Social Impact Trends: What's Coming in 2021
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Predicting trends is always a precarious business, but if you make predictions in order to learn rather than be right, they can be a productive exercise. I’m sure it would be comical to look at all of the 2020 predictions right now, but let’s look ahead — because we have to!
The Human Aggregation Business Will Bounce Back
If being isolated these past nine months has shown us anything, it has illuminated how much we value being with other people. This means eating in restaurants, attending concerts, watching live sports, and — most importantly — old-fashioned volunteer projects.
Prior to 2020, traditional volunteering had been poo-pooed in favor of skills-based work that has more “impact”.
Toward the end of 2021, traditional volunteering — that is, getting into a community with a lot of people to help — will be very much in vogue as we remember that impact goes both directions. Helping nonprofits and other community organizations, helps them for sure, but it helps the helpers even more. It turns out we need that connection — that physical connection — with each other.
The only question is, “How will companies engage their people in communities where they work?”
Geography Continues To Gain Importance
We have all been forced to be where we are. We have Zoomed ourselves into oblivion, but in the end, we are where we live.
People are on the move since they can work from anywhere. People are also trying to help their local businesses, restaurants, and community organizations stay afloat during these uncertain times. From our point of view, caring about the state of your local community is a good thing.
Social impact has been trending local for many years, and this trend will continue. International causes will remain important, but people want to get face to face with the organizations they are helping.
“Who can we help in the communities where we operate?” will be a key question in 2021.
The Purpose Economy Will Accelerate
We have been doing this work for 25 years. Every time we have seen a step change in the investment and activity around social impact is after major crises.
The pandemic is something that everyone has felt in one way or another. These macro events typically cause people to put their lives into some context. That includes assessing where individuals work and who they buy from.
The private sector is on notice to be more responsive to the needs of stakeholders rather than just shareholders. So, we are bullish on making a difference in 2021!
If you’re looking forward to Q3 and are ready to start planning your in-person volunteer events, our team can help. We do, however, offer a wide range of services for those who still feel more comfortable volunteering from the safety of their homes or are looking to revamp their purpose strategy for the new year.