include preventing trafficking, protecting victims, and pursuing traffickers through a variety of means such as public awareness campaigns, policy advocacy, and direct services for victims.

The organization was founded in 2002, and is based in Washington, D.C. They are known for their National Human Trafficking Hotline which provides a 24-hour toll-free hotline for victims of human trafficking and the public to report tips and receive services.

Combat human trafficking and modern day slavery

The Polaris Project has accomplished a number of things in its efforts to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery:

Operating the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which has received over 500,000 calls and identified over 25,000 potential human trafficking cases since 2007.
Developing and implementing the "BeFree" textline, which allows victims of human trafficking to reach out for help discreetly.
Advocating for stronger state and federal laws to combat human trafficking, and assisting in the drafting and passage of several pieces of legislation.
Providing direct services to victims of human trafficking through their U.S.-based trafficking shelters and community-based services.
Creating and maintaining the Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal, an online resource center for anti-trafficking professionals and the general public.

Polaris Project has been recognized for their work on human trafficking and has received several awards and honors over the years, including the State Department's Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery award, and the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons from the White House.

Donate to Polaris Project on Groundswell.

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Nonprofit Organizations Supporting National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month is dedicated to raising awareness about different, often hidden, forms of human trafficking and modern day slavery.

It is important to raise awareness and educate communities so that people are equipped to notice potential trafficking situations and report them to local law enforcement.

Human trafficking and modern day slavery are largely hidden. This social issue involves the exploitation of people for labor or services, often through coercion or manipulation.

During the month of January, learn about these issues and support the organizations that are working to prevent human trafficking and modern day slavery through education and awareness, and protecting survivors through safe response.

List of Nonprofits for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Preventing Month

Polaris Project

The Polaris Project is a non-profit organization that works to combat and prevent human trafficking, particularly in the United States. It was founded in 2002 and has since grown to become a leading organization in the fight against human trafficking.

The organization operates a national human trafficking hotline and provides support and services to survivors of human trafficking, including crisis intervention, legal assistance, and long-term support. It also works to raise awareness about human trafficking and to advocate for stronger laws and policies to address the issue. The Polaris Project is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has offices in several other cities around the country.

Verite

Verité is a nonprofit organization that works to promote fair, safe, and legal working conditions in the global supply chain. The organization conducts research, provides training and technical assistance, and works with companies, governments, and other stakeholders to address issues such as forced labor, child labor, and worker exploitation. Verité was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Massachusetts, USA.

It works in a variety of sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and construction, and operates in more than 25 countries around the world.

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California that works to combat human trafficking and modern slavery. CAST was founded in 1998 and has since then provided direct services to survivors of human trafficking, advocated for stronger laws and policies to address trafficking, and worked to raise awareness about this issue.

CAST provides a range of services to survivors of human trafficking, including legal assistance, housing, mental health counseling, and education and job training. The organization also works to educate the public about human trafficking and advocate for stronger laws and policies to address this issue. CAST has been involved in a number of successful campaigns to pass anti-trafficking laws and increase funding for services for survivors.

In addition to its work in the United States, CAST also supports anti-trafficking efforts around the world through partnerships with other organizations and coalitions. The organization is committed to working with survivors to end modern slavery and build a world where all people can live with dignity and freedom.

United Against Human Trafficking

United Against Human Trafficking (UAHT) is a non-profit organization that works to combat human trafficking and modern slavery. The organization was founded in response to the growing global problem of human trafficking, which affects millions of people around the world.

UAHT works to raise awareness about human trafficking, provide support to victims and survivors, and advocate for stronger laws and policies to prevent and combat this crime. UAHT also partners with other organizations, both in the United States and internationally, to coordinate efforts and maximize the impact of their work. If you would like more information about UAHT or human trafficking, I would be happy to help.

Free the Slaves

Free the Slaves is a nonprofit organization that works to end modern slavery and human trafficking. It was founded in 2000 by Kevin Bales and others with the goal of eradicating slavery worldwide. The organization works to rescue and protect people who are enslaved, and to help them rebuild their lives after they are freed.

It also works to prevent slavery from happening in the first place by raising awareness about the issue and advocating for policies that will help to combat it. Free the Slaves partners with local organizations and communities to implement its programs, and works with governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to address the root causes of slavery and human trafficking.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center

The Human Trafficking Legal Center is a nonprofit for survivors of human trafficking. The organization aims to fight for survivors in court through strategic civil litigation. This provides a strong tool to hold traffickers accountable.

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Nonprofit Organizations Supporting Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday that commemorates the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, near the time of King's birthday on January 15th.

The holiday was established to honor King's work in the civil rights movement, which included leading the historic Montgomery bus boycott and delivering his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to reflect on the progress that has been made in the fight for racial equality and to continue working towards a more just and equitable society. It is also a time to honor the contributions of all those who have worked towards creating a more inclusive and diverse world.

Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and assassinated on April 4, 1968.

His legacy continues today, not just through a national holiday but importantly through the work of these nonprofits and countless others that continue to fight for racial equality and justice in America.

List of Nonprofits for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The King Center

The King Center is a non-profit organization founded by Coretta Scott King in 1968 to perpetuate the legacy and ideals of her husband, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The organization is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and its mission is to promote a more just and peaceful world through nonviolence and education. The King Center is home to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and several other landmarks, including the Tomb of Martin Luther King Jr., Freedom Hall, and the King Library and Archives.

The organization also hosts educational programs and events, such as the Annual King Holiday Observance and Parade, to teach about the Civil Rights Movement and the work of Martin Luther King Jr.

Facing History And Ourselves Inc.

Facing History and Ourselves is a nonprofit organization that provides educational resources and professional development to teachers, students, and community members around the world. It was founded in 1976 and is based in Brookline, Massachusetts. The organization works to engage students in learning about history, particularly the Holocaust, and to encourage them to think critically about issues of racism, prejudice, and social responsibility. Facing History and Ourselves offers a range of resources and programs, including teacher professional development workshops, classroom materials, online courses, and student programs. Its mission is to help people of all ages develop the knowledge, skills, and values they need to be responsible and engaged members of their communities.

NAACP Legal Defense And Educational Fund

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) is a nonprofit organization that works to advance civil rights and racial justice through litigation, advocacy, and education. It was founded in 1940 as the legal arm of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and it has a long history of fighting for the rights of African Americans and other marginalized communities.

LDF has played a key role in many of the most significant civil rights cases in the United States, including Brown v. Board of Education, which struck down segregation in public schools, and the recent case of Fisher v. University of Texas, which upheld the use of affirmative action in higher education. In addition to its work in the courts, LDF also engages in legislative and policy advocacy, and it runs educational programs to promote civil rights and racial justice.

National Civil Rights Museum

The National Civil Rights Museum is a complex of museums and historic buildings in Memphis, Tennessee, that document the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. The museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

The museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the civil rights movement and exploring the ongoing struggle for racial equality in the United States. It features exhibits on the history of slavery, segregation, and the civil rights movement, as well as a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders. The museum also hosts events, lectures, and educational programs to promote understanding and dialogue about issues of race and civil rights.

Southern Poverty Law Center Inc.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a nonprofit organization that is based in the United States. It was founded in 1971 by Morris Dees and Joseph J. Levin Jr. The organization is known for its work in monitoring and combating hate groups and other extremist organizations.

It also promotes civil rights and social justice through legal action, education, and public policy initiatives. The SPLC is based in Montgomery, Alabama and has a number of offices located throughout the United States.

STRIVE

STRIVE is a nonprofit organization and national leader in helping those facing the biggest societal barriers to employment obtain the training and support they need to build careers.

Their flagship program, Career Path, helps students with learning occupational skills and earn certifications that aid in earning employment.

National Black Women’s Justice Institute

The National Black Women's Justice Institute (NBWJI) is a research and policy organization that focuses on the unique experiences and needs of Black women and girls in the justice system. NBWJI works to eliminate racial and gender disparities in the criminal justice system and promote justice, equity, and healing for Black women and girls.

Some of the issues that NBWJI focuses on include police violence, mass incarceration, and reproductive justice. The organization conducts research, provides technical assistance and training, and advocates for policy changes at the local, state, and national levels.

Equal Justice Initiative

Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and social justice advocate. EJI is based in Montgomery, Alabama and works to challenge racial and economic injustice, particularly in the criminal justice system. EJI provides legal representation to people who have been wrongly convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state and federal prisons.

The organization also works to end mass incarceration, the death penalty, and excessive punishment in the United States. EJI has played a key role in advocating for reforms to the criminal justice system and in raising awareness about the issues it addresses.

Learn more about corporate giving with Groundswell.

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The Guide to Being a Modern Philanthropist: Elevate Your Impact With Groundswell

This guide is intended to provide resources and inspiration for Groundswell users on how to donate to causes they care about. It provides tips to best identify and donate to charities that have a proven track record of impact. It also discusses how to think about geography and size when deciding where to donate, and explains the ways in which even small, recurring donations can have be powerful for charities working on the frontlines every day.

Groundswell can be your partner in your journey as a modern philanthropist. Your donations are a critical part of addressing society's myriad issues, such as poverty, education, healthcare, and environmental concerns. And giving to others is also good for you. It has been shown that people who donate to charity experience increased happiness and well-being compared to those who do not give. This sense of satisfaction comes from the knowledge that your actions are making a positive impact on the world and helping those in need.

Through Groundswell, you can easily add funds to your account, browse or search for charities, and donate in a matter of minutes. In this guide, we help demystify some of the questions you might have as you consider where, when and how to donate.

Six Tips to Becoming a Modern Philanthropist

Summary

Pick causes and charities that align with your values: When deciding what you want to support, start by taking into consideration the people, places, or problems that you care about most.
Understand impact through the lens of size & geography: The geographic reach of different charities' programs, and how large or small they are, can help as you determine what to support.
Evaluate best in class charities: Learn how to assess not only the financial health of an organization, but also what questions to ask when looking at other impact metrics.
Set a giving goal: Decide how much you want to give annually through Groundswell, and follow the simple steps to set up contributions to achieve that goal.
Maximize impact through recurring donations: Simplify your giving and provide nonprofits with a steady stream of revenue through monthly, recurring donations.
Optimize your giving through tax-efficient strategies: Leverage the versatility of Groundswell to reduce your tax burden through payroll giving, stocks contributions, and bunching.

1. Pick Causes & Charities that Align with Your Values

Your giving journey often is deeply personal, rooted in your own values and lived experiences. When deciding what causes you want to support, it’s important to start by taking into consideration the people, places, or problems that you care about most. Who or what do you want to impact? What cause is most aligned with that? Use that as a starting point to then find the charities best positioned to have an impact on what you care most about. Focusing on specific cause areas allows you to be more intentional about how you donate.

There are thousands of causes and more than a million nonprofits on the Groundswell platform that tackle challenges from all angles, from improving K-12 education or finding a cure for Alzheimer’s to reducing plastics in the ocean or protecting women’s rights.

After determining what causes matter most to you, it’s also helpful to identify the type of impact you are seeking to make. Are you interested in supporting organizations that are “on the ground” providing direct services or those doing longer-term, important policy and research work? That can help guide you in picking the charities that you want to donate to.

2. Understand Impact: Size & Geography

Where to donate

When deciding where to donate, it’s also important to determine where you want that impact to happen. For many people, where they give is closely linked to where they live – their local food pantry, homeless shelter, house of worship, or neighborhood school.

Others may want to focus their giving beyond where they live and donate to organizations that operate in certain regions or even other countries. There’s no ‘right’ answer - and many people choose to donate both locally and globally to a cause they care about. For example, you may want to support an organization that is both on the frontlines supporting refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, as well as helping resettle refugee families near your town in the U.S.

Does size matter?

Similarly, there is no right answer for what size organization is best to donate to. Whether they are large or small, if they have a strong track record of impact and do not have a pattern of mismanagement of funds, they are worthy recipients of donations.

Many people want to donate to organizations that have a proven track record of implementing large-scale programs, or are on a strong growth trajectory, year over year. Larger organizations generally have shown their ability to receive larger amounts of funding, and in turn design and implement programs at a scale that have a greater impact towards the causes you care about most. But small organizations can also be extremely impactful - even if the radius or scope of impact is smaller. Although many of today’s social and environmental problems are massive in scale, the vast majority of nonprofits are tiny; indeed, most nonprofits in the United States are small, grassroots organizations - and 20% have annual budgets of less than $50,000. For smaller nonprofits, even the smallest donation on an annual or monthly, recurring basis can have a huge impact on their ability to sustain programs or even expand.

3. Evaluate "Best in Class" Charities

There are multiple ways to assess the quality of a charity; many ratings sites focus primarily on financial metrics, but it is equally important to assess not only how an organization is managing its funds, but also the quality of its work. And while a rating system like Charity Navigator can be helpful, it is important to know that no rating system is comprehensive. Groundswell offers an important starting point - we only feature organizations that are in good standing with the IRS and eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.

