Category: Event Takeaways

Telling Your Impact Story: Strategies for Effective Communication

Posted on by NationSwell Team

Telling a compelling impact story is critical to standing out and inspiring action, particularly when confronted with cultural narratives and storylines that seek to undermine the work.

On February 13, NationSwell hosted a virtual roundtable discussion to explore how leaders can craft narratives that resonate, engage, and drive support for their priorities.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Prioritize human-centered, emotionally resonant storytelling. It is important that we never lose sight of the fact that there are human beings and human stories behind the data. In a particularly partisan moment, our shared humanity is the lowest common denominator that cuts through the divisiveness — and we have an opportunity to be the steady voice that lifts up those stories and communities in a way that cuts through the political noise. 

Internal storytelling is needed as critically as external storytelling is. Internal transparency around organizational values and decision-making processes are key to maintaining engagement and trust among employees — particularly in a moment when an organization might be pulling back its public messaging on social issues. Lifting up and engaging employees around social impact work and the ways it positively impacts people and communities is always vitally important, but particularly so now, in a moment when employees need inspiration, connection, and hope. 

Ask grantees and partners what they need from you in your storytelling. Nonprofits, grantees, and partners are currently facing increasing amounts of pressure, and there is no uniformity in what they need from you in terms of advancing their stories. Taking the time to make calls, check in on your partners, and communicating directly on what grantees need is necessary to ensure that amplification and storytelling is not inadvertently harmful to them at this time.

Build authentic equity with your audience and stakeholders. At a time when consumers and audiences are incredibly knowledgeable about their own communities, people crave the type of authenticity that can be found in the small details. Having a firm grasp of nuance, undertones, and subcultures can help to build authentic equity, and you can do this in two primary ways: First, by identifying trusted messengers who can act as proxies for their communities, helping to ensure that we are not speaking on anyone’s behalf. And second, by getting creative with the storytelling modalities —  thinking about the interactive ways that we can showcase our stories, data, and information, whether through online or offline interaction. 

Help people understand the “why under the why”. With headlines and a heightened political pitch competing for audiences’ attention, keeping messaging concise and strategic will help to ensure that you’re communicating as effectively as possible. Although it can be tempting to give in to the desire to be urgent and reactive around messaging, slowing down and taking a more intentional approach to which conversations you’re entering can help cut through the noise in real time and more effectively translate your values to your audience.

Consider storytelling through the lens of a hierarchy of needs. Because there are so many things that we need stories to do for us right now, we need to be very intentional about which are the most essential to pursue. Every organization has a critical and specific role to play in creating impact — doing internal audits on where our most urgent priorities lie will be crucial to ensuring we are maximizing our storytelling potential. 

DEI at a Crossroads: Protecting Progress in a New Political Reality

Posted on by NationSwell Team

Among the new administration’s first actions were a handful of executive orders intended to “terminate DEI” in the federal government and the private sector. While those executive orders don’t change existing federal law, they send a strong signal about the near-term political context for DEI programs. Organizations are reassessing their approaches in real time, with some publicly announcing rollbacks and others defending their efforts. The environment is marked by uncertainty and concern.

During a NationSwell virtual Leader Roundtable on February 5, leaders gathered to take stock of all the challenges and opportunities this new reality presents, and to discuss the strategies they’re implementing to protect and evolve their initiatives in a shifting landscape.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Avoid knee jerk reactions or uninterrogated changes; our current moment demands a clear-eyed approach. This moment of political chaos may be best met with a moment of pause — an opportunity to be thoughtful about the non-reactionary, tactical approaches we can take to safeguard our DEI work and even some of the ways DEI can be more intentionally incorporated into talent and culture conversations moving forward. Although the political swirl and media noise can make it tempting to make fast changes, there is long term value in staying steady in this moment.

Internal assuredness and transparency will have external ripples. Even as many leaders feel reluctant to make public-facing statements about DEI, having open internal conversations about why a diverse and engaged workforce is good for business can have a positive internal effect on team members that ends up alchemizing into an external signal about the direction you’re rowing in.

Explore new dimensions of DEI to create opportunities for shared value alignment. Linking DEI to employee wellness initiatives, for example, can help to ensure that your efforts are being felt by employees outside of ERGs or other traditional forums. Showing that you can create value across multiple areas of the business ultimately serves to make the case for the work and can have the effect of making it more durable in the long run.

