Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Imagine this for a second. It’s election time, and you’re standing in line to vote in your town’s municipal election. It's less than glamorous—fluorescent lighting, a drafty gymnasium, the smell of someone’s stale coffee lingering in the air. Fidgeting on your phone, scrolling while the line inches forward. But when it’s finally your turn, and you stand there with the ballot in your hand, something clicks.

The names on the page aren’t just strangers; they’re the people who’ll decide whether your neighbourhood park gets funding. Whether your friend’s mental health clinic stays open. Whether the local food bank can keep running.

You cast your vote and walk out the door. But you can’t shake the feeling that voting is just step one. There’s so much left to do.

Why Voting Is the First Step
When you vote, you’re not just choosing a leader. You’re setting the direction for your community. You’re saying, This is what I care about. This is what I’m fighting for. But here’s the thing: voting alone doesn’t fix the potholes, clean up the parks, or stock the food bank’s shelves. Voting sets the wheels in motion, sure, but it’s the follow-through—the action—that really gets things done.

Volunteering: The Follow-Through
Volunteering is what happens when you take the issues you voted on and put your hands, your time, and your heart into them. You voted for better schools? Tutoring kids after school is how you make that happen. You voted for climate action? Join a cleanup crew or advocate for local green initiatives. You voted for affordable housing? Help build it. Or spend time at a shelter listening to people’s stories and understanding what’s really at stake. Volunteering connects you to the very people you’re voting to support and the very problems you’re hoping to alleviate. It’s where your ideals meet reality.

Where the Two Meet
When you combine voting and volunteering, something powerful happens.
Volunteering makes you a smarter voter. When you’re out in the field—whether it’s packing boxes at a food bank or advocating for better public transit—you get firsthand knowledge of what’s working and what’s broken. This insight makes your vote more informed. Voting amplifies your volunteer efforts. Electing leaders who share your vision can fund the causes you care about, remove roadblocks, and make your volunteer work even more impactful. It’s a cycle. You vote for change, you volunteer to bring it to life, and the results of your volunteering fuel your next vote.

How You Can Get Started
If you’ve ever wondered how to bridge the gap between voting and volunteering, here are some ideas to get you started:

Vote With Intention
Before heading to the polls, take time to research the issues that matter most to you. Think about how they connect to the causes you’re already passionate about.

Volunteer Where It Counts
Find opportunities that align with your vote. If you’re passionate about public schools, look for local education programs. If you care about climate action, join a local advocacy group.

Be a Connector
Encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to get involved. Share how voting and volunteering have shaped your perspective—it might inspire them to do the same.



Why it Matters
Here’s the truth: democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box. It lives in the hands of the people who care enough to show up—both on Election Day and every other day of the year. Voting gives you a voice. Volunteering gives you the tools to use it. So next time you cast your vote, don’t stop there. Find a way to show up for your community. Get your hands dirty. Be the person who turns ideas into action. Because when voting and volunteering work together, that’s when real change happens.And honestly? It feels good to be part of something bigger than yourself.

Looking for more ways to impact your community? You can always visit our Continuum of Civic Engagement to learn more.

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

It’s difficult to describe, but there’s a feeling you get after you make a donation. You know—that warm and fuzzy sensation that makes your heart swell. And no matter if you’ve donated for the first time—or the hundredth, that warm and tender feeling manages to tiptoe its way back every time.

Where does it come from? Maybe it’s from knowing that your contribution is changing the lives of those in need, advancing social justice, or righting environmental wrongs. Or, maybe it comes from the simple pleasure of finding your new life’s purpose. Regardless of the reason, it’s a reminder that donating even a bit of extra pocket change can change your life—and someone else’s too.

With so many ways to donate, it’s easy to feel lost. Don’t worry, we’re here to help! In this chapter of our Continuum of Civic Engagement series, we’re laying out three proven donation strategies to help you find your footing and sponsor the causes that truly strike a chord with you. So let’s get started.

Strategy 1: Set Up Recurring Monthly Donations
Making a monthly donation to a charity, non-profit, or community-led group is sort of like subscribing to a streaming service. Every month you can pitch in a small budget-friendly amount, and in return you get to enjoy the impact that organization makes—like a Netflix account but more philanthropic.And unlike bulky, unplanned donations, streamlined monthly payments offer you a bird’s eye view into how much you’re actually spending.

So, you can cut out the guesswork when someone asks if you have anything else to spare. But the benefits don’t stop there—your cause has a lot to gain from monthly donations too.That’s because when non-profits have the safety net of predictable and recurring income, they’re better able to plan for the future, allowing them to continue lifting up the communities that depend on their services.

