PMImpact: The Social Good Impact of Professionals in Project Management
Support your local community
We’re rallying project leaders to help their community during this difficult time.
It’s your time to make a difference.
We're dedicated to making a positive impact on thousands of individuals through acts of social good to unite and strengthen our global volunteer community.
Volunteerism is at the heart of what we do. We’ve seen the power of what we can accomplish when our community comes together through initiatives like our Global Celebration of Service during which we exceeded our 2019 goal of 50,000 hours with a total of 151,874 hours pledged to support our communities by offering no-cost project management expertise.
PMImpact: The Social Good Impact of Professionals in Project Management
And the world needs you now more than ever.
We’re calling on our global community of passionate project leaders to use their skills to aid communities impacted by COVID-19. There are so many ways to give back—like serving as an administrative non-clinical volunteer at a virus testing site; volunteering from home by making cards and writing letters to a local senior living community; donating to a food pantry; or even grocery shopping for a neighbor who may be higher-risk for severe illness.
We invite you to share how you’re supporting your community in this unprecedented time. We’ll be showcasing the passion of project professionals and how even the small things can make a huge difference. After all, every project has a purpose.
Prior to volunteering, consider reading over these COVID-19 Volunteer Safety Tips to ensure that you are safeguarding your health and the health of your community.
Do you know someone who is passionately working to help those affected by COVID-19 in their community? Or an organization or chapter that is pivoting to do what is necessary to help during this difficult time? If so, please nominate them by clicking the “Share Your Impact Story” button and submit a form on their behalf to highlight and honor the amazing work they are doing!
Don't forget to share how you are having an impact on your social media with the hashtag #PMImpact!
Looking to get started?
As project managers, we get stuff done and in times of crisis we roll up our sleeves to do whatever we need to help. Even if you only have a few minutes to help, consider some of these ideas of how you can make a difference during this challenging time.
Donate blood. Blood banks around the world are experiencing an alarming shortage. The need for blood is constant and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those who need it. Contact the Red Cross or your local blood bank to schedule a safe blood donation appointment.
Develop a remote program strategy. Offer to help create a plan for a local NGO or community-based organization to transition their core program offerings online by developing a focused strategy, timeline for implementation, and methods and metrics for measuring success.
Many NGOs, especially small, local ones, lack the skills or resources to make this shift on their own and are asking for assistance that will allow them to continue delivering their much-needed social services amid the crisis.
Consider how you might show your appreciation to some of the people who keep our communities functioning. Call your local police department and ask if they'd be willing to accept a delivery of a few pizzas as a small token of your appreciation (this helps out your local pizzeria, too!) or put a box of goods next to your front door with a message thanking delivery people and encouraging them to help themselves.
Volunteer virtually. These are tough times for all healthcare professionals. Gather friends online, collect thank you messages, make a digital collage, and share it on social media and with PMI.
For further questions please contact PMImpact@pmi.org.
Need some inspiration? Watch these TED Talks.
Elizabeth Dunn
Helping others makes us happier -- but it matters how we do it
Research shows that helping others makes us happier. But in her groundbreaking work on generosity and joy, social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn found that there's a catch: it matters how we help. Learn how we can make a greater impact -- and boost our own happiness along the way -- if we make one key shift in how we help others. "Let's stop thinking about giving as just this moral obligation and start thinking of it as a source of pleasure," Dunn says.
Shalini Unnikrishnan
We need to turn our response to crisis inside out
During the peak of the Ebola crisis, the recovery process in Africa was not going according to plan. Failure after sobering failure forced health consultant Shalini Unnikrishnan to recognize that they had approached the crisis from the wrong direction. In this impassioned talk, she urges the response to the next pandemic to be centered on the people it impacts rather than the virus that spreads the disease. She advocates for a new approach that will infuse scientific procedures with the emotion, tradition and belief that are inextricably intertwined when crises are both global and local at once.
Brené Brown
The power of vulnerability
Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.
Elizabeth Gilbert
It's OK to feel overwhelmed. Here's what to do next
If you're feeling anxious or fearful during the coronavirus pandemic, you're not alone. Offering hope and understanding, author Elizabeth Gilbert reflects on how to stay present, accept grief when it comes and trust in the strength of the human spirit. "Resilience is our shared genetic inheritance," she says. (This virtual conversation is part of the TED Connects series, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson and head of curation Helen Walters. Recorded April 2, 2020)
Gallery of our Volunteers in action
At LIVPM 2019 our volunteer leaders participated in service projects giving back to the community.
Volunteers working in the kitchen to provide meals to people with serious illness during LIVPM 2019.
Coming together as a community to make a difference in the world.
PMI staff and volunteers making an impact AND having fun!