We have an urgent challenge around devising language that is simultaneously precise, non-provocative, and inclusive. Nailing the language of DEI in a way that works to further our goals in a non-politicized way without diluting the work at all will be a huge component of the challenge we face in the coming months and years. How do we speak about the work that we do in ways that mitigates risk without signaling a retreat from our values?

Have the tough, honest conversations with partners and grantees wherever possible. The realities of the current political landscape will require honest, transparent , and difficult conversations with partners that work in spaces that have been heavily politicized and impacted by government funding cuts. As always, bringing your presence and humanity into tough conversations about how to avoid lightning rods for politically-motivated actors will be the best way to navigate through them. Creating intentional spaces for radical empathy and candid conversations with partners will help them to feel heard and respected, and will also help to most efficiently surface their needs for your support during moments of turmoil and hardship.

Not Business as Usual: Being an Effective Social Impact Leader in the Year Ahead

Posted on by NationSwell Team

The discipline of social impact is evolving quickly, driven by sociopolitical shifts, technological advancements, and stakeholder priorities. Meeting the moment will require us to home in on trends facing the practice of social impact, forecast the demand for new strategies and approaches, and collectively brainstorm around what’s needed most to lead our field into the future.

During a NationSwell virtual Leader Roundtable on February 4th, a group of cross-sector leaders gathered to discuss how we can energize, advance, and even reimagine the work of social impact into 2025 and beyond.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Simplify messaging, align on definitions, and stay grounded in principles. As organizations face shifting social and political dynamics, clear and principle-driven communication is important. Some leaders are adapting by focusing on internal business integration rather than public-facing messaging, prioritizing that their initiatives remain intact. While terms like DEI and ESG are politicized, organizations should maintain focus in their mission, ensuring that internal leadership and external stakeholders understand their long-term business value.

Prioritize business-aligned impact strategies that create shared value. Companies should root their social impact work in business strategy. A strong alignment between social impact initiatives and business operations, such as embedding sustainability into supply chains or leveraging core competencies to support workforce development, can create long-term economic opportunities while driving positive social change. A shared value approach, where business success and social progress reinforce each other, strengthens stakeholder buy-in and helps organizations navigate external challenges while continuing to advance impact goals.

Leverage collaboration and coalition-building. Systemic challenges cannot be solved in isolation. Some organizations are shifting away from launching entirely new initiatives and instead seeking alignment with peer institutions to pool resources, avoid redundancies, and drive greater collective impact. Leaders have also emphasized the growing need for match-making between nonprofits facing funding constraints and private sector stakeholders eager to engage in meaningful solutions.

Consider global implications for your work while maintaining localized focus. As political dynamics complicate the U.S. social impact landscape, companies have an opportunity to think strategically about globalizing their efforts. Social impact looks different depending on context, and considering how you can broaden your scope and scale to support global communities may support the continuance of your work. However, it is important to tailor strategies to local needs. Leaders emphasized the importance of deep community engagement, listening to local stakeholders, and adapting social impact efforts to regional contexts rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Use data-driven insights and storytelling to reinforce credibility and trust. Combining quantitative impact data with human-centered narratives strengthens stakeholder engagement. While metrics are crucial for impact assessment, personal stories, such as how a single classroom, community, or entrepreneur benefited from a social impact initiative, bring data to life and make corporate efforts more relatable and compelling. This approach also helps maintain confidence among employees and external stakeholders in moments of uncertainty.

Empower employees at all levels to engage in social impact and civic participation. Amidst social and political upheaval, employees are eager to find out how they can engage in social impact and civic engagement. As a first step, keep an open door policy for employees to meet with you about their concerns and ideas. Furthermore, consider investing in education and enablement programs that help employees better understand and contribute to social impact goals.

Demonstrate courageous leadership by staying committed to core values. Social impact leaders are navigating increasing scrutiny and rapidly changing political and economic conditions. Many are choosing to stay the course on DEI, ESG, and other mission-driven initiatives by focusing on principled business-aligned approaches. Courageous leadership involves making strategic decisions that uphold long-term commitments while adjusting to new realities, ensuring that both employees and external stakeholders see consistency and authenticity in your actions. 

What’s Ahead in Social Impact and AI

Posted on by NationSwell Team

As we step into 2025, AI technologies are primed to drive even greater innovation around societal challenges, from fostering inclusive growth to expanding educational pathways and beyond. But AI is also going to continue raising important ethical questions while carrying the potential to drive new inequities.

