Meeting the moment
DOSOMETHING SPENT 2021 DOING WHAT IT DOES BEST:
KNOWING YOUNG PEOPLE.
We listened to our best teachers – young people – to learn what matters most to them, and built campaigns to activate them to enact change.
A note from our ceo
DENORA GETACHEW
For much of my first eight months as DoSomething’s CEO, I’ve asked myself: What does it take to meet this moment? Some might see 2021 as part of one long crisis, with pandemic fatigue and uncertainty about the future at many levels. Yet, when we asked our members, their answers most often boiled down to this: Stand up and be an active, engaged change agent to shape a better world. As the year comes to a close, it’s clear that young people have been, as they always do, showing us the way forward – if we just ask and listen to them.
DoSomething members launched community-building efforts to strengthen connections in real life and online. They advocated for climate justice, including especially for those disproportionately experiencing the negative effects of climate change. They demanded equity and honesty in how schools teach race and racism and educated themselves and their peers about how tobacco use is a social justice issue. I’m proud of how they owned their mental wellness by equipping themselves and their peers with diverse, accessible mental health resources and the tools to advocate for additional health and mental-health resources at school.
A year into the pandemic, DoSomething remains a relevant force for youth inspired to do good. The 2021 Year in Review explores the many ways DoSomething activated and engaged young people through campaigns that were intersectional, equitable, and impactful.
Community
building
Young people have taken action to unify and bring joy back to their communities after a year of loss and uncertainty during this pandemic.
DoSomething members spent over 56,358 hours volunteering their time to help others. It’s no surprise they helped address increased unemployment and homelessness by collecting 349,029 non-perishable food items to donate to local food banks, as well as 288,375 period products to donate to local homeless shelters.
56,358
HOURS SPENT
VOLUNTEERING
349,029
NON-PERISHABLE
ITEMS DONATED
288,375
PERIOD PRODUCTS
DONATED
More about The Art of CommunityDoSomething launched The Art of Community, in partnership with Vans, to activate young people to revitalize their communities through art and creativity. DoSomething members publicly shared various forms of art, music, fashion, sports, and culture with those around them, helping to renew communities and mend feelings of isolation and loneliness. Of those DoSomething members who participated, 56 percent expressed that they gained the skills to advocate to their local and state representatives for more arts funding in their communities.
ENVIRONMENT &
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Gen Z continued to speak out against the climate crisis. From attending global summits like COP26 to hosting local protests in communities around the country, young people made their voices heard.
Fueled by their passion to leave the Earth better than they found it, DoSomething members collected 416,036 cigarette butts – one of the most toxic forms of plastic waste in the world – through our Get the Filter Out campaign. In 2021, young people also saved 5,691 pounds of CO2 emissions by switching from solo car rides to carpools, bike rides, and public transit (because traveling with friends is better for the soul, and the environment)!
Check out what star laura marano said about switching up her rides to reduce carbon emission
See us, hear us:
Climate justice
DoSomething launched See Us, Hear Us, powered by the General Motors Foundation, to educate youth about climate injustice and environmental racism. Both are a direct result of systemic neglect by institutions like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has either rejected or dismissed over 95 percent of administrative complaints received by the agency. DoSomething members aim to work alongside leaders at the highest level to help end climate injustice. DoSomething is activating youth to share their vision for a greener future through its first-ever “Youth Map of Climate Injustice.” We can’t wait to share our members’ visions with the EPA.
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My community thrives on farms and agriculture. With climate change affecting weather patterns, my community’s central economy is at a great risk. Many of these farms were established decades ago, leaving their owners dependent on the small but steady stream of income that the farms generate. This results in many of the residents of my community being unable to migrate easily if necessary.
My vision for a greener future is a reliance on green energy. Wind and solar power have the ability to replace coal and natural gas, but only if those in power are willing to change their ways. Wind and solar power have been proven to be reliable sources of energy; our government just needs the push to start investing in reusable energy.
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My community is surrounded by an increasing amount of smokehouses and businesses. This addition to our city has cut down trees, brought in more people, meaning more cars which allow a great amount of pollution into the air, and hazards to wildlife.
My vision for a greener future has already begun. There is a club at my school which is named Team Trees. This club works to fund and plant trees around the city which will replace the trees that have been taken down for these additions. The team has been in place since 2019 and continues to grow and improve for the community and a greener future.
