By Emily Graham, MightyMoms.net
Special to Darkhorse Press

If you’ve ever wanted to make a difference, you’re in luck. There are many ways that you can have an impact, and you won’t even have to leave your own ZIP Code to do so. Today, Darkhorse Press offers some time-tested advice on getting out of the community.

Become a Teacher

Teachers are some of the most impactful individuals in all communities. If you’ve ever considered raising up the next generation, consider going back to school to earn your degree in education. Your degree is the first step toward getting your teaching license, which may also include a background check, skills test and assessments, and providing your future employer with access to your transcripts. If you’re not sure how to get started, check out online platforms which are great for streamlining, well, everything.

Start a Nonprofit

Nonprofits are essentially businesses that don’t keep excess earnings. Instead, the money they make outside of their operational expenses goes towards supporting important causes. As a nonprofit, you may also have easier access to public funding and state-local grants. Make sure that you form a nonprofit corporation, which is tax-exempt by the IRS. As a nonprofit corporation, you have to write bylaws, make sure everyone understands how voting works, and create rules on what happens if there’s a conflict of interest between you and the organizations that you support.

Plan Local Community Events

Whether you choose to be a nonprofit organization or not, you can still get involved by planning community events. Using a free invitation maker like this might help you to spread the word and raise awareness about your work. Simply use a template to quickly plug in your own information, fonts, and images, and then share your creation online or printed for in-person distribution.

Volunteer with Kids

The children in your community today will be its leaders tomorrow. Get out there, roll up your sleeves, and volunteer. Consider working as a community outreach coordinator, sponsor, or coach. You don’t have to have kids enrolled in any of the programs. All you need is a desire to make a difference in the Charlotte community.

Walk a Dog

Okay, dog walking might sound like more of a pastime or hobby, but it can also be a great way to support your local community. Petful explains that volunteering puts you up close and personal with the neediest creatures in your hometown. As a volunteer, you might play with puppies, walk dogs, help with cleaning, or photograph adoption-ready pets.

Host a Food Drive

No matter where you live, there are people going hungry right now. Many of these may even be children in your own neighborhood. Food pantries are excellent spots to drop off valuable nutrition to those who need it most. The Fundly site says that you can host a food drive by partnering with a local organization and reaching out to others in your community to help spread the word.

Inspire Others

It is never enough to simply do good within your community. If you want to have the biggest impact, you have to inspire others to do the same. There are many ways to go about this. A great way to begin is to create a social media presence that outlines the good you’ve done so that others can see that their contributions are truly beneficial.

Even a single altruistic action within your community can have a rippling effect of positivity. From making major life changes – such as becoming a teacher – to planning events within your community, volunteering at the ball filled, and even hosting fun awareness events, today’s tips can help you be a more active and productive community contributor.

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