At NationSwell’s recent roundtable discussion, What’s Ahead in Social Impact and AI, leaders and innovators across sectors joined featured panelists Vilas Dhar of The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Nathan Froelich of Blackbaud, and Stephen Plank of The Annie E. Casey Foundation to share strategies on how AI is currently being leveraged to meet societal challenges and surface ethical considerations and best practices for responsible AI implementation moving forward.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Insights:

Philanthropic funders have a key role to play in ensuring nonprofit partners get the AI  tools they need at scale. New technologies have the potential to serve vulnerable communities, including by organizing decades of longitudinal research and creating predictive engines that can improve community wellbeing. But given the corporate power dynamics surrounding how tech is built and deployed, we need philanthropies and companies to step forward and advocate for the technology solutions their partners need on the ground, in order for them to be created at scale. Funders have a unique opportunity to come together to build shared capacity, new institutions, and resources in order to ensure that future investments in AI go toward honing its potential to create new pathways to dignity and justice in the world.

A good intelligence strategy will require us to be extremely intentional about governance. One of the most pressing challenges posed by AI will be how we can leverage and deploy it in a way that doesn’t harm people and the planet. We need to set up effective systems of governance, paying attention to how we’re deploying generative AI both within our own organizations and in the marketplace. The development of a set of guiding principles will be instrumental in determining which technologies your organization ultimately adopts, ensuring that the tools you’re using meet your ethical standards.

The creation of empowerment councils can help you tap into the most salient use cases for AI. Convening grantees and employees and giving them the access and latitude to experiment with AI can be one way to fuel unfettered iteration and innovation. Providing the tools and encouraging experimentation and exploration can help to surface the most salient examples of how they’re using new technologies to be more productive and support goals effectively, which can ultimately be helpful in deciding when and how to scale solutions appropriately.

Private-public partnerships hold great potential in shaping AI decisions and adoption. Engaging directly with tech funders through roundtable discussions can help to surface innovative ways to leverage private sector partnerships for tool licensing and technical assistance. Similarly, building peer learning communities where government leaders can access AI expertise and collectively develop approaches to service delivery and technology procurement can be powerful ways to shape policy decisions. 

AI’s potential to displace or disrupt jobs depends on which workforce you’re talking about. While there is good research to suggest that corporate leaders do not expect AI to contribute to significant disruption in white collar jobs, those outside of traditional 9-5 roles still face challenges to upskilling, and in many cases AI is being developed with goals that run counter to the interests and livelihoods of low income and nontraditional workers. At the same time, new technologies also hold the potential to help workers maintain and build power by facilitating organization among union members, helping workers to file wage theft claims, visualize data, and influencing state policy decisions. Let’s explore that potential.

Thriving Economy for All: The Case for Childcare

Posted on by NationSwell Team

The childcare crisis is no longer just a personal challenge, but an economic one. Without action, the U.S. risks losing $290 billion annually in GDP by 2030 due to missed workdays, reduced productivity, and workforce attrition linked to the lack of investment in childcare. Yet, as daunting as these statistics are, there is hope.

At NationSwell’s recent roundtable discussion, Thriving Economy for All: The Case for Childcare, business leaders and innovators joined panelists Morgan Bast of Steamboat Resort, Mel Faxon of Mirza, and Molly Moon Neitzel of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, to explore proven strategies for tackling childcare challenges through employer-driven initiatives.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Breaking down the crisis

The financial burden of childcare on American families is worsening. With childcare now more expensive than housing in all 50 states, parents are spending an average of 24% of their income on care, and 40% are going into debt to cover costs. Beyond lost dollars, care breakdowns have wider implications for women and caregivers in the workforce as they can result in declined promotions, stalled careers, and inequitable earnings.

Employer-Led Innovation

Some businesses are turning this crisis into an opportunity to lead. “I started Molly Moon’s Ice Cream to see if I could create a profitable business while also baking in the progressive values that I thought either business or government should provide to every worker in the nation,” says Molly Moon Neitzel. Guided by this belief, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream implemented a life-changing childcare benefit to its employees: $1,000 monthly per child under 5 and $4,200 annually for school-age children.

Morgan Bast, Director of Marketing at Steamboat Resort, shared how her team addressed a childcare desert in their rural Colorado community by launching an employer-based childcare center. The center, which serves both employees and local families, has improved employee retention, engagement, and work-life balance. “We’ve had a baby boom because people are now able to have babies and actually have a place for them to go,” Bast said. 

