Here at Vitality, we want our work to serve a bigger purpose than just a healthy bottom line, which is why, since day one, we’ve made giving back central to our mission. To date, we’ve made over $1.5 million worth of donations to groups that create impactful change in the lives of those who need it most.
We believe that in order to experience true vitality, that feeling of aliveness that arises when we care for ourselves wholly, in body, mind, and spirit, we also need to care for the communities to which we belong.
We think it’s important, then, not just to find your purpose, but to put that purpose into practice.
Of course, how you choose to express your care is unique for everyone. It depends on what drives and inspires you. So, in an effort to inspire you to get out there and make your own unique contribution, here are a few organizations we love and think you’ll love too.
If what gives you purpose is CARING FOR FAMILY:
Boys and Girls Clubs of America
If caring for loved ones is what most drives you, consider volunteering with your local chapter of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. By helping with homework, coaching a game, or teaching an art project, you’ll have the opportunity to build healthy relationships with young people eager for adult guidance, and have a positive impact on their lives.
Family Promise serves children and families experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness through community-based Affiliate programs across America. They provide support for these Affiliates to help them empower families in achieving and maintaining sustainable independence. Simply volunteering to help prepare a nourishing meal for families in need can make a huge difference.
If what gives you purpose is FITNESS & WELLNESS:
One great way to turn a love of exercise into a positive influence on your community is to become a coach for the Special Olympics. Coaches teach the skills, attitude, values, and spirit that define a true athlete. They are role models and character-builders both on and off the field of play. Special Olympics coaches go even further—they support athletes with intellectual disabilities to discover their own strengths and abilities. They encourage them and challenge them to build upon those strengths and improve every day.
Vitality CEO Taylor Dilk at Special Olympics Sports Hall Of Fame Luncheon 2022
If you’ve successfully turned your hustle into a way of life, consider getting involved with Dress for Success to offer a helping hand to those who may have started their climb a few rungs down the ladder. By assisting Dress for Success, you can help provide at-risk women with job readiness tools, professional attire, and post-employment support to help them in their efforts to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Accion Opportunity Fund provides financial resources that lift up entrepreneurs regardless of where or who they are. Accion Opportunity Fund promotes financial inclusion and fights for legal protections for small business owners, acting as a financial support system for small businesses that advances racial, gender, and economic justice for all.
If what gives you purpose is ENJOYING NATURE:
America’s Public Lands
If the beauty of nature is what most inspires you, consider volunteering to help maintain America’s public lands. You could build trails with the Bureau of Land Management or do river clean-up with the National Parks Service. Here in Colorado, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado is one of our favorites, but you can find a similar land stewardship organization in your area or visit volunteer.gov.
If what gives you purpose is YOUR CREATIVITY:
Local Arts Organizations and Community Centers
Art makes every life a little brighter. If you have a talent for drawing, painting, music, or writing, there are many ways to share that joy with others. Consider volunteering at craft events at your local children’s museum. Offer to sing or play piano or guitar for residents of a nursing home or adult day program. If you have a gift for writing or design, you could offer to help create communications or marketing materials for nonprofits you care about.
If what gives you purpose is EDUCATION & LEARNING:
Education is a doorway to a better future. Thurgood Marshall College Fund is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black college community. TMCF is dedicated to positively impacting the lives of students from historically Black colleges and universities and predominantly Black institutions. The organization provides higher education scholarships to students from diverse backgrounds and connects them to top-tier employers for internships and jobs – providing access to lifelong rewards.
Be a role model for the power of education by volunteering with Girls, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the whole girl, supporting, mentoring, and guiding girls in an affirming, pro-girl environment. With a mission to inspire all girls to be strong, bright, and bold, Girls Inc. creates a safe environment to teach girls the essential tools for a successful future.
If what gives you purpose is SELF-IMPROVEMENT & PERSONAL GROWTH:
Transform pain into power by getting involved with Active Minds, the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. Through education, research, advocacy, and a focus on young adults ages 14–25, Active Minds is opening up the conversation about mental health and creating lasting change in the way mental health is talked about, cared for, and valued in the United States.
Be a force for hope and healing by participating in the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. What started as a social media campaign with over 70,000 people sharing their stories in 2010, turned into a global non-profit that reaches millions of young people each year through inspiring programming, educational resources, international affiliates in 19 countries, and access to an arsenal of community-based service providers.
The Vitality team at a plane pull event for Special Olympics!
Obviously these are only a few of many, many ways you can put your purpose into practice, but hopefully they inspire you to share the parts of your life that give you a sense of vitality with those in your community who could benefit from a little extra support from someone, like you, who truly cares. Read more about Vitality’s giveback program here.
