What are effective ways to engage people in social impact work across geographic locations?

First, we need to keep in mind that all communication needs to be clear and feel human. When creating plans to engage others in social purposes, it’s important to define a communication strategy using impactful and empathetic resources such as storytelling and enlisting the list of values we want to communicate from day 1. I am always striving to achieve coherent communication, clear and concise, but shown as a communication with your best friend. Of course, we need also to keep in mind the goals we want to reach, since the word engage tells so much -and so few-at the same time. Do we want a higher number of participants in our next event? Create a connection with future micro-influencers of our brand? The clearest the goals, the better.

By defining clear goals, fostering shared values, and leveraging technology effectively, you can create a strong foundation for engaging people in social impact work across geographic boundaries. This inclusive approach will attract and retain passionate individuals who are driven to make a difference, no matter where they are in the world. Go beyond specific projects and define the overarching impact you aim to achieve. It can be empowering marginalized communities, tackling climate change, or promoting global health equity. Define the guiding principles that will underpin your work, such as collaboration, inclusivity, innovation, and accountability.

Fomenta la participación global mediante comunicación inclusiva, adaptando estrategias a contextos locales, facilitando plataformas virtuales colaborativas, y promoviendo la comprensión cultural. Establece objetivos comunes, incentivos globales y programas de desarrollo para involucrar a las personas en el trabajo de impacto social en diversas ubicaciones geográficas.

Next to the values, and as a key part of the planning, it's important to always have the visibility of the key actors, or possible key actors, such as collaborators. I want to pause here a little. Sometimes the communication areas take this task as theirs, and the "first touch" areas such as the Community Specialists and Experts are put aside. Big mistake. This collaborator list needs to be a work between areas, especially the Communication Team and the Community or Engagement team. They will have fresh insights into the potential micro-influencers, and clients who can represent the brand. This can be extracted from the events participants, questionnaires, and even a soft approach from the user asking to fell part of the brand experience.

Trust is key. And you can only build trust with constancy on the approach, response and guidance. On my daily basis, I am always asking from my team to the amazing Community I work with, to have trust in the process after being clear on how we can grow and improve together. This has become a key element to build long-therm relationships that will become social and active actions. A good rapport becomes in the possibility of more participation and collaborations that must be aligned to your goals.

Coming from the perspective of working for a for-profit business with a socially conscious mission, it's likely (but not to be assumed) that most employees within the organization want to help realize the company's social impact initiatives, but need resources and collaborative discussions to make it mutually-beneficial. Some steps to take are: 1. Get an understanding of what's important to the business and it's people (work with the People or HR teams to ground the data) 2. Educate stakeholders and practitioners on what's possible & narrow the focus 3. Create a key stakeholders map and hold 1:1s to receive feedback and create buy-in for your strategy and upcoming plans 4. Create a collective group for accountability & championing

Engaging people in social impact work across geographic locations involves collaboration and co-creation. To succeed, align your vision and mission, leverage each collaborator's strengths, and communicate effectively. Ensure a shared vision, agree on the problem, impact, and success indicators. Recognize and utilize each collaborator's skills and resources, and employ various communication modes. By establishing clear timelines and maintaining open communication, you can build a strong network of social impact practitioners for meaningful collaboration across regions.

?? Bridging Global Impact: Navigating Socio-Cultural Differences ?? Engaging people worldwide in social impact work demands a keen understanding of socio-cultural disparities. In my experiences with the IEUMUN charity conference and the United Nations Fellowship, embracing diversity has been paramount. Working with individuals holding diverse religious, political, or cultural beliefs necessitates articulating differences with dignity. Imperfect coalitions can be leveraged toward a greater good by keeping the focus on the impact being made. The key lies in expecting, understanding, and accommodating these differences to foster effective global collaboration.

I've had an experience of building a cross-continental team to work on a project that helps two small villages in central America. Our donors, too, came from all over the world. It's really all about connecting people to one another, provoking empathy and showing that the distance doesn't matter. We all breathe the same air, love our families, want to be healthy and happy, and deserve all of that. Showing people who have these rights that someone just like them, on the other side of the world, is stripped of such basic things, often makes the first ones wonder if they can help. All you have to do is to tell them how.