Meanwhile, Mel Faxon, co-founder of Mirza, highlighted the importance of systemic approaches to solving the childcare crisis. Her team connects families with underutilized federal funding, noting that only 10-20% of eligible families access the roughly $21 billion of subsidies available to offset the cost of care. 

Building Inclusive Solutions

Systemic change requires collaboration across sectors and broad support systems. As one participant advocating for parents of neurodivergent children emphasized, “Raising a child with special needs requires more support, more resources, and more financing.” Her call to expand the scope of childcare solutions underscores the need for inclusive, scalable approaches that leave no family behind.

The Economic Impact

Beyond individual stories, the broader economic case for childcare is clear. Studies show that family-friendly policies like childcare subsidies and universal pre-K could boost U.S. GDP by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade through increased workforce participation. But realizing this economic potential requires coordinated action at both the federal and employer levels.

State-level innovations, such as Vermont’s employment tax (Act 76) for childcare assistance and Michigan’s tri-share program (now across other U.S. states), demonstrate successful public-private partnerships. As Mel Faxon notes, “We need continued pressure on federal policy. And a lot of that will come from employers.” Businesses have a unique opportunity to advocate for legislative measures to close critical childcare gaps.

From Hope to Action

NationSwell is proud to partner with organizations and leaders through the Case for Childcare Collaborative to address this critical issue together. As Molly Moon Neitzel emphasized during the discussion, “The Case for Childcare work gave me a ton of hope. It made me feel like we’re not operating in this tiny vacuum.” 

The childcare crisis is solvable, but demands urgent, collective action from employers, policymakers, and communities. The path forward is possible—and the time to act is now.

To learn more about the Case for Childcare, visit childcareforall.nationswell.com and caseforchildcare.nationswell.com

Collaboration in Action: Supporting Communities Amid LA Wildfires

Posted on by NationSwell Team

As we take stock of the urgent needs on the ground in Los Angeles following the devastating wildfires earlier this month, a group of NationSwell members convened to discuss how to best allocate energy and resources in response to the near and long-term impacts of the disaster.

Below are some of the key takeaways that were surfaced:

Think in phases to align support with evolving needs during disaster recovery. As you build your response and recovery strategies, consider the distinct needs at different stages of recovery. Focus on immediate relief and first responder support in the near term, stabilizing communities with housing and essential services in the mid term, and rebuilding homes, mental health, and economic resilience in the long term. Phased grantmaking and collaborating with trusted community organizations during each phase ensures aid meets actual needs, preventing overwhelm or misallocation of resources. 

Invest in disaster mitigation and prevention to improve preparedness. Proactive efforts in disaster prevention, including for wildfires, can significantly reduce the impact of future disasters. For example, initiatives like clearing fuel sources, creating defensible space around homes, and providing home protection training can help communities better withstand wildfires. Find opportunities to invest in mitigation strategies during blue-sky periods to enhance resilience and reduce the strain on recovery resources after disasters occur. Consider encouraging employees to take wildfire prevention training (e.g. home ignition zone training). 

Work with credible partners to ensure product donations are targeted and effective. Collaborate with organizations that specialize in timely and efficient product distribution to increase the likelihood that in-kind donations reach the right people at the right time. Leveraging established relationships with grassroots organizations or well vetted partners can prevent product donations going to waste or the creation of logistical challenges for impacted communities. 

Prioritize cash assistance to meet diverse and immediate needs. Direct cash assistance is one of the most effective ways to help individuals and small businesses address their unique needs following a disaster. Cash assistance is particularly critical for underbanked populations and undocumented workers, who often face barriers to accessing traditional financial support. Supporting communities at risk of being left behind, such as day laborers and micro-businesses, can lessen lost livelihood from the fires. Flexible cash-based approaches empower recipients to make decisions that best suit their circumstances, from securing housing to rebuilding businesses.

Leverage platforms and create opportunities for employee giving. Activating employees as contributors to disaster relief efforts can amplify an organization’s impact while increasing a sense of purpose and community within the workplace. Companies are using platforms for employees to donate directly to vetted organizations, matched by corporate contributions. Companies can also create point-of-sale donation opportunities, raising funding through QR codes and round-up campaigns and increasing public awareness about disasters. 

