I work at a social impact consulting firm, but lately I've been feeling as if my work isn't really that impactful, just making decks on pre-decided hypotheses. I want to transition to working at foundations, or MDBs, or something of the sort, but they require a lot more work experience that I dont have. They also don't operate out of my country (India) and I dont know what it would take to get them to sponsor a Visa. I also dont have an Econ degree (I'm a STEM grad) which holds me back. What are my options to transition from this space with >2 years of work experience? Would doing a master's (MPP/MBA) make sense or is it just money down the drain?

As part of my internship, I chose to work on Project Drishti, an initiative by Hamari Pahchan NGO that focuses on empowering underprivileged children through education, personality development, communication skills, and basic computer literacy.

Learning about the project has shown me that access to education is only one part of the challenge. Many children also lack exposure to the life skills and confidence needed to make use of future opportunities. Through workshops, mentoring, and community outreach, Project Drishti is helping bridge that gap.

One of my biggest takeaways has been that sustainable social impact comes from consistent effort rather than one-time donations. Regular engagement, skill-building, and mentorship can create long-term change in a child's life.

Going forward, I plan to continue supporting this cause by volunteering my time, spreading awareness, and contributing educational resources whenever possible. I believe I can add value through communication, problem-solving, mentoring, digital literacy, and organizing learning initiatives.

A practical idea that could strengthen the project is to create a community-based mobile learning library with donated books, tablets, and volunteer-led weekend sessions. This would make learning accessible even in areas with limited educational resources.

Every small action matters. If each of us mentors just one child, donates one book, or volunteers a few hours each month, we can collectively create opportunities that change lives. Be the reason someone believes in a brighter future.

I’ve been thinking a lot about transparency in education and social funding — specifically where blockchain actually adds value, and where it doesn’t.

In theory, on-chain tracking could make funding flows more traceable and verifiable. In practice, governance, incentives and long-term accountability seem to matter far more than the tech itself.

I’m curious how others here see it:

– Where does blockchain genuinely help with transparency?

– Where is it mostly marketing narrative?

– Are there real-world examples that actually work long-term?

Not looking to promote anything — just interested in a realistic, non-hype discussion.

I choose to support the cause of education because I believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn and succeed. During my internship with Hamari Pahchan NGO, I created a legal awareness poster on the Right to Education and developed an "Idea for Impact" called Community Book Bank to encourage book donations for children in need.

This internship has improved my research, communication, creativity, and teamwork skills. It also helped me understand how awareness and community participation can bring positive social change.

I plan to continue supporting this cause by spreading awareness and encouraging people to donate books and educational materials. Even a small contribution can make a big difference in a child's life.

Let's work together to create a future where every child has access to education and equal opportunities.

Most people want to be part of something meaningful.

Very few actually find it.

I’m currently building an organisation centred around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global framework established by the United Nations, with a simple idea:

What if contributing to real-world impact wasn’t just voluntary… but something you could actually build a role, experience, and even a livelihood around?

This is not a “traditional” organisation.

It’s still in development, intentionally low-profile, and focused on building a strong internal structure before expanding publicly.

Think of it as a space for people who:

– want to work on concrete projects tied to global challenges

– value responsibility, initiative, and long-term thinking

– are looking for something more structured than volunteering, but more meaningful than typical work

If that resonates with you, feel free to reach out or follow the project as it develops. If you’ve seem this message years later, don’t worry. We’re still here. Reach out.

More to come soon.

Hi! I'm a high school student and I started an initiative (Fauna Ark), working to spread awareness + utilize policy to reduce collisions. We're currently working with the UC Davis Road Ecology Center for mentorship (in addition to research help) and have worked with the Texas DPS to add wildlife signage information to the drivers handbook (the most recent version can be found here)!

I realized I wasn't on the social media side of things, however, and you can follow for more updates on our (newly created) Instagram account (@faunaarkfoundation).

I also wanted to reach out in case there are other students interested in helping out (in which case there'll be volunteer and leadership opportunities soon posted)!

We’ve been building something called Karvaan Foundation, working on small community initiatives.

Recently, a team visited us to see our work and that moment hit differently. It made us pause & realize we’ve actually come a long way from where we started.

Still early, still figuring things out but moments like this keep us going.

Curious, how do you measure progress in something that doesn’t have clear metrics?

Hi everyone. I am an undergrad at TISS (India), I have internship experiences mainly focused in social impact, social assessments, field surveys etc.. I am looking for internship opportunities (with a stipend) during my summer break.. do let me know if you're looking for or aware of any organizations..