Programmatic Impact: Understanding a nonprofit’s impact - through its programs and the populations that it serves - is an important way to evaluate its effectiveness in tackling the causes you care about. Many nonprofits provide details about programming approaches on their websites, including testimonials, photos, and reports detailing specific results. Keep in mind that understanding and assessing impact is highly qualitative - there is no clear ‘score’ - especially because what or who is being impacted varies across the thousands of nonprofits.

Financial Management: Nonprofits, especially larger ones, are required to disclose details related to their financial performance annually – to include assets, revenue and breakdown of expenses in forms submitted to the IRS. Many nonprofits are proactively transparent about their finances and post audited financial statements and other reports on their websites. But financial data does not always tell a complete story. There may be important investments in fundraising staff, which two years later yield a windfall in donations that can be put towards programs.

Advisories: Sometimes there are advisories based on pending or ongoing legal action. Groundswell works to monitor these advisories and remove any charities that it believes are acting improperly or mismanaging donor funds. We also remove any charities that have had their nonprofit status revoked by the IRS.

Groundswell-curated Featured Causes: While many donors might want to do their own research, sometimes it’s far easier (and efficient) to put your trust in others. Groundswell’s impact team provides donors with additional inspiration, and has done the vetting work to determine cause-specific organizations that are well run and most importantly having a strong impact.

4. Aim High with a Giving Goal

You can use Groundswell’s calculator found under your Profile to set or edit your annual giving goal. This can be a flat amount, or a percentage of your annual salary. While estimates vary, a common range for giving as a percentage of annual salary is between 2-6%.

The good news is that with your Groundswell Personal Giving Account, you can easily set up recurring contributions to stay on track to meet your goals. It’s also important to maximize the matching offered by your company’s giving program, where applicable.

Your giving goal can help fund recurring donations, as well as account for unexpected events that you may want to donate to.

5. Level Up with Recurring Donations

Recurring donations can be a great component of your philanthropic strategy. As a bonus, there are benefits for both donors as well as nonprofits.

For donors, setting recurring donations to autopilot every month or quarter means you don’t have to think about it or go through the steps to do it on a regular basis.

Put simply, it’s a smart use of your time. It is also a symbol of a donor’s commitment to a cause, and a belief in the nonprofit’s ability to have a positive impact - not just in a moment of crisis, but on a continuous basis. Groundswell’s recurring contributions and donations features help facilitate recurring giving.

For charities, recurring donations provide a steady, predictable stream of revenue that helps with budget planning. For many organizations, large or small, recurring donations can have a huge impact. Similar to the trends in grassroots political fundraising, having many small-dollar donors is good for nonprofits.

It helps them build awareness and shows to the larger-dollar donors that there is a community that believes in the nonprofit’s mission. It also helps de-risk; nonprofits with one or two large donors and very few small-dollar donors can run into major problems if any of those large donors stop supporting their work.

6. Optimize Your Tax-Efficient Giving

You can leverage the versatility of your Groundswell Personal Giving Account, which is underpinned by a Donor-Advised Fund, to be strategic and reduce your tax burden.

Donate appreciated stock

If you have appreciated stocks that you've held for more than a year and you donate them through your Groundswell account, you won't have to pay capital gains tax on the appreciation when those shares are exchanged for their market value.

Plus, you'll be eligible for a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of contribution into your Groundswell account.

Give with payroll

You can leverage Groundswell’s Payroll feature to make giving more tax efficient. Contributions to Groundswell through payroll deductions are eligible for an immediate tax deduction for the amount contributed. This means that your taxable income for the year is reduced by the amount of your contribution. Contributing on a recurring basis via payroll also makes it easier to “set and forget” and achieve your giving goals more efficiently.

Bundle contributions

You can also take advantage of the Donor-Advised Fund structure of Groundswell to make a larger contribution in a single tax year and maximize tax benefits by itemizing deductions in the year that the larger contribution is being made - commonly known as “bunching.”

For example, if you typically give $5,000 to charity each year but decide to give $25,000 to your Groundswell account in one year, you can itemize your deductions that year and take the standard deduction in the following years. By doing so, you may be able to minimize your tax burden over time while still supporting the charities you care about.

Want access to other toolkits like this?

Corporate giving programs aim to empower employees and help companies facilitate and support philanthropic efforts. As global access grows and corporations become more diverse, employee representation becomes an increasingly important subject.

Groundswell enables companies to lay the foundation for their employees to adopt a generous giving attitude towards charities and world-shaping efforts.

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Science of Giving: Why Do People Donate to Charity?

It’s easy enough to give away that old sofa stashed in the corner of your garage. But why do people donate to charity? What causes you, or anyone else, to send a $100 check to a foundation or spend an evening tutoring underserved youth? We have dozens of sayings about giving. Do good and good things will happen to you. To whom much is given, much is expected. I can’t do everything, but I can do something. There’s more, but the point is that giving is a part of the human experience. Without a doubt, for many people, it seems the right thing to do. People give because it feels good to do so. Americans are a particularly generous lot. In fact, 60% of us give money, 72% help strangers and 42% volunteer, often just because we are asked. And during the pandemic? Americans became even more generous. In 2020 and 2021, donations were higher than they were in 2019. The average donation per person was $574 in 2021.What’s more, there are undeniable psychological and scientific benefits that make donating important to the human spirit and will keep people giving generously into the foreseeable future.

The Science of Giving: What Happens in the Brain

For Americans, there are plenty of opportunities to spend money which, researchers admit, provide a dopamine hit. So it can be tempting to think that we’re just a purchase away from nirvana. But the accumulation of things is not the type of spending that makes a difference in our lives or the lives of others. We get more bang for the buck, so to speak, when we give to others. That’s because giving has a positive impact on the brain. It makes sense that our brains would reward us for helping to preserve society, releasing the same types of feel-good chemicals as during exercise. It is one of the evolutionary traits that has helped us build prosperous civilizations. In fact, in 2006, Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman, neuroscientists at the National Institutes of Health, were able to measure the neural activity of giving, thus proving what we intuitively knew already. Subjects were allocated money that they could either keep for themselves or donate to selected charities. By tracking the impact on the pleasure centers of the brain, researchers discovered that the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the subgenual area lit up when subjects donated the money. These are the same parts of the brain that light up when presented with a delicious meal or when talking about a romantic partner.

Why Do People Donate to Charity?

For years, there has been a philosophical discussion about whether or not charitable giving is altruistic. Do people give their money and donate their time just for the purpose of doing good, expecting nothing in return? Psychologists and philosophers argue that because charitable acts lead to feelings of happiness and satisfaction, true altruism does not exist.But many people consider this argument flawed. When it comes to human behavior, there are many shades of gray. If a benefactor feels happier following an act of kindness, that doesn’t mean that the motivation is self-serving.

Altruism

Altruism is a hallmark of cooperation. Cooperation underpins our society and is, in part, what separates humans from animals. Why do people donate? Because it feels good. Our society is built on the values of empathy, compassion and solidarity, among others. People give because doing so fosters a sense of belonging and generates meaning and purpose in their lives. There are other good outcomes, as well.

Giving May Help Depression

It’s pretty obvious that giving makes people happier. Michael Norton, professor of psychology at Harvard and co-author of the book, “Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending,” agrees. “When we tell people ‘Hey, did you know that giving to other people can make you happy?’ Most people are not blown away. They’ve had experiences that make them happy. They understand the concept, but it doesn’t occur to us that often to give instead of getting stuff for ourselves.”If you’re assuming that depression is not a major factor in your company, don’t be so sure. According to a July 2021 survey by SilverCloud Health, approximately two-thirds of U.S. workers suffer from clinical levels of depression or anxiety. Depression may mean that employees exhibit a high rate of absenteeism and fall short in key areas of performance, including decision-making, focus and communications. When an employee is depressed, it can have a devastating effect on the workplace. Depression is generally accompanied by a decline in how an individual views themselves. It may seem intuitive for those suffering from depression to attempt to bolster their self-image by focusing on, for example, getting others to notice their positive qualities. But researchers found that goals centered around self-image will likely make matters worse. Alternatively, they found that the pursuit of compassionate goals, that is, helping others, seems to alleviate the symptoms of depression and improve personal relationships. Perhaps that’s because helping others puts one’s own life into perspective and generates a more optimistic outlook.

Giving Increases Longevity

Charitable volunteering could even increase your lifespan. A classic study published in the Journal of Health Psychology concluded that elderly volunteers had a 44% lower mortality rate within the next five years after controlling for health habits, social support and other factors. According to researchers, prosocial spending or spending money on other people (which includes charitable donations) can even lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation, both risk factors for a number of health conditions.

The Charitable Brain and Your Corporate Giving Programs

According to Michael Norton, automatic withdrawals may not be enough to engage your employees. “(Automatic withdrawals are) not going to have as big an impact on my life as if I’m thinking about who I’m giving to and why I’m giving to them and the impact that I’m having.” When you understand how and why charitable giving makes people happy, you can leverage this information to make your corporate giving program one that will not only engage and delight your employees but accrue benefits to the company and to the broader society as well. The best programs align with corporate values and help employees establish habits that facilitate giving in a memorable and meaningful way. Certainly, it makes sense for companies to implement programs that are easy to administer. But they must also ensure that employees are involved in selecting charities, auditing themselves, managing their giving targeting, tracking the good deeds of the non-profits and maybe even volunteering. With a properly executed corporate giving program, companies can realize the many benefits that such a plan has to offer to its employees and to the communities it serves. At Groundswell, we can help you give your corporate giving program a whole new look and feel and make it a pillar of your compensation system. Contact us for more information.

6 mins read

Blog Post

From Dock to Dish: A Deep Dive Into Seafood Sustainability

This week we dive into an interview with Wendy Norden, Director of Science and Global Strategies at Seafood Watch Program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, discussing the interconnected depths of consumer buying, aquaculture, climate change, and economics of seafood.Celebrating seafood sustainability is a cause bigger than itself affecting human populations around the world as much as the species we fish and farm, and a cause that Meg Vandervort of Groundswell is particularly passionate about. Meg sat down with Wendy Norden from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program with questions to help all of us non-marine biologists understand the challenges and successes surrounding sustainable seafood. Wendy spent years working underwater as a marine biologist and researcher, before moving to New Zealand and working in a government role overseeing their seafood industry. For the past twelve years, Wendy has been with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and is currently the Director of Science and Global Strategies for their Seafood Watch Program, responsible for the overall scientific integrity, vision, innovation, and direction of the program. She’s also in charge of maintaining global strategic direction and partnerships that support global fisheries and aquaculture improvement.

Welcome! In celebration of World Oceans Day this year, I’m excited to dive into a topic near and dear to me—seafood sustainability. I’m a huge fan of Monterey Bay Aquarium and have been following the Seafood Watch program for some years now. For those who aren’t as familiar, can you give a brief overview of what Seafood Watch is doing to advance healthier oceans?

Wendy: Sure, and of course. Seafood Watch provides the information needed to make better choices at the supermarket, and we'll work with business partners to really source seafood and see that it’s more responsibly done. And it really boils down to very difficult subject matter into a guide, like red, yellow, and green, knowing what to source and also knowing that you know, consumer choices really do matter quite a bit. You know, that also has very broad reaching applications as well. So when consumers make choices in the United States, our business partners kind of come to the table—they want to source those seafood products that the consumers are looking for and also to make a better planet as well. But on top of that, it also gives producers around the world an idea of where their product is in terms of sustainability. And it is a big landscape, right, from really great production to really poor and everything kind of in between. So, we provide that information that helps guide purchasing but also helps industry understand about sustainability in order to make change and make things better, because our goal really is about celebrating seafood, making the right choices, and hopefully improving the rest.

That’s wonderful! I’m actually curious to learn a little bit more about you. We always love to highlight the people behind some of these amazing movements that are happening, but can you give us a brief history or your journey to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seafood Watch program, and have you always had a passion for the ocean growing up?

Wendy: It’s a very winding path. Growing up I got into scuba diving. Before college, I worked several jobs and saved a lot of money because I wanted to travel, so then I went to New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji as a young person. When I went scuba diving in most of these places for the first time, I did not realize at that point that it could be a job, like you could actually do this kind of work. The minute I came back home, I officially got advanced certified and I enrolled in college to really be a marine biologist. Everyone told me at that point, “that's nice, you'll never get a job”, but I was determined to do it anyway because I knew I’d figure it out. Throughout college, I had a lot of great internships, and I did a lot of work underwater. I got more experience doing research, but I wanted to do more. I ended up moving to New Zealand for several years, and I got a really great job working for the government working on a program to reduce bycatch, and I actually worked on the observer program for the whole country. That really helped me understand how to work better with the industry, how to set goals that maybe people didn't agree with, but learned how to actually work together. That and science, plus understanding what to actually call it, really helped me. With that experience, I ended up working in academics for a while. When I got to Seafood Watch, all that experience helped me understand how to apply science in an understandable way—how to work with the industry, knowing that you might be at odds at some point, but you actually all want the same end goal as well. It really helped me set up my career, and I’ve been with Seafood Watch for almost twelve years now. It’s been a very exciting journey. I learn every day—something different, something new—and I have amazing partners.