Use informal networks and communication channels to improve collaboration during crises. Creating private and informal communication channels can be a valuable tool for leaders to coordinate and exchange ideas during times of crisis. For example, being part of a group of LA-based leaders or organizations for off-the-record exchanges of strategies and lessons learned can provide a safe space to troubleshoot challenges, share real-time updates, and identify opportunities for collaboration. 

Invest in narrative work to sustain attention on disaster recovery. Shifting the public and media narrative toward systemic issues like inequality and generational wealth loss can promote better understanding of community needs. Getting innovative with your funding choices, such as investing in photography projects or local storytelling initiatives, can help highlight underrepresented voices in public forums and the full scope of post-disaster challenges.

Not Business As Usual: Being an Effective Philanthropy Leader in the Year Ahead

Posted on by NationSwell Team

Philanthropic leaders must balance the work of executing on their unique organizational priorities, adapting to evolutions in the field, and innovating toward more impactful models and approaches.

At the outset of 2025 – a year poised to surface new tensions, complexities, and opportunities for funders – NationSwell convened leaders to take stock of the most urgent trends and highlight what’s needed to unlock even more transformational impact on the road ahead. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Increasing polarization around the language of DEI might require adjusting approaches to achieve important goals. Doubling down on our equity commitments within the current political climate may require us to think creatively about how we can still “do the work” without drawing unwanted attention — relying on judicious rhetorical and narrative framings in order to continue to show up and prioritize the people and communities who rely on us. At the same time, we must remember that language has power — when we change our language, we also risk inadvertently decentering our priorities or shifting our focus. Maintaining our firm commitments to increasing equity will require us to avoid “preemptive submission” — making cuts or strategic decisions out of fear of the unknown, before we’re asked or required to do so.

Focus on what is in front of you and what you can actually control. Sometimes, the oldest cliches are true: Hand-wringing and worrying about the state of the world more broadly will only stymie your efforts to move the ball forward in the corners of your organization where effective change is possible. Our current political moment requires an acknowledgement that this political phase is temporary, and a commitment to adjusting to and processing the information we actually have in front of us in order to respond effectively and do the critical work that needs to be done in this moment of flux.

Get creative about how public-private partnerships can function in unexpected ways to serve common interests. As the work of joining hands in service of common goals becomes more urgent, leaning on nontraditional partnership models is one avenue funders can explore in order to serve their communities. Funders who might not normally come together or might have competing funding priorities — banks, for example — now have an opportunity to come together and use one voice, thinking strategically about how they can work together in service of creating more inclusive economies and being more generally supportive to partners, organizations, and the communities they serve. 

Prioritize the engagement of local government in place-based work. Although there is traditionally a silo wall that hinders functional communication and collaboration between place-based philanthropy leaders and local governments, the swiftly-materializing reality of a massive reduction in federal dollars and services will inevitably leave local governments facing significant financial constraints and obstacles to delivering urgently-needed services. As community members are set to bear the brunt of these shortfalls, philanthropic leaders now have a prime opportunity to develop new strategies for bridge-building and engagement with local officials — and to help reimagine how those funds and community services are delivered. 

Understand that some nonprofit partners are anxious and scared. Our current moment will require us to think not just as funders, but also as community members responding to a very human reaction by nonprofit partners who were stressed and resource-strapped even before the political climate shifted. As ever, listening and empathizing will be critical skill sets for philanthropic leaders to lean on, as will the ability to think creatively about how to deploy or earmark capital and provide partners with the information they need.

Put your own mask on first. With an evolving mandate and a set of stepped-up anxieties for partners and community members, philanthropic leaders must remember that taking care of themselves and ensuring that they are in a healthy mental space will be a pragmatic concern as much as a spiritual one. Ask yourself what you need in order to be okay to show up for others in the way that is required of you in this moment — is it more sleep? Better hydration? More dedicated time with loved ones? Finding new and innovative ways to provide support for community partners will also be critically important, whether it’s funding new avenues for legal support or collaboratives for leaders in the trenches so that they are emotionally supported with new ways for processing and keeping their own heads up.

Not Business as Usual: Being an Effective Social Impact Leader in the Year Ahead

Posted on by NationSwell Team

The discipline of social impact is evolving quickly, driven by sociopolitical shifts, technological advancements, and stakeholder priorities. Meeting the moment will require us to home in on trends facing the practice of social impact, forecast the demand for new strategies and approaches, and collectively brainstorm around what’s needed most to lead our field into the future.

