Top Tips for Success From Social Impact Business Leaders

Running a for-profit social impact company is a lot of work. You devote your time, funds, and energy to making the world a better place—on top of being an entrepreneur. That is no easy feat! You know your mission is important, and to fulfill it, you need to be seen by others and get their support.

That means you’ll need to achieve some sort of success. But achieving success can look different for different people, social enterprises, and business models. For you (and at this stage), maybe it’s increasing your web or social media traffic and engagement. Maybe it’s hitting a sales, revenue, or impact goal. Or maybe it’s just expanding your team and hiring new, talented people to help spread your mission.

While success can be subjective, we all want to see the fruits of our labor as well as see our impact increase. But how do you do that? To get that answer, I picked the brains of a few social impact business leaders and compiled the top tips that they say contributed to their success. If you’re feeling stuck, use these ideas to get inspired and keep moving forward.

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Patricia Chourio - The World’s Corner

The World’s Corner is a fair trade shop offering handmade products crafted by women artisans from ethnic minority groups. They strive to empower women artisans globally and promote the preservation of traditional crafts through strong partnerships.

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What helped you achieve success?

I think one of the most profound lessons I've learned since embarking on my entrepreneurial journey is recognizing the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone if I want to achieve meaningful success and foster business growth. Although I haven't yet accomplished all of my business goals, I've come to recognize the value of reaching out to other social entrepreneurs, and the importance of being proactive in seeking external resources to help me in my own personal journey as a solopreneur.

What success did it lead to?

This approach has not only allowed me to build a community that I can rely on but has also been instrumental in navigating the challenges brought by the pandemic and a significant relocation to a different city. One concrete example of this has been a partnership I developed with other fellow Latinas in the sustainability space. In 2020, we launched a project called The Ethical Bridge, to help promote ethical consumerism and elevate the work of women artisans in Ecuador, Mexico, and countries in Southeast Asia. This project has enabled us to reach new audiences, participate in festivals such as LatinaFest two years in a row, and disseminate knowledge and expertise about our collective efforts in this space.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

I truly believe that adopting a lifelong learner mindset is the key to success and can help us advance in any facet of our lives. I encourage other entrepreneurs to stay curious and vulnerable. It's ok to ask questions and reach out for support. You'd be surprised by people's willingness to help!

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Melanie Lambert - Just Write Grants

Just Write Grants provides premier grant writing services to nonprofit organizations that want to change the world. They specialize in combining experienced fundraising professionals and the writing and research skills necessary to inspire foundations and corporations to fund your project.

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What helped you achieve success?

I recently hired a photographer to take real-life photos of me and other things relevant to my company. For the last five years, I've only used stock photography. For the last month, I used these company-specific, person-focused photos in all of our social media posts, company branding, and marketing.

What success did it lead to?

Since using these photos, we've experienced a MASSIVE increase in social media engagement, open rate for e-campaigns, and website traffic. All of this has led to increased engagement in working with our company and overall growth.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

People connect with REAL people. Investing in this photography has paid off exponentially for us in just a short amount of time (about two months). As a company that works with nonprofits, I highly recommend that our clients work with a photographer to take real photos of their clients, staff, and volunteers in action. We live in such a visual culture, and being able to see your work in action will inspire donors the same way it inspires customers.

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Kate Cherichello - Be The Good with Kate

Be the Good with Kate is a podcast where Kate shares all the good news and good people as she can. You can join her each week as she chats with someone following their passions and helping others along the way. (If you need a place to start, Kate featured me on an episode.)

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What helped you achieve success?

Belief in myself and my faith, with a lot of thanks to those who have built me up throughout my life, encouraging and trusting me.

What success did it lead to?

The confidence to pursue my dreams, and to continue to follow my passions despite the obstacles along the way. Additionally, it has led me to an optimism in the good that exists around us, and to look to that over the negative.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

It is absolutely worth it to take the time to really dive into what “lights you up” and brings you joy. Then pursue that, reminding yourself along the way of your “why.” Why am I pursuing this path? Why is it meant for me? Why do I face the challenges to get to where I feel pulled to go? The path can and will change and shift along the way as we learn and grow as human beings, but it is so important to listen to our hearts.

