591. The Social State of Giving: How Digital Platforms are Shaping the Future of Philanthropy - Amit Meredith, GoFundMe

Summary

Summary of "We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits"

Episode 591: The Social State of Giving: How Digital Platforms are Shaping the Future of Philanthropy Featuring Amit Meredith, GoFundMe Release Date: December 16, 2024

In Episode 591 of the We Are For Good Podcast, hosts Jon McCoy, CFRE, and Becky Endicott, CFRE, engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Amit Meredith from GoFundMe. The episode delves into how digital platforms are revolutionizing philanthropy, exploring generational differences in giving, the rise of impact creators, and practical strategies for nonprofits to harness these trends effectively.

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1. Introduction to Amit Meredith and the Social State of Giving Report

The episode begins with Jon and Becky introducing Amit Meredith, highlighting her extensive background in impactful campaigns and strategic leadership across various organizations, including Warner Brothers Discovery, Samsung, and the UCLA School of Economics. Amit’s credentials and dedication to fostering meaningful change set the stage for an insightful dialogue.

Quote:

"You are in good company and we welcome you to our community of nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, world changers, innovators, and others to bring a little more goodness into the world." — Becky Endicott [01:07]

2. Overview of the Social State of Giving Report

Amit discusses the genesis of the "Social State of Giving" report, emphasizing its foundation in both consumer and nonprofit perspectives. The research involved qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey of a thousand participants to validate key findings. The report aims to provide actionable insights to help nonprofits build better connections with their supporters.

Quote:

"This is the foundation of our social strategy and we're sharing it with everyone because we believe that that is what will empower our total community." — Amit Meredith [04:25]

3. Generational Differences in Giving and Social Sharing

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on how different generations engage with philanthropy. Amit explains that Gen Z and Millennials are more digitally adept, frequently sharing causes online, while Boomers still engage robustly through offline channels. This dual approach highlights the importance of balancing digital and in-person strategies.

Quote:

"Gen Z and Millennials are more digitally savvy. They kind of grew up in the space. So when you look at those differences in terms of adoption, you're always going to see more in the Gen Z and the Millennials and then into Gen X and Boomer, where it gets smaller." — Amit Meredith [06:29]

4. The Emergence of Impact Creators

Amit introduces the concept of “impact creators,” individuals who leverage their communities to support and promote causes. She highlights that Gen Z views these creators as trustworthy curators who can mobilize their followers effectively during crises.

Quote:

"Gen Z will not only share causes typically about once a week, but they also are very responsive in crisis situations. They would give money to an impact creator to donate on their behalf." — Amit Meredith [08:30]

5. Leveraging the Creator Economy for Nonprofits

Jon McCoy underscores the burgeoning creator economy, projected to grow to half a trillion dollars by 2027. He advocates for nonprofits to collaborate with existing influencers within their communities rather than solely seeking high-profile celebrities. Amit agrees, emphasizing the need for genuine and authentic partnerships.

Quote:

"Your influencers are already there. They are there within your organization right now. And we have to look at it not just from a sense of who has the most followers. It's like, who has influence. It's not just about affluence anymore." — Jon McCoy [10:12]

6. Practical Tools and Case Studies

The discussion highlights practical tools like GoFundMe’s new streaming widget, which integrates fundraising seamlessly into live streams. Amit shares a compelling case study where a live stream during a Taylor Swift concert raised nearly $40,000 for the local YMCA in Toronto, demonstrating the power of community-driven fundraising.

Quote:

"She ended up raising nearly $40,000 they raised for guests. I mean, it's just so remarkable, the power of that community. And the Swifties showed up." — Amit Meredith [20:53]

7. Strategies for Empowering Community Evangelists

Amit advises nonprofits to empower their employees and volunteers to authentically share their missions. She suggests starting with those who are already passionate about the cause, allowing them to articulate and advocate in their unique voices.