During a NationSwell virtual Leader Roundtable on January 16th, a group of cross-sector leaders gathered to discuss how we can energize, advance, and even reimagine the work of social impact into 2025 and beyond.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Encourage proactive leadership conversations to align on forward-looking strategies.  Convening leadership outside of crises helps companies fortify their positions and respond confidently when challenges arise. Bringing key decision-makers, such as all leaders that report to your CEO, together regularly to discuss and preemptively resolve key issues (e.g. how to navigate political headwinds on material issues) can lessen the need for reactivity during moments of external scrutiny, ultimately promoting consistency in your work. 

Simplify messaging, align on definitions, and stay grounded in principles to stand the test of time. Amidst politicization of DEI and ESG, organizations are grappling with how and when to use these acronyms. While there’s no right answer for terminology use, it is important to ensure that your board and leadership teams are aligned on a unified vision of how you communicate about social impact, building a strong foundation for persistence in the face of internal and external shifts. To maintain focus and clarity with key stakeholders, consider simplifying your communication, focusing on principle-driven and business-focused messaging.

Stay informed on legal and political developments impacting ESG, DEI, and more. Monitoring legal and political shifts is critical to safeguarding social impact initiatives. For example, Judge Reid O’Connor’s recent ruling in Texas challenges the legality of ESG investments. While appeal options exist, the ruling underscores the need for organizations to remain vigilant about regulatory trends that could affect their ability to operate in this space. Companies should collaborate with legal, investor relations, and government affairs teams to proactively develop strategies that address emerging risks while maintaining a commitment to their principles. Get familiar with and follow a credible ESG legislation tracker. 

Align social impact initiatives with business goals to drive shared value. Integrating social impact efforts with core business objectives promotes durability amidst political headwinds. Identifying a key business challenge that can also generate social value (e.g. skills-based training) can secure leadership buy-in for continued investment. Evaluate your impact strategy’s shared value by answering questions like:

  • To what extent does this initiative address a pressing business challenge?
  • Does the initiative address a clearly defined societal need?
  • Does the initiative leverage the company’s unique strengths (e.g., products, expertise, supply chain)?
  • Are there clear metrics tracking the initiative’s contribution to business goals (e.g., revenue growth, cost savings)?
  • Are there measurable societal outcomes (e.g., number of people impacted, carbon emissions reduced)?
  • Are key internal stakeholders (e.g., business leaders, employees) engaged and supportive of the initiative?

Get innovative and holistic with your funding strategy to fill gaps amid policy shifts. As you build your social impact strategy for the year(s) ahead, consider how your full capital stack can address emerging challenges for your business and communities. For example, blended financing (e.g. impact investing, philanthropy) and collective impact models can be used to support innovative, untested ideas or provide critical funding for markets that are at risk of being deprioritized amidst policy shifts. Collaboration with peer funders and aligning on co-investment opportunities can amplify your ability to support a significant funding gap. 

“Make talent instead of take talent:” Be intentional about talent development and inclusion. With shifting social impact priorities and roles, it is important to consider strategies to invest in and nurture your existing team’s growth, focusing on both skills and adaptability. For example, prioritize mentorship, hands-on coaching, and shadowing opportunities that prepare team members for their next roles while creating an environment of empathy and inclusivity.

The Intersection of Caregiving and Business: NationSwell Summit Explores the Care Crisis

Posted on by NationSwell Team

As we enter a new era of workplace dynamics, the critical issue of care support for workers has become increasingly urgent. According to a survey led by AARP and S&P Global, 67% of caregivers face difficulty in balancing their employment with caregiving duties with 27% of caregivers needing to switch to part-time work or reduced hours. Furthermore, 16% of caregivers have needed to decline promotions due to their care responsibilities and 13% have been forced to change employers to meet their care needs. Between April 2022 and March 2024, the U.S. Census collected data from 1.1 million parents who said child care has kept them from working, up from 939.7K between 2018-2020. Care directly impacts the economy and both private sector solutions and public policy are needed to support the sustainability of the workforce. 

In response to this urgent need, Pivotal, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation highlighted caregiving at the 2024 NationSwell Summit through an Impact Spotlight and a panel discussion, which was punctuated with an on-site immersive experience including a ‘Care Lounge’ that highlighted key stats, quotes and figures from  the expanded Childcare for All site created by the Case for Childcare Collaborative.

