Think Good, It’s Friday! 6.26.15

This week, the fifth annual MCON conference produced by the Millennial Impact Project convened participants from across the country here in Chicago and online to discover how this generation is influencing their world.

I was honored to take the stage on Wednesday to talk about On the Table—and to host a special iteration of our mealtime conversations with more than 60 MCON participants. An estimated 20,000 online attendees were also asked to host On the Table conversations in their communities. What a night it was! I was blown away by our conversations—touching on issues ranging from race and identity to student loan debt, the power of storytelling to inspire philanthropy, and giving more people access to the “public square.” MCON is collecting ideas generated at these conversations and the top ideas will present at next year’s conference.

The 2015 Millennial Impact Report was also released at this week’s MCON event. In a world where more and more companies are developing robust corporate social responsibility portfolios, which often include employee engagement and volunteer programs, this report suggests that peers—not supervisors—have the biggest impact on Millennials’ participation in company cause initiatives. For example, the study found that Millennial employees are 46 percent more likely to make a donation if their coworker encourages them to and 27 percent more likely to donate if their direct supervisor encourages them to.

The Trust was so proud to play a part in this year’s conference, aiming to build greater understand of today’s cause movements and how to move Millennials’ interest into action.

More good news from around the Web:

• The Englewood Police Baseball League is led by dozens of current and retired Chicago Police officers who serve as team coaches for nearly 100 youth. Learn more about their work in this Chicago Sun-Times profile.
• One Dream relies on a modern tool—crowdfunding—to fulfill seniors’ small wishes. The Chicago Tribune reports on this heartwarming program.
• The Bolingbrook Patch reports on how a good Samaritan picked up a grocery tab for local firefighters.
• The Museum of Science and Industry’s Summer Brain Games program is a free, eight-week at-home science summer camp that helps to fight brain drain when students are out of school.
• The Chicago Crusader shares the story of two families that received new homes from Habitat for Humanity in West Pullman.
• Chicago Cares, an organization that creates volunteer experiences that connect people and communities to meet critical needs and build a stronger Chicago will host their annual Serve-a-Thon tomorrow. Didn’t have a chance to sign up for this year’s event? There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer across the region. Streetwise published their volunteer guide showcasing opportunities across the city, you can also get involved through the City’s One Good Deed Chicago… there are endless opportunities to volunteer and make a difference.

As we search for these stories every week, I’m so inspired by the good people do for others across the region. Please share your story of philanthropy here at cct.org, by sending an email to trust100@cct.org or on social media using the hashtag #Trust100. What you do matters!