Quote:

"Start with your employees, start with your volunteers because those are people who know your mission really well and in fact if you really are holding on tight, let them run it by you before they post it if you really need that to gain your trust." — Amit Meredith [24:10]

8. Enhancing Authentic Storytelling and Community Engagement

The hosts and Amit emphasize the importance of authentic storytelling in building trust and engaging communities. By enabling supporters to share their personal stories and connections to the cause, nonprofits can create a more relatable and compelling narrative that resonates across various platforms.

Quote:

"Commenting on somebody's fundraiser, sending them a positive note, sharing their fundraiser, all of these things... have so much value to the person doing the fundraising and then also to the community that you're activating of your own." — Amit Meredith [32:00]

9. Concluding Insights and Takeaways

As the conversation wraps up, Amit encourages listeners to explore the full report for deeper insights and to utilize tools like GoFundMe’s profiles and streaming widget to enhance their fundraising efforts. The hosts reiterate the significance of leveraging both digital and in-person strategies to maximize impact.

Quote:

"What you give is not only the money, it's our. The power of our networks, the power of our voice, the power of our message." — Becky Endicott [34:42]

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Key Takeaways:

• Generational Engagement: Understanding how different generations engage with philanthropy is crucial. Gen Z and Millennials are more inclined towards digital platforms, while Boomers maintain strong offline involvement.

• Impact Creators: Leveraging individuals who can authentically advocate for causes within their communities can significantly amplify fundraising efforts.

• Creator Economy: Nonprofits should focus on building genuine relationships with influencers who align with their mission rather than chasing high-profile endorsements.

• Empowering Advocates: Encouraging employees and volunteers to share their stories fosters authentic engagement and broadens the nonprofit’s reach.

• Practical Tools: Utilizing tools like streaming widgets and personalized profiles can streamline fundraising efforts and enhance community involvement.

• Authentic Storytelling: Building trust through genuine storytelling and allowing supporters to share their personal connections to the cause is vital for sustained engagement.

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This episode provides nonprofits with actionable insights into modernizing their fundraising strategies by embracing digital platforms and empowering their communities. By fostering authentic relationships and leveraging the power of impact creators, nonprofits can significantly enhance their mission-driven efforts in the digital age.

Transcript

[Becky]

Hey, nonprofit leaders, change makers and community.

[John]

Builders, this one's for you.

[C]

Join us on January 23rd for impact up Multiply, a dynamic virtual gathering by day and an in person local meetups by night happening around the world. It's a day designed to inspire, connect, and equip you to multiply your impact in 2025.

[Becky]

At impact up Multiply, we're talking about how community is the force multiplier for your mission. So if you're looking to grow or start a movement or deepen your community engagement in your mission, this day is for you. It's more than a virtual event. It's your space to dream bigger, build smarter, and multiply your impact.

[C]

We've already saved you a seat, so join this movement. Visit weareforgood.com impactup to sign up for free today. We can't wait to see you there. Hey, I'm John.

[Becky]

And I'm Becky.

[C]

And this is the We Are For Good podcast.

[Becky]

Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more, and be more for the causes that improve our world.

[C]

We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.

[Becky]

So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, world changers, and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.

[C]

So let's get started.

[Becky]

Hey, everybody. Welcome to another edition of the We Are For Good podcast. Listen. We sat down with our amazing friend Manit Meredith with GoFundMe to hear more about how people are discovering, sharing and interacting with the cause that they care about. Digital platforms are shaping the future of philanthropy and we can't wait for you to hear all of her insights today. Today. Enjoy.

[D]

You know us, we want this to be really actionable and meaningful for you. I'm seeing some amazing change makers already gathering here, but we brought our friends over from gofundme and Classy by gofundme and they're going to share this new report that they've been working on and they're really breaking down what's happening in the social giving space and really having some breakthrough data that's going to help us be more targeted, be more intentional, and just build better connection ultimately with those that want to be generous with us in our missions. And so today, today is going to give you lots of ideas. We're going to share some beautiful case studies that I can't wait for you to get Your hands on. But first we got to announce our friend Amit. Becky, you want to do the honor?

[John]

I am so honored to introduce our friend Amit. Look, I'm going to read this bio about Amit, but let me just say this one liner. She is wickedly smart, she is radically kind, and she deeply cares about the research and the data and insights in the for purpose world. And so you guys are in such a for such a treat. But Amit is this accomplishment accomplished. Senior exec. She's got a wealth of experience in establishing brands, creating impactful campaigns that are really leading strategic impact for organizations around the world. She's worked with companies like hello, Warner Brothers Discovery, Samsung, Boots uk. I mean, in addition to all the higher ed non profits and NGOs as the President's Council on the national foundation for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, UCLA School of Economics, and the Massachusetts Teacher Teachers association, shout out thank you for helping our teachers. And meet. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Florida and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She participates in local community events, Harvard Business Reviews Advisory Council, and she's also in the professional women's org that we all know and love. Chief Amit, we're so glad you're in our house. Come in here and teach us the way.

[Amit]

So great to be here. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to get to talk to you all today.

[D]

Oh my gosh. Well, y'all have been busy over there, my friends. I mean, y'all launched this social state of giving report and we're going to link it all up in today's chat because we want you to get your hands on this also. It's beautiful from your design branding friend over here. But here's the thing. It's giving this lens on how people are discovering how people are sharing and how people are interacting with the causes they care about, especially on social media. So before we get into a lot of the key takeaways, I'd love for you to just like set the tone because what do you believe is at stake here? You know, what's possible for those that lean into this data that you all are bringing to us on this beautiful silver platter.

[Amit]

Oh my gosh, that's so kind. Well, you know what I would say is that this is the foundation of our social strategy and we're sharing it with everyone because we believe that that is what will empower our total community. And so that was the genesis of this entire research project as we were looking both from the consumer Lens and the nonprofit lens and making sure we were understanding just what was happening in the social spaces. So that we kicked it off with some qualitative interviews. Then we did a thousand person quant survey to validate some of the findings and then started just spitballing about like, what does this mean for us? What does this mean for our community? And so that was really where it all began and how it all came to us.

[D]

Oh my gosh.

[John]

Incredible report. And I love that you're talking about this in such a holistic way. It feels like the time is now because even in the last two weeks, we've seen interesting things happen on social media. They're interesting happening in the social landscape of what's going on. But I really want to get into like the key learnings because I want to give classy GoFundMe a little bit of a shout out because we've already had an episode with the Elizabeth Reicha and Alyssa Bover. We were diving really deep into Gen Z, into their motivations. And I want to, and we'll drop that episode in the, in the link if anyone wants to go deeply into that. But we were really fascinated by the generational differences in giving and social sharing. And it's like, would you just break that down for us and start to speak to how we can think of tailoring our campaigns to make the most of these findings that you all have called.

[Amit]

Oh, my goodness, absolutely. And you know what? I think this is something we should always be studying, right? Like at the core of how we market as a marketer, we have to understand who it is that we're serving. Right. And so that way we can bring them something that's valuable. That's, to me, you know, a big.

[Becky]

Part of our work.

[Amit]

And so understanding what's happening specifically through the social lenses was important for us to articulate back among generations. So we know that they're also more digitally savvy. They kind of grew up in the space. So when you look at those differences in terms of adoption, you're always going to see more in the Gen Z and the Millennials and then into Gen X and Boomer, where it gets smaller. What was interesting in this report is we looked at also their behaviors in terms of the balance between sharing content. For example, we talk a lot about the power of sharing. It's a superpower among Gen Z. And we found that Boomers actually share a lot offline too. So this IRL component in the social spaces is also incredibly valuable, which I think for this community in particular, because there's always a nice balance of getting things together in a room, in person, and having these digital experiences. It's incredibly important to kind of highlight that as part of it. There's so much goodness in there. So I invite everyone to just take a read through and I promise you'll have something that you're like, oh, I didn't realize that.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, I love that you're ex owning the fact that IRL is reality Also, you know, I think we can get really hung up, especially as like digitally minded marketers of how we're convening community and what we're doing from the campaign perspective. But we're forgetting this dark social channel which is real life and people communicating in spheres that we still need to break into. So I think that acknowledgement is really powerful. I think obviously coming off of a national campaign, you see how all these different audiences are moving and processing information in different ways too. So I'd love to get your take. You know, I mean, how can you know, our listeners today, our change makers, think about what does this mean in terms of how we target, you know, these different groups and different kind of areas. What would you say, starting with like Gen Z, what's a great way to approach them?

[Amit]

Yeah, well, you know, it was an interesting finding for us around Gen Z. Here is how much they trust the what we're coined or what we're calling impact creators. It was coined actually in our interviews by Arjun Das, who is a manager for a number of creators that we work with. And we were like, oh my gosh, we love this term. Can we start evangelizing it? He blessed it and so we're running with it. I think there's, you know, and what we define an impact creator as is somebody who is, has a community and does good with it. Right? And you know, they share or fundraise on behalf of a person or a nonprofit. It's very like clean and clear. And it doesn't have to be a giant following either. It's really just about the impact. So to your point, John, like the discussions are happening in sometimes in smaller spaces. And so when it came to understanding Gen Z, we actually learned through this work that they will not only will they share causes typically about once a week, and they also are very responsive in crisis situations. And they would give money to an impact creator to donate on their behalf. And so they're essentially seeing those impact creators as curators and as sort of validating a fundraiser or a nonprofit community and then supporting that. And it kind of take a little bit of the work off of the individual if they found themselves in community with one of these impact creators that can just, you know, rally their whole following and create one large donation and impact.

[John]

Okay. There's so much there to unpack, and I gotta. I gotta lift a couple things. And actually, if you. If you're okay staying with this, I want to go a little bit deeper because you just talked about the power of the creator economy, and I want to remind everybody that the creator economy is set to grow to half a trillion dollars by 2027. We had a trend this year with we are for good, which is tap creators will. It will grow your influence. And so one of the examples that we were pointing back to, and I swear, y'all, this is going to tie back to philanthropy, so hang with me. But in December, we learned that creators were selling more retail in the cosmetics industry than the actual endorser that the cosmetic industry was hiring for their own market. So we're starting to see this switch where people are starting to listen to people that they trust. This is in hello, trust based leadership. Trust based action is everything right now. Because we're not sure what's real on the Internet. So I really am jiving with this. And so this challenge becomes to missions is how do we tap those influencers? And there's a lot of people who are like, my gosh, I want Ariana Grande to rep my brand. Oh, I'd love to get Lady Gaga aligned with my mission. And what I want to say to you right now is that your influencers are already there. They are there within your organization right now. And we have to look at it not just from a sense of who has the most followers. It's like, who has influence. It's not just about affluence anymore. And so I'm going to tell on myself, and I swear I'm going to pitch this back to you because I think a lot of the problems that nonprofits are stuck in, and this is kind of what I think we have to sun that a little, and I was guilty of this, is I'm going to create my. My content. I'm going to create our perspective, and I'm going to push it out into the community. Y'all, that has flipped. It is so much of a community build. And so what I want you to do, and you had this in your report, and I'm teeing you up for it because I thought it was brilliant and we're seeing this play out, is the power of nonprofits. Giving their believers and their fans the ability to share. And so it's not just about what we share. And, you know, we talk. Seth Godin talks about this. You know, our influence isn't about what we say about our brand. It's what others say about our brand. So please talk about how nonprofits need to reorient around empowering their base to share with their own community, with their own thoughts, with their own insights into your org. Talk a little bit about that.

[Amit]

I mean, you just nailed it. I have nothing to add.

[John]

It's happening.