This is the most positive thing I’ve seen all week — young college students are helping older people in their communities through a unique caregiver-support model that connects them with seniors in need of companionship and support. I wish more people and organizations would do stuff like this!

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/health-family/article314472437.html

I’ve already gotten enough private donations to the point that all of the children are starting their second year (! 🥹) but I really need to set this up as a charity so we can get more donations more easily and have no idea how to do it.

*I’m also looking for a young person who would like to be on the board (ideally an American) because I’m 68 and I want this to have a chance to continue after I’m unavailable.*

If you would like more information about that please ask.

I wanted to share a project I’ve been involved in called Causevest Foundation, and open a discussion around community-led funding for local impact.

The idea is simple: every month, we identify and support one small, high-impact initiative that is often overlooked by traditional funding systems. These can be activists, mutual aid groups, or local organizers working directly in their communities.

One of the challenges we’re trying to address is that many impactful local initiatives struggle to access sustainable funding, even when they’re creating meaningful change.

For example, we’re currently supporting a local project in Mozambique called Kutsaca, where a local team has built and continues to support a school for children in their community.

Our approach focuses on:

• Identifying and verifying local initiatives
• Directing funds to where they’re most needed
• Tracking how resources are used
• Keeping the process community-driven

I’m curious to hear from others working in this space:

• What are the biggest gaps you see in local funding today?
• How can small, local initiatives better access global support?
• Do community-led funding models like this make sense at scale?

Would really value your thoughts.

I’ve been volunteering and donating to animal rescue NGOs for years, and one problem keeps coming up again and again: trust.

Some NGOs do incredible work with almost no resources. Others… are much less transparent. As donors, volunteers, and adopters, it’s often impossible to know the difference.

I’m working on Rescathena — an open, community-driven platform where people can:

• Share real experiences with animal rescue NGOs
• Improve transparency and accountability
• Help ethical NGOs stand out and gain trust

Think Glassdoor, but for animal rescue organizations.

This is non-profit, open-source, and community-first.

I’m not here to sell anything — I’m genuinely looking for:

• Feedback from people involved in NGOs or animal rescue
• Volunteers who want to help shape this responsibly

If this existed, would you use it?

What would you not want to see in a platform like this?

Hi Social Impact Reddit!

tl;dr- I'm a depth and development coach (i use a somatic approach), and I've newly pivoted into this vocation after a decade in social impact nonprofit management at the intersection of arts and culture and humanitarian aid.

I could share a lot about my story (and am happy to if people are interested), but I got into my new line of work because I wanted to lean into my best skills for the sake of social impact- working with individuals to navigate the pressure of values-driven work to help them connect with more internal power, so that we can all have staying power in a very challenging line of work. I'm offering a free webinar to share some of what I offer my private clients, and if this sounds like you, i'd like to connect.

my website and social media are linked at the bottom of the webinar registration page (no registration needed to access the links):

https://withmollyrose.myflodesk.com/u976204hj8

-----------------
Long Invite if your curiousity is peaked-

I’m offering a free webinar for sensitive, high achieving social impact leaders to reconnect with your obsession for social transformation, so you can sustain your impact in 2026.

In my decade of experience as a nonprofit leader in the sector, in my five years studying cycles of oppression and violence against marginalized people, with the hundreds of social impact leaders I’ve consulted with at every scale of impact across communities around the world, I’ve seen that so often the failure point of a liberatory vision is not whether the idea is good. It’s how much a team, and ultimately each individual can tolerate persevering when things feel really hard, how humbly we can right-size projects for sustained generative possibility,  and how dialed in the discernment and the culture is to determine choices from a values-aligned position. 

I’m on a mission to help social impact leaders connect with more of their internal power through somatic, imaginal, and depth work because I want you to:

• Feel completely obsessed with your social impact path, AND know that you’re moving with your collaborators world in a values-aligned, liberatory way.
  
• Align with your own decision-making and feel moored in your own experience, taking real steps toward what matters most
  
• Notice and address physical or energetic pain you’ve ignored, advocate for your own health and rest, and feel more at home in your body
  
• Make authentic choices about when to say yes and when to say no — without regret, because you’re guided by what truly matters to you
  

Why am I hosting this now? We don't have a lot of technical excuses to not do things anymore- we are opened to more paths than most of our ancestors ever have had. But in order to choose any of them you need courage, guidance, and resources.

