ImpactUp is a global, quarterly gathering launched by We Are for Good in July 2024. The first event held a main virtual event attended by 2,000 people, with simultaneous in-person local gatherings in 29 cities across 5 countries, around the theme of Power. Their second gathering wrapped up on October 10th and touched on the timely topic of mental health with the theme: Pause. This second happening was held in 27 cities, in 7 countries, as well as virtually.
But what is ImpactUp? How does a podcast build a community and turn it into a global, community-led movement for good?
To answer this question, I met with Jon McCoy, co-founder of We Are for Good with Becky Endicott, as well as Simon Kiranda, the founder of the Akamwenhu Initiative Uganda who hosted one of the most attended and inspiring ImpactUp events, in Uganda. As the host of the Mexican event in Playa del Carmen, I was keen on digging into their experience. The stories behind this movement showcase the power of community and collaboration and its transformational power.
Katherine Lacefield (KL): What sparked the idea for Impact Up?
Jon McCoy (JM): We Are for Good was at its 3-year mark. The podcast had hundreds of episodes and we had met so many incredible people, had many conversations, and had a community growing around us. At the start of this year, 2024, we had this epiphany. We realized that we had this community around us that asynchronistically engaged with us one-on-one through the podcast. But, what if we had an opportunity to lean into activation and not just talk about it? What would happen if we raised a flag and all got together and talked about the same thing, at the same time, and then we scattered and talked about it in our local communities? We felt that we could be part of actually shifting things for good, not just talking about it, but moving into activation.
ImpactUp is short for our vision of Impact Uprising – it’s this deep belief we shared that if we could mobilize more people to get involved in philanthropy in their own life that we could literally change the world – for good. So as we created and shared content through our podcast – a value-aligned community emerged and encircled this movement. And it stirred us to dream bigger. What if we could gather this community – not around a podcast asynchronous throughout the week – but what about if we came together seasonally to talk + activate + mobilize together all at once? We could start by convening virtually by day – then scattering + meeting up in local communities around the world by night. We became excited about the way of introducing a new rhythm into our lives that would both help changemakers gather + grow – together.
KL: Was the intention to make it international there from the beginning? Did that bring up any particular challenges or opportunities?
JM: The international aspect took us by surprise. While we had international friends, we were taken aback when so many started raising their hands to participate – so we quickly mobilized to make it with a lens toward a global audience too.
A major challenge was managing the many different time zones for an event that was supposed to be happening simultaneously. For example, the event in Australia had already happened by the time the main virtual event was happening. Our intent was never to control what the local meetups looked like. While we wanted anyone who attends to walk into a safe, generative + kind space, we hoped local meetups would take on the local flavor of the communities they are based within. We worked with our virtual event speakers to create some good questions that we could share with our local meetup hosts as a soft structure, but really wanted our local hosts to take it and make it fit in their community.
For example, if we’re talking about power, our July event’s theme, the power dynamics in Uganda are completely different than those in the United States or Canada. We can all benefit from talking about power, but that will show up differently through our different experiences + lenses. Simon did a beautiful job of talking to different ministry leaders throughout the country who came together to talk about power. How do they navigate power in their community to get things done? That became the framework. We have to keep an open hand and a broad, universal concept, even though the local communities are going to interpret it and experience it differently.
Speaking of Simon Kiranda, his ImpactUp journey all started with his curiosity and desire to learn more.
“It is beyond what I thought was possible when I joined the sector” – Simon Kiranda
Simon first got involved with We are for Good as he was seeking out resources to learn more about the nonprofit world. Through an article, he was referred to the podcast, which was at the time in its first year or so. He was looking for a community he could learn from, even if they were from different cultures, so he joined the We are for Good online community.
KL: What was your initial experience with the We Are for Good Community?
Simon Kiranda (SK): After joining, the first believer in my nonprofit work was Becky (Endicott) of We are for Good. She wanted to be our first monthly donor, but there was no way to do so. It is very difficult to receive international funds in Uganda. Instead of giving up, Becky connected me with Megan Gross of Fundraising Beyond Borders, who lives in Zambia, who taught me all about fiscal sponsorships and helped me find solutions. Becky not being able to make a donation actually led to so much more for my organization. Even when there is a problem, you end up connecting with the right people to bring you the knowledge and solutions you need.
“The power of community to solve the problems together.”
KL: Fast forward a few years, you are hosting a local ImpactUp meeting in Uganda. What has this brought to your community?
SK: At our first ImpactUp gathering, six different communities from each corner of the country came together. This is saying a lot as we faced heavy rain on the day of the event, making many roads inaccessible due to the flooding. Nevertheless, we decided to go forward with the event. 120 people had registered for the event, which is incredible, we couldn’t let them down. This was my way of bringing my positive experience of networking with the We are for Good platform to my community and build long-term relationships.
KL: What was your objective with hosting this local gathering?
SK: I wanted to empower others to take space, to take the time, and to be eager to listen to other’s stories. We are always learning, unlearning, and relearning as individuals. I saw ImpactUp as a way to break the isolation many feel in the sector, empower them, and build up confidence. There is also a lot to say about the power of connection. I look at the ripple effects my connection to Becky had on my organization, this was a way of scaling up that movement based on connection. I know that when I discovered my why, I discovered my passion, and my purpose. I was hoping to bring that to others.
“We are always learning, unlearning, and relearning.”
KL: What have been the outcomes for your community since this first event?
