The Light of Dawnn Awards

Honoring Dawnn Jaffier & celebrating compassion and commitment by Boston nonprofit workers

On August 23, 2014, Boston lost one of its brightest rising stars. An innocent victim of gun violence, 26 year old Dawnn Ashley Jaffier was tragically killed on her way to a neighborhood celebration.

To honor Dawnn, and all victims of senseless acts of violence, the Highland Street Foundation, community leaders and Dawnn's colleagues, peers and family have created the Light of Dawnn Awards. These awards will celebrate individuals working in Boston's nonprofit sector who demonstrate the spirit that is Dawnn's legacy - a compassion and unwavering commitment to serve those in need. You can learn more about Dawnn's remarkable impact here.

Please take this opportunity to nominate a nonprofit professional in Boston who works on the front lines and demonstrates what it means to connect, build relationships, empower and expand opportunities for others. A selection committee made up of Dawnn's colleagues, peers and family will make the annual selection of 2-5 individuals to receive a Light of Dawnn Award. Those selected will be recognized at a public event and receive a monetary award for their outstanding efforts.

All nominations are due by December 31. Click here to submit a nomination.

Giving for One vs. Giving for Many

A new study indicates our brains are hardwired to help one person in need, but not millions.

In a University of Oregon study designed to gauge responses to different appeals addressing world hunger, participants were exposed to two different approaches: one focused entirely on a single starving girl, the other combining her story with global hunger statistics. Volunteers who were only told about the starving girl were willing to give approximately twice as much to help than those who also received additional information about world hunger. Research indicates that these differing responses stem from two conflicting feelings: compassion for the child and hopelessness in the face of an overwhelming problem.

"It's really about the sense of efficacy," says University of Oregon's Paul Slovic. "If our brain... creates an illusion of non-efficacy, people could be demotivated by thinking, 'Well, this is such a big problem. Is my donation going to be effective in any way?'"

NPR sums up the findings as: people decline to do what they can do because they feel bad about what they can't do. That theory might explain why there hasn't been an outpouring of donations from Americans to the Ebola epidemic. It could also help us understand giving trends to some of our more pressing domestic issues.

You can listen to the full story on NPR.

Curious about what other nonprofit executives and board members are doing in their roles? 

Time is running out to take Third Sector New England's leadership survey. Take the survey and share your insight to help compile the most comprehensive regional collection of data related to the needs and challenges facing the sector. Participants who complete the survey will be able to access comprehensive survey data from hundreds of nonprofits across New England. 

The past decade has been a tumultuous time for nonprofits. As our region recovers from the recession, nonprofit leaders and organizations will be faced with a new set of challenges that will require different types of support from funders and capacity builders. 

The survey is designed for executive directors and board members to help investigate their current challenges, discover where they are headed, and document what organizations need to move forward. The Leadership New England survey has already captured information from over 800 leaders. Your participation and the information you share are critical to helping the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors better understand leadership and organizational challenges and support needs. 

The survey closes on November 26. Take the survey today. 

City Awake: Boston's Social Impact Festival

A 10 day social impact festival is coming to Boston! From December 4- 13, City Awake will bring together more than 100 partner organizations to connect and celebrate Boston's dynamic social impact community. Featuring over 50 planned events including panels, presentations, and hands-on workshops, City Awake aims to showcase and strengthen the diverse and impactful work being done by Boston's social sector.

Festival events will take place all around greater Boston, and any interested party is eligible to host their own event. Click here to learn more about City Awake or host an event.