By Chelsea Ohlemiller, Director of Community & Content, Charitable Advisors
A job can be more than a paycheck. It can be a purpose. It can be a way to strengthen communities, create meaningful change and become part of something bigger than yourself.
That belief is at the heart of Charitable Advisors’ “Work for a Nonprofit, Make a Difference” campaign — an initiative created to highlight the purpose, impact and opportunity found in nonprofit careers across Indiana.
Through storytelling, resources and community engagement, the campaign connects passionate professionals with organizations creating meaningful change every day. It challenges the idea that work is simply something we do and instead showcases how nonprofit careers can transform both the communities being served and the people who serve them.
Throughout May, 28 Indiana nonprofits opened their doors and their smartphones, and shared their missions, stories and impact with our community. From supporting children and families to advancing housing equity, strengthening education, improving health outcomes and creating opportunities for those who need them most, each organization showed what happens when people choose work rooted in purpose.
The participating organizations included Autism Community Connection, Child Care Answers, Muscular Dystrophy Family Foundation, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, Lutheran Child & Family Services, Perry Township Education Foundation, New Hope of Indiana, Clarity of Central Indiana, Mid-North Food Pantry, The Julian Center, Indiana Diaper Bank, Pretty Passionate Hands, Edna Martin Christian Center, Kids’ Voice of Indiana, John Boner Neighborhood Centers, Camp To Belong Indiana, Hope Academy, Cancer Services of NE Indiana, Parks Foundation of Hendricks County, Peace Learning Center, IWIN (Indiana Women In Need) Foundation, Dove Recovery House for Women, Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana, Immigrant Welcome Center, Indy Art Center, Dayspring Center, AYS, Inc., and InteCare Veteran Services.
Each organization created a short social media video sharing why their work matters — and the result was a powerful reminder that behind every nonprofit mission are people who care deeply about making Indiana stronger.
For AYS (At Your School), the campaign created an opportunity for the children they serve to share, in their own words, why the organization’s work matters.
“As a result of the Work For a Nonprofit, Make A Difference campaign AYS kids got to tell the audience, in their own words, why the work we do here at AYS matters to them,” said Abi Bainbridge, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, AYS. “The resulting video didn’t just allow us to reflect on our values and remind ourselves of exactly how the work we do benefits the children in our community. It also gave us the opportunity to create a unique piece of content that drove potential employees to our careers page during a vital hiring cycle.”
Beyond the visibility, the campaign created opportunities for organizations to grow, learn and connect.
“In the process of producing this video, our team developed new skills and gathered enough additional footage to be used for future projects,” Bainbridge said. “We also appreciated the opportunity to see the great work of other local nonprofit organizations. Campaigns like WFN, help bring us together as a community, and remind us of the power of collaborative action.”
For Pretty Passionate Hands, the campaign provided a chance to share the heart behind their mission and reach new audiences.
“Participating in the Work for a Nonprofit, Make a Difference campaign was such a meaningful experience for Pretty Passionate Hands,” said Chandler Jessup, Organizational Development Coordinator. “It gave us a platform to share our story and shed light on the heart behind our work. The visibility we gained through the campaign helped remind our community, and us, why this work matters so deeply.”
Jessup also emphasized the importance of celebrating the nonprofit sector and the people who dedicate themselves to serving others.
“Campaigns like this are so important because they shine a light on the people and organizations doing the quiet, consistent work that often goes unnoticed,” she said. “The nonprofit sector is full of passionate individuals who dedicate themselves to serving others, and being celebrated alongside other incredible organizations was both humbling and energizing.”
The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) also highlighted the value of reaching new audiences through the campaign.
“We, at the FHCCI, are so incredibly grateful to Charitable Advisors for allowing us to share the work we do (and why we do it) with audiences that we normally don’t reach within our typical channels,” said Brady Ripperger, FHCCI. “Unfortunately, algorithms are skilled at keeping audiences siloed into areas, and this campaign allowed us to reach new audiences.”
Ripperger shared that campaigns like this play an important role in connecting people with the many organizations working across Indiana.
“Through this campaign, the wide breadth of missions and work us nonprofits are doing across the state was highlighted, which we are incredibly grateful for, especially as nonprofit funding continues to be slashed,” Ripperger said.
Thanks to the support of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), Charitable Advisors was able to provide three $500 gifts to participating organizations:
- Viewer’s Choice: Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana
- CICF Team Choice: AYS (At Your School)
- Charitable Advisors Team Choice: Pretty Passionate Hands
These awards, though small, provide additional resources for organizations to continue advancing their missions. AYS plans to pour its awarded funds back into programs supporting children across central Indiana, Pretty Passionate Hands will use the funds to support teen parents and their babies, and FHCCI will continue its work addressing housing barriers and discrimination experienced by Hoosiers.
The true impact of this campaign, however, extends beyond a video, a contest or an award. It is found in the connections created, the stories shared and the reminder that meaningful work exists in every corner of Indiana.
At Charitable Advisors, we are grateful for the organizations that participated, the people who shared their stories and the nonprofit professionals who continue to show what it means to work for a nonprofit and make a difference.
And this is just the beginning. Another “Work for a Nonprofit, Make a Difference” campaign is coming this fall. Stay tuned for details and another opportunity to celebrate the people and organizations creating lasting impact throughout Indiana.
Experience the stories and impact shared through May’s campaign:
- Watch the videos on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/35yn65vj
- Watch the videos on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/bde59cdv
