While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt close to home, it is important for us to remember that it is a global pandemic with devastating effects rippling throughout our world and many individuals feel isolated and scared. We believe that small acts of kindness can go a really long way during these difficult times. Creating a world full of kindness and giving is more important now than ever.
As we take care of ourselves, our loved ones and our businesses, small acts of kindness and giving make an enormous difference in the lives of others. This is why we’re advocates of B1G1, Business for Good, a social enterprise and non-profit organization with a mission to create a world full of giving.
B1G1 isn’t just a non-profit organization or membership site, it’s a “movement” that provides a platform for businesses to inspire and engage in the global community to help make a difference serving a greater purpose and making a significant impact in the quality of people’s lives and our world.
On the B1G1 website you can find 500+ carefully embedded projects which contribute to one or more Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals represent the global community’s next step in ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and tackling climate change and more by 2030. Their projects range from providing an e learning facility for a rural village in India to decreasing the carbon footprint by eliminating food waste in the U.S.
One viral area of giving that we’ve been focusing on is the food crisis we were facing before it became unquestionably worse after the coronavirus pandemic. There have been disruptions in domestic food supply chains, other shocks affecting food production, and loss of incomes and remittances creating strong tensions and food security risks in many countries. The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that an estimated 265 million people could face acute food insecurity by the end of 2020, up from 135 million people before the crisis, because of income and remittance losses*.
As lifetime partners and champions, we are delighted to share B1G1 Business for Good’s latest initiative. Paul Dunn, Co-Founder of B1G1, and Steve Pipe have written a book titled, “Our Time to RISE”. The word RISE in the title is an acronym for a simple 4-step process: R – Reconnect, I – Impact, S – Storify, and E – Elevate. This little book reveals a simple and straightforward path to giving that ties businesses who are making positive impacts in the world with the UN Sustainable Developments Goals.
Our long-term goal is to take action locally and globally and to integrate our giving into our day in and day out business activities. We believe that businesses can make a larger difference and we couldn’t agree more with Richard Branson’s quote, “Explore this next great frontier where the boundaries between work and higher purpose are merging into one, where doing good really is good for business.”
We invite you to check out B1G1 Business for Good by clicking the link below!
* https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19
About the author, Doug Barra
With 14 years of experience in working with small and medium sized businesses to help them grow, Doug is committed to seeing business owners thrive. Business coaching is what drives Doug.