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I live in Upstate NY and I am located near Canandaigua Lake. When I was younger, the lake was clear and healthy. However, now, the lake is often closed for the majority of the summer due to Blue-Green Algae growth. This harmful alga is due to nutrient pollution caused by an agricultural facility on the lake. It not only means that my local economy is negatively impacted, due to loss of tourism when the lake closes, but it also means that the fish in the lake are dying in massive amounts. What was once a healthy lake has turned into a sewage dump.
A greener future for my community would mean taking the necessary steps to regulate the agricultural facilities on the lake. If their fertilizer runoff can be minimized or eliminated, harmful algae growth would cease and the fish would be able to live in a healthy environment. Laws at a local and state level must be passed so that our tourism-based economy can grow and so that our lake and its inhabitants can prosper.
EQUITY &
RACIAL JUSTICE
Gen Z is at the forefront of the current racial and intersectional reckoning. Building on the momentum of 2020’s protests, their activism in 2021 targeted systemic racial inequities and injustices that intersect with every aspect of our society.
Through recent Black Lives Matter protests and related actions, 81 percent of Gen Z developed a greater awareness of racial issues in the U.S. And, 46 percent have taken action to improve racial equity. Inspired by our members and Gen Z, DoSomething activated our members to advocate against longstanding practices that overexpose BIPOC communities to harmful influences and challenge policies that make them disproportionately vulnerable to key health, educational, and career problems.
More about whole historiesOur Whole Histories campaign, in partnership with The Allstate Foundation, activated students to lead the charge to advocate for better teaching standards on race, racism, and history. This past year, 21,995 young people offered actionable recommendations to schools to provide/offer more inclusive curricula. We compiled their recommendations into Whole Histories: A Student-Powered Guide on Improving Race and History Education in Your School, with a version each for students and educators.
Why We should care
Our Why We Should Care campaign educated young people to understand how tobacco and nicotine use is an intersectional social justice issue and activated them to educate their peers to recognize it, too. DoSomething members shared 7,893 personal stories of how tobacco use had a negative impact on themselves, their friends, their family, and their communities.
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I have always been passionate about advocating for things that affect my generation, women, POC, and other communities. Seeing people my age being exposed to addictive content that worsen their mental state is hard to witness. Many teens don't realize the damage they do to themselves for the sake of a quick escape. When I read the article, I decided to share it on my Instagram story because I believe it is important for everyone to know the consequences of harmful actions. As well as to bring awareness that companies target those who suffer from mental illnesses.
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Tobacco and E-cigarettes have affected many people in my life. I have friends who no longer are able to live a normal functioning life without relying on tobacco. I believe tobacco/e-cigarettes can become gateway drugs. In 2020, I had a friend who started experimenting with tobacco and e-cigarettes but then wanted to find something stronger. Not long after experimenting with stronger drugs, he passed away. Tobacco and e-cigarettes are affecting our health and [environment].
Let's try and put an end to this poison that is affecting millions of people worldwide.
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As a wildlife biology major I care very deeply about what effects our endangered species and environments. And even within my own family history, with 3 generations of grandfathers who suffered from emphysema, this issue is not just an environmental one. I have many friends with accumulated health issues due to not just traditional smoking, but e-cigs as well, and would love to see more done to discourage the habit and the availability of these drugs.
Ava Michelle, star of the Netflix film, Tall Girl, helped educate Gen Z about the negative role the tobacco industry and tobacco use play in the causes they care about.
More about STEM WORKS FOR MEWomen and members of certain BIPOC communities are underrepresented in STEM and skilled trades occupations, often due to insufficient exposure and encouragement. Through STEM Works for Me, a yearlong campaign in partnership with 3M Foundation, DoSomething prompts members to use a diagnostic tool to match their interests to a viable area in STEM and skilled trades. DoSomething members have shared 12,268 STEM occupations with their peers to increase their knowledge of STEM-based careers.
HEalth &
Mental wellness
Health and mental wellness have remained top of mind for Gen Z throughout 2021.
Our members have navigated the significant consequences of social isolation, grief, and anxiety wrought by the pandemic, while simultaneously taking stock of the systemic disparities in the U.S. healthcare system. Our members are applying an intersectional lens to the structural failure to provide equitable access to care, and the disproportionate impact that has on BIPOC communities. They are challenging each other to do more, and to build resources to own their health and mental wellness.
More about it's (NOT) All In your headWith a dearth of mental-health services in schools, our It’s (Not) All in Your Head campaign was created by young people for young people through a virtual hackathon. The campaign, powered by The Allstate Foundation, activated young people to highlight the importance of providing sufficient and equitable mental-health resources for students in schools nationwide. This campaign activated 568 youth to post 4,846 flyers with information about free and identity-focused mental-health resources for young people, including for people of color and other diverse populations. The campaign also galvanized youth to advocate to local and state representatives for additional resources for in-school counseling services, helping to make both short-term and long-term impacts in their communities.
