Introduction by Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action, which she launched after long lines and restrictions kept voters from the polls during her run for Georgia Governor in 2018.
Over the past year, our nation has been shaken by crises: a pandemic, systemic racism, health care inequality, reproductive rights restrictions, climate change. It’s been a lot—yet it did not defeat us.
That’s because Americans from all walks of life stepped up, marching for justice, supporting friends and neighbors in need, and—when it mattered more than ever—making sure all voices were heard during the 2020 election.
Along with countless volunteers and dedicated activists, I’m proud to be a big part of that last effort. My team and I—via my organization, Fair Fight—worked harder than ever to ensure every eligible voter got the chance to cast a ballot. In the end, our push against voter suppression led to major change and historic levels of voter turnout, and that feels incredibly encouraging.
But you don’t need to launch a nonprofit, quit your day job, or even spend much money to make an impact. By offering up small donations, a little time, and their votes, so many people just like you harnessed their passions to make progress over the past year—proving no donation or action is too small.
We all have a role to play in our communities, and within each of us lies the capacity to create change for ourselves and others. So find a local organization, campaign, or issue that speaks to you and get in the arena to make our world better for generations to come. You can do it!
Meet our panel of experts
Tap “Find Your Mission” below to pinpoint the cause that speaks to you. Then keep scrolling or tap “Rise to the Occasion” and take our quiz to find out the best way you can do it.
Step 1: Make a list of the things that keep you up at night.
In the words of Vice President Kamala Harris: What is your 3 a.m. agenda? Maybe it’s the wave of anti-transgender legislation or the climate crisis or youth homelessness. Maybe it’s all of them! Write down every damn thing because your intuition is a powerful tool. “Five years ago, my plan for my life and my business looked nothing like my current reality,” says Joy Harden Bradford, PhD, creator of Therapy for Black Girls. “But in paying attention to the thing that was calling me, I’ve stumbled into a career that is incredibly fulfilling and that allows me to be of service to thousands of Black women and girls across the world.” Even if you’re not looking to dedicate your life to this, passion will make you more effective. Below, three activists explain the events that motivated them to get involved and make a change.
Step 2: Seek out who’s already on it.
Put those social and interwebs creeping skills to good use by sleuthing out which orgs are actually doing something about the stuff that worries you, focusing on groups near you. Bc while local nonprofits, even small ones, can have a BIG impact on your community, they have fewer resources than national groups—so you’ll get more good-doing bang for your buck (or time) with them. A simple Google search like “climate change groups near me” gets that started.
If you’ve narrowed it down to a few, look into which have been around the longest. Those likely have a grip on, say, the niche environmental issues facing your hometown and the best ways to make an impact.
Maybe they helped pass local legislation or organized coat donations during the holidays, for example. Getting these receipts can help you make a solid match.
Step 3: Look into what groups need.
Digging up ~how~ these activist groups do what they do is vital to finding your philanthropic home. Do they meet weekly to clean up a highway? Do they participate in marches? Do they fund programs that help kids afford school lunch? Do they have paid job openings? Be real and picture yourself doing those things and think about whether they vibe with your schedule and budget. If a crew requires more than you can give, it’s fine! Just keep looking.
Step 4: Consider your natural talents.
If you’re never not schooling your friends on grammar, you might be the perfect person to write an org’s newsletter. Or maybe you work in the hospitality biz and a local shelter needs someone like your beautiful self to serve meals. Sure, you don’t have to “be good at” the thing you’re volunteering to do, but taking skills you already have into account can help you filter through allll the opportunities out there.
Step 5: Set realistic expectations.
Once you’ve picked a group, remember that you don’t need to perform a grand gesture like starting your own chapter to make a difference. Spending a few hours a month canvassing or phone banking to get people to join your cause or open their wallets makes an impact, says Alicia Garza, principal at Black Futures Lab and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network. And if you want to give money, you don’t need a ton of disposable income either. Even donating $5 a month helps.
Help! I still can’t decide!
If you’re torn between causes, contact each one and ask what the most effective way to help is. Anything sound perfect? Great. If it *all* sounds perfect and you just can’t narrow it down, create a v realistic schedule for doing a bit of everything. Maybe that means promoting a group on social media twice a month, volunteering in person at a diff place once a month, and donating money to a third org once a year. And remember, you can switch up your sched whenever. If all else fails, check out these five groups below to see if their vibes and needs mesh with yours, then click the links to get started.
Hold up, we should talk about burnout red flags...
Okay, now that you’ve got some direction, let’s take a sec to acknowledge that changing the world is a big job that takes emotional, physical, and financial work. And all of that can be, um, exhausting. So keep an eye out for these symptoms of legit burnout as you keep kicking ass. If you spot them, it’s time to take a breath—a big one.
- You’re not sleeping.
Tossing and turning or getting a less-than-solid amount of sleepy time per night means something is off, and it could be your schedule.
- You’re antisocial.
Think of the last time you spoke to a relative or close friend. Has it been a while? Disconnection can sneak up on you when you’re doing too much.
- You’re avoiding movement.
Exercise—even just walking—helps boost your mood, and if you’re skipping it because you’re too tired or too busy, it’s time to reassess.
- Your sched is packed; your bank account is not.
Take a close look at the areas that feel depleted (yes, even that debit account), and make a plan to adjust accordingly.
- You’re always annoyed.
When the barista messing up your order or your boo missing the “Pick up dinner on your way home?” text starts to ruin your day…every day, that’s burnout, baby. Take a break.
SOURCE: LaMisha Hill, PhD, a licensed psychologist and the director of multicultural affairs at UCSF
How to use the socials for the greater good
Turns out, you don’t have to put pants on to spread the word about your passion project. Just bust out your phone and dispense your message to the masses. Read on for more details on doing just that.
- Follow: See an organization doing cool things? Let it know by supporting its content. “Each follower is a relationship that can be mobilized,” says Deja Foxx, founder of Gen Z Girl Gang, a community “redefining sisterhood for a new generation” through social media, and a former social strategist for Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Link: Share a link in your IG Story and bio so your followers can learn more about the org you’re volunteering or raising money for. Tell them why it’s important to you and exactly what you want them to do (donate! volunteer! repost!). You could drop these Stories daily, but it’s no biggie if you don’t. Still: “That extra attention and validation might be the deciding factor for someone to donate to that organization over a similar one,” says Sloane Stephens, founder of the Sloane Stephens Foundation, which tutors and coaches underserved students around the world. “You never know what will make the difference.”
- Share: Maybe you whip up an infographic on Canva, create a TikTok of your last volunteering adventure, or post about a podcast you listened to. Whatever shareable content you put out there, your friends and followers are paying attention. “Every one of the people who follow us has a stake in what we care about because they care about us,” Foxx says.
- Live: It’s not easy to host a Live, but if you want to go the extra mile, you can ask followers to send questions about your cause or invite someone to be your guest for a casual Q&A. Chatting with someone running for city council, for example, might encourage those in your community to get out and vote or even to run for office themselves.
Wait, should this be your job job?
So you probably noticed that many, many members of our panel of badass experts started their own org to take charge of the things they care about. But just a friendly reminder, you don’t have to go out and start a nonprofit to be successful. That said, if you want to start one (or just earn a paycheck from one that already exists), consider these v important Qs before making a career change.
You’ve been thinking about this for a while, yes?
Well, it might be worth pursuing, says Brigitte Amiri, an attorney at the ACLU who fights for reproductive rights. She got interested in abortion access in high school and tried to start a pro-choice club at her Catholic university. When that didn’t work out, she knew she wanted to do this full-time.
Can you live with a smaller paycheck?
Making a difference in the things you care about is so fulfilling, but unfortch, your take-home pay might not be, says Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “You have to understand what’s really important to you.” And if you’re comfy trading a higher salary for a higher purpose, maybe it’s time to get after it.
Do you like to rally people?
Being able to bring folks together is key, so if consensus building and conflict resolution aren’t your jam, you may want to reconsider this path, says McGill Johnson.
Are you cool with working your way up?
The smartest way to get into the nonprofit game might not be launching your own, says Foxx. “I started out canvassing and going to trainings,” she explains. “Look at the work already being done and see how you can best plug into it.”
How’s your savings?
Cash at the ready was essential for Nadya Okamoto, founder of PERIOD, a nonprofit focused on ending period poverty and stigma. Before she launched, she kept six jobs until she had enough for living expenses while working for herself full-time. “I didn’t get paid until three years in,” she says. Obvi, this is just one scenario, but regardless of what yours is, you’ll need at least six months of savings to start your own world-changing endeavor.
Collages by Katie Buckleitner | Pull quote design by Khadija Horton
Mekita Rivas is an editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. She writes about everything from the best leather totes and books she can't put down to plants, podcasts, and politics. Prior to joining Cosmopolitan, she was a senior contributing fashion editor at PopSugar and Bustle. Her writing has been published in dozens of publications including The New York Times, Vogue, Harper's BAZAAR, Women's Health, Refinery29, and others. She currently splits her time between New York City and Washington, D.C. Follow Mekita on Instagram, where you'll typically find a mix of her snapshots from fashion week and various editor travels.
Andrea González-Ramírez is an award-winning Puerto Rican journalist who reports on gender, race, and politics. You can follow her on Twitter at @andreagonram.