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David Schwab - Funraise

Funraise is a collection of nonprofit fundraising tools designed to make raising more effortless.

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What helped you achieve success?

Back when I was supporting nonprofits in a consultant role, we had amazing success reactivating lapsed donors. By segmenting out lapsed donors from their regular appeals and writing specifically to where the lapsed donors were in their relationship with the organization, we reignited the passion these donors had for the cause and brought them back at a rate the organization had never experienced. At one point, the reactivated donors were the top-performing segment in all categories!

What success did it lead to?

We got to celebrate increased lapsed donor reactivation through segmentation and personalization.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Don't be afraid to try different engagement strategies, look at your donor data in a different way, and communicate to a targeted audience. You don't need a big group to constitute a “segment”...it can be as small as five donors!

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Jenise Steverding - Gifts for Good

Gifts for Good is a woman-owned business and Certified B Corporation dedicated to empowering the world to help people and the planet through gift giving. They envision a world where every gift purchased gives back.

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What helped you achieve success?

Hard work, honestly. There is a lot to be said about work ethic.

What success did it lead to?

This really depends on how you define success. For me, it included lay-offs, lessons learned, etc. But I look at success as really being about the impact created. When I look at the impact and see what has been generated at my current company, I'm very proud.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Don't let perfection get in the way of progress

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Ashleigh Poff - Industry Impact Events

Industry Impact offers professional and passionate event coordination and consultation for social impact agencies, boutique brands, and businesses that give back.

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What helped you achieve success?

Identifying our company values and staying true to them when selecting clients.

What success did it lead to?

We provide event and project management for socially conscious businesses and have been able to facilitate over $10M in impact value (fundraising, partnerships, job creation, etc.) for our clients who invest in making the world a better place.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Commit to engaging with others with who you feel true alignment and ease when working together. Creating a personal value statement (that coincides with your business's mission and vision) helps you always come back to check yourself, "Is this client/project right for me?" and will help alleviate future headaches. Trust your intuition and keep loving the work you do!

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Elaine Birks-Mitchell - The Bra Recyclers, Inc

The Bra Recyclers is a for-profit social enterprise textile recycling company. They donate underwear to nonprofit organizations around the world and partner with consumers and retailers to responsibly dispose of textiles.

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What helped you achieve success?
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DATA. For example, I have wanted to work with social media influencers but they usually charge quite a bit of money. I met with one influencer and her team, and I had questions about how they could track the success of their campaign and understand the ROI of investing in their services. The team discussed that they could not really quantify their success but could draw some conclusions based on the number of clicks, etc. I showed them what data I collect when people recycle and what data might be valuable to them as influencers, such as the Sustainability Scorecard that provides her with data on the environmental impact of the bras her followers recycle and the equivalency to the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, I was able to show her which platforms and areas of the country the recyclers came from so that she can determine the best call to action.

What success did it lead to?

Once I shared my data with this influencer and demonstrated all I can do to help the impact of her post, her team agreed that they would not charge me their normal fee. Instead, we would exchange data for her to promote me and I would also cross-promote her and provide her with more data. It’s all about the data and offering a value proposition that can help the other entrepreneur grow their business, too!

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Start collecting data as early and as often as you can! It is important for every aspect of your work.

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Megan Grant - Cherish Tours

Cherish Tours is a women-owned curated small group travel experience exclusively for women. The best part is that your vacation supports women in business simply by signing up to travel with Cherish. Each hosted travel experience is socially conscious by keeping tourism dollars in the pockets of the local economy.

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What helped you achieve success?
Firstly, hiring a business and life coach. Secondly, finding a community of like-minded female entrepreneurs that have supported me in growing my business.

What success did it lead to?

I'm still growing my business. I think success is something that is ever-changing. The success that launching and growing Cherish has led to so far for me is a life I feel proud to live and one that gives me more flexibility to do the things I love. It was always my goal to make an impact in our world and now I get to do that every day.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Start with something you're good at or that you love. It makes the long road to achieving success much less painful.

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Michael Jones - Thrive Farmers

Thrive Farmers connects coffee and tea directly to the consumer and empowers farmers by bringing them to market as partners, not just suppliers, creating a more sustainable income and opportunities for them.

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What helped you achieve success?

Focusing on mission/purpose versus money.

What success did it lead to?

Meaningful change and impact in an industry where nothing has changed for decades.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Find a purpose that is bigger than just profits and dedicate your professional life to that.

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Alice Brown - GoodSteps

GoodSteps creates quality, hand-made sandals and products, and provides ongoing funding to nonprofits currently fighting hunger both here and around the world. With every product you purchase, they donate 20% to the giving partner of your choice.

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What helped you achieve success?

Keeping my eyes on the "prize," which in our case is feeding hungry and food-insecure people locally and around the world. Of course, I would love to help every single person in need, but no matter what we achieve, we are making an impact!

What success did it lead to?

Success is first and foremost cutting that quarterly check to our giving partners and knowing the impact we and our customers are making in the fight against hunger and food insecurity. What more could we ask for as a business built upon a mission to fight hunger?

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Pick a version of success that is not only achievable, but also aligns with your motivations, and you can't lose!

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Wanona Satcher - Mākhers Studio

Mākhers Studio is a green manufacturing and design-build firm that specializes in unique, rapidly-deployed modular real estate with purpose and market-rate returns. 

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What helped you achieve success?

Key connections from those outside of my industry.

What success did it lead to?

Funding.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Step out of your subject expertise and align with those that can bring new ideas and perspectives to the table.

You’ve already reached a version of success because you lead a company dedicated to serving a higher purpose. Whatever additional success you define for yourself and your business, you got it! Now it’s time to incorporate some of this expert advice so that you can achieve your next goal. I’m cheering you on!

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to help small nonprofits and for-profits with a social mission get noticed and grow through effective marketing and communications. I also teach solopreneurs and small businesses how to incorporate philanthropy and giving strategies. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to make sure you focus and shine. When you succeed, we all win.

Nonprofit Leaders Share Their Secrets to Success

Success is a word heavy with implications. It means something different to each person and each organization. It’s relative; success for one could look like reaching a million followers on a social media platform, while to another it could be finally hitting a high donation goal or meeting someone with needed resources. 

Success could be a number, a feeling, a noticed impact, or influence. Whatever it looks like to you, big or small, we can all agree that success is something we strive for in creating impact. And just as there is no one correct answer for what success is, there’s no one way to achieve it. 

In my opinion, success is anything that leads to a meaningful win for your organization. As a nonprofit leader, the road to success can often look longer and steeper than most. Creating lasting impact and changing the world for the better will do that! Your efforts are needed and important, but it can be challenging to know what to do to get yourself where you want to be and achieve the success you envision. 

I spoke with a few nonprofit leaders who I admire about what success means to them, what helped them achieve it—and where it led. Their feedback was unsurprisingly invaluable and inspiring, so read on to learn what these nonprofit leaders said were their secrets to success.

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Irene Barton - Cobb Collaborative

Cobb Collaborative educates, engages, and empowers local people and organizations to improve outcomes for children and families in Cobb County, Georgia. 

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What helped you achieve success?

Networking in the community - not just with other nonprofits, but also with funders, businesses, government agencies, and community members.

What success did it lead to?

I ended up being part of the conversation to address issues that aligned with our initiatives. The one initiative area where we really saw growth was mental health. It was a critical issue before the pandemic and now has really been heightened. Because I went to meetings, gatherings, and workshops hosted by a variety of leaders - public health, state agencies, K-12 educators, social services - and could bring information about what we were doing and how we could help address the problem, more opportunities kept popping up. It became, “Have you heard that the Cobb Collaborative is doing a lot around mental health” and, “You might want to reach out and see if the Collaborative has any ideas or resources around that issue.” That led to connections, being at the table, and ultimately - financial investment.  

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

​​Much like for-profit business owners, there is a difference between working "on" your business versus "in" your business. My advice is to get connected with others - subject matter experts, thought leaders, peers, and community leaders. You might go to a few meetings where you emerge without a specific connection, but sooner or later, you will build enough of a network that opportunities to grow your organization will start to emerge. 

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Jeff Shaw - Frontline Response

Frontline Response is on the frontlines every day rescuing individuals out of the darkness of sex trafficking and homelessness while preventing children and other vulnerable individuals from falling victim.