We’ve summarized key insights from this portion of the Summit below:

Public-private partnerships are key to sustainable, systemic change.

Aly Richards, CEO of Let’s Grow Kids, shared her inspiring story through an Impact Spotlight showcasing how the nonprofit revolutionized childcare in Vermont alongside the business community, ultimately passing Act 76, which committed $125 million to the childcare sector annually through a 0.44% payroll tax. During the spotlight, Richards emphasized the critical role of childcare in both economic and social development, calling the state’s care crisis a “market failure.” Through her passionate storytelling, Richards highlighted the urgency of early childhood education on workforce participation, stating, “90% of a child’s future is baked by age 5.”

As seen by Richards’ work in Vermont, public investments can fill care gaps. Through a grassroots campaign, Let’s Grow Kids mobilized 40,000 citizens and business leaders and secured bipartisan support for Act 76. Now, more families are eligible to receive financial assistance for child care than ever before, and the state is paying programs at higher weekly rates to provide that care. Since implementation, slots have surged, boosting access for many families and relieving employers of staff shortages with a more stable workforce.

Caregiving is an economic issue with investments yielding huge economic returns.

The NationSwell caregiving panel brought together visionary leaders to discuss the urgent challenges and groundbreaking solutions shaping the future of caregiving. Moderated by Jennifer Stybel of Pivotal, the panel featured Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First; Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO of Wellthy; and Stephan Dolling, Vice President at Merck, who each shared their personal and professional perspectives on the critical care issue.

Stybel set the stage by emphasizing caregiving as a universal challenge, stating, “None of us can do it alone. The solution lies here together.” Saujani underscored the transformative potential of prioritizing caregiving within policy and business frameworks. “We need to convince the nation that childcare is an economic issue,” she said. She credited the pandemic for shifting perspectives, noting, “We’ve slammed the door on whether childcare is a personal problem or an economic problem.”

Jurist-Rosner shared her personal caregiving journey and explained Wellthy’s mission to partner with families through personalized care coordinators, alleviating the complexities of a fragmented healthcare system. “Families need someone who can get things done,” she explained. Dolling highlighted Merck’s commitment to employee well-being and the ROI of caregiving benefits. “Providing caregiving support shows your people you truly care,” he said, sharing how Merck implemented Wellthy’s services during the pandemic resulting in overwhelming employee appreciation and support.

The conversation also spotlighted the significant economic case for caregiving. Saujani noted, “Investing in childcare offers a 425% return,” emphasizing that solutions must extend beyond privileged workforces to include hourly and shift workers.

The panelists concluded by exploring bold, actionable strategies for change: join national coalitions advocating for policy reform, foster open discussions about caregiving in workplaces, and leverage data to drive leadership buy-in. As Stybel aptly concluded, “Caregiving isn’t a niche issue; it’s a challenge that unites us all.”

Workers with the most to gain from employer-sponsored care support are traditionally excluded from care benefits.

Following the inspiring spotlight and panel, NationSwell announced the launch of the expanded Childcare for All site, which builds the case for gig, hourly, part-time and frontline workers to be included in employer benefits to support caregivers. Frontline workers represent about 70% of the workforce with 90% of companies relying on these workers. And yet, while only 14% of full-time workers have access to employer-sponsored childcare support, that number falls to 8% for part-time workers. This demonstrates a childcare benefits gap, revealing those with the most to gain from these benefits are traditionally excluded from qualifying. The detrimental effects of a broken childcare system are glaringly apparent, with parents forced to leave careers in order to take care of children, and businesses suffering huge workforce losses. 

The site serves as a resource for employers to better support employees who are caregivers, highlighting 35+ actionable strategies through an interactive solutions visualization. Packed with resources, firsthand stories, insights, and examples, the site empowers businesses and individuals to advocate for and implement impactful caregiving solutions. This launch reinforces the call to action for systemic change and collective responsibility in addressing the childcare crisis. Visit the Case for Childcare Collaborative’s site to publicly commit to implementing solutions and find downloadable resources to share with your team and network. Help us forge a world where childcare is no longer a barrier for workers to remain and thrive in the workforce. 

To learn more about the Case for Childcare Collaborative, click here

Strengthening Our Social Fabric: How Connection and Care Shape Public Health, a Fireside Chat with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy

Posted on Sara Danver

NationSwell’s 2024 Summit concluded with a fireside chat with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and a sing-along. Bestselling author and television and podcast host Kelly Corrigan hosted an incredible conversation with Dr. Murthy that covered the urgent loneliness epidemic facing our country and solutions big and small that help us build community with each other. And don’t worry, we’ll explain the singing. 