Complete what’s missing
Fewer than half of young people aged 15.5 to 18 are vaccinated against meningococcal disease – which can cause potentially life-threatening inflammation around the brain and spinal cord called meningitis. Yet, students living in dorms are at increased risk of contracting it. Our Complete What’s Missing campaign educated youth about how to spot medical misinformation and take charge of their personal health by getting vaccinated against meningococcal disease. Members also shared approximately 29,000 guides with their peers to ensure they, too, could make informed health decisions.
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Medical misinformation has been thrust into the limelight as of the Coronavirus pandemic. A significant portion of the people are not scientifically literate enough to discern misinformation from facts, and it is costing lives.
The first step towards combating this would be education, and campaigns such as this would be very important in helping spread the message and educate people on how to spot lies and misleading posts.
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As a student who is working towards a career in the medical field it is important to me to stay educated myself and to help those around me stay educated on their health appropriately.
With social media it is so easy to believe everything we see online but it is not also backed by science. I will hear my parents talk about what they believe are medical facts that I know form my education are simply not true. When this happens I share what I have learned with them so that they can make their choices based on sound medical information.
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It is essential to spread the message and encourage students to take action on the issue of Meningococcal. To not only keep ourselves safe but other students across campus. The problem of misinformation has created division among communities and generated confusion among young adults that are skeptical of health authorities. Helping identify a credible source is crucial for a trustworthy information.
While the act of posting something on social media might be small, I believe it could generate a significant impact for those who do not know the subject. The basis of sharing something can positively influence the decision of others and crackdown on misinformation.
DoSomethinG
strategic
DoSomething Strategic is the social impact consulting arm of DoSomething.org. By leveraging over 28 years of data and a proprietary behavioral database of millions of members (13-25) taking action on causes they care about, DoSomething Strategic helps bold brands and organizations drive lasting impact, engagement, and community among the next generation.
More about DoSomething Strategic Research CouncilOver the last two years, young people have experienced a pandemic, upended school life, environmental disasters, and persistent social injustice and inequities. Yet, they have emerged as a powerful generation unafraid to claim their power and ready to effect change. As an organization that has spent almost 30 years activating young people, we understood it was time to recommit ourselves to (really) listen to what they have to say at this pivotal moment. That is why DoSomething Strategic launched a Research Council, an ongoing panel of 1,000 young people (ages 13-24) with whom we have conversations and test ideas and issues to ensure we, and our clients, truly know young people.
Through the Council, we have learned that for young people, driving impact and/or doing good in the world has become more important than ever during the pandemic. According to our data, prior to the pandemic, roughly 39 percent of young people considered doing good/driving an impact “very important”, whereas today, that number is 66 percent. Not only that: 76 percent percent of young people are looking for more ways to get involved to make a difference on the causes they care about.
But they are also exhausted, and deeply concerned about their mental health. Indeed, the Council found that 47 percent of young people think about their mental health or take steps to improve their mental health pretty often or all the time, and 42 percent believe that fixing big societal issues like racism, gun violence, and/or climate change will improve mental health for their generation.
pink
Featured Client
DoSomething Strategic worked with Gen-Z focused retailer PINK, who supports the way new generations are committed to meeting the moment through meaningful actions. We created and advised them on the development of an investment strategy to donate over $500,000 to a wide range of nonprofit partners who support causes – from mental health to racial justice. We also identified opportunities throughout the year for PINK to elevate the voices of historically marginalized people among its consumers, campus representatives, and internal teams, and helped to create campaigns and programs to bring their work to life.
we did that
The struggles of 2020 exposed and exacerbated inequities we continue to experience, globally and locally. Still, DoSomething members and young people worldwide protested, marched, and made their voices heard in a cacophonous and unified volume calling for systemic change. That intersectional reckoning continued into 2021.
Accessible and diverse mental-health care; culturally competent curriculum and educational opportunities; and climate justice were among the pressing social issues permeating the national dialogue and drove millions of DoSomething members to take actions online and offline to change their community.
#WeDidThat
looking ahead
As we move into 2022, DoSomething is processing the learnings of the last two years and redefining how we intend to fuel our youth-led movement going forward.
DoSomething’s next iteration will be guided by three principles:
We can’t wait to share more in the New Year. Until then, thanks for investing in and supporting our work to activate young people for social impact.
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Strategic Campaigns & Marketing Partners:
