There’s More than One Way to Make an Impact

When you think of a social impact career, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think about the nonprofit sector and doing direct service work with clients affected by a particular issue. Maybe you think about getting involved in public policy. Or you may think about getting involved in philanthropic work, such as at a foundation or other grant-making organization, to advance creative solutions to social issues through strategic investments in innovative projects and organizations.

The reality is, of course, that there are practically an infinite number of ways to get involved in the social impact sector. Beyond the direct service, policy, and philanthropy routes we just mentioned, there are social entrepreneurship, impact investing, corporate social responsibility, and community-based academic research paths, just to name a few. Indeed, I find that one of the most exciting aspects of social impact work is the huge range of ways for people with a variety of skill sets to get involved.

One of my favorite tools for exploring this idea is called the Social Change Wheel. It was developed by the staff of Minnesota Campus Compact, a state chapter of a national network that promotes civic engagement in higher education.

The Social Change Wheel classifies impact into thirteen different domains, but it’s easy to see how some of these terms could be segmented even further to encompass some of the latest approaches in the social impact sector, such as impact investing and ESG. 

Many of my clients are looking to transition into the social impact world because they’ve decided it’s time to align their values with their day jobs. They’re ready to find a more meaningful, more engaging career, where they can leverage their considerable skills and even more considerable knowledge to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. They’ve realized that they are no longer content to spend 9 to 5 (and often much longer) working on something that doesn’t actively contribute to making the world a better place.

I often suggest we start by looking at the Social Change Wheel, since it so effectively broadens the view on ways to leverage skills to engage in this work. The beauty of the wheel shape is that it underscores the very important--but often overlooked--point that each of these paths is equally important to the goal of advancing social change. This is important to remember because it’s so easy to get stuck trying to determine which way of working to improve the world is the most effective. But, the reality is that we need all of these modalities --and even more that we haven’t yet uncovered -- to drive the kind of systemic change necessary for lasting social impact. Choosing to make your career one of purpose is the first step. The Social Change Wheel can help you refine your strategy even more, knowing that no matter which path you take, you’re on the right track toward leveraging your career for social impact.