Program matching low-income "leaders" with higher-income "allies" graduates second cohort

The MindSet program adopts 30 people per year for a five-year "mobility mentoring" program, coaching people living in poverty to set clear goals and helping them save toward economic independence. Run by the nonprofit Episcopal Community Services and modeled on Boston's EMPath (Economic Mobility Pathways), MindSet rejects traditional case management and approaches that merely maintain people's lifestyle, focusing instead on plotting a path to a better future. More testing is needed on its effectiveness, but EMPath participants increased their annual income from $16,000 to $47,000.

Team Rubicon, a non-profit organization of military veterans that provides disaster relief, has provided relief after flooding in Detroit, tornadoes in Oklahoma, a typhoon in the Philippines and an earthquake in Nepal, among dozens of other communities across the globe.

Cabarrus County’s Project Re-entry gives those experiencing incarceration a chance at an education and self-reflection. The program has shown such success that it is being expanded to other detention centers in the county. Those who take part are able to take classes – all taught by volunteers – like literacy and religious studies, or choose to enroll in programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

The Fort Collins Run Club began hosting adaptive running nights, devoted to engaging runners who use wheelchairs, are blind, deaf or have some other kind of challenge that may have prevented them from joining social running clubs or participating in races. Adaptive running offers a sense of community for runners with disabilities and even helps break down barriers by providing blind runners aids to help guide them through races. Currently, The Fort Collins Run Club has 1,000 members.

To protect the Mesoamerican Reef from the effects of climate change, key stakeholders in Mexico created the world’s first insurance policy to protect a natural asset. The policy provides an immediate infusion of cash in the event of a damaging storm, allowing hotel owners and local governments to quickly repair the reef and prevent further degradation. A volunteer corps of people called the Guardians of the Reef make those repairs. While the insurance policy doesn’t cover pollution or overfishing, this mechanism could work for reefs in other countries to restore and protect threatened ecosystems.

Making personal connections supports mental health and wellbeing. The San Francisco-based nonprofit, Sidewalk Talk, trains volunteers to go out and engage on a personal level with individuals in underserved communities. The volunteers simply listen and provide empathy, a valuable resource for those who might not have access to mental health care.

Lansing, Michigan built an ecosystem of community violence intervention programs (anchored by Advance Peace and the Lansing Empowerment Network) that reduced shootings by 38% between 2022 and 2025. Their relationship-based outreach, mentorship, and victim support continue to prove effective despite federal funding cuts.

In response to Hurricane Helene's devastation, water rescue experts from Outdoor Adventure Rafting in Tennessee are volunteering to deliver essential supplies, medical aid and communication to isolated communities. They mobilized over 200 volunteers and used resources like excavation equipment and Starlink satellite internet to bridge communication gaps. Their efforts have reached several communities, helping to stabilize them with food, water and other critical resources.

Camp Lost Boys is a sleepaway camp for adult transgender men to explore and express love for their masculinity, something that is often difficult for trans men. The Camp also allows these men to connect and build a sense of community, sharing their personal experiences with others in a safe space, which is particularly important in the wake of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric.

SOS Búsqueda y Rescate (or SOS Search and Rescue) is a woman-led border and migrant search-and-rescue group that braves the elements — like extreme desert temperatures — to locate migrants who get lost or left behind along their journey from Mexico to the U.S. Since 2020, the volunteer group has found 60 survivors and the remains of 65 others, allowing them to offer closure for families searching for their loved ones.