Dear Friends,
Happy Election Day! I must admit,
I'm a civic participation geek who has worn her "I Voted!" sticker with glee on
every Election Day since I turned 18. I empathize with people who prefer
not to vote early or by mail because they feel the "I Voted!" sticker is the
cherry on the top of their democracy sundae. If you haven't done so, get
out there and vote and wear your sticker with a smile.
To combat what has been a depressing
October filled with news of the turbulent economy and divisive political ads, the staff of Community Shares decided to introduce an
Ambassadors of Positivity campaign. We started publicly recognizing each
other when someone chooses to be positive instead of cynical, patient instead of
sarcastic, or willing to reframe a problem as an opportunity. It has made
a dramatic impact on the spirit of our office and added a lot of silly joy over
small things. Like our giving campaigns, it's amazing how incremental
attitude choices make a monumental difference on the people around us.
Studies show smiling increases people's
Good Samaritan instinct to help others. (In other words, the next time
you need help changing a flat tire, let those pearly whites shine!) I
found a study that went a step further. The study set up two sets of two
people to interact with 800 strangers. In half of the exchanges, they
timed the interaction so the first confederate would smile at someone and 1-2
seconds later a second confederate would drop a stack of computer disks.
People who were exposed to a smile seconds before were 10% more likely to stop
and help the person in need.
I love the idea of transferable
smiles! At Community Shares, we ask you to partner with us to invest in
building a stronger community. This week, let's all try to up the
investment with a few smiles. Thanks to the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, every new or increased gift to Community Shares will be matched dollar for dollar. For
the month of November, please note the staff of Community Shares will also be
matching all smiles, grin for grin.
Best,
 
Alyssa Kopf
CEO, Community Shares
PS: Thanks to our lean operations and the match from the Gay & Lesbian Fund a $10 gift can generate $200 in giving campaign donations. Make a Gift Today!
|
