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

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ALICIA GARZA

Principal at Black Futures Lab and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network

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ILHAN OMAR

Congresswoman from Minnesota

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JOY HARDEN BRADFORD, PHD
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STACEY ABRAMS
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CRISTINA JIMÉNEZ MORETA

Cofounder of United We Dream

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SLOANE STEPHENS
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DEJA FOXX
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ALEXIS MCGILL JOHNSON
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JAMIE MARGOLIN

Cofounder of Zero Hour

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RENEE BRACEY SHERMAN

Founder of We Testify

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BRIGITTE AMIRICRIS

An attorney at the ACLU fighting for reproductive rights

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NADYA OKAMOTO

Founder of PERIOD

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.

find your mission
rise to the occasion
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part 1 find your mission

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.

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Jamie Margolin, Cofounder of Zero Hour

“I can’t remember a time when climate change wasn’t on my mind. But when I was 14, I grew more and more concerned that the country wasn’t doing enough to keep the crisis at bay. I believed—and still do—it is a matter of life and death.”

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Cristina Jiménez Moreta, Cofounder of United We Dream

“When I was in college, U.S. Border Patrol agents detained my friend and classmate (now my life partner), Walter, and threatened to deport him. That’s when I knew, especially as an unauthorized immigrant myself, I had to do something to improve the rights of young people in the same position as us.”

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Renee Bracey Sherman, Founder of We Testify

“Although I never regretted my decision to get an abortion, it still makes me sad to think about how lonely I was waiting for my procedure without a loved one in the clinic. No one should feel as alone as I did that day.”

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.

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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.

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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.

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Black Voters Matter

This national group defends voting rights across the country and encourages Black voter registration and turnout in local and national elections.

DONATE VOLUNTEER

national network of abortion funds
National Network of Abortion Funds

This group works to help patients nationwide access abortion care.

DONATE

no kid hungry
No Kid Hungry

This team funds free meals for kids at school and in their communities.

DONATE VOLUNTEER

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Pacific Environment

They partner with local environmental leaders along the Pacific Rim to help protect all the creatures that live there.

DONATE

the trevor project
The Trevor Project

This org runs a 24/7 national suicide prevention hotline, a text line, and a social networking platform for LGBTQ+ youth.

DONATE VOLUNTEER

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part 2 rise to the occassion
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volunteer when you can, donate when you can’t
Result 1: Volunteer when you can, donate when you can’t

You can still be a solid activist with a smol budget or messy schedule. Join an org that has volunteer ops at least once a month and get in on those. When you’re slammed at work or just exhausted from being a person in 2021, donate your regularly scheduled take-out money and pat yourself on the back for fighting the good fight. Whatever you can contribute is enough, says Congresswoman Ilhan Omar: “Everyone’s capacity is going to look a little different.”

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Result 2: Volunteer remotely

The internet is here to help you help the world without putting on pants or seeing other humans. Spend an hour or so per week working for your cause by creating social posts to spread awareness about your issue (move your eyes to the right), writing thank-you letters to donors, contacting lawmakers, or doing any other virtual work your organization needs to get done. Introverts are activists too, k?

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Result 3: Plan a thing

Changing the world needs planners like you to help get shit done. Organize a drive that brings in stuff like food, clothing, or whatever your cause needs rn. If you’re a people person, invite friends or group members to help. Not you? No shame in doing a small-scale version of the thing solo.

put your money to work
Result 4: Put your money to work

Look, there’s nothing wrong with using your cash to make change—and you can do it without blowing a whole paycheck or throwing a bake sale. If you’re not looking to make IRL friends, ask social followers to donate to your org and offer to match whatever they contribute. If you do wanna be around other passionate people, join a volunteer group and offer to drive others who are short on gas money. Whomst doesn’t love feeling like a sugar mama? Whomst?

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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

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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.
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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.

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Collages by Katie Buckleitner | Pull quote design by Khadija Horton

Headshot of Mekita Rivas
Mekita Rivas
Editor

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.

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  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.