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What helped you achieve success?

We have recently undergone a shift from focusing on outputs to focusing on outcomes. Rather than measuring what we do or how many people we do it for, we're looking at how what we do moves the needle in the lives of the people we're doing it for. Being able to take an honest look at impact allows us to better invite partners and donors into the story, evaluate our programs and their effectiveness, and test new things.

What success did it lead to?

We have only just begun, but by next year we'll be able to look at a year's worth of initial outcomes and begin the process of evaluating and updating our programs and services to be most effective. Additionally, we're already seeing the increase in confidence and support from our partners!

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

First, bring in someone who understands outcomes and logic models to teach you and to facilitate the process of determining your outcomes. Second, be sure to teach your team about outcomes and bring them on the journey with you. This is a cultural shift and it's important for everyone to be bought in! Lastly, identify a platform that can help you manage your data and monitor outcomes. We went with SureImpact. So far, so good!

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Kayla Stagnaro - Plywood People

Plywood People is a nonprofit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good.

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What helped you achieve success?

Time blocking

What success did it lead to?

Time blocking allows me to get things done more efficiently. It also helps me set boundaries, so I can make sure to prioritize the work I need to get done. 

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

If you haven't tried time blocking before, I recommend picking one or two tasks to time block for the next two weeks. For example, try blocking off time when you answer emails, so it doesn't consume every down minute (30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon). After that two weeks, evaluate what worked and what didn't. 

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Rima Patel - Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion

Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion is a global nonprofit committed to creating a financially inclusive world, with a trailblazing legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing.

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What helped you achieve success?

Building a strong brand and getting the entire team on the same page. A brand can't reach its potential unless the team behind it internalizes the brand values, represents the mission, and understands what makes them unique. If these are not clear to your team, it's probably not clear to anyone else.

What success did it lead to?

Aligning our team and brand has led to a more intentional communications approach, forced us to consider critical questions about our organization, including how we are keeping up with industry trends, and helps us deliver our message to potential partners and donors more succinctly and eloquently. We already knew who we were, but now we can talk about it to others in a consistent way.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Taking the time to sit down, brainstorm, and have the hard conversations (because there will always be disagreements) will align everyone, their work, and how your organization positions itself to the world. If these internal processes and perspectives are aligned, your brand values and attributes will be better represented to everyone else.

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Rebecca Rothney - Pack for a Purpose

Pack for a Purpose positively impacts communities around the world by assisting travelers who want to take meaningful contributions to the destinations they visit.

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What helped you achieve success?

My success was achieved with the talents of my incredible friends, their willingness to donate their time and skills, and their belief in the mission. This, of course, was ensured by providing them with my hot, out-of-the-oven, homemade, mint chocolate chip cookies. In addition, we have many outstanding universities in the area, which have been a source of excellent interns. 

What success did it lead to?

Our success has allowed us to grow in the last 14 years from 29 participants (accommodations and tour companies) in 15 countries to more than 400 participants in over 50 countries. Each one of these participants supports local community projects that enhance the welfare of the community. 

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Know how to bake a great cookie! Have generous and talented friends. Be persistent. If someone answers no, ask someone else until you find the person willing to say yes. Work as a meritocracy. The best ideas, no matter the source, are the ones that will lead to success.

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Derreck Kayongo - Africa Mbele

Africa Mbele is a movement that aims to educate, mobilize and activate the Diaspora community in order to end extreme corruption in Africa.

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What helped you achieve success?

"Investors" are people who participated in my formation from the day I was born to the day I built my first company. They include my parents, a missionary woman from Pittsburgh who helped raise me, a believing investor who donated money for me to go to college in Boston, an excellent formal VP at Hilton hotels who joined my board at my company and helped me get $1.3 million from Hilton to build my first factory, and the hotel industry that believed in my idea to recycle and repurpose partially used soap from the hotels. Without these investors and more, I would have never been successful!

What success did it lead to?

My organization was then able to provide soap to people all over the world that faced natural and human-made disasters. For example, the Haiti earthquake and the Ebola epidemic in Liberia. But perhaps an even better outcome is that because of our work at the Global Soap Project, the hotel industry has responded to the waste by mounting liquid canisters in bathrooms. I'm proud of that shift and that is my legacy.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Don't wait for all the ducks to be in a row. Start and learn the art of improvising along the way, because if Mike Tyson taught us anything, it was that everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face, then everything goes out the window. Plans are good, but improvising with cleverness is even better.

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Ashley Jones - Love Not Lost

Love Not Lost is on a mission to revolutionize the way we heal in grief. They photograph people facing a terminal diagnosis to celebrate life and preserve memories together with their families and those they love.

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What helped you achieve success?

As I was learning how to run a business over a decade ago, I kept hearing mentors say the phrase, “innovate or die.” It’s been some of the best advice that I have taken with me as I have started a nonprofit, too. The reminder of death in the business sense keeps me from getting complacent, and actually in life too.

It’s kind of ironic that the nonprofit I started is focused on helping people with death and healing. Keeping the end in mind can be so inspiring and fuel creativity as well. Why go through life being bored?!

What success did it lead to?

It’s led me to create fun and successful events - our most recent one coming up is our UN-gala with another new concept in the works for this fall/winter.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Take the same advice I did: Innovate or die.

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Luiza Raposo - The Georgia Center for Nonprofits

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits is Georgia’s largest association of nonprofits. A hub for social innovation, GCN creates thriving communities by helping nonprofits succeed.

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What helped you achieve success?

Not trying to do everything for everyone but being strategic about goals, which helped clarify what to focus on.

What success did it lead to?

Each year on Giving Tuesday, GA Gives raises millions of dollars for Georgia nonprofits and raises awareness of the sector.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Don't skip planning and go straight into tactics/executions.

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Emily Laney - Girl Talk, Inc.

Girl Talk inspires all girls to be confident leaders through peer-to-peer mentoring programs.

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What helped you achieve success?

Building relationships has led me to success at Girl Talk. Two examples come to mind. One, I applied to join a nonprofit leadership program through Chick-fil-A and Plywood People. Being accepted to that program gave me an instant community of fellow nonprofit leaders. Their expertise and support has meant so much. Additionally, the connection with Plywood People has led to operational success for Girl Talk, as we learned about the opportunity to become Plywood Place members, saving us money each month on office space and giving us more opportunities for networking.

Secondly, I have tried to be brave and reach out to people on LinkedIn, asking to connect to get their advice or talk about our organization. I've been honest and reciprocal in those conversations, which has led to event sponsorships, board members, and new relationships. It's been amazing to see how willing people are to grab a cup of coffee and chat.

What success did it lead to?

It's led to more relationships, cost saving, sponsorships, and increased fundraising revenue.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

Do not be afraid to ask someone to connect. Most people are happy to grab a cup of coffee and chat. Be clear in your intentions but focus on relationship building. Have an agenda in mind and talking points but allow the conversation to flow and be natural. And try to not make conversations one-sided—ask if you can help that person with anything or make connections for them as well.

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Simon Doble - SolarBuddy

SolarBuddy is an impact organization uniting a global community to illuminate the futures of all children by gifting solar lights to children living in energy poverty.

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What helped you achieve success?

Perseverance, persistence, passion, purpose.

What success did it lead to?

We had triple digit year-on-year growth in our first four years, and we were operational in 54 countries within six years.

What is your advice for others to achieve similar success?

You really do have to love what you do to keep going through all the adversity and challenges, and do it all for the right reasons that are true to your ethics and morals. Otherwise, don't bother.

Whether it’s networking to form new relationships with investors, donors, or supporters, time blocking to achieve tasks, or building a strong brand with your team to get clear on your mission and communicate it to the world, all of this advice can help your organization make a bigger impact. How can you incorporate these tips into your success plan? 

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to help small nonprofits and for-profits with a social mission get noticed and grow through effective marketing and communications. I also teach solopreneurs and small businesses how to incorporate philanthropy and giving strategies. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to make sure you focus and shine. When you succeed, we all win.

Ask the Experts: Design and Branding for Social Impact Organizations

As a copywriter, I love talking words. But, in order to serve you well, I can’t ignore the visual side of your marketing and communications. So, when it comes to design and branding for social impact organizations, I can dish out some pretty good advice, but my secret weapon is the company I keep.