That’s exciting! Sounds like a dream job.

Wendy: Yeah, I feel really lucky. I never get bored. I find I'm amazed at the people that I meet all the time because I travel—or I used to before COVID— all over the place, talking to people about seafood, working with producers, understanding where everyones’ values are. At the end of the day, everyone wants to do a good job for seafood sustainability.

You touched on something that leads me to my next question about seafood sustainability in general, which is that it's actually an extremely complex thing, and it's not so cut and dry, like just buying from the local fisherman, or don’t eat fish.

But between sustainable fishing practices, aquaculture and the seafood supply chain – it's a lot to wrap your head around. What would you say for someone who's just getting into understanding this topic? What is the most pressing thing we can focus on?

Wendy: I feel like at any level, if you want to get involved, there's a place for you. I think if you really just want to, say, I want to understand the source of a particular seafood and I'm going to purchase responsibly, use our information. We boil it all down into very simple red, yellow and green. All of our reports and assessments are online, so if you want to dig a little deeper, you can read those assessments and understand the issues. There really is a place for any level of information you want, essentially, because we put it all out there. It's all out there publicly available. I think it really is important to know that the choices we make do matter at the grocery store. They do mean something. And they help us do our work and improve, because we want to celebrate seafood. We think eating seafood is a great thing. We want to have all seafood produced in a way that's sustainable and when I say sustainable, I mean the environment. I mean food security. I also mean things like better equity and supply chains. So, it really has to be good for people and the ocean.

Oh, that's so interesting. I'm also curious, from the general consumers’ perspective, a question that might come up is “should I potentially avoid buying a particular type of seafood?” For example, if I'm buying shrimp, is it more likely that it's unsustainably caught or has human trafficking attached to it?

Wendy: I go back to using our recommendations. The red is really what things you should avoid. Our hope is that red doesn't stay red. Our hope is not like you just abandon it and say, I'm not buying this again. But it does matter because when consumers don't buy something because it's red, that gives us a lot of incentives to go to the industry and say look, this is really what people are wanting. They want more sustainable products. That does go a long way. What we do in our reports is dig into those major issues. Why does it cause red? So we have standards that we develop from wild-capture and fisheries. We know scientifically why it's not sustainable, and it gives us the consumer demand. It really gives us that extra incentive for the industry to make those changes, which are also good for them. Any seafood product generally can be the best choice, farmed from any country that has a species—it's just a matter of us getting the right data, and us being able to say it isn't being done the right way. So the ability is there, like our green listing isn’t completely aspirational. It is doable, but it's a high bar. Everyone can actually get there. And that is our goal: To push the entire industry and have a much more sustainable industry overall.

On a brighter note, what are some of the bigger recent accomplishments that the Seafood Watch program has had that maybe people don't know about?

Wendy: Well, I think a big one that we haven't talked about enough is our development of our improvement verification platform, which doesn't sound very exciting, but it really is. We have developed the technology with partners to collect data efficiently and quickly on a farm and then scale it up to a region to understand. We actually can assess thousands of farms and in little time spent, get them to that green level. That has not happened in the past. We've developed technology that basically works online or offline and collects data efficiently and quickly, and then we scale it up to a region so you can have more scalable change. It also identifies areas needing improvement. We already have 2,000 shrimp farms going through the system that are green. To me, that's a huge accomplishment that's taken us a long time to develop. Very exciting. We also have recently launched aquaculture governance indicators, which again doesn't sound exciting, but it is because we have developed these indicators. We don't really know what makes really good aquaculture governance structures. What do you need to have? What are the key elements? We worked on developing those key elements to help the governance structures, and it isn't just about legislation, it's about how the industry is formed, and how reactive it is to change and how adaptable it is that the system in place in a country or region that allows for good things to happen allowing for sustainability. Understanding those underlying conditions and what gets in the way of sustainability is super important, because it isn't as simple as saying, here's a checklist. There's a reason why that isn't happening. And it could be infrastructure, it could be poverty, it could be too many illegal things happening. It could be many different things. It helps us understand underlying conditions that exist. A third one I'll just briefly talk about, one issue, is why use antibiotics for aquaculture? And that’s spread across every production system from farm salmon, shrimp, tilapia, you name it. We convened a large working group of fifty people from over twenty-one countries in the last year with the World Bank and came up with the key areas of impact on antibiotics, because we still don't even know that necessarily. What are our key recommendations going forward about what we think we should do, and how do you actually make sure the antibiotic issue doesn’t get out of control? Because right now, with warming water temperatures, you're gonna have more disease, more need for antibiotics. And in poor countries, you often don't even have labels on bottles for these things. Some people don’t really know what they're putting in their ponds. We are going to be launching our key recommendations very soon on that government and industry and then we're also doing a series of workshops to talk to farmers directly and find out what their needs are.

Wonderful, thank you so much for your insight and time, Wendy!

For Seafood Watch’s consumer guides to buying sustainable seafood that Wendy mentions, you can find them at SeafoodWatch.org.Log into your Groundswell Personal Giving Account to support Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Seafood Watch Program.

6 mins read

Blog Post

How To Become a Philanthropist: 7 Steps To Change the World

If you’re wondering how to become a philanthropist, it’s easier than you think. Anyone can do it and, contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for the wealthy. Make no mistake about it: Humans are social creatures. We love to help one another. That’s why philanthropy is so popular. It’s a feel-good activity that improves our world. And the benefits far outweigh the costs. Before you start contributing to worthy causes, however, it helps to understand the options available to you. You’ll want to make good decisions so that you maximize the impact you want to make in the world. No worries, either, about how much — or how little — money you have. All you need is a vision and a plan.

What Is Philanthropy?

A philanthropist is an entity, either a person or a corporation, that provides time, money, or resources — and perhaps all three — to people or nonprofits in need of assistance. The overarching goal is to make lives better for others (or the world we inhabit). Philanthropy is often associated with large sums of money and wealthy people. But, as mentioned, philanthropists can be any person or entity. Even a tiny business can be philanthropic.Some philanthropists rise to rockstar status and are known for their generosity. For example, Warren Buffett, Melinda Gates and Oprah Winfrey are just a few among the mega-rich who have given large sums and had an impact on important social and environmental issues. But you don’t have to be a millionaire, and indeed - many nonprofits are supported by hundreds of thousands of people who give modestly. Even a relatively small donation - alongside hundreds of others who also are giving a small amount - can add up to hugely impactful levels of support for nonprofits working to support communities in need.

What Philanthropy Looks Like

Philanthropy can take a number of forms. These include, for example:Money: Donations may be one time only or on a regular basis. Philanthropists may also bequest money after death or establish a trust.Time: Those who don’t have money to donate or prefer to contribute in other ways can donate time and labor. Examples include volunteering at a homeless shelter or tutoring students after school. As with monetary donations, these can be one-time, yearly or more frequent contributions. Many small, community-based nonprofits are dependent upon the generosity of their volunteers’ time to extend the impact of their mission.Resources: These donations, known often as “in-kind,” include furniture, vehicles, food, clothing, toys, computers, etc.

Benefits of Changing the World With Philanthropy

It may seem to be a cliche, but the benefits of philanthropy are immeasurable for those donating time, money or other resources:

Lends perspective: Philanthropy heightens your sense of connectivity to the world and the things that really matter.
Better health: Your mental health and physical wellbeing both improve when you give back.
Lower stress levels: Volunteering has been proven to lower stress and enhance feelings of well-being by releasing dopamine.
Tax reductions: Donations may be written off on personal taxes.
Social interaction: Volunteering can offer opportunities to network and meet others who are committed to similar causes, and connections can be formed among a group of donors providing financial support.
Improved skill set: As a volunteer or a donor who has researched the causes that nonprofits are working on, you will learn new skills, both hard and soft, and improve your leadership acumen.

How To Become a Philanthropist

As with any good strategy, you’ll need a road map to get to your final destination. Follow these seven steps to become a philanthropist:

1. Clarify Your Goals

Before you decide where to put your time and effort, you’ll need to understand what’s most important to you. What do you value? Where can you make a difference? What would feel good to do? Include your personal or professional goals such as expanding your network. Whether it’s working for climate change or helping your community’s underserved population get the resources they lack, make sure that you feel passionate about the issue.

2. Determine Your Commitment

Before you decide what to do, you need to determine how to do it. Do you want to give money or time? If it’s money, what can you afford? If you plan to volunteer, how much time do you have? When can you volunteer?

3. Choose Your Organization

Once you know the type of commitment you can make, research and vet organizations. Do they align with your mission and values? Where do they work? If you know you want to focus on homelessness in your community, determine if the organization is serving the homeless population in your city. Most organizations share information about their programs, their leadership and how they use their charitable donations. If you have questions, ask. The organization should be transparent and credible.

4. Check With Your Company

Before you completely nail down a target nonprofit, check out the support your company may offer – whether that be a match or volunteer opportunities.

5. Establish a Plan

Based on the causes you care about, the resources you want to commit to and the organizations you want to support, determine your giving cadence. For many, setting up recurring, monthly donations means you can ‘set it and forget it.’ But you might also want to consider setting aside some funds for donating during an emergency - whether it's a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, the war in Ukraine, or a social justice issue.

6. Stay Engaged and Curious

Find your community, and learn about other organizations that are doing important work in support of the causes you care about. You might find that in order to tackle an issue that you’re passionate about, multiple organizations are needed to make change. You can create social connections in-person or online to discover more organizations.

7. Trumpet the Cause

Now that you’re a practicing philanthropist, tell others about the organizations you support and why. They may be inspired to help or to find a cause of their own.

Have Fun With It!

Philanthropy is something anyone can do. Whether you donate time or money, it offers great benefits and improves the lives of others. Find the organization or cause you want to support and go for it. It’s a fun and easy way to give back to the community and expand your horizons.If you would like to know more about a corporate giving program, contact Groundswell. We can help turn philanthropic giving into an essential employee benefit.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Donor-Advised Fund vs. Private Foundation: What's the Difference?

Donating directly to a charitable organization might be the simplest way to give, but there are also various philanthropic vehicles available for minimizing taxes and maximizing impact. Two of the better known structures are donor-advised funds (DAF) and private foundations.

Donor-Advised Fund vs. Private Foundation

While there are 1.4 million registered public charities in the United States, less than 1% are donor-advised funds. Likewise, private foundation numbers, at around 90,000, are relatively modest. The impact of these nonprofit organizations, on the other hand, can be considerable. Here are the key differences between donor-advised funds and private foundations.

What Is a Donor-Advised Fund?

The donor-advised fund (DAF) is a tax-advantaged personal giving account established at a public nonprofit sponsor organization. The account is opened in the donor’s name and contributions are made to the organization(s) chosen by the donor. That might be a charity, but it could also be a university, religious foundation or financial institution. DAFs are enjoying unprecedented popularity with donations jumping by 27% since 2019. Giving from DAFs topped $34.67 billion in 2020, with the five largest — Fidelity, National Philanthropic Trust, Schwab, Vanguard and Silicon Valley Community — accounting for $24.5 billion alone. That said, the size of the average fund is a lot less, at around $150,000. Donors can gift cash, stock, real estate or other assets to a donor-advised fund. Traditionally, DAFs have been viewed as a tax-efficient way to give over a longer period of time without any annual obligation to distribute funds (thus the nickname “zombie philanthropy”), but now Groundswell is empowering corporations to unlock the advantages through our Philanthropy-as-a-Service platform. Whereas DAFs have conventionally been the preserve of the ultra-rich and brokerages, we’re offering access starting at $1 million (the lowest minimum contribution in the industry) to help employees with meaningful giving that benefits communities.

What Is a Private Foundation?

A private foundation, on the other hand, is a legal entity established solely for charitable purposes. Usually launched as a family or organization’s legacy initiative, the private foundation is a long-term project whose influence can spread worldwide. That’s certainly true of three of the biggest three: the Bill and Melinda Gates, Ford and Getty foundations. Private foundations are administered by a board of directors and can receive funds via real estate, investment assets or charitable donations. Unlike public charities, however, they usually derive their financial support from a single source, whether it’s a person, family or organization.

Key Differences Between Donor-Advised Fund vs. Private Foundation

There are a few important distinctions to note between the two, particularly when it comes to the overarching mission and vision.