[Amit]

I think it's so. I mean, we've seen remarkable examples, right? So I'll just pile on to everything that you just said. We, one of our nonprofit partners to write her Love in Arms is the way that they activated influencers. And in that community, they actually spoke with us on a panel at zcon, which is a Gen Z focused gathering of influencers and creators, and really, like, talked about how to, you know, leverage this community in a way that feels genuine and authentic. And that, you know, is really the foundation for the trust building that we talk about. The other thing that we've talked about as an actionable way to really empower the people to evangelize, your message is start with your employees, start with your volunteers. You know, they know your mission, right? They love your mission. Let them articulate it in a way that feels genuine to their voice and then bring their communities along. It's a lot of what you saw. We were talking about this earlier around all of us at GoFundMe and classy sharing our personal giving profiles yesterday. You know, they just launched. We're so excited. And it's such an easy way to show all the things that you care about and that you support. So in terms of your causes, in terms of any fundraisers that you've given to, whether they benefit a person or a nonprofit. And so just empowering the people who are supporting you to be evangelists of your message, it comes across just incredibly genuine and it brings them into your mission without it. To your point, Becky, being like a push of like my very particularly worded mission statement or what, that shows what.

[John]

A relief we can let go of that.

[D]

This is bubbling up for me, Amit, that another trend like Becky was describing, one of the trends we lifted for this year, too, was giving his identity. And I think that this is just so threaded together of we want to be part of who we aspire to be in the world. The things that we're trying to champion that connect to our values, our Deepest sense of purpose. Like, it all collides and I love that. This new launch yesterday and we need to find the link. I don't know if we could share it because y'all gotta check this out if you haven't seen it. It's this whole idea of you have a giving profile that highlights your areas of passion, but then like literally linking to like campaigns that you care about that you know have moved you or that you invested in. It's like, how do we actually allow and invite people to be active fundraisers for us? Whether that is your own team or it's those people that are kind of next to you or adjacent. I think it's like the perfect blend of all those things. So as we think about that, I mean, what else would you say is like a way to mobilize people? Like, when you read this report, what did you think about Amit in terms of like, man, this is low hanging fruit for kind of a next step for a nonprofit. I love the examples you've shared and love seeing the chat blowing up over here too. Thanks, Nate.

[Amit]

Yes. Oh, I mean, I think that is why I invite everyone to kind of take a read through it. Something different will inspire some other action. Right. So we shared it internally, you know, within our marketing teams first and then with our broader global go to market team. We had an excellent conversation with our product teams and what different findings spark for different teams is remarkable. So for us, you know, we looked a lot at impact creators that that sits within my organization. So we think about, like, how do we activate that even more? How do we, you know, bring them to this new profiles product that the product team just launched and how do we get them to see the value in it, in that internal pride of the things that they have supported. And so you'll see more activity from us in the next few weeks that really reiterates some of this. And I'll give you a little heads up, but it really is something that is like foundational to how we're going to continue to move forward. And so I think that is the important part is, you know, kind of taking a look at the information, distilling it through the things that are important to you and your organization and to your community and then activating that accordingly.

[John]

Okay, I love that you brought up the impact creator because I do think that this is a growing level of human that is one not in. Not in the. In the frame of mind of fundraisers and impact professionals as a growing audience member. I think we think so traditionally about this is my donor, this is my board member, this is my volunteer. And this is the potential to unlock incredible, incredible influence. And so Amit, you, you've researched and the team have researched these impact creators. Talk about what you've seen that really sticks and how do we build relationships with these individuals and how do we create those connections of influence on social channels? What have you found?

[Amit]

Yes, I would say the highlight is it is not one size fits all. That's the most important thing. We work with micro influencers. We work with the biggest, you know, influencers on the Internet. When we can, we work with celebrities. And what is true about all of them is there's a little bit of a different motivator or condition for each person that you're going to engage with. And so it's very important that you understand what they care about as much as you want them to convey your message and become part of your community. And so you have to really find some alignment there. And that means be in these spaces, be on the Internet, be in social and understand as you curate your own feed, who do you want to hear from. And the other important thing I think that's worth mentioning is they are not necessarily always using their platform in this way, but they have a community, they do good and they will share on behalf of a person or nonprofit. And so I think that is important to also, also think about. I mean, one great example we have is do you all remember the big trend from this summer around Demure and.