I’m friends with some pretty terrific graphic designers, and Jaci Lund of Treebird Branding is one of my favs. Take a look at her site, and you’ll see what I mean.

Branding and design for your nonprofit, social enterprise, and social impact company can probably feel a little overwhelming at times because you know it’s important, but your mission comes first. So, not a lot of time and dollars usually get allocated to your visual identity. Or, you’re so busy juggling more important things that you have no idea what the latest design trends are that you should be keeping up with.

If you feel like you’re out of the loop on this topic, Jaci is going to clear some things up for you. And, better yet, she’ll tell you where should focus your efforts. Sound good?

Q. What are the latest trends in design and branding for social impact organizations?

A. I’d like to start with something a bit counterintuitive: Ignore trends! A trend, by definition, is fleeting. Mission-driven organizations like nonprofits and social enterprises that chase trends end up looking dated and out of touch within a year or two. Trends also are defined by the external zeitgeist, and your true north needs to be your own mission and vision.

So instead of chasing the latest trend, I’d say to focus on you and your target audience. You know what you stand for, you know what your audience responds to. Focus on that and ignore the noise.

Q. What is the biggest mistake you see people making in regard to design and branding?

A. I would say confusing a logo with a brand is something we encounter a lot. A logo or wordmark or tagline is essential to your brand, but it’s only a very small part of your brand.

The colors you choose also elicit very specific reactions. Your photographic style tells your story in the way you want it to be perceived. Your fonts, your website’s information architecture, all of these align with your brand.

When you only give power to your logo to carry your brand, you’re missing out on a truly holistic experience. And your donors, customers, and prospects will notice.

Q. What is your best piece of advice to those wanting to improve their social impact organization’s visual identity?

A. I’m going to roll with the counterintuitive again. You should be bored with your brand. That’s to say, your brand needs to be so consistent that it becomes ho-hum in your life.

Do you think the Nike designers love putting the swoosh on every sneaker, day after day, year after year? Probably not. But they get to design the sneaker around the swoosh. Those are the parameters.

You have to put your brand within a box, and then true creativity emerges within that box. But if Nike did a swoosh one year, a chevron the next, and then a representation of the Greek goddess of victory, how would you even know they were Nike? This also relates to the chasing trends fallacy. Be true to yourself, and your best-fit audiences will find you and stick with you.

Also, you are not your audience. You have to stare at your brand every day. But your audience has fleeting experiences with your brand. You need to always remind them of who you are and what you stand for. And that means consistency, consistency, consistency.

Q. What is one thing readers can do this week to improve their nonprofit or social enterprise’s design and branding?

A. We can all do a brand self-audit. I liken this to the Konmari method: If any of your collateral doesn’t spark brand, get rid of it.

There are a few great quotes from writers about this. Hemingway talked about having a “built-in, shock-proof shit detector” when it came to editing. Faulkner famously said “you have to kill your darlings.” All of that means you need to take an objective, dispassionate look at what you’re presenting to the world and make hard choices to edit what’s not on-brand.

Get rid of the precious and keep the essential.

Q. Anything else we should keep in mind?

A. Do less and remain consistent rather than do more and risk inconsistency. Branding is about focus and sacrifice more than about expansion and add-ons. A tight brand is a memorable brand. An expanded brand almost always gets diluted and confused in the minds of prospects.

Q. Do you have any resources that would be helpful so people can learn more?

A. It’s a bit of a dinosaur at this point, but The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al and Laura Ries is a standard for a reason. Also Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath has very sage and actionable advice.

Thanks, Jaci! Excellent info!

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Jaci’s quick wit, intent listening, and native intelligence come across as soon as you meet her—and carry over to her branding and graphic identity solutions at Treebird Branding, where she fuses strategy and sophistication, daring and restraint in just the right doses. With a dual focus on creating original branding for new concepts and revitalizing the look and feel of even the most-established brands, Jaci approaches each project with a fresh, thoughtful, and insightful perspective.

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I’m Kristi Porter, and I help cause-focused organizations understand and execute effective marketing campaigns so they can move from stressed to strategic. Your resources may be limited, but your potential isn’t. Whether you’re a nonprofit, social enterprise, or small business who wants to give back, I’ll show you how to have a bigger impact.