Dr. Murthy started out by providing important context for the root causes and impact of the loneliness epidemic, which impacts half of all young people and a third of adults in the United States. The consequences of social isolation can be serious – people who are socially isolated face an increased risk of heart disease, dementia, and stroke. And while there is no single root cause, Dr. Murthy pointed to several societal, cultural, and technological shifts that have contributed.

Here are some of the critical insights Dr. Murthy provided into varying intervention strategies: 

Federal policy has not met the urgency of the moment. 

For Dr. Murthy, Congress has let the proliferation of these harms go on far too long. While Congress is sitting on some legislation, we have yet to see any major bills pass beyond the state level. 

Studies have shown that while social media can help young people make connections with each other across shared interests and identities, it can also encourage feelings of exclusion, as well as several other significant mental health challenges. By capturing our attention, and by creating and reinforcing virtual connections, social media can often take the place of in-person community, leading to further social isolation. 

“We can applaud the progress that’s been made but the truth is at the end of the day that if you’re a parent trying to manage social media for your child, if you’re a young person being mercilessly bullied over social media or being exposed to really harmful content or having your privacy completely eviscerated and then being blackmailed online, all that progress isn’t meaningful.” 

Dr. Murthy went on to add, “If there’s ever a time to take a stand, to do things differently, it would be on issues like this when our kids’ health and wellbeing is at stake.”

Communities are coming together to address the loneliness epidemic. 

When it comes to addressing loneliness at the community level, Dr. Murthy was much more hopeful. 

When asked if he saw a role for business in stemming the loneliness epidemic, he said that there’s a lot that corporations and nonprofit organizations can do. “Having spaces where people can gather is important. Not just spaces, but a structure that can help people to get to know each other and their stories.” Dr. Murthy shared a few examples from his own office, including an activity called Inside Scoop, where at each all-hands meeting, one person gets to share pictures from their life outside work. 

“If this sounds familiar, it was called Show & Tell,” Dr. Murthy said, to warm laughter. “There’s a lot of kindergarten wisdom that still applies now – nap time, show & tell, sharing.” 

It’s no surprise then, that while the loneliness epidemic is affecting young people the most, they are also coming up with some of the most innovative solutions. Dr. Murthy described “hope squads,” where kids are chosen by their peers to watch and respectfully and responsibly reach out to other kids who are struggling. This was only one of many programs Dr. Murthy identified where kids and adults are creating community and supporting one another.  

“People aren’t waiting for an act of Congress to solve the issue of loneliness in America. They are figuring out what they can do in their communities,” he said. 

Intentionality is the watchword of technology’s role in building community. 

Kelly Corrigan asked the question that is top of mind for everyone as we consider how technology can improve our lives: is there a role for AI? 

“With AI we have an opportunity to think about how we can bring accurate helpful information to people in a tailored way to help them with things like their health, to be a bridge to offline, in-person connection,” Dr. Murthy said. But he was also quick to point out that we need to approach AI with intentionality, rather than view it as an unqualified good. Much like social media it can quickly become damaging if we are not vigilant about identifying harms and benefits, and then designing to those benefits. 

He went on to emphasize that this can’t be left in the hands of individuals. Social media provides another prime example here. The best product developers in the world are using some of the most advanced neuroscience to try to keep us on our phones. To put individuals up against these platforms is an unfair fight. “We can work for [tech],” Dr. Murthy said. “Or it can work for us.” Pushing back against tech special interests, ensuring that our tech works for us, must be a community effort. 

And now, to explain the singing:  

To conclude, Dr. Murthy reminded us that we are called in this moment to figure out how to rebuild a culture that values relationships, purpose, and service – in our own lives, and in what we model for our children – by building workplaces and schools centered on these values, and applying them at the policy level. 

But community is not just about policy and social science. 

“The arts have a really powerful role to play in stitching back together the social fabric of our country,” Dr. Murthy added. “Music and the arts are the language of the soul, the glue that keeps people together.” 

So it stands to reason, then, that the only way to conclude the chat, and thus the Summit, was all of us joining together in song and a reminder that we are stronger together, and that the world we want to see is ours for the building. 

For more moments from NationSwell Summit 2024, click here.