Anthem-Winning Grassroots Organizations from Across the Globe
Check out this round up of Anthem Winners who were all recognized for organizing in local communities and advocating for change at the grassroots level.
Local change leads to global action, and grassroots organizations are leading the charge. Small social impact organizations and advocates work directly with local communities to bring changes that will transform the lives of many. They sit on the front lines of the impact industry, cultivating policies and systems that usher in large-scale social transformation. This year, we were blown away by the incredible projects from impactful grassroots organizations across the world. Explore some of the 2023 Anthem Award Winners that left us feeling inspired below.
The Micropedia of Microaggressions: The First Encyclopedia of Microaggressions by Zulu Alpha Kilo, Black Business and Professional Association, Diversity Institute TMU, Canadian Congress on Diversity & Workplace Equity, and Pride at Work Canada
Silver
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Product, Innovation, or Service
The Micropedia of Microaggressions is a vast record of phrases used daily that harm those who hold marginalized identities. It serves as a digital space where people can learn about microaggressions without judgment. They also discuss common and uncommon microaggressions through real-world examples. The website contains helpful guides, ranging from the right way to address a microaggression to how to avoid causing one. The website also has a page where anyone can submit a microaggression they’ve come across, allowing all experiences to have space in the archive.
We Need Black Teachers by the Center for Black Educator Development
Bronze
Education, Art & Culture – Awareness & Media Categories
Young Black students have expressed that they feel more engaged in a classroom with a Black teacher. However, there’s still a huge disparity in the number of Black educators in the U.S. public school system. The population would need to grow by 280,000 to become proportional, as reported by the Center for Black Educator Development. In response, they developed the We Need Black Teachers campaign. The campaign advocates for more Black educators and creates a path for Black youth to become leaders in education. The movement gained momentum on Instagram and Twitter, with hundreds of