The widening inequality gap we are witnessing as we emerge from the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the attention being paid to the killings of Black Americans including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and, most recently, George Floyd remind us of the absolute necessity of continuing the work to create a society that supports and values each of its members equally. How can we build a society based around compassionate communities, whose members are motivated and empowered to take action to actively improve the world for their fellow human beings?

Over the last several weeks, we have been devastated by the killings of Ahmaud Aubery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. 

These tragedies are painful reminders of the long history of injustice and racism in the U.S. that continues to tear our communities apart and leaves us living in fear of one another.

We all know there is another way — a country where we would all live as “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

But we don’t live in that world. George Floyd did not live in that world. 

The challenges surfacing from COVID-19 are creating greater needs in our communities. Nonprofits are struggling with filling volunteering roles, while the people in our communities who need these services are growing. In fact from research we performed during the month of March, we learned that 93% of nonprofit organizations are seeing volunteer cancellations, with some losing 100% of their volunteer force.

What should volunteer engagement look like as we move forward with the next phase of COVID-19 response? While things are opening back up, we are not just returning to life as it was before March.

What should we consider before inviting volunteers to return, and how can we ensure that we’re doing our best to protect our volunteers, our clients, and others in our organization?

There has been an increase in overall demand for food from Food Banks across the U.S. because of COVID-19. It’s amazing to see our communities: individuals, businesses, governments, and nonprofit organizations come together to support the people in need.

It shows that if we collaborate and work together, we can make a significant difference in fighting hunger in our communities.

Here are some inspiring ways people are working together to combat this growing challenge.

COVID-19 has dramatically changed our lives, and many of us are feeling less connected to others. But, even as we learn to navigate these changes, it’s also empowering to see so many public illustrations of how we are connected — and that, when we each take actions towards helping our communities, and work together, we can make huge strides in combating these larger societal challenges.

Demand is up. Supply is down. How can you help beat food insecurity and hunger during COVID-19?

May 5, 2020, is #GivingTuesdayNow, a new global day of unity meant to encourage generosity, citizen engagement, and support for nonprofits around the world.

COVID-19 has dramatically changed our lives in every way. As you are learning new ways of doing things, you may be seeking out more inspiration, wanting to celebrate what you and your teams have accomplished, or looking for ways to navigate in this new environment.

So how can you do this and connect with others virtually and learn from each other? Here are 3 ways you can be inspired, grow, and learn in May. 

What an exciting week of activities it has been to honor all of our helpers in celebration of National Volunteering Week!

To all who participated as guests on our panels and in our events, to all of you who shared stories, asked questions, and helped amplify our message, a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU.