Month: May 2023

Thursday, May 11 at 1 PM ET / 12 PM CT / 11 MT / 10 PT

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Are you looking for a fresh approach to capture the interest of potential donors? Or maybe you want to take your funding relationships to the next level? Incorporating persuasive storytelling elements into your grant writing can help you better educate current funders about your nonprofit’s work—and engage potential new ones.

Join our 30-minute webinar on Thursday, May 11, at 1 pm ET, where we will explore how storytelling techniques can increase the persuasiveness of your grant request. In this webinar, you will learn:

The role of narratives in persuading your reader (aka donors!)Where to incorporate storytelling in your grant proposal and reportingHow to use storytelling to support your nonprofit’s clients

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Did you miss “Grants 101 – Plan Your Grants Calendar to Build Long-term Funding Relationships” or need a refresher? Watch it on demand!

After the webinar, connect with a Taproot volunteer to work on your storytelling and grant proposals. Sign up on Taproot Plus.

Access to this webinar and the Taproot Plus pro bono platform are completely free of cost for nonprofits, public schools, and fiscally social good organizations in the US, UK, EU, Canada, and India. Select Taproot Plus services are also accessible to US-based small businesses. 

Originally published by Ericsson

When Sally Croft was told about an experience that her friend’s daughter had on her first day in a new job, she was shocked. But it was also a reminder that things in life are not always neatly black or white – they’re grey. In this blog, Sally reflects on the importance of creating a Speak Up culture in the workplace, for when things don’t feel quite right.

Recently a friend messaged me for some advice. So, I invited her over to my house one evening. Her daughter had just started her first job. On day one she’d had an experience in the office that she wasn’t sure about. My friend wanted some clarity about what had happened to her daughter – she couldn’t work out whether it was right or not.

Without going into details, the experience in question concerned an interaction between my friend’s daughter and her boss. When my friend told me about it, I immediately felt uncomfortable. In my mind there was no question – what had occurred was definitely wrong and needed to be reported to the company.

After I’d waved my friend off, I sat on the sofa and reflected on the evening. First, I was shocked by what I’d been told. But secondly, I was reminded that things in life are not always neatly black or white, they’re grey. Grey is that feeling we have when we’re niggled or unsure; we might try and rationalise it’s only something small, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not a big deal. But when we start doing that, it’s a sign. When we start questioning whether something is right or wrong, when it falls into an unclear – grey – area, then it signals that actually, it’s more than likely wrong. Otherwise, why would we have that doubt in the first place?

Why ‘speak up’ is important

Doing the right thing – acting with integrity and ethically – is important at Ericsson. Working with ethical companies is an increasingly important part of our customers’ procurement strategy. And having integrity and purpose at the heart of the organization is more important for employee engagement than ever before. It’s right at the top of the list when employees decide where to work.

So, we place a lot of importance on a speak up culture here for good reason: we want to help make our colleagues feel as comfortable as possible when calling out a behaviour or action that doesn’t feel right.

There are three principles that are at the heart of that culture we’re looking to create:

Speaking up always helps. When you’re working in a big organization like Ericsson, it can be easy to think that a lone voice can’t make a difference. But you absolutely can. Whether you’ve made a mistake, or you’re concerned about the actions of a colleague, speaking up allows the company to make sure you or your colleague get the best possible help, as quickly as possible. Of course, speaking up doesn’t need to mean that you think someone is deliberately breaking the rules or being dishonest, sometimes people just make mistakes. Being vocal about your concerns is the first step in getting it resolved.We don’t tolerate retaliation. This one is particularly important to me. No one will ever be punished, pushed-out or side-lined for trying to do the right thing. Your concerns will be addressed professionally, and you’ll be protected. Guaranteed.Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Often, speaking up can be uncomfortable. Humans are social creatures with a natural inclination to avoid conflict and to just get along. But the hard conversations are often the most important ones – and once you voice what’s difficult, relationships usually become stronger, and the environment becomes better for everyone. Silence can often be interpreted as agreement, or at least acceptance. To make the world a better, more inclusive place, we must step into a little discomfort and speak up.

It’s not always black and white

Human behaviour cannot always be easily compartmentalised. There are many cloudy areas to tiptoe around when it comes to making judgements and decisions. Lots of situations don’t fit into a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer.

That’s why I want to flash a torch onto that greyness – make them clearer so they’re not an obstacle. If you have any doubt at all that something might not be right, you absolutely should raise it. As the story with my friend shows – if you have to think whether it’s right or not, it’s a sign you need to take action and let someone know about it.

My own daughter has recently started her career. I hope she doesn’t experience any toxicity, bullying, misogynistic, sexist, or unethical behaviour in the workplace. But if she does, I hope she can feel she can speak up about it.

Wouldn’t we want to create that environment for all our daughters and sons? For all those important relationships – whether it’s my daughter or the people in my own team – I would be sad to think anyone is struggling with this on their own. Because you don’t have to: we’ve got your back and will always support you.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – To support celebrations of National Space Day, Discovery Education is proud to present a curated collection of free standards-aligned resources. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.

Among the resources available to teachers and students are:

Augmented Reality 
Grades K-12

Research shows that 78% of educators believe the best benefit of augmented reality technology is student engagement. Take students on an immersive trip to Mars in 2072, via two augmented reality apps, TimePod and Sandbox AR, and associated various standards-aligned lessons, all available on Verizon Innovative Learning HQ. Let students create, share, and even inhabit virtual environments through the new Space Day packs.

Virtual Field Trip 
Grades 6-12

The Manufacturing the Future of Aviation Virtual Field Trip shows students how STEM makes aviation manufacturing more efficient and safer. This virtual learning experience transports students to Boeing manufacturing centers in Renton, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Salt Lake City, Utah to meet the diverse mechatronics, robotics, and ergonomic engineers at Boeing. An accompanying educator guide makes it simple for teachers to plug-and-play the VFT into any learning environment with relevant and standards-aligned activities that further explore key concepts in aerospace and engineering.

This virtual field trip is part of FUTURE U, an award-winning partnership with Boeing that provides standards-aligned, hands-on, experiential learning resources that ignite excitement and inspire students to become tomorrow’s innovators.

At-Home Science Lessons 
Grades K-8

3M’s Science at Home video series is a collection of simple, watch-then-do science experiments that feature 3M scientists and special guests using common household items to explore core scientific principles and make STEM learning more accessible. Through these at-home activities, STEM solution seekers can experience scientific phenomena through creative and fun projects ranging from engineering with marshmallows to chemistry with baking soda. In the Balloon Rocket Activity, students harness the same scientific principles that power space travel as they build a multistage rocket.

Career Profiles 
Grades 6-12

The STEM Careers Coalition™ (SCC) offers a collection of resources spotlighting careers in space. Students hear firsthand from STEM professionals working in space-related roles across a variety of disciplines including computer science, engineering, mechanics, and more. Students can see people like them working in the high-tech world of space exploration while diving deeper into the topic with a variety of hands-on, lessons and activities. Teachers can then introduce students to STEM with over 200 resources designed to uncover students’ STEM skills to activate future solution seekers.

Users of Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform can explore even more space-focused content in the service’s Space channel. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education provides educators with an enhanced learning platform that facilitates engaging, daily instruction.

“Space is an endless source of inspiration and curiosity for students. At Discovery Education, we love empowering educators to explore space in a variety of settings. With these resources in hand, students can discover the wonders of space,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Social Impact at Discovery Education.

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.

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About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
gmaliska@discoveryed.com

Key Insights from Reuters Responsible Business USA 2023

Especially with the possible adoption of new SEC regulations and what we are learning from the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulations, there has never been a more dynamic time for sustainability and social impact leaders within corporations.

FSG’s Chirlie Felix and Lolita Castrique-Meier recently attended the Reuters Responsible Business USA event in New York, where they joined sustainability practitioners from leading companies.

Some takeaways from their reflections from the conference: 

Treat ESG as a business and social impact opportunity, and not just a risk to be managedHelp usher in a just transition for all by focusing on people who are most impacted, beyond technical solutionsEngage with the “S” as robustly as you commit to the “E”Integrate sustainability firm-wide through thoughtful operationalization

< Read the full article >

About FSG 
FSG is a global, nonprofit consulting firm that partners with foundations and corporations to create equitable systems change. Through customized consulting services, innovative thought leadership, and learning communities, we’re working to create a world where everyone can live up to their full potential.

Learn more at www.fsg.org.