Longevity

Most donor-advised funds are intended to support charitable giving during the philanthropist’s lifetime, although some do extend to a further generation or two. One of the criticisms of DAFs is that rather than distributing donations to non-profit organizations in need, they are used by the rich to “park” private wealth in a tax deductible fund. That’s not the Groundswell approach. Our platform is designed to establish a minimum annual distribution for DAFs to bring communities to life, not mothball zombie philanthropy funds. Private foundations, by contrast, focus firmly on the future legacy, and most are established as permanent entities that will outlive the founder.

Control

The board of directors (which can include the founder) manages a private foundation. For a DAF, the sponsor organization has control, although the donor may give their recommendation or advice on how grants are distributed.

Profile

Private foundations often celebrate a particular goal or set of values, so concealing the founder’s identity is rarely a concern. DAFs do offer confidentiality, so they are a useful vehicle for benefactors who want to support a charitable organization anonymously.

Establishment

There is a lower barrier to entry for donor-advised funds, some of which can be set up with as little as $5,000, although upwards of $100,000 is more common. Because all legal formalities are covered by the parent organization, DAFs are relatively easy to set up. By contrast, private foundations take longer to establish, and the legal, administrative and tax affairs require professional support. Private foundations usually start with funds of $10 million or more.

Tax Matters

Arguably the biggest difference between the two is in terms of tax regulation. For private foundations, the IRS dictates that a 5% minimum of net investment assets must be distributed annually in the form of grants or administrative expenses. To set up a private foundation, the founder(s) must apply for recognition of exemption under Section 501(c)(3) with the IRS, and will subsequently need to file detailed tax returns on board members’ compensation, fees and grants. All are a matter of public record. Donor-advised funds, on the other hand, do not require any annual grants to be administered but do offer immediate tax advantages, particularly if the donor is receiving a windfall, inheritance or revenue from a business or property sale. Neither do DAF donors have to file tax returns to the IRS, not least because ultimate control of the DAF is with the sponsor nonprofit organization.

We’re Here To Support Your Giving Efforts

Despite the “zombie” tag, DAFs are by no means evil by nature. In fact, they can be an effective way to drive meaningful giving that brings communities to life. To find out how we’re raising zombie philanthropy from the dead with an employee benefit that benefits the world, get in touch with us today.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Anna Malaika Tubbs: On Celebrating Black Motherhood, and Creating a Social Justice-Driven Portfolio

At Groundswell, we are privileged to talk to a wide range of individuals about philanthropy in all its forms. That is why we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with New York Times best-selling author of The Three Mothers, Anna Malaika Tubbs. The Three Mothers shines a light on mothers Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin, who raised and shaped Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X., and James Baldwin. The book celebrates their legacy and Black motherhood which has shaped much of American history. Anna believes in supporting philanthropic organizations that recognize the importance of motherhood, particularly for black women in America.

Thanks for joining us, Anna. It’s an honor to speak with you. You begin your book by outlining your personal tie to three very incredible mothers — Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin — and how their history spans over the past century. That’s incredible. What ultimately led you to exploring these three incredible women in particular?

It was done out of curiosity, and it was a sort of elimination process, in the sense that I knew I wanted to do a project like Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly's book. I wanted to be a person who discovered other hidden figures; other black women whose tales we should have known all along but had been lost, erased, or hidden.

I had an amazing mother who was always talking about the significance of celebrating mothers and paying more attention to the crucial role that moms play in our society.

So I've always had this idea in my head that I'm going to do something about black mothers who should have been known.I wanted to focus on the civil rights movement because it comes up so frequently in our policy debates and other discussions. I whittled it down to these three since they were born within six years of each other, and their famous kids were born within five years of each other. This brought them together over time without reducing their complexity and diversity, while celebrating their differences; each chapter covers ten years of their lives.

What I think is so great about your book is your approach to research, and how you were so honest about what information you could find and what you could not. The absence of history is equally as important. That said, you talk about the erasure of Black Women in history, especially through the eyes of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis. Even through your initial research it was hard to nail down exact details like birthdays, and you say Berdis’s name wasn’t even listed in the US. Census. For those who are unaware, can you outline why this Is so important to explore this history and how it better informs us today?

The research process was really difficult, and I'd like to point out that this was also the subject of my PhD dissertation, so this is completely original research.

I needed to dig for every single detail that I uncovered, and even if I found a small nugget of information, I needed to push further to understand the context behind it.

Also, I needed to remember that a lot of what I was finding had been filtered via men, typically white men, who recounted these stories quite differently from how I would. So it was highly complicated, requiring a variety of procedures such as contacting local historians, searching census data, locating land deed, birth certificates, death certificates, and interviewing family members. I'm doing my best to fill in the blanks with information from documents I discover. But it is a reminder to us, first and foremost, of how we value various lives in different ways.

I like to speak about each of our lives as if they are puzzles, and certain puzzles we put together, frame, and hang, either on a mantel or on a wall, to treasure, marvel at, celebrate, and honor.

Then there are the puzzles that we just leave on the ground; every time we move, we leave some pieces in one house, we may throw them away, or the dog may chew on them; no one is ensuring that we retain this information, notice it, or care about it. So I was there, putting the puzzle pieces together.

What I believe is important is that we do this for more people; each story does matter, especially when we see how black women have contributed everything they could to the progression of this nation.

Unfortunately, we continue to disregard their lives, saying, your history doesn't matter, your contributions don't matter. As a result, we've arrived at a point where we don't understand what's going on in our country. We believe that all of these instances of sexism and racism, the intersectionality of the two, as well as the many other isms with which it intersects, occur at random or independently of one another, rather than as a product of years and years of devaluing lives.It's done through systems, regulations, and extremely strategic tactics to eliminate people in order to keep those puzzle parts scattered and concealed. So I simply want more of us to take on that project. I don't want this to be the only book about the three of them. I was declaring that they are worthy of study, worthy of celebration, and worthy of being on the cover of a book. Because what they deserve, in my opinion, was to be seen, celebrated, and honored.

Speaking especially of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis' stories, what surprised you when writing your book, and what was left out of their history?

When I first came up with the idea, I merely wanted to recognize them as individuals with their own interesting lives. I knew they'd be not just intriguing, but also valuable to our society in the ways they were generating life beyond their children through activism and creativity. I wasn't trying to argue that since Alberta [King] did this, Martin [Luther King] did this—I wasn't trying to emphasize the sons in that way. But every piece of information madethe relationship and connections so evident, they’re undeniable.Even if I didn't tell you their names and only described the women based on their passions and approach to fighting for freedom, you'd be able to connect them with their sons. Even if you only know a little bit about the sons.Those are the instances where it's surprising we didn't already know their names.

Moms affect their children in a variety of ways, and you can't dispute it in these three cases.

Because you almost had to work at separating them, it made the erasure even more infuriating. You must purposefully leave out the fact that they are linked. During the course of writing this book, I discovered that the sons did give credit to their mothers. So it's not really their fault; rather, it's those of us who have researched them and determined that they don't fit our racist patriarchal view of who matters. Those who have said, we'll leave that as a footnote but we're not going to center it in the way you believe it should be centered in the record.

You talk about how the media played a role in the erasure of these women’s stories, which essentially shaped what the narratives would become. How does this affect those that are intentionally being erased?

This is a fantastic segue for me to speak about my TED talk, because it's all about storytelling and how we follow the stories that we’re told and how our policy reflects that. In the TED talk, I address the way we talk about moms in the stories we share, not only on an interpersonal level, but in media and in literature. We thank moms for being selfless and putting everyone else's needs ahead of their own.

Moms themselves then believe they should be individuals who don't have their own needs and don't have their own identities.

That can be excruciatingly painful, frustrating, and confusing. It also expands on the stories we're telling in the media that don't highlight the contributions of mothers. We as a society believe that mothers are exclusively important in the domestic sphere, or we take those contributions for granted, or employers will try to fire mothers because they believe they are distracted, even though there is no evidence to support this.Then we see that when it comes to voting for policies that could actually help moms and provide them the support and resources they need for their important job, we can't get them passed because people don't seem to believe they're required. So, if you don't believe the role is important, or that it is easy, you're not going to vote for things like parental leave.We live in a country that does not value motherhood; we do not have affordable childcare, universal preschool, or even universal health care, all of which overlap with the role of motherhood. During the pandemic, we saw many women, particularly moms of color, leave their work because they had no other option. I do believe that a lot of that stems from our cultural understanding of motherhood; if more of us understood the essential nature of the job, stay-at-home moms, for example, what they do for all of us, not just for their children, but for all of us day in and day out, it would be easy for us to say, "Yeah, let's vote for those things. We need that," so I want us to see more stories that represent mothers accurately and their role more appropriately.

Out of curiosity, are you aware of any other cultures outside of America that properly values motherhood?

We've seen these rankings in terms of maternal health and motherhood happiness in the United States, which is really low when compared to other countries. We have a maternal health problem that is disproportionately affecting black women and women of color, but it also affects all women; women are dying at higher rates in this country. That is something that we should all be very concerned about.

Mothers are reporting higher levels of postpartum depression, they're burning out, they're exhausted.

They feel like there's something wrong with them, because they've been told they're supposed to take care of all of this, and then not be thanked for it. As if it's okay to be invisible.Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, for example, have models and policies that we may replicate in the United States. Scandinavia has a more homogeneous culture than the United States; we have a lot more diversity here. However, this does not preclude the adoption of universal parental leave or the distribution of baby boxes in the United States. In Sweden, for example, parents receive a package including the fundamental necessities that they will require when raising a child. That is something we could do in the United States. We could create daycare centers in companies so that if parents do return to work outside the home, they may bring their children with them to the same location, which would increase production for the entire company.

There are many bits and pieces and policies from other countries that I believe we can still apply to the United States, despite the fact that our population is considerably more diverse than that of most other countries.

What organizations would you include now in your own giving portfolio for advocacy work, particularly around motherhood?

The first one I think of is Black Mama's Matter. In the United States, black women, particularly black moms, are still considered as less than human beings. Their effort to build this alliance of people with diverse knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences to address the core causes of black maternal health and the black mother’s experience in the United States is critical.

I wanted to write about black mothers because the dehumanization is evident when you look at the relationship between our country and black mothers in the United States – mothers being refused basic treatment, denied human respect, and being treated with a lack of basic decency.

I also really love the work of the Young Women's Freedom Center. It's in San Francisco, and it works with women who have been impacted by various systems, such as incarceration or juvie. All of these other things that have locked our young women of color away and then blamed them for their experiences, rather than the systems that have pushed them to the margins and forgotten about them and tried to ignore them. Through working with the center, they can reclaim their identity and use their voice.Essie Justice Group is another. It is led by a friend of mine. We see that the cost of having a loved one in prison is quite high, and black women are spending a lot of their money paying into this mass incarceration system in the United States. Instead of addressing the various issues that lead to them being taken away and locked up, we continue to place that burden on the shoulders of black women. So anything that relieves that weight, anything that reminds us that this isn't just a black woman's problem to fix, but that it will affect our entire nation is work that I support and a message that I try to elevate.

If we can come together and really focus on the experience of black women, it will be beneficial to us all.

All of those organizations sound incredible. What is your process of finding which organizations to support around a cause?

I like to begin by asking why we want to talk about black women, and by discussing the legislation that has existed from the beginning of slavery and states that black women are the producers of property rather than the producers of life. It is important to understand that from the start, the idea that a black person's life begins as property is key to understanding the ills of our nation.That is what we want to examine, as well as how this concept about the life of a black person has permeated so many different systems. Then we'd want to know who the organizations are that are dealing with those various systems. So whether that's through tackling mass incarceration – which continues to say that these people are objects and not people, and we can control their lives and their lives matter less than other people's lives – or through thinking about the American gynecological system, and how it's based on experimenting on the bodies of enslaved black women.I’d ask: How is all that still playing out today? Who are the organizations that recognize black women as having been viewed as less than human? What are they doing now to fight for humanity? That's how I'd organize a portfolio.

For our last question, what advice would you give to someone who wishes to be a true ally, especially after reading your book?

That's a great question. When the topic of allyship comes up, I remember my mother, a white woman with black children.

She would approach me and say, "In this world, I have no idea what it's like to be a black girl or a black woman. And I'm not going to pretend I know; I'm not going to claim to understand your experiences. But what I can say is that I believe you are worthy of the same respect and dignity that everyone else is, and I will walk with you, learn with you, and do my best to make this world a better place for you."