[John]

Oh yeah, oh my gosh, I saw that on my, my 14 year old's TikTok before I saw it anywhere else.

[Amit]

Like was like the jam. Okay. It was all over the place and we were loving it, loving it. Not really seeing how we, you know, at GoFundMe and classy from GoFundMe could fit into it until a few weeks later. We were working with our friends at Worthy and they had a relationship with Jules and we were working on the Puerto rico launch. So GoFundMe is available in Puerto Rico and they said, you know what, let's talk to her and see if there's something she might like to do. And wouldn't, you know, she did like to do something. She actually shared a fundraiser of another person who was going through transition, who is from Puerto Rico as well. And she just said, you know, I was lucky enough to fund my transition and I want to pay that forward and raise on behalf of this individual. And so she shared that fundraiser, then did another video after that. And I think that is Like a true way to interact with people in their platform, in their spaces that are true to them, that are not just jumping on a trend for the sake of it, but that are, you know, tapping into that community in a way that makes sense.

[D]

Yeah, because it just lifts that, you know, influencers. And I don't think we have to define it as the Kardashian as influencers, but, like, who is anybody that has trust, you know, around them? And that's all of us in some capacity with our communities and understanding and thinking about how that's going to speed up the trust of bridging your nonprofit to the next audience, too. So it's really like kind of riding the coattails of trust of those that you partner with. And that's just an evergreen, a beautiful concept. It's how we have always grown movements and campaigns, but now we can do it digitally and through a lot faster, maybe than ever before. But I want to ask you about Taylor Swift because I'm seeing this in our notes that there's a Taylor Swift example. And I'm like, we got to hear about the Swifty Love. Right now.

[Amit]

You are serving, like, all the best things on to me on a silver platter. This another, like, incredible product innovation that we have. So it is a embed it. It's a streaming widget that you can embed into your social platform. So if you are a streamer gamer, you're doing a dance marathon and you want to have people be able to, you know, give through your live stream, we now have a solution for that. And so we worked with Tess. Bonnie, I think is how you say her last name. She's a. A woman in Salt Lake who actually has been doing live streams of the Taylor concerts. One of our team members in the UK actually was a fan, followed her, reached out and said, hey, would you like to test out our new streaming widget and raise money for anyone? It doesn't have. You don't have to start your own GoFundMe. You can. She created a fundraiser that benefited a local nonprofit in Indianapolis where the. Where that concert was. And by the way, she's doing it for Toronto. So I will send you guys from.

[C]

Toronto in the house today.

[John]

They made it to Toronto.

[Amit]

I mean, but it's remarkable.

[John]

So.

[Amit]

And during the opening act, she, you know, launched her live stream like she always does and said, hey, you know, I'm going to raise money for. For this nonprofit and would you like to give? And you guys, her initial goal was $13,000 because. Right. Like, so many Donations in the amount of 13. Right. Like a lot of community symbolism, you know, kind of in unity. And she ended up raising nearly $40,000 they raised for guests. I mean it's just so remarkable, the power of that community. And the Swifties showed up. So if you're a Swifty, always do. B O N N E is her name. She's going to be live streaming and supporting I think the local YMCA in Toronto the next, over the next couple concerts.

[D]

Wow, how beautiful.

[John]

That is an incredible story. I've got a question for you but I'm going to go to Gary because Gary has a really good question here.

[Amit]

What's up for you and me?

[John]

He's asking what do you recommend to help reluctant leaders loosen control to allow more community co creation of content? Gary, I love you for asking this question because. Because releasing control is something we have got to do in this sector. Amit, what do you say to this?

[Amit]

You know what I would recommend, start with your employees, start with your volunteers because those are people who know your mission really well and in fact if you really are holding on tight, let them run it by you before they post it if you really need that to gain your trust. But I think as you loosen that grip, you will see more and more people come to support because they're able to articulate in their own way what your mission means to them and tell their story of impact as part of your mission. And so that can be the easiest first step. Like you gotta be able to trust the people who work for you to carry on your key points, the things that matter to you. And so that's probably a great place to start.

