The Ethos Lever Model
The Ethos Lever Model utilizes fourteen different “Levers” by which an organization can make an impact. Each Lever serves a real opportunity to create value - but when strategically pulled together, result in a powerful and cohesive Social Impact strategy. See all 14 Levers here.
In this blog series, the Ethos team breaks down each Lever - complete with expanded definitions and real-life examples - so you can best understand how to pull the right Levers through your organization's social impact work.
Community
Utilizing the community lever can help an organization be able to track the good they are doing with the ability to quickly be able to see the impact at their disposal. This is done by leveraging the company's power to engage people in person or online, and mobilizing this audience to serve a social impact goal.
Maximize Community Engagement:
- Community engagement examples: hosting blood drives, being a polling voting
- Bring community stakeholders into the communications from every level, at every level
- Create a blog with helpful/relevant information on ways people in your community can lend a helping hand–
- Utilize social media channels to spread awareness of your cause
- Partner with community-based organizations including churches, leaders, educational institutes
Community: Three Real-Life Examples
(1). Rare Beauty is a vegan and cruelty free makeup company that believes in makeup being made to feel good in, without hiding what makes one unique.
Rare Beauty is more than a beauty brand with the focus of breaking down the unrealistic standards of perfection. The founder, Selena Gomez built her brand on the basis of the importance of mental health. Through the mental health focus, Rare Beauty has turned their online community to make an impact. Through the Mental Health 101 campaign they advocate for more mental health education, empowering the community, and encouraging financial support for mental health services in educational settings.
Some ways Rare Beauty brings their mission to life is by organizing Rare Chats which is a weekly video chat that is a safe space for communities to come together and connect on mental health journeys while creating lasting friendships. Other ways that Rare Beauty is reaching their community is through engaging social media content, partnerships with influencers, crowdfunding, petitions, Rare Impact fund, and other mental health initiatives.
(2).Dove: Dove has worked for over a decade to make beauty a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove also believes that beauty is not defined by shape, size or color but about feeling the best version of yourself. Their products are meant to provide the customer with the care they need, as well as tips and advice on hair care, skin care, and underarm care. The purpose is to design what will make the customer feel beautiful.
Dove created the Self-Esteem Project with a vision of beauty as a source of confidence and not anxiety. This project has reached over 60 million young people through self-esteem education and with the goal that by 2030 Dove will have helped ¼ billion people achieve body positivity. One way that Dove is making this possible is with the creation of parent and mentor, teacher and youth leader resources to be able to bring this education and help to communities all over. Some of this is being done through guided conversation for parents about building body confidence in young people and helping them be able to boost self-esteem. Other things Dove is doing to impact the community is making and distributing confidence kits and classes to help young people build self-esteem and positive body confidence at home.
Another project that Dove created was the Dove Real Beauty Pledge with the mission of making women realize their potential for beauty by believing that beauty is for everyone. Dove made a commitment to inspire women to want to look like the best version of themselves because this will lead to happiness. Dove is demonstrating this in their own brand through three vows: we always feature real women, we portray women as they are in real life, and we help girls build body confidence and self-esteem.
Dove is engaging the community by helping to redefine beauty through education and projects in their organization.
(3).Gilead: Even though there is no cure for HIV, Gilead is an organization committed to meeting the needs of patients and improving the lives of 37.3 million people living with HIV.
For the past three decades, Gilead Sciences has been the frontrunner in research and development of HIV therapies through care continuum, establishing treatment and HIV prevention. Gilead has developed commercial medications available for treatment and prevention of HIV, and advancing therapeutic options. This company is committed to helping end the HIV epidemic and helping those with HIV live longer and healthier lives.
Gilead is helping end the HIV epidemic not just through research and medications but hosting community events to educate people on HIV and engaging the community. They are also engaging the community through their social media by providing information and resources on HIV. GIlead wants the community to understand the history, the challenges, state of the epidemic, plans for ending the epidemic and care continuum. Through their education and opportunities they are able to engage more people than ever before.