I'm paraphrasing; these are not exact words; they are a compilation of lessons learned throughout the last 29 years of my life. But this was her general approach to things, and that's exactly what we're looking for in allies.We're not expecting somebody to say, "I know what it's like to be a black woman," because that's not the correct thing to say. Don't say anything like that. It's fine to recognize that your and mine experiences will differ in this regard. You may say "I feel you are entitled to be regarded as a human being and to have access to the same resources as I do. And I will do my part to help with that. And I will walk beside you and learn alongside you. And it shouldn't be much more complicated than that as a result of that mindset, there will be sacrifices. And I'm not going to pretend that I understand what it's like to be you." I believe it is an accurate summary. And perhaps, more individuals will feel at ease embracing that charge.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Night of the Living DAF: How Groundswell is Raising Zombie Philanthropy From the Dead

No one likes zombies. They’re noisy. They’re disgusting. Worst of all, they try to eat your brain.But perhaps the spookiest thing about them? They’re mindless. Zombies are automatons who amble along without thinking. Left to their own devices, they would go on like that, mindlessly, forever. Never changing, never helping, never improving.It is this critique of the undead that gets levelled at a form of charity dubbed zombie philanthropy. In this critique, the drivers of zombie philanthropy are Donor-Advised Funds (DAF)s. To quote The Washington Post:This is problematic. We’re in a world where there is no time to waste. There are too many crises facing our country and global community and it serves no one to have money sitting on the sidelines. At Groundswell we’re going to change that by building a platform that will better facilitate these funds and empower donors to make an impact quickly.

WTF is a DAF and who contributes to them?!

A Donor Advised Fund allows donors to put all of their charitable dollars into one single fund, receive an immediate tax deduction, grow those assets over time, and distribute assets to nonprofits of their choice at any given time. It was established in the 1930’s to handle charitable donor-advised fund contributions on behalf of organizations, private individuals, and families. Since then, DAFs have been primarily utilized by the ultra-wealthy. According to the 2020 Donor-Advised Fund Report, grants to qualified organizations from DAF accounts totaled $27.37 billion in 2019, up 15.4% from $23.72 billion in 2018. But considering there are over $140 billion in total assets squirreled away in DAFs, $27 billion is merely a fraction of the impact potential they represent.

Why Do DAFs (Sometimes) Become Zombies?

Donor Advised Funds are popular due to their ease of use. Donors typically struggle with deciding where to direct their philanthropic contributions, especially when large sums of low-value assets are contributed. Managing several beneficiaries while meeting a deadline might be difficult. As a result, one-stop-shop giving simplifies the philanthropic process.Why have DAFs become the target of “zombie philanthropy” accusations? The critiques typically go like this:

Unlike with private foundations, there is no requirement for minimum distributions from Donor Advised Funds. As a result, investors routinely deposit significant amounts of equity or cash in those accounts with no need to distribute them right away. This means that a DAF’s capital can sit static for years or decades, and never actually reach a nonprofit.
This is particularly worrisome at a time when nonprofits need funds urgently, not in a distant future.
Some individuals use DAFs primarily for income tax reductions, balancing their tax bill with their giving, so that the upside, like capital gains, is neutralized. Others use DAFs to pass on money to their offspring, once again with minimal taxes.

With DAFs, people can sidestep learning about the best causes in place of simply dumping the money in a pot on the advice of someone else.We recognize these critiques. Any tax instrument can be manipulated depending on a user’s intentions (we’re looking at you, Peter Thiel). However, we don’t believe DAFs are inherently evil and are instead breathing new life into the zombie philanthropy model.Groundswell reaps the benefits of DAFs without the downsides. And we believe that this approach can be scaled to reach any prospective donor, not just the ultra-rich.

How Groundswell is Raising Zombie Philanthropy From the Dead

Groundswell is built differently.Legacy DAF providers also happen to be massive asset managers. No wonder their platforms are designed to keep money in the DAF, and not move it out to charity. In fact, it’s in their best interest for it to play out that way.However, Groundswell is built to move money as efficiently as possible out of the system and into the hands of charities.The objectives of our platform are aligned directly with the goals of charities – including the goal of disbursing as much money as possible into the community. That’s probably because we were founded by a former nonprofit executive, a key difference in Groundswell vs. the competition.We have no beef with DAFs and not every DAF fund is a zombie. The fact is, when funds are transferred to a DAF, they will eventually finance a program sponsored by the donor, though it may be slow and delayed funding means delayed impact.As we already mentioned, we believe that Donor Advised Funds are not inherently evil – even if they are exploited by a large number of ultra-wealthy individuals and fail to generate as much good as intended. In principle, DAFs can be powerful but, like everything else, they must evolve.That’s why Groundswell is supportive of recent talks aimed at reforming Donor Advised Funds to include, among other things, a minimum annual distribution. DAFs, built and leveraged appropriately, can bring massive efficiencies to the nonprofit sector and the giving of ordinary Americans.So instead of allowing these legacy Donor Advised Funds to shuffle around mindlessly like zombies, let's build an alternative like Groundswell that breathes life back into the Donor Advised Fund and democratizes philanthropy for the 99%.

6 mins read

Blog Post

12 Employee Benefits Survey Questions Modern Companies Should Ask

In today's business environment, having the right and highest performing talent is more critical than ever. With benefits packages playing a vital role in these decisions, how can companies truly gauge their effectiveness? By initiating regular employee benefits surveys.

Scroll down for a free survey template below.

Let's dive in to the importance of asking the following questions.

Is our workforce satisfied with the current employee benefits package?

Gaining insights from "how satisfied are you with our company’s benefits package?" can offer companies a quick pulse on the effectiveness of their benefits. A dip in satisfaction might signal a need for re-evaluation, especially if you're looking to maximize your budget.

How comprehensive are the employee benefits we offer?

Do employees feel that the organization covers a wide range of their needs? Asking, "do you feel our benefits package is comprehensive in its offering?" can shed light on any potential gaps in coverage.

Are we showing true commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion through our benefits?

Are the company's efforts in promoting DE&I resonating? This can be gauged by asking if the benefits genuinely support diversity and inclusion. If they aren't, here's an opportunity to collect ideas directly from your employees.

Do our benefits reflect our company culture and values?

The question, "do you feel our benefits package supports our cultural values?" will highlight any potential discrepancies in practicing what you're preaching.

Did you know? Two-thirds of employees say it’s important for a company to align to their values.

Are we catering to the needs of a remote or multi-location workforce?

With remote work on the rise, is the company adapting its benefits accordingly? It's essential to find out if employees feel supported, regardless of their work setting.

Would employees recommend the company based on our benefits?

This is an easy one to skip, but it's a great question to ask. See how influential your benefits package is for employee referrals. Determining if employees would advocate for the company based on its benefits can be a key metric for recruitment.

How do specific benefit categories fare?

By querying satisfaction levels across various benefits – physical health, social impact, mental health, financial health, and fringe benefits – can companies discern which areas are thriving and which need enhancement?

What additional benefits do employees desire?

Is there a particular benefit that could make a difference in employee satisfaction and retention? Discovering this can be as straightforward as asking, "if you could choose one benefit not currently offered, what would it be?"

If your workforce desires a more meaningful benefit, see why decentralizing your corporate philanthropy strategy can achieve greater impact at scale.

How often should I send an employee survey about our benefits?

While every business has their own set of unique needs, conducing a quarterly employee survey at minimum can help you get a pulse check.

There will be some natural and unplanned peaks in valleys throughout the year that can drastically affect employee morale and company culture. By proactively seeking feedback through surveys, companies can foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring they remain at the forefront of employee satisfaction.

What are some affordable benefit options we can provide employees?

Corporate matching or giving programs can be a low-cost addition to your benefit offering that supports your employees’ unique passions and perspectives through charitable giving and boosts your company’s commitment to social impact. Groundswell offers a comprehensive solution with a simple implementation and nearly zero administration burden.

Request a demo

[Free Template] Employee Benefits Survey Questions

How satisfied are you with our company’s benefits package?
Do you feel our benefits package is comprehensive in its offering?
Do you feel our benefits package supports our cultural values?
Do you feel our benefits package supports our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion?
Do you feel our benefits package supports our remote or multi-location workforce?
How likely are you to recommend applying based on our benefits package?
How satisfied are you with our physical health benefits (i.e. health care, sick leave, etc)?
How satisfied are you with our social impact benefits (i.e. corporate matching, volunteering, etc)?
How satisfied are you with our mental health benefits (i.e. vacation time, EAP, etc)?
How satisfied are you with our financial health benefits? (i.e. retirement, student loan assistance, etc)
How satisfied are you with our fringe benefits and perks? (i.e. fitness subsidies, stipends, etc)
If you could choose one benefit not currently offered, what would it be?

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Guide to Being a Modern Philanthropist: Elevate Your Impact With Groundswell

Six Tips to Becoming a Modern Philanthropist

Summary

Pick causes and charities that align with your values: When deciding what you want to support, start by taking into consideration the people, places, or problems that you care about most.
Understand impact through the lens of size & geography: The geographic reach of different charities' programs, and how large or small they are, can help as you determine what to support.
Evaluate best in class charities: Learn how to assess not only the financial health of an organization, but also what questions to ask when looking at other impact metrics.
Set a giving goal: Decide how much you want to give annually through Groundswell, and follow the simple steps to set up contributions to achieve that goal.
Maximize impact through recurring donations: Simplify your giving and provide nonprofits with a steady stream of revenue through monthly, recurring donations.
Optimize your giving through tax-efficient strategies: Leverage the versatility of Groundswell to reduce your tax burden through payroll giving, stocks contributions, and bunching.

1. Pick Causes & Charities that Align with Your Values

2. Understand Impact: Size & Geography

Where to donate

Does size matter?

3. Evaluate "Best in Class" Charities

Programmatic Impact: Understanding a nonprofit’s impact - through its programs and the populations that it serves - is an important way to evaluate its effectiveness in tackling the causes you care about. Many nonprofits provide details about programming approaches on their websites, including testimonials, photos, and reports detailing specific results. Keep in mind that understanding and assessing impact is highly qualitative - there is no clear ‘score’ - especially because what or who is being impacted varies across the thousands of nonprofits.

Financial Management: Nonprofits, especially larger ones, are required to disclose details related to their financial performance annually – to include assets, revenue and breakdown of expenses in forms submitted to the IRS. Many nonprofits are proactively transparent about their finances and post audited financial statements and other reports on their websites. But financial data does not always tell a complete story. There may be important investments in fundraising staff, which two years later yield a windfall in donations that can be put towards programs.

Advisories: Sometimes there are advisories based on pending or ongoing legal action. Groundswell works to monitor these advisories and remove any charities that it believes are acting improperly or mismanaging donor funds. We also remove any charities that have had their nonprofit status revoked by the IRS.

Groundswell-curated Featured Causes: While many donors might want to do their own research, sometimes it’s far easier (and efficient) to put your trust in others. Groundswell’s impact team provides donors with additional inspiration, and has done the vetting work to determine cause-specific organizations that are well run and most importantly having a strong impact.

4. Aim High with a Giving Goal

Your giving goal can help fund recurring donations, as well as account for unexpected events that you may want to donate to.

5. Level Up with Recurring Donations

Recurring donations can be a great component of your philanthropic strategy. As a bonus, there are benefits for both donors as well as nonprofits.

For donors, setting recurring donations to autopilot every month or quarter means you don’t have to think about it or go through the steps to do it on a regular basis.

6. Optimize Your Tax-Efficient Giving

You can leverage the versatility of your Groundswell Personal Giving Account, which is underpinned by a Donor-Advised Fund, to be strategic and reduce your tax burden.

Donate appreciated stock

Plus, you'll be eligible for a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of contribution into your Groundswell account.

Give with payroll

Bundle contributions

Want access to other toolkits like this?

Groundswell enables companies to lay the foundation for their employees to adopt a generous giving attitude towards charities and world-shaping efforts.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Unleash the Power of Your Employee Giving Program: Best Practices Guide

Your Best Practices Guide for Maximizing Your Employee Giving Participation

This guide provides you with tools and tips to maximize employee participation in your giving program, not just when the program launches but throughout the entire year.

Leveraging our expertise in the social impact and nonprofit sectors, Groundswell is here to support you and your employees on your impact journey.

Overview

Employee giving programs can be a great way for companies to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility, engage employees, and make a positive impact on the community. But too often, employees don’t take full advantage of the opportunities provided through their giving programs, leaving billions of funds unmatched every year. For some, this is due to either a lack of awareness about their company's giving program, or for others because an unwieldy donation portal and match process that leaves employees frustrated. Groundswell's technology brings corporate giving into the 21st century and unleashes the modern philanthropist in all of your employees.

Whether your goal is to grow the percentage of employees participating in your giving program, increase the amount of funds going to nonprofits, or to better understand the causes that matter most to your employees, these best practices can help you achieve those goals.

By reducing the administrative burden required to launch and implement a Giving Program, Groundswell frees you up to focus on what matters most: inspiring your employees and having a positive impact on the world through your company’s support for charitable causes.