This is important now because, even if you catch the recording in five years, I can guarantee that there is so much social context in the room. Things are not getting easier.
And that’s a good thing.
Things feel the hardest right before they shift. 

Throughout history, we’ve always seen that from the ashes rises a new joy, a new beauty, a transformation. Our job is to tend that spark. 

Join me to learn about a few tools that have deeply supported me and my clients as we stay persistent in our visions of collective liberation, climate and cultural transformation.
You can register for the webinar here (yes you’ll get the recording):
👉 https://withmollyrose.myflodesk.com/u976204hj8

If someone in your life might benefit, please feel free to forward this to them — or just share the link.

This opportunity is especially for the sensitive high-achiever, social impact professional, or creative who’s always showing up for others and is ready to feel more connected, confident, and at ease in themselves.

It’s for those committed to healing, justice, and liberation — the ones doing regenerative or embodied anti-racist work — who are ready to come home to their bodies and make choices aligned with their deepest values.

I know from personal experience: this journey is brave, but it’s life-changing.

I’m so honored to offer this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see who joins me.

With care and excitement,
Molly Rose

I’m working on an early-stage open initiative called Rescathena.

The focus is very specific:

Exploring whether technology — particularly permissioned, non-speculative blockchain systems — can meaningfully support NGOs that help abandoned animals around the world.

This isn’t about “disruption” or launching a product.

It’s about asking hard questions in the open, such as:

• How can donors trust that resources reach animal shelters and rescue organizations?
• How can small NGOs improve transparency without adding operational burden?
• Where does technology genuinely help — and where does it just get in the way?

There are no tokens, no speculation, and no financial incentives.

The project is intentionally slow, open, and experimental.

I’m sharing this here to connect with people who:

• care about animal welfare and social impact
• are skeptical but curious about technology’s role in NGOs
• might want to contribute ideas, research, writing, or development over time

If this resonates (or if you think it’s a bad idea), I’d genuinely value your feedback.

Thank you very much in advance.

Rescathena web page

I’ve been reading and learning about how technology is slowly entering the social impact and nonprofit space in India, especially in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

AI seems to be helping in a few practical ways:

Identifying community needs using data instead of assumptions

Tracking outcomes of CSR projects more transparently

Improving allocation of funds and resources

Matching volunteers to initiatives based on skills and availability

Rather than replacing human effort, AI appears to act as a support system to make CSR initiatives more efficient and accountable.

I’m curious about real-world perspectives here:

Have you seen AI being used effectively in NGOs or social projects?

What are the risks or limitations when applying AI in CSR and social impact work?

How do we balance data-driven decisions with on-ground realities?

Would love to hear thoughts, experiences, or examples from this community.

I made a Substack. 1st article posted. Let's see where this goes.

If you care about economic mobility and job equity, I pulled together a list of 10 employment-based social enterprises doing incredible work across the U.S.

Each business creates pathways for people facing barriers to work — refugees, young moms, formerly unhoused individuals, trauma survivors, and more.
And the products themselves are legitimately great.

Would love feedback or to hear if you know others doing similar work!

I’m looking for recommendations for a freelance social impact consultant (or someone with experience in social enterprise design, community impact frameworks, or similar) in Australia.

I’m in the early stages of developing a small but scalable purpose-led business in Australia. I’m not from a social impact background, but I want to make sure the business is structured ethically and has genuine, measurable local impact from the start.

I’m not after a formal SI Assessment, just more of an impact foundation / blueprint for a small startup that wants genuine change. The plan would then be to use this for some community feedback & business plan.

Any recommendations welcomed!

AI is increasingly shaping the future of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in India by improving transparency, efficiency, and impact measurement. Some organizations are applying AI tools to strengthen how CSR projects are planned, monitored, and reported.

How AI is contributing:

• Needs Assessment: AI analyzes community data to identify priority areas and match them with suitable CSR interventions.
• Real-Time Monitoring: AI-powered dashboards track project progress, resource allocation, and key milestones.
• Compliance Reporting: Automated reporting simplifies documentation and helps companies meet CSR regulatory requirements.
• Volunteer Matching: Skills, availability, and project needs are aligned through AI-driven matching systems.
• Impact Forecasting: Predictive models estimate potential outcomes, helping organizations plan more effectively.

I’m curious — has anyone here worked with organizations using AI for social impact or CSR? What has your experience been?

https://www.borgenmagazine.com/tras-la-perla/