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Ask the Experts: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Each month, I invite guest contributors to speak about timely, relevant, and sought-after topics that are important for cause-focused organizations like yours to be aware of as you grow. For September, Lauren Dawson will be talking about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Lauren is a former intern from a previous job, and we recently reconnected because I was researching diversity and inclusion for a client project. I came across this awesome report from LinkedIn, and after digging a little deeper, realized that Lauren actually works in that department for the business networking giant.

So, I thought this could be a fantastic topic to address here on the blog as hiring and culture are always on the minds of small business owners. As expected, Lauren has some excellent information and advice for your nonprofit or social enterprise!

Q: What are the latest trends for diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

A. Some may actually say that diversity and inclusion is the trend of the year, and I’m hoping the attention will continue until it's obsolete. In the era of social media justice, campaigns like #blacklivesmatter and #metoo are the norm, and we're seeing that shift for diversity and inclusion as well.

Customers, employees, and other stakeholders are flexing in powerful ways to influence company decision-making. Where diversity and inclusion may have been restricted to messages of tolerance and team trainings before, it has now expanded to include products, customers, policy work, and more. As a result, employee resource groups are evolving their advocacy to align with business strategy and, by extension, receiving more opportunities to develop and be recognized for their leadership skills.

The latest trend in the tech world as it pertains to diversity and inclusion is the idea of belonging along with the emphasis on inclusion. Because of the laser focus on workforce representation of under-represented groups in tech, some companies had invested in their hiring activities with little movement in the overall representation numbers.

Now, in addition to hiring, investments are being made to increase retention by influencing how people make each other feel and help each other grow in the workplace: inclusion and belonging. With that being said, representation matters and the focus on representation metrics has been a powerful tool to motivate action and attract attention to this important issue.

Q. What's the biggest mistake you see people making in regards to diversity and Inclusion?

A. I think it’s a big mistake to create separate processes and responsibilities for “diversity activities." For example, the diversity team should not be responsible for “diversity hiring,” in my opinion. It should be responsible for designing and implementing strategies to enable the talent acquisition teams and hiring managers to get more diverse candidates in the hiring process and make them more successful.

In general, diversity and inclusion teams should be responsible for folding diversity, inclusion, and belonging into existing activities rather than creating new ones. In some cases, it is necessary to temporarily create a new role or process to manage the change or to pilot a new idea. However, the long-term goal should always be to empower, educate, and equip all employees and teams to infuse diversity, inclusion, and belonging into all business activities.

Q. What's your best piece of advice for people interested in diversity and inclusion?

A. In general, my best piece of advice is for people to embrace what they don’t know and proactively seek differing opinions and viewpoints.

Many studies over the years have proven that diverse teams win. In fact, McKinsey’s Why Diversity Matters 2018 report asserts that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have higher financial returns than their respective industry medians.

I believe it’s a competitive advantage, especially considering the increasing demographic changes and global mobility of people and commerce. Every individual can more authentically and sustainably develop their own capacity for teamwork when they align with the principles of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. For people leading these initiatives, patience is key because sustained change takes time to build, and fast change can often be counterproductive given the complexity of what we’re trying to do.

Q. What's one thing readers can do this week to improve their own efforts?

A. Lean in to your own ability to build relationships with people who are different from you, inside and outside of the office. Start a conversation with a colleague that you’re not as comfortable connecting with by asking them what inspired them to work at the organization.

Not only does this help create deeper connections and working relationships, but it also helps you develop cross-cultural competency. Learn more about this approach to connection on Charles Vogl’s website.

Q. Do you have any resources to share that might be helpful for people wanting to learn more about diversity and inclusion?

A. I recommend subscribing to Fortune’s RaceAhead newsletter for business and societal news related to diversity.

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Lauren Dawson is an HR Specialist on the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging team at LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network. She loves karaoke and brunch, and when she’s not in San Francisco, you can usually find her with friends and family in her hometown of Atlanta, GA.

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing and consulting services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing, and business communications. I also teach solopreneurs and small businesses how to incorporate philanthropy and giving strategies. I believe that cause-focused organizations are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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