6 Tips for Maximizing Participation in Your Employee Giving Program

1. Communicate Early and with Intention

Communication is a critical component of any successful giving program. We want you to have the tools to effectively share program details and encourage participation - whether launching a new employee giving program or transitioning from an existing one.

The key is to help employees understand why and how Groundswell fits into your company’s broader vision around corporate citizenship and employee engagement - and build enthusiasm around the potential to collectively have a positive impact on the world through donations to charities.

Program Launch Communications:

Here are some ways to think about the program launch. Depending on whether this is a new program or transitioning from an existing one, your adoption plan may change. You don’t want to inundate employees with too much information, while also providing them with the resources they need to successfully enroll in the program and easily engage on the platform.

Keep it short, and emphasize that the intent is to center employees in corporate philanthropy and make it as easy as possible for employees to give.
If the Giving Program is new: Why now? How does it align with your company’s values? Why is Groundswell a good fit for the company?
If the program is replacing an existing program: Why now? What’s different (and better) from the previous program? New matching or gifting features? It may also be helpful to highlight the tax effectiveness of the donor-advised fund model.

Monthly Program Communications

In order to encourage ongoing participation in your program, and for employees to take advantage of the gifts and matches offered by your company, we encourage monthly nudges to remind employees about the program.

Monthly Cause Spotlights

Start off the month by highlighting some timely causes - make sure to link to Groundswell-curated “Featured Cause” Portfolios that Groundswell uploads to the dashboard every month for a hand-off approach to spotlighting.
Share “Cause of the Month” information with employees, leveraging the toolkits found in Groundswell’s Resource Center.

Engagement & Impact Reporting

Utilize the data that you can find on your company Dashboard or download via CSV to highlight some of your company’s collective impact - including a percentage of employees enrolled, the total dollar amount that has been donated, as well as top nonprofit donation recipients and/or cause areas.
This helps employees see how their individual donations are having a larger impact as part of your company’s collective giving program.

2. Drive Early Adoption through Gifts

Gifts can be a terrific way to get employees to sign up and start using the Groundswell platform immediately. Here are a few tips on how to drive early adoption using the Gifting feature:

Launch with a one-time gift into employees’ Giving Accounts that will show up as soon as employees enroll. This can be a great way to create buzz about the program and empower employees to donate and make an impact immediately - even before they contribute their own funds to their Groundswell account.
Throughout the year, provide unexpected, ad hoc gifts into employees’ accounts - for work anniversaries, milestones, great performance, etc.
A way to make it fun is to do a lottery at All Hands meetings by randomly selecting an employee to receive $25 in their Groundswell account. Follow this link or reach out to the Groundswell Customer Success team to learn more.

3. Inspire Engagement through Matching

Set up a matching program that immediately doubles the impact when an employee puts funds into their Groundswell Giving Account. This creates a feeling of “we’re in this together” - and drives home the message about an equitable approach to corporate philanthropy.
A match program can run for an entire year, or be tailored to specific months.
With the Groundswell match happening at the point of contributing funds to the Groundswell account, employees can tangibly see and feel what it means to double the impact for the charities and causes that matter most to them.

4. Leverage Cause Campaigns & Respond to the Emergent Events

Planned Campaigns:

Utilize a Social Impact Cause Calendar to plan monthly or bi-monthly communications to employees highlighting specific causes - with resources to educate employees about the cause, and a curated list of nonprofits most relevant to the cause. You can refer to Groundswell’s monthly cause portfolios that are updated to reflect timely causes and issues.
Tip: Plan your annual budget to launch match campaigns focused on specific charities or cause areas throughout the year.

Unforeseen Events:

Utilize Groundswell’s curated list of best-in-class nonprofits responding to disasters in the United States or globally. Being able to quickly and confidently point your employees to vetted nonprofits to donate to shows that you are responsive as a company and empowering employees to take action in moments of crisis.
Tip: Keep a portion of your annual budget in reserve so that you can match employee donations and/or provide gifts to employees to expand the impact in response to the unforeseen emergency.

5. Engage Employee Resource Groups

Another mechanism to center employees in corporate philanthropy and recognize their own lived experiences: provide Employee Resource Groups (ERG) a platform to speak to key cause areas (e.g. AAPI Awareness, Black History Month, etc).

ERGs can take the opportunity to recommend nonprofits that they think are most effective and related to the cause, and share their commitment to specific causes with the tag-line “My cause is ____ “
Tip: Solicit recommendations from the Employee Resource Group for books to read, films, and documentaries to watch, and podcasts to listen to. This can generate a deeper understanding of causes and lead to engagement via donations to support the causes.

6. Lean Into End-of-Year Giving Spirit

30% of annual giving happens in December, with about 10% of all annual donations coming in the last three days of the year. For nonprofits, this can be a critical time to raise funds and prepare programming budgets for the next year.

You can leverage Groundswell's Giving Tuesday resources to launch an end-of-year donation campaign, featuring specific cause areas and nonprofits.

Tip: Set a budget aside for a surprise end-of-year gift - leveraging the fact that a large percentage of people prefer to donate at the end of the year.

Read related articles

Groundswell is your ally in corporate philanthropy.

Groundswell enables companies to lay the foundation for their employees to adopt a generous giving attitude towards charities and world-shaping efforts.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Complete Handbook to Corporate Grants

Corporate grants are financial support provided by a business to a nonprofit organization, educational institution, or another type of community group.

These grants can be used to fund a wide range of projects, including programs and initiatives that align with the values and mission of the funding organization.

In this ultimate guide, we will explore the various types of corporate grants available, how to find and apply for these grants, and tips for success in securing funding.

Types of Corporate Grants

There are several types of corporate grants that organizations can apply for, depending on their needs and the focus of the funding organization. Some common types of corporate grants include:

General Operating Support: These grants provide funding for the general operations and administration of an organization, including salaries, rent, and other overhead costs.

Project-Specific Grants: These grants are provided to fund a specific project or initiative, such as a research project, community development program, or arts and culture event.

Capital Grants: These grants are provided to fund the purchase of long-term assets, such as equipment, real estate, or vehicles.

Sponsorship Grants: These grants provide financial support for a specific event or activity, such as a charity fundraiser or sporting event.

Matching Grants: These grants require the recipient organization raises a certain amount of funds on their own, which is then matched by the funding organization.

How to Find Corporate Grants

There are a few different ways to find corporate grants that may be a good fit for your organization. Here are some tips:

Research funding organizations: Many businesses have corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that provide grants to nonprofit organizations. Research the CSR programs of businesses in your industry or local area to see if they offer grants.

Use grant databases: There are many online databases that list corporate grants, such as Grants.gov and the Candid, formally known as Foundation Center. These databases allow you to search for grants based on your organization's location, mission, and area of focus.

Join grant-seeking networks: There are many online networks and forums for grant seekers, such as Candid, formally known as GrantSpace, and the Grant Professionals Association. These communities can be a valuable resource for finding corporate grants and learning about the grant-seeking process.

How to Apply for Corporate Grants

Once you have identified a corporate grant that is a good fit for your organization, the next step is to prepare and submit a grant proposal. Here are some tips for success:

Follow the application instructions carefully: Each grant program will have its own application requirements and guidelines, so it is important to follow these instructions carefully. Be sure to complete all required forms and provide any supporting documents that are requested.

Clearly articulate your needs and objectives: In your grant proposal, be sure to clearly explain your organization's needs and the specific objectives that you hope to achieve with the funding. Use specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to demonstrate the impact that the grant will have.

Demonstrate your organization's capacity to deliver: In addition to outlining your needs and objectives, it is important to demonstrate your organization's capacity to deliver on its proposed project or initiative. This may include information about your staff, volunteers, resources, and past successes.

Proofread and edit: A well-written and well-organized grant proposal is more likely to be successful. Be sure to proofread your proposal carefully and have at least one other person review it before submitting it.

Tips for Success in Securing Corporate Grants

Start early: Many corporate grant programs have deadlines that are several months in advance of the funding period. It is important to start researching and preparing your grant proposal as early as possible to allow sufficient time for revisions and any additional information that may be requested by the funding organization.

Build relationships with funders: Building relationships with potential funders can be a valuable asset in the grant-seeking process. Attend events and networking opportunities where you can meet with representatives from funding organizations, and consider reaching out to them directly to introduce your organization and its work.

Be persistent: Securing corporate grants can be competitive, and it is not uncommon to be rejected on the first try. Don't be discouraged by rejection – use it as an opportunity to learn and improve your grant proposal for the next round of funding.

In conclusion, corporate grants can be a valuable source of funding for nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and community groups. By researching and identifying appropriate grant programs, preparing a strong grant proposal, and building relationships with potential funders, your organization can increase its chances of success in securing corporate grants.

More about Groundswell

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6 mins read

Blog Post

The Workplace Giving Handbook: Everything You Need to Know

Workplace giving programs offer employees an important benefit.

It gives employees a way to support the causes they care about and trust that their support is actually doing good in the world.

It's not news that people are skeptical of corporate charity — it's why words like pink-washing and greenwashing have entered the public vocabulary. Workplace giving programs offer a way to combat that skepticism and give employees a reason to feel good about the places where they work.

But what exactly is workplace giving, and how do you set up an employee-powered giving program at your company?

What is Workplace Giving?

Workplace giving is any organized program that collects employee donations for charitable causes through payroll deductions and/or one-time donations. The company then disburses those donations to nonprofits.

Over the years, the term has evolved to include volunteer giving programs, and other forms of employee giving programs. These giving programs take many forms today, including payroll deductions, donation match programs, and volunteer giving programs.

Matching Gift Programs

Donation match programs are among the most popular types of workplace giving programs, offered at nearly 65% of Fortune 500 companies, and accounting for $2 billion to $3 billion in donations annually.

The concept is simple in theory: an employee donates to a qualified nonprofit, and the company then makes a matching donation to the same nonprofit.

In practice, matching gift programs can be cumbersome and difficult to manage. In fact, for every dollar donated through matching gift programs, more than $2 goes unclaimed.

Volunteer Programs

In addition to typical volunteer programs — serving dinners at a local shelter or reading to school kids, for example — many companies create or participate in volunteer fundraising events, such as walk-a-thons or charity 5k runs.

Employees participate as a team, and the money raised is donated to the specific non-profit named. These campaigns can be great for team building and bonding, not to mention providing high-profile PR opportunities for the company.

Volunteer Grants

Many companies offer grants to organizations where their employees volunteer. This kind of program ensures that the company is helping to support genuine community organizations that their employees care about. They help deepen the ties between the company and the community and send the message to your employees that you care about the things that are important to them.

Volunteer Hours Matching

The third iteration of volunteer donation programs rewards your employees with the extra cash they can donate to others based on hours that they spend volunteering with community organizations.

Giving employees paid time off for volunteering can make it difficult for workers to keep up with their workload and make more work for nonprofits. Some companies have found ways to reimburse employees for their time working in their communities.

One way is to deposit the equivalent of their salary for hours spent into a Groundswell Personal Giving Account. From there, the employee can direct the donation to their chosen cause, effectively doubling their impact on the ground.

Donations Through Payroll Deduction

Many companies offer employees the opportunity to make giving easy by enrolling in an automatic payroll deduction for a chosen charity. Payroll deductions allow employees to essentially budget their charitable contributions over the course of the year.

However, the choice of charities to support is usually very narrow — often only one or two charities are chosen by the board.

A growing number of CEOs are moving away from the top-down approach to corporate giving, and moving to a model that puts the choice in the hands of their employees.

What Is a Workplace Giving Campaign?

Workplace giving campaigns are typically annual events companies hold to encourage employee donations to a cause.

They're often held in the fall, to coordinate with the holiday season — and of course, the end of the tax year. They can, however, take place at any time. Their purpose is to publicize and raise awareness of any company-sponsored employee giving programs, and get more people involved in them.

Campaigns may also revolve around a specific need or event. These campaigns include disaster relief campaigns, or campaigns to support specific needs in the local community — supporting the unhoused, or providing funds for meals during a pandemic, for example.

How Does Workplace Giving Work?

The nuts and bolts of employee giving programs are rapidly evolving. Legacy workplace giving programs collected donations from employees then combined them and funneled them to one or two charities chosen by the board of directors or the CEO. Historically, there are two major models for doing this.

Payroll Deduction

Programs that collect charitable donations through payroll deductions are the most common workplace giving programs, accounting for nearly 75% of all employee giving annually. Payroll deductions make charitable giving easy on employees — they fill out a payroll deduction form once, and HR/Payroll does the rest. It's so easy, in fact, that when Google implemented a pilot payroll giving program, it increased the likelihood of donations to a promoted charity by 50% without reducing the average amount donated.

In addition, each participating employee has a running record of their deductions on their pay stub, with the current and year-to-date donations recorded. That's a big boon at tax time — their pay stub serves as proof of their donation, so they don't have to scrounge around looking for acknowledgment letters from the nonprofits they donate to.