Strategy 2: Name Non-Profits in Your Will
What if you’ve been donating to a non-profit month-after-month for years? You’ve gotten to know the organization's team, maybe you’ve volunteered with them, and over time you’ve become woven into the organization’s fabric. And now, you want to help them deliver on their mission—even after you’re gone.

This is where leaving your charitable donations in a will can be an effective strategy - it’s another way to help an organization plan out their future. n the process, the organization’s ongoing success becomes part of your legacy. It can also have significant tax benefits because your donation may be deducted from your overall estate after your pass, making it a win-win solution for your cause, and your family.

Strategy 3: Contribute to Your Corporate Matching Program
If you only have so much to give, and want to stretch it even further, a corporate matching program may be your best bet. Corporate donation matching is exactly what it sounds like. It’s when your employer matches your charitable donations—dollar for dollar. A quick flip through your employment contract or corporate policy agreement, or even a visit to HR, is all you need to see if a matching program is already in place.

Even if there isn’t anything in writing—it never hurts to ask. Floating the idea over to your management team could be all it takes to spark a wider conversation, and architect a donation matching program for the future.


Final Thoughts
It’s no secret that charities, non-profits, and community-led groups are the sturdy footing our communities stand on. But without thoughtful and structured charitable giving, that foundation would slowly crumble and the people they serve would fall through the cracks. In many cases how we contribute is just as important as if we contribute.

Strategies that play the long game, like setting up a monthly donation schedule, naming organizations in your will, and sifting through paperwork to uncover a corporate matching program you didn’t know existed, are most effective. If you want to learn more about more ways to impact your community, you can always visit our Continuum of Civic Engagement to learn more.

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

It's two weeks before Thanksgiving and you can't wait to volunteer at this year's local food drive. It's hard to forget the feeling of working with volunteers at last year's event. You remember the endless waves of people dropping off donations they collected. Rows of volunteers packing and sorting thanksgiving goodies into every box. And fleets of delivery drivers ready to deliver holiday happiness to a family in need.

So how can you pump up your team's sense of collaboration? In this article of our our Continuum of Civic Engagement series, we'll walk you through the top 3 strategies to level up collaboration across your volunteering teams.

Clear Communication Channels 
You know those moments when you need a solution, but can't reach the person who has it? That's how many new volunteers feel when they're starting out. Jumping from volunteer to volunteer looking for answers to the roadblocks holding back their productivity. And it doesn't just frustrate the volunteers desperate for help. It also slows down other team members from wrapping up their tasks. 

So how can you address this? The answer is simple. You need a solid and clear communication channel to stay ahead of the problems your volunteers run into. Team group chats, direct response inboxes or even handing out your phone number could do the trick. As long as volunteers can grab the person they're searching for in real-time, that's all that matters. 

The Power of Training and Development
Working with volunteers is a lot like building a house. Before you can start you need to lay down a solid foundation. And in the world of volunteerism, training is that foundation. Training and development can do a lot for your volunteer organization or cause. It drives efficiency, bumps up productivity and lays out expectations. But it also takes volunteers by the hand and walks them through the process of working together.

With training and development sessions volunteers get a chance to know each other. Share stories of how they got started, and bond over the cause they've dedicated so much of their life to. For so many reasons, training and development can open the doorway to life-long collaboration between volunteers.

Encourage Teamwork
If you're a volunteer manager you have a lot on the go. Recruitment visits, onboarding lessons, and scheduling take up most of your time. So you don't have time to monitor a communication channel or architect new training and development sessions. If you find yourself in this situation, don't worry, there's one last bow left in your quiver.

You can sit back, and trust your volunteers to take newcomers under their wing. Remember, your volunteers love the cause they serve. They've dedicated years of their life to drive it forward and help it reach new heights. And often, they're bursting at the seams to help out a fellow volunteer enthusiast. So have a little faith in your volunteer team and help them help each other. 

Conclusion
Building a collaborative environment among volunteers is like putting together a puzzle. At first it's hard to know where everything should go. But with a little effort from everyone involved, you can create a beautiful picture. And including systems like communication channels and training sessions can help.

That's because they open up doors for real time responses and meaningful connections. Driving your cause forward and with less day-to-day friction slowing your organization down. And if you're tight on time, or strapped for resources, you can always depend on your team to lend a helping hand to a fellow volunteer in need.

Together, these tactics can forge a strong and unified team of volunteers to power your organization goals. But if you want to learn more about fostering collaboration amongst your volunteers, you can always visit our Continuum of Civic Engagement to learn more.