Contagious Kindness Activation

Raises funds through spare change donations from event attendees and a portion of merchandise sales to support kindness education and charitable programming.

Hosts pre- and post-performance talks, including events with over 200 attendees, and facilitates debrief meetings for participants to reflect on their experiences during the '11 Days of Kindness' campaign.

Organizes donation drives at theatres and performance venues, particularly in the UK and St. Louis, MO, collecting canned goods for food banks and fresh socks for homeless shelters, often tied to pre- or post-performance events.

Coordinates an annual campaign from September 1–11 that encourages individuals, teams, and a cappella groups to perform good deeds, with goals such as 25,000 acts of kindness, and promotes participation through social media, events, and a pay-it-forward model. The campaign includes virtual choir launches and international engagement across all 50 U.S. states and over a dozen countries.

Organizes a cappella musical events and produces global music videos, including performances of “Be Kind” and a composite “mega-mix” virtual choir, to commemorate 9/11 and launch the '11 Days of Kindness' campaign, featuring live performances, recordings, and merchandise tied to remembrance and kindness messaging.

Develops and distributes free, classroom-ready lesson plans and resources for grades K-12 that teach about the history of 9/11, kindness, social-emotional learning, and how to participate in the '11 Days of Kindness' campaign.

Collects demographic data—including race, gender identity, veteran status, disability status, and age—to analyze and report on pay equity trends within the social-impact sector.

Operates a digital platform with 1.3 million monthly visits that connects individuals to social-impact opportunities, including jobs, volunteering, internships, and community problem-solving. Has facilitated the posting of 2.8 million opportunities and supported millions of people globally since 1995.

Operates the Nonprofit Salary Explorer, a tool that collects and publishes real-time compensation data based on user-reported information including role, organization size, location, and experience level. Uses this data to provide benchmarking insights across cities, roles, and organizations.

Organizes the Idealist Days, a monthly initiative that encourages community actions on symbolic dates (e.g., 7/7, 8/8, 9/9). Provides 'action recipes'—practical templates—to help individuals turn intentions into concrete social actions.

Produces and publishes the Idealist Blog, offering content on careers, volunteering, and activism to support individuals in engaging with social-impact work.

Offers a volunteer search widget that can be embedded on external and internal websites, enabling organizations to promote volunteer opportunities. Also partners with platforms like VolunteerMatch to expand reach.

Conducts and publishes an annual Employer Report based on surveys of over 5,500 hiring professionals and job seekers, analyzing hiring trends and workforce challenges in the social-impact sector.

Hosts a network of over 200,000 social-impact organizations on its platform, enabling them to post opportunities and connect with individuals seeking to engage in social impact.

Encourages individuals to perform small acts of kindness, such as buying coffee, meals, or groceries for others in need, and to request that recipients pay the kindness forward. Includes distribution of foundation-provided cards to promote the initiative.

Provides financial support in the form of grants, scholarships, and resources to individuals engaged in lifelong learning and pursuing their passions.

Creates and distributes thousands of handmade Be Kind hearts, which are shipped worldwide as part of a broader campaign to foster kindness and connection.

Finances a rotating portfolio of local and national organizations—including SPCA, NAMI Finger Lakes, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, and others—through percentage-based donations tied to the sale of branded merchandise such as car magnets, wristbands, keychains, coffee, and holiday items.