Nonprofits also benefit from this type of workplace giving program in several ways: they get predictable, sustainable donations, and often get more donations. Just as important, a payroll deduction model reduces the amount of work that falls on their shoulders by transferring much of it to the company's payroll department. Managing a workplace giving campaign is a complex undertaking involving multiple steps and responsibilities.

The company creates a campaign to engage and encourage employees to sign up for the giving program. This is no small undertaking — entire toolkits are devoted to teaching employees and volunteers to run successful campaigns.
The employee fills out a pledge card, designating the amount of the donation and/or the amount to be deducted each pay period. If the company allows it, they may also choose one of several pre-approved nonprofits to receive their donation.
The payroll department — or the company's payroll provider — sets up the recurring deduction for each employee.
If the company also operates a matching donation program, HR processes all donations to set up the matching donation.
Each pay period, the payroll department deducts and deposits the funds from each employee into a central account, then sends the final donation amount to the paying agent, such as the United Way.
The paying agent distributes the funds to the designated organizations.

Donation Matching Programs

Donation match programs can also be time-consuming and difficult to navigate — so much so, that billions of dollars in matching funds go unclaimed every year. A typical donation match program works like this:

The company determines which organizations will qualify for a matching gift and makes the list of qualifying organizations available to employees, and creates rules to determine the amount of the match. There may be differing amounts depending on the employee's position or other criteria. For example, all full-time employees may qualify for 100% matching, while managers qualify for 200% matching.
The employee makes a donation to the charity of their choice.
After determining that their chosen organization qualifies for a match, the employee fills out and submits a request to HR for their employer to match their donation.
HR processes the request and determines the match amount based on the rules.
The company sends a check for the matching amount to the qualifying organization.

Emerging Trends in Workplace Giving

Since the early 2000s, there's been a growing movement to allow employees more choices of donors. Many donation match programs, for example, will match employee donations to any 501(c)3 charity. New platforms are streamlining corporate and employee giving, reducing the amount of work and time that goes into managing workplace giving campaigns and employee giving programs in general.

The newest trends in corporate giving include making charitable giving part of the employee's benefits package and providing granular control and choice on when and where to donate their funds.

Advances in technology provided new tools — yes, there's an app for that — to help companies manage and deploy their corporate giving programs in ways that make sense for their workforces. As the workplace and trends in giving continue to evolve, employee giving programs will also evolve to keep pace and provide the most seamless, empowering giving experience.

Benefits of Workplace Giving Programs

Employee giving programs are not just good for the causes that get the donations. They provide important positives for employees, the company, and the community. These are a few of the most important.

Improved Employee Recruitment: 55% of employees — including 75% of Millennials — would choose to work for a socially responsible company, even if they got paid less.
Increased Employee Engagement: Employees are more engaged at work when they feel their employer aligns with their values.
Increased Profitability: Companies with the most engaged workers are 21% more profitable.
Better Public Image: People think more positively about businesses that give back to the community.
Deeper Community Connections: A well-planned employee giving program helps the business connect and cement relationships with organizations in the community.
Increased Employee Loyalty: Employees are more likely to recommend businesses that support them and their interests.
Higher Retention Rates: Employees who take advantage of employee giving programs stay with the company 75% longer.

What Employees Care About

According to a recent Deloitte Workplace Giving survey, 37% of workers donated to charity through a workplace giving program, but — and this is a big but — when they looked at Millennial and Gen Z employees, that percentage skyrocketed to 58%.

Younger workers, those destined for leadership positions in future companies, care deeply about doing good in the world, and they reflect it in their behavior. They donate because they are connected to a cause or charity, because they want to support their community, and because giving makes them feel good.

When you make it easy for them to plant a tree, buy a kid a desk, or adopt sheltered puppies, your company is showing them that they respect and support the people that they are, not just the work that they do for your business.

Why Is Employee Giving Important?

In addition to the benefits to your employees and your business bottom line, employee giving also brings an immense benefit to the community.

In 2021, workplace giving programs raised more than $5 billion, with about 50% of that coming from matching gift programs. Those donations went to

Education-related causes: 29%
Health and wellness causes: 25%
Community and economic development causes: 15%

Employees who donated through workplace giving programs reported that they donated to

Hunger and homelessness relief: 47%
Education: 23%
Social and racial equity causes: 20%

The right workplace giving program empowers your employees to support the causes closest to their hearts, without judgment and with the confidence that their employer trusts them to put their money where it will matter the most.

How to Set Up a Workplace Giving Program

If this is your first time setting up a workplace giving program, there are some important steps to consider. You want a program that reflects your company's mission and core philosophy, one that your employees will embrace and be proud to use. These are some key principles to keep in mind and some action steps to get you started.

Evaluate Your Company's Corporate Social Responsibility Policy. If You Don't Have One, This Is A Good Time To Brainstorm.

Create a vision for your CSR that balances your responsibilities to your shareholders/owners, your employees, the community, the planet, and any other stakeholders.
Evaluate your current activities in light of community service. Do you partner with local organizations? Host volunteer activities? Make donations to local charities? Any of these would fit under the umbrella of CSR.
Establish a corporate code of ethics detailing how your company will treat employees, customers, the environment, and competitors in all your dealings.
Get strategic with your giving program to ensure that it aligns with your company's values and ethics.

Set a Budget for Your Giving Program.

The amount you budget for corporate giving should be no more than you can afford to give without affecting the cash flow you need to operate your business.
Many large companies earmark 1% - 5% of their pre-tax earnings for charitable giving. Small companies often donate 6% or more to charity.
Consider designating profits from one particular product for giving.
Use the Sabsevitz Ante-Up Formula — multiply last year's pre-tax net income by 1.2% to come up with a donation budget.
Check out more suggestions for setting your budget in this blog post.

Set Up Guidelines for Your Program

Employees: will all employees be included in your benefits program? Will they all be level-funded, or will some positions qualify for a higher workplace giving benefit?
Moments That Matter: Can you make donations more meaningful by tying deposit amounts to specific events in the lives for your employees?
Decide which charities/causes your company will support. Will you restrict employee giving to designated nonprofits? How expansive will your list of eligible organizations be?

Establish A Process For Collecting, Matching, And Donating Contributions.

See the section on How Does Workplace Giving Work?
(Hint: Groundswell takes the stress out of this step.)

Publicize The Program.

The key to a successful workplace giving program is awareness. Your employees can't use a benefit they don't know about, and your company won't reap the benefits if your customers and employees don't know what you're doing. These are a few suggestions for raising awareness of your new employee giving program.

List it as a benefit in your recruitment materials.
Provide an easy — and very visible — way to access your program's front end on your employee website, Discord, or other communication software.
Highlight your program in the company newsletter.
Create and distribute flyers explaining the program, its benefits, and how to use it to your employees.
If you offer donation matches, make sure that local nonprofits are aware of it.
Partner with local nonprofits and community organizations when it makes sense.

Is Workplace Giving Tax Deductible?

The simple answer is yes, in most cases, workplace giving is tax deductible, and has been since 1935 when Congress passed a law allowing corporations to deduct up to 10% of their pretax income on their tax returns. That limit was raised to 25% to encourage more giving during the pandemic.

Maximizing Tax Benefits for Workplace Giving

It's important to understand how tax-deductible donations work in order to maximize the benefits of a workplace giving program.

Some types of corporate giving offer more benefits than others.

DAFs offer unique tax benefits, but until recently, they've been reserved for high-dollar donors. Briefly, a DAF allows your company to make a donation at the most advantageous time — before the end of the tax year, for example — and take the deduction immediately, and decide when and where that money should be donated to nonprofits. In addition, DAFs make it more efficient to donate non-cash assets, such as stock and real estate, to charity, without incurring an additional tax burden.

Workplace Giving with Groundswell

Groundswell's innovative Philanthropy as a Service model democratizes workplace giving by setting up a Personal Giving Account — an individual DAF — for each employee, effectively putting the power of a DAF in the palm of their hand.

The company can make donations into each Personal Giving Account as part of an overall corporate giving strategy, timing the donations to provide the most benefit. The employee then decides when and where to make donations to the causes that are most important to them.

If you're ready to increase the impact of your workplace giving programs, contact us to learn more about how Groundswell can empower you and your employees to do more good and make the changes they want to see in the world.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Kathryn Minshew: On Redefining Workplace Culture

Hey Kathryn! Great to chat. Let’s dive right in. What are your thoughts on what's happening with the Great Resignation?

“The death of the one-size-fits-all workplace.” I love that.

Sounds like you believe it’s crucial for leaders at companies, from an analytics perspective, to gain insight into employee opinion about social issues?

What do you view as the differing values for each generation – Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers?

6 mins read

Blog Post

Thomas Gaissmaier: Keeping A Pulse On Employee Sentiment

Thanks for chatting with us, Thomas. Please tell us about your history and how you got into the area of human resources.

That’s quite the journey! Let’s talk about the HR landscape right now. We’re living through a so-called “Great Resignation.” What is going on, from your point of view? What are the major implications for businesses? Is there any possibility of a positive outcome?

The battle for retention is critical for an HR professional. What benefits do you see from your purview that are truly important to employees? What exactly do they expect from businesses these days?

In the wake of the pandemic, we've adopted new ways of thinking about ourselves, the world around us, and our relationships with others. What are some of the things that businesses may do to help employees adjust to the new normal?

For an organization, what specific types of insights are extremely useful to have at the tips of your fingers in order to keep a pulse on employee sentiment? What does this have to do with the causes that people care about?

What are some pain points you've noticed from a corporate giving standpoint? And how can we use that to help us learn and grow as an industry?

Thanks for your time today, Thomas. Before we go, is there anything more you'd like to share?

6 mins read

Blog Post

Hiring, Strategy, and Leadership Tips from Groundswell Chief Product Officer Tammy Hahn

Across the world and across industries, the pandemic has disrupted everything. This includes hiring, managing, and strategizing. The so-called “Great Resignation” is underway, and companies are having to adapt on the fly.How is Groundswell dealing with this new reality? Through people-centric solutions that benefit both management and employees. If you want to dive into the details of what that means and get some leadership tips, recently, our CPO Tammy Hahn appeared as a guest on The Product Management Leaders podcast. Here are some highlights, where Tammy discussed how evidence, conviction, and tenacity can help organizations thrive.

The Power of Generalists

Legacy hiring and recruiting strategies are not working. Even as employers increase salaries at the quickest rate in nearly 40 years, positions remain vacant. What does this tell us? Monetary compensation is not everything. Recruiters must understand what motivates modern employees to create appealing job postings and offers. The best move of all is to hire people who share your company's values. This is the approach we take at Groundswell:

“I'm looking for people that can flex: people that are generalists who aren't afraid to go high-level as well as get into the nitty gritty. At Groundswell, there is no product yet, so you don't have any metrics to fall back on to have a hypothesis in terms of what will optimize a certain flow— the flow doesn't even exist. You need to navigate the unproven and ambiguous to earn the right to optimize.”

Here at Groundswell, we are still in the early stages of determining our core flow and the value we bring to our users and clients. This requires a very specialized approach to hiring, where we bring in people who are comfortable being creative and adaptive, and working from a blank slate.

Leading Products Vs. Leading People

Every business owner and executive has a unique set of experiences and ideas on the approach and characteristics of effective leadership. In the podcast, Tammy shared one of her leadership tips: not every situation demands the same type of leadership approach. Excellent leaders adapt to their environments and empower their teams. During the course of the podcast, she had some great insights into the differences between leading products and leading people:

“Not everyone is meant to be a great people-leader. As you move up the career path of a people leader, especially in a larger organization, the further away you move from actual product management... In fact, if you want to go up that people leader path, it's more about coaching, communication, and project management than it is about designing and building the product. Leading people is different from leading product definition and execution.”

Being an excellent leader demands constant commitment, management, and the development of a team that is competent and results-oriented. There can be no true leadership without team management. On the people management side, Tammy explored how important it is for managers to approach failure in the right way:

“I don't like to call failure “failure.” I like to call it a misstep. What matters is what you learn from that misstep, not so much the failure itself. It's a learning process. I only consider it a failure if you fail to learn, and you repeat that mistake over and over again. Great product leaders build a culture of curiosity and calculated risk-taking without the fear of repercussions if hypotheses prove false.”

This jives perfectly with the Groundswell approach, where we frequently hold pre-mortem sessions to grasp all the things that can go wrong ahead of time. Becoming a successful leader necessitates ongoing personal and professional growth, regular and open team feedback, and response on feedback received.