SK: I have witnessed the power to unite and transform communities through collaboration. Here in Uganda, the Albino community has been severely outcast and marginalized. For our second even on October 10th, I reached out to the leader of an Albino-focused organization, to invite him to our gathering. This is how we build bridges and unite our forces, by working together.
What is exciting is that the success of our first gathering attracted the attention of local authorities. For our second event, government representatives are coming to listen. By coming together, we are becoming a collective voice for all NGOs in Uganda. We are now able to start advocating for the issues that have been keeping us all down such as technological limitations. We plan on writing a collaborative report to present our position.
“We have been alone, but we will never solve the problem alone. We need to join forces.”
Back with Jon, we discussed the overall mission of ImpactUp now that it was on a global scale and was taking on a shape of its own in different parts of the world.
JM: We wrestled with finding the balance between keeping it open and community-led, but also wanting everyone to have a great experience since our name is on it. We spent years cultivating the relationships and trust, we had to be mindful of that. As a brand, We Are For Good is a place where you come in and feel openness and kindness. We made sure to share our community agreements with our local hosts.
KL: How do you feel the post-COVID era of Zoom calls influenced the success of the hybrid ImpactUp gatherings?
JM: I believe the ‘normalizing’ of Zoom and showing up virtually in community through the pandemic was key to laying the groundwork for ImpactUp being a success. Inclusion and access are core to how we want to show up in the space. We wanted the gathering to be free, and we wanted to remove as many barriers as possible to someone attending. And so, by making it virtual, it opens up a lot of those doors that getting to a place or taking time off to attend in person puts up.
The virtual option is very important, but, for the local meetups, we’re setting an intention to keep it simple. Some events, like the New York gathering, had empanada trays, a cool venue, and drinks, all funded by a local sponsor. It was so fun that there was a sponsor that funded all of that, but at the core of it, no one came for the empanadas, they were just some nice-to-haves. On the other side of the country, in San Francisco, we were at a nonprofit’s office, after hours, sitting in a circle on office chairs talking about life and what had moved us or stirred us that day. It’s not to take away from the New York event, but more to highlight that a budget is not in any way needed to make that connection piece work. We want to remove pressure from our volunteer hosts by keeping the format simple.
There’s also the cultural aspect of online meetings. While we can speak for North America, where having an online gathering has become normalized, gatherings happen differently elsewhere. In some countries, the town square is where people get together, or maybe at an impromptu soccer match, or even at the beach. That cultural awareness and flexibility is also something to be considered.
KL: What’s the long-term vision of ImpactUp?
JM: As I said earlier, we wanted to commit to a new rhythm of showing up in community and growing alongside each other. I think of it as coming back together every quarter, as a form of reset. I feel our society is off-kilter with the seasons. Each season has its process so we are trying to lean into that and be a guide to our community, but let the community shine on its own, do its own thing, and connect people.
In between those events, our mission is to serve people with content and surround them in community. Our podcast still drops 2 episodes a week of inspiration + storytelling from changemakers doing the work, and then we’re pouring into our membership community daily – for those who want to invest in their personal + professional growth. We’re (of course!) hoping to see ImpactUp grow to include more cities and countries and continue to grow the Impact Uprising. But we never want a local host to feel like they’re voluntold to serve forever. If they want to host, wonderful, but there will never be pressure to do so for every event.
KL: This is exactly what happened to me. I saw the first meet-up as an opportunity to ride the wave of this global movement and connect with my new community here in Playa, but couldn’t commit to the October event, which didn’t take away from my earlier participation. Do you have any final thoughts on the role of ImpactUp?
JM: Exactly! People don’t need permission to get together. But, if you give it to them, so they feel empowered or even just give them a deadline, because we all need a deadline in our life, more people might rise to the invitation and start building up their communities.
KL: Thank you for sharing your story with us Jon!
As I reflected on my own experience co-hosting an ImpactUp event in a new city, and listening to these two leaders share their thoughts, a few things came to my mind about the importance of this global movement that was also anchored in local community:
- The format: Each city, state, and country has its own way of gathering, be it online or in-person. ImpactUp is a spark that ignites a fire that allows people to gather around, no matter how they choose to do so.
- The need for flexibility: While some gatherings faced weather and accessibility issues, our event was faced with a language barrier, where the English-speaking expat community and Spanish-speaking local organizations could not always communicate together, causing a divide. The flexibility offered allows for each host to best adapt the format to respond to their unique situation and context.
- The desire to connect: Nonprofit leaders and changemakers are craving more opportunities to connect around issues that matter to them.
- The power of community and collaboration: Fostering more connections within the sector has exponential positive impacts. By focusing on how we can collaborate and lift each other up, the entire sector can benefit.
After listening to the many hosts share their stories at the first event’s post-mortem call, the energy and excitement were palpable. It truly felt like together, we were building an Impact Uprising.
Jon McCoy is a creative entrepreneur, nonprofit strategist, and co-founder + CEO of We Are For Good, a community-driven media company transforming the nonprofit sector + beyond. With over 15 years in design, marketing, and fundraising, Jon has led campaigns that raised millions and taught thousands of changemakers how to build movements. In 2020, he and his team launched the We Are For Good Podcast, which debuted as #1 in the Nonprofit category on Apple Podcasts. We Are For Good now reaches tens of thousands of changemakers through its content every month. Jon’s mission is to foster an Impact Uprising—empowering changemakers through community, storytelling, and a focus on equity, belonging + sustainable impact.
Simon Kiranda is the founder of the Akamwenhu Initiative Uganda, a nonprofit entity that is on a mission “to improve the lives of disadvantaged, vulnerable children, young people and the local church in Ugandan communities”.