There are a myriad of ways that you can make a positive change in your community. However, to do so, you need to know where to start, according to serial entrepreneur Jason Kulpa.
To initiate real and positive change in your community, you need to know where you can take your complaints. You need to understand how not just to speak out but how to chip in to help. And you need to know how to stay involved throughout the change process so that the issues are resolved.
Here are some ways that you can help make a change in your community.
Get Involved Politically
Some change needs to happen at the governmental level. Maybe local taxes need to be brought under control, or a specific need in the community might require extra money. Many of these financial resources have to come from the formal government institute that is responsible for putting some of these changes in motion.
You don’t have to be a sitting government member to initiate the changes. You can get involved in the local political scene by simply attending local community meetings and expressing your thoughts.
It’s possible that members of the local government entity may not know of a particular problem or issue that needs addressing. You can help shine a light on the issue — and get the fix started — by speaking up.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Effecting positive change on a large scale can be pretty challenging and seem out of reach. But, doing so in your local community is much easier to wrap your head around.
You can positively affect the local environment, for example, by getting your hands dirty — literally — and participating in local cleanup efforts at parks, playgrounds, and environmentally-sensitive areas such as wetlands and waterways.
If your community doesn’t have cleanup projects planned or organized, you can be the one to help start them. Reach out to a regional environmental group that can help you manage your efforts and get the word out so you can attract volunteers.
Give Financially
Non-profit organizations will often say that every dollar helps them achieve their purpose, and it’s true. No amount of money is too small. Every cent helps.
If you want to help make a change in your community, consider giving financial support to local organizations that support a cause that matters a lot to you — and those around you.
Jason Kulpa explains that, as a business leader, you can make a significant difference in a non-profit organization’s available funds. Not only can you contribute directly, but you can spread the word for them. You can hold drives that can drum up awareness for the issue and the organization itself, which can result in more people in the community pitching in any way they can.
Constantly Stay Involved
Those are just some ways to make a change in your local community. Whether you decide to take one of these avenues, or any others, you need to constantly stay involved if you want the change to actually happen.
In other words, you can’t just speak up; you can’t just get your hands dirty once; you can’t just donate some money here and there. You need to constantly stay involved in the local community in any way you can.
Follow up with government officials and hold them accountable. Organize multiple cleanup events, for instance, and expand the effort. Give money when you have it, and donate a portion of the profits from your business if you can.
The key to actual change in your community is providing constant attention to issues that need to be solved. And business leaders are uniquely positioned to serve an important role in this effort.
About Jason Kulpa
Jason Kulpa is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of UE.co, San Diego’s Fastest Growing Business multi-year award winner, and a Certified Great Place to Work multi-year winner. Mr. Kulpa is San Diego’s two-time winner of the Most Admired CEO Award of the San Diego Business Journal and also a semi-finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur award. Under Mr. Kulpa’s leadership, in 2018, his teams volunteered at over 24 events and worked side-by-side to improve the San Diego community. They hosted a gala dinner benefiting individuals with autism, cheered on Special Olympic athletes as they broke their records on the track, and brought school supplies and cold-weather gear to students impacted by homelessness. Jason’s mission is to bring awareness, support, and inclusion for special needs causes.