Product Strategy: Knowing When To Keep, Pivot, or Kill

A product strategy is a company's strategic goal for its product lines, outlining where the products are heading, how they will get there, and why they will thrive. Instead of striving to include everyone and every feature, a product marketing strategy concentrates on a specified customer base and functionalities. As a CPO, Tammy discussed, one of the challenges here is prioritization:

“Prioritization is always hard. Every stakeholder is always demanding something from a product manager. It's really, really hard. It's all about starting out with the right objectives upfront. The way that I operate as a leader is to align on your objective, collaborate on the strategy and then execute the tactics. Beautiful things happen when everyone on the team is aligned on the objectives and has a voice on the strategy.”

Goals are essential for focusing on and working towards. To make them viable and get the most out of the goal-setting process, we believe it's a good idea to track your progress and evaluate your progress on a daily basis. Another important leadership tip is to have clear company goals:

Is it to expand or to keep our current customers?
Is it simply to boost our brands? If so, what is the plan of action?
If we want to expand, will we enter a new market, enter a new vertical, or broaden our product offering?

Once you know the goals, you can move into strategy. And in the early stages, Tammy said, that it is a good idea to start with metrics:

“The product growth graph peaks at a certain point then declines. That's when you know you need to deprecate said product. I would really try to understand the metrics, what does growth look like from a usage adoption perspective, as well as from a business sales perspective.”

CPOs can use product data and analytics to forecast consumer behavior, improve decision-making, discover market trends, and calculate the ROI of marketing campaigns. The clearer your vision of your clients, the easier it will be to approach them:

“Product is a leading indicator; sales and revenue are lagging indicators. What are some predictions that you're heading towards your peak? It’s not growth, from a business metric standpoint; it's growth or adoption and usage of your product. As a leader, you may need to make the hard choice of investing less in plateau-ed products that are still generating revenue.”

Advice for CPOs

Tammy offered many leadership tips on the podcast; one of the most important takeaways was that leaders and managers have the most influence over the people they lead and supervise. They are in charge of ensuring the success of their department, and they are crucial in shaping company culture. Tammy is a big part of our leadership-management team. She ended the podcast with some leadership tips and advice for aspiring CPOs:

“Know your objectives, stand your ground and have the data to back you up on why you're choosing to make your decisions. I think the worst thing that you can do is to be too agreeable for the sake of being agreeable and getting people to like your decisions.”

Tammy also said that it is okay to have a different opinion:

"You have to be okay with the fact that not everybody's going to like your decision. You need to have the conviction and data to back up why you're making those hard choices so that your team is able to focus. Get your evidence, have conviction on what you want to focus on, and stick to your guns. A great product leader provides focus on what the teams are working on, and more importantly, making it clear across the organization what the teams will not be working on."

Thanks to the The Product Management Leaders podcast for hosting our CPO! We love spreading the word. To see the Groundswell product first-hand at our beta launch, sign up for our email list here.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Layla Kajer: Bringing Humanity Back To Giving

Hi Layla! Tell me a little bit about your background and your journey to the world of HR?

The key question is always: how can we reach our employees? How can we capture their hearts and minds? Are we providing the appropriate incentives? Are we rewarding appropriate behavior?

Let’s talk about the current moment. In recent months, millions of Americans have been quitting their jobs. What is going on, from your point of view? What are the major implications for businesses? Is there any possibility of a positive outcome?

As an HR professional, the battle for retention is top of mind in the aftermath of the pandemic. What are the benefits you're seeing that are truly important to employees? What are they truly looking for from companies these days?

More than ever, employees want to know the company they work for aligns with their ideals. They are voting with their feet and their careers.

How crucial is it for leaders at companies to have precise insight into their employees' sentiments for social causes?

How many steps does the process of corporate matching or corporate donating in general take in your experience? Has it been a complete headache?

What are your thoughts about Groundswell?

6 mins read

Blog Post

Reviewing a Big 2021 at Groundswell

As we move into the heart of the holidays – and as 2022 looms on the horizon – it feels like a moment to take stock, and reflect on what has been a big, big year here at Groundswell. It’s only been just a few short months, but we’re fired up and extremely fortunate to have hit some incredible milestones already. Throughout 2021, we've been working as hard as we can to revolutionize philanthropy. This year, we assembled an incredible team; we were featured in major news outlets; we launched our web presence; and we received significant seed funding to help us achieve our goals.Why? Because we think that sophisticated philanthropy should not be limited to the 1%. Because we want more people to have more impact, and back more great causes.Thanks to everyone who has followed along on our journey this year. Here are a few highlights.

Assembling a World-Class Team

A company is only as good as its people. Especially when your goals are as bold as ours. And this year, we have assembled a fantastic core team.Led by our founders Jake Wood, a former marine and founder of Team Rubicon; Adam Miller, founder of Cornerstone OnDemand; and Joe Marchese, executive chairman of Human Ventures Co., we have built a powerful leadership unit. In 2021, we’ve added:

Tammy Hahn, Former VP of Product of Cornerstone, as Chief Product Officer (CPO).
Karan Keswani, Former Chief Architect of Bluebeam, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Candice Schmitt, Former Chief People Officer of Team Rubicon, as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
M.G. Siegler, General Partner at GV (previously Google Ventures), on our board of directors.
Heather Hartnett, CEO of Human Ventures, on our board of directors.

Our Series Seed Funding

We have a big mission: Take a model of philanthropy typically only accessible to the 1%, and make it available to everyone else. With such a large project ahead of us, the more backing we can get, the better. And in November we received a total of $15 million in startup capital. $10 million Series Seed investment was led by GV (previously Google Ventures) after our first $5 million received in September earlier this year. GV was joined by Human Ventures, Moonshots Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Core Innovation Capital.This funding will provide us capital to develop the world's most revolutionary philanthropy platform, propelling us closer to our ambition of building a world in which every solution is financed and every problem is solved.

Entering The Mainstream

In the past few months, Groundswell has attracted more and more attention from major media outlets. In September, Jake was featured in a Forbes article, where he discussed Groundswell's objective to democratize philanthropy for the public, and inspire a new generation of philanthropists.It was a fantastic chat, where Jake mapped out our bold goals:

“Ten years from now, we hope to have helped unlock a trillion dollars of philanthropy globally. That won’t solve all the world’s problems, but it will be a good start.”

This Forbes appearance was followed by a great feature in LA TechWatch featuring an interview with our Chief Product Officer Tammy Hahn. In the feature, Tammy shared a little about our journey to raising capital, how we’re providing a value-add to society, and what’s ahead for us at Groundswell.

“Our team is made up of talented, high-performing individuals that were tired of building products that didn’t add value to society. We saw an opportunity to create an entirely new category and bring philanthropy into the 21st Century, which is exactly what we intend to do.Over the next six months, we’re going to execute against our product roadmap and get out into the market. We have a long list of companies standing by to implement Groundswell’s beta product.We’re eager to establish ourselves as the creator and leader of the Philanthropy-as-a-Service category, but, more importantly, are eager to make the world a better place by making charitable giving a new table-stakes component of total compensation.”

2022 – We’re Coming For You

Despite everything we’ve achieved this year, we’re just getting started.In 2022, our product is launching, and Groundswell will be loose in the wild. If you haven't signed up yet, request early access to be a beta tester. We will be growing the team (check out our open roles!) and having more conversations out in the world.Thanks again to everyone who has followed along on our journey this year. See you in 2022!

6 mins read

Blog Post

Meet Daniel Covelli

Describe your journey to Groundswell in two sentences.

My time in college gave me a profound understanding of two often competing world views, technological innovation and a demand for better institutions. I chose to work at Groundswell because it sits at the intersection of these two interests by providing much needed funding to nonprofits via great software.

What is a cause you are most motivated by and where can we learn more?

One area that I am deeply interested in is clean energy research on college campuses. I think one of the only ways we can solve the impending ecological crisis is by creating cheaper, more efficient green alternatives to the existing energy and transportation solutions that currently exist. If you can, the best way to support this cause is by giving back to your alma mater’s science or engineering departments. Another way you can help is by giving to a stem education non-profit like Girls Who Code, Project Lead the Way, or First Robotics so that our young people have the tools needed to solve the global problems of tomorrow.

What makes you excited to show up to work on Monday morning?

I am excited to show up to work on Mondays because I get to learn new stuff almost everyday and work on problems that directly contribute to a better world.

What's the last thing you've read, listened to, or watched?

The last thing I read was Blitzscaling by Chris Yeh and Reid Hoffman. The authors argue that companies like Airbnb, LinkedIn, and Paypal are all marked by a period of exponential organizational and user growth known as blitzscaling and that this phase is critical for mature startups in consumer tech.

Where can we connect with you?

Linkedin

6 mins read

Blog Post

Meet Rebecca Holliday

Describe your journey to Groundswell in two sentences.

For the past 15 years I have worked in social impact across the non-profit, corporate and public sectors, and seen the immense power of technology to catalyze greater impact at scale. The opportunity to join Groundswell allows me to leverage my experience to help shape a product that is revolutionizing philanthropy in really exciting ways.

What is a cause you are most motivated by and where can we learn more?

It’s hard to pick a single cause, because there are so many important, interrelated issues that are critical in supporting and empowering vulnerable communities and the planet we live on. Right now I am really motivated by food security and food justice - ensuring people have food that is nutritious, affordable, and accessible. There is so much food waste, and yet people are going hungry - nearly 50 million Americans are considered food insecure. Organizations like Food Cycle LA and Food Forward are really important in the local food security ecosystem, helping to support local producers, eliminate waste, and get food to those most in need.

What makes you excited to show up to work on Monday morning?

I am most excited to show up to work on Monday morning because of the ambition of Groundswell’s vision, and the amazing team all working shoulder-to-shoulder towards that vision.

Share a hobby or interest that fulfills you.

I love gardening - and am fortunate enough to have a yard to grow and tend to flowers, herbs and vegetables. It’s a wonderful way to be outside in the LA weather, and also allows my young kids to learn about how plants grow and fruit ripens.

Where can we connect with you?

6 mins read

Blog Post

15 Million Steps Closer to Disrupting Philanthropy

Fortune favors the bold. It’s a favored saying among the military circles I used to serve in. I believe that when bold vision is combined with bold action, and encapsulated in a culture of relentless commitment to both, that extraordinary outcomes are possible. Groundswell’s mission was born of this boldness: to democratize philanthropy for the masses. We aim to make charity a standard component of employee compensation and ensure that everyone has access to the same giving tools as the ultra-wealthy. That type of mission requires significant resources, and thus I have some exciting news to share - today we are announcing that GV (formerly Google Ventures) is leading a $10 million Series Seed investment in Groundswell! GV will be joined by Human Ventures, Moonshots Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Core Innovation Capital. This financing will give Groundswell approximately $15 million to build the world’s most innovative giving platform and will catapult us toward our vision of creating a future in which every solution is funded and every problem is solved. We pitched partners at many of the most iconic venture capital firms in the world and received several offers, but GV was undoubtedly the right partner for Groundswell. Not only did GV immediately understand the immense commercial prospects of Groundswell, they fully bought into our vision to build a company capable of driving significant positive social change. Most importantly, they did not see those things as mutually exclusive objectives. We are also fortunate that GV partner MG Siegler will be joining the Groundswell board of directors. From our first phone call, I knew that MG was someone that I wanted to work with. His eyes lit up when I spoke about how we could solve the inherent challenges of current donor advised fund offerings while simultaneously building a new corporate benefit that reimagined compensation. It also helped that MG’s dad is a Wisconsin grad and former Marine - it allowed me to get over the troubling fact that he’s a Michigan grad. Luckily, I’m equally thrilled by our other participating investors. Human Ventures was writing a check to invest in Groundswell before we even had a pitch deck (or a name!) and I’m eager to continue working with them. As a Marine Corps veteran, Moonshots’ commitment to backing military veteran entrepreneurs aligns with my worldview that our servicemen and women make incredible founders. I have known Aydin and the folks at Felicis for a long time and Groundswell is perfect for their impressive portfolio of companies. Silver Lake has limitless potential to help us scale and secure early adopters. Last but not least, I knew Core was a team I wanted to partner with the first time I heard their investing thesis: backing missionary companies and mercenary returns. The team here at Groundswell has its work cut out for it. While this financing puts wind in our sails, we know that the journey we are on is not for the faint of heart. Our aim is to create an entire category (Philanthropy-as-a-Service) that reinvents corporate philanthropy, total compensation, and individual giving. It’s a bold objective. But fortune favors the bold. If you’re a passionate and talented human eager to join a world-class team, check out our careers page. If you work at a company that wants to be on the leading edge of corporate social responsibility and talent acquisition, reach out to request early access and become a Groundswell launch partner. Everyone else - buckle up, because this is gonna be a helluva ride.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Want to Make Giving a Habit in the Office? Here's How.

The Problem: Philanthropy Without the Buzz

The Solution: Match Donations Up Front

Layla Kajer, Director of Internal Communications & Community, Greenhouse