Monthly views on the future of responsible business
JANUARY 2023
“We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
Welcome back to Vantage, a monthly newsletter by Deed exploring the future of responsible business. We're so excited to continue sharing the latest and greatest social impact news, commentary, product updates, and giving & volunteering opportunities with you this year. We think you'll agree: Right now it doesn't just feel important to stay up-to-date—it feels like a job requirement as we help our organizations become forces for good in the world.
In that spirit, let's take a step back for a moment. By every measure, 2022 was a uniquely challenging year. But it was also an inspiring one. Millions of people showed the world that, amidst the brutalities of war and pandemic, the devastation of climate change, persistent social injustice, and economic insecurity, they will still go out of their way to help one another. Here are just some of our own highlights:
There are 4X as many people using Deed now than in 2021, who made 5.7X as many donations on our platform
Children and Disabilities were the top causes for volunteers and donors (respectively)
At 93 percent of all events, in-person volunteering came roaring back
You are most likely one of these people who simply refuse to give up. So from our team to yours: Thank you for all your hard work. This community truly stepped up in a year when it felt impossible to do so.
For more on how employees strengthened their communities by volunteering, giving, and sharing their skills this past year, read “2022: A Year of Good Deeds."
And remember: If you haven't already, sign up now and never miss an issue of Vantage.
With its knack for good timing, Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm, published its annual “Trust Barometer” just ahead of the World Economic Forum’s marquee conference in Switzerland to much fanfare. The skinny? Distrust is “now society’s default emotion,” and companies outrank governments in the squinting public eye. However, responsible business firebrand Alison Taylor argues “all of this is a form of PR, [the idea] that trust is something you can accumulate like money.” Taylor, executive director of Ethical Systems and clinical professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, adds that “what is being called ‘trust’ here is not ‘trust’ in any kind of academic understanding. This is reputation.” Where do you stand? Check out Edeleman’s report—or just thetakeaways—and criticism in The Guardian.
A resolution that’s actually worth keeping in 2023
Calling all resolution-breakers: You’ve got a second chance. As you set your health, financial, and personal goals for the year, consider making time to volunteer for a cause you really care about. It’s not just a meaningful, doable item to tick off a list. A few hours helping your community lets you take a step back and figure out what matters most to you. Read how to let purpose guide your life and your employees’ lives on our blog.
$2,475,000,000,000.00
For those of us still counting the zeros on our fingers, that’s nearly $2.5 trillion, which is how much the United States has spent on climate disaster relief since 1980. And it’s nothing compared to the human cost: 15,281 people have been lost to weather disasters in that time. Unfortunately, according to a recent report, 2022 far exceeded the average annual human and financial loss, with 474 deaths (vs. 368) and $165 billion in damages (vs. ~$58 billion), having seen more than double the amount of catastrophic weather events at 18 (vs. 7.9). Learn why that is in the National Centers for Environmental Information’s new study.
Who wants to be a millionaire philanthropist?
The word “philanthropist” has historically been associated with wealthy, usually white people who make significant financial gifts. But one recent historical study argues that the long tradition of generosity in the Black community considers “any resource that has the potential to alleviate suffering or bring about meaningful change…as being useful philanthropic currency—be it time, money, employment, education, beauty, influence, inspiration, or tangible goods.” Think about expanding your own understanding of philanthropy with this piece from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, one of their best from 2022.
Making good on every ESG pledge
Achieving a zero-carbon future will remain impossible if environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) leaders can’t even speak the same language. And yet “The dissonance between finance leaders' proclamations of clean economy ambition and the wake-up calls from the public sector, civil society, and the scientific community is seriously jarring,” as GreenBiz Group director and analyst Grant Harrison argues. Read Harrison’s thoughts on how to put the pledge pens down and get to work.
Book club, anyone?
For five years, Marcy Twete, veteran corporate social responsibility (CSR) consultant, has published her must-read book list on the MT Sustainability blog. We could tell you every title—from Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers by Chip Health and Karla Starr, to a novella set in a small Irish town—but the best part of this list is Twete’s commentary on how the books inform her perspective on CSR. See for yourself with “Your 2023 ESG and Corporate Responsibility Reading List.” (h/t Kathryn Pisco 👋)
📺 Watch: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on creating a “person-oriented society” by combatting racism, materialism, and militarism
Dr. King’s speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” given at Riverside Church in New York City a year before his assassination, is as invigorating today as it was in 1967. Reflecting on Dr. King’s prescience on the MLK Jr. Day of Service, our Co-founder and CEO Deevee Kashi urged our community to listen again to this speech, writing: “We must be unafraid of [King’s] daunting challenge. We must be vulnerable and brave when sharing our ideas and passions. And above all, we must do it together.” Listen to the speech.
Product spotlight
Inside our mission & structure
Stav Kashi is Deed’s VP of Product. Since joining the company in 2017, Stav has brought her insatiable curiosity and empathy to her work everyday—and it shows in every corner of the ambitious product roadmap she’s helped design so that every volunteer, donor, and community on our platform enjoys a truly meaningful experience.
This January, we have two assets we hope will bolster employee engagement in social impact.
First, our "Cause of the Month" is food insecurity. In our toolkit, we highlight nonprofits working to address disparities in access, quality, and security of food in households all over the world.
Click on the image below to preview the toolkit and learn how to get full access. 👇
Second, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Day of Service was on Monday, January 16, but we hope you'll agree that both upholding King's legacy and fighting for equity must continue every day.
That's why we're giving full access to our MLK Jr. Day of Service Engagement Guide. Just click here.👇
Thank you for reading Vantage. We want this monthly newsletter to be of real value to everyone working to make a real social impact. If there’s a topic you’d like to learn more about, or if there’s someone pushing the conversation forward whose work deserves more attention, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a note: vantage@joindeed.com.
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