[D]

I mean are you like poking us with a stick? Because this is one of our, like.

[John]

This is one of your most famous quotes, John, is that the most powerful movements start from within and they start with your own people. And I don't just mean your own donors, I mean your staff and the way your staff feel about your organization, the way they feel emboldened to share. So Dan, thank you for that incredible mic drop. Mike's got another question in here. Can you share a little bit more about this, the context on the streaming widget for social and any links at all?

[Amit]

Oh yes, I can share the link with you and it has the like how you do it and set it up, it embeds into your stream however it is that you're doing it. But what is really remarkable is how seamless it was once they got the integration in and you still have the chat, you have a QR code that you can long hold, which I did not know to being able to give. And so she was able to also continue to talk over and see that number going up and up. And so it really became, you know, an additional experience to that live stream.

[John]

I think that's a really one. Thank you for asking that question because I think people are like, I want to do it. How do I actually do the thing? So please check out that link. And as we're sort of winding down, I feel like people are going to want to know who's doing this. Well, who can I go visit and see? And I'd love to shout one out as I'm going to question because you already mentioned 12 OHA. And we love to write Love on their arms. I mean, y'all, they literally have a week during the year where they bring creators on campus. I say campus, I think they let. It's a building. But they come into their headquarters and they literally set up a week for them. They set up ring lights for them. They set up sessions for them to get to know the programs and get to hear from beneficiaries from people on staff. They get. They get merch and they get all this training and they are treated like the most important person at this organization. And these are not celebrities. These are people that deeply believe in this mission and align on the values and the cause. And so I want to drop Twiloha in there, but we know, you know, a lot of them, Amit, so we'd love to hear your suggestions as well.

[Amit]

I mean, I think. Oh, goodness. I. I think that there's so many that are activating in different ways. So sometimes it'll be a bigger ambassador kind of program, and sometimes it'll be like, hey, here's this one moment around maybe one of our big moments. And so I think, like, Stand up to Cancer does a great job of that obvious with their live stream and activating some of their celebrity partners. There's just so many great examples. And I would invite everyone to kind of just start looking with a little bit more intention and you'll start to see them everywhere, especially this time of year.

[D]

Yeah, Yeah. I love it so much. Well, I mean, you know, you can't hang in our house without getting asked your one good thing. But I don't want to put you straight on the spot. I'm going to give you a second to think about your one good thing. What's the takeaway from this conversation? But I'm going to lift one because Tammy Tibbets the founder and CEO of She's the first, an incredible girls empowerment organization that we just love so much. She came on our podcast, and her one good thing. I mean, she's written a book called Impact. Literally, like, how do you live a life of impact? Here's your plan. How do you write it out? How do you define your values? But to our house. Oh, my gosh.

[C]

Really? I love it.

[D]

Ripple on the COVID So Tammy said something you can do today is all of us have links and profile, right? Whatever social profile this is a chance to highlight as we come into the new year. Put an organization that you care about or put a cause that you care about and link that directly, because we can all use our influence to help navigate people that are looking for more purpose in their life. It's such an easy hack, right? And actually, the community profile link that you'll have at GoFundMe is a great way to do that, to curate your passions and to. You point to different fundraisers, too.

[C]

So meet what you're.

[D]

What you got for a one good thing, my friend.

[Amit]

I mean, I feel like you just teed me up on. I'm like this. Put that in your. I mean, it's a Lincoln profile, so absolutely do that. Let's see. I think so. I live in Park City, Utah. Tomorrow is Live Give PC, where there is a big fundraising push to support all of the local nonprofits in the Park City area. And so one of the things I'll say is, like, my one good thing is seeing the way that this whole community has really rallied around that. There's. To your point, or to our earlier discussion on IRL and on digital, so you can actually engage irl. There are signs everywhere. There are. They had a light that shone onto the barn, so you could, you know, kind of see that display just really created movement within the community. Live Give PC, and you can choose which nonprofit you want to give to, or you can give to a general fund that will then be distributed among the nonprofits in the community who. Who need whatever support to get over their goal or to get a kickstart. So I think that's my one good thing, is bring that IRL and digital community together, make it easy for people to share and get your GoFundMe profile and put it in your little short bio.

[D]

Link in bio.

[John]

I totally want to set mine up because I dropped in my favorite right now. I'm really obsessed with Hope Booth, and I joined their monthly giving club. And I just think what you just shared right there is that it can be frictionless. It can find ease. And as long as you start with that value alignment and that trust, it's so easy, friends. So give your community that gift of activation. Give them the gift of being the difference and the change maker that you didn't even know were sitting there. And so it's really about asking. We're at year end season, everybody. We're starting to really ramp up to the biggest giving season. Let your people shine. Let them talk about you. Because giving is not just what we give monetarily. It's the way we show up in storytelling and network and share and create ripples that bring more people in. So can we give like a round of applause to the incomparable Amit, who knows so much, shows up with kindness and generosity and thank you for radically modernizing, telling us what's on the horizon. This is really, really important for us and we really want to be ready for to meet the moment that's really standing before us, my friends. So thank you.

[D]

We want to meet the moment. Are you kidding me?

[John]

This is right.

[D]

Oh, my God. I mean, how can folks connect with you? Obviously want to connect everybody to the report. What's the best way to connect with the report and all the things that y'all are putting together?

[Amit]

Oh, my gosh. I love it. So absolutely connect with me on LinkedIn. Also with Krista Lamp, who is in the chat and has been, you know, spearheading this report and as well. And then the. To learn more about the report, you just go to gofundme.com socialgiving and that should allow you to get to that report. If you can't find it, hit us up. We'll point you to all of the incredible innovations as well that we talked about. The streaming widget, the profiles. However, we can help you find these tools that help you activate your communities and have fun with it. And I want to say, Becky, the last thing that you said is so important is like, we are in giving season, but what we give is not only the money, it's our. The power of our networks, the power of our voice, the power of our message. And so, you know, commenting on somebody's fundraiser, sending them a positive note, sharing their fundraiser, all of these things we learned have so much value to the person doing the fundraising and then also to the community that you're activating of your own. So I just want to double down on that as we, as we wrap up today.

[John]

Thank you so much. I feel like I've learned a lot in this conversation. Y'all use the power of that DM to get into that connection and belonging and check out the report. We dropped all the links into the chat. You can access the report. You can access setting up a profile. Go put your favorite nonprofit in there and start telling the world what really really matters to you. Amit, you are a treasure. We love sitting in your orbit every time you come into our space. Thank you so thank you. You guys have the best week. Always rooting for you in all things.

[D]

See everybody.

[John]

Take care.

[C]

Hey friends, before we wrap today's episode, we wanted to tell you about an incredible new tool designed for mission driven organizations like yours. It's designed to help you save time, reduce your workload and even help you raise more money for your mission.

[Becky]

Meet Cadenza, an intelligent AI backed hub for your organization's knowledge, storytelling and impact. Non profits use Cadenza as their source of truth by training the tool with their own impact data, relevant content, storytelling and more. Then Cadenza securely uses this knowledge to help you work smarter and with more ease.

[C]

Cadenza can also help you identify aligned funding opportunities, but even better, it helps you efficiently craft grant applications in your unique style and tone. And of course your impact and source Stewardship reporting becomes so much easier with just a few clicks.

[Becky]

With Cadenza, your org can move at the speed of AI. Sound like Cadenza might be a fit for your organization? Take a test drive with our friends today and experience how Cadenza can help you grow your mission's impact this year.

[C]

So schedule your free demo by visiting getcadenza.com or follow the link in this episode's description. Be sure to tell them we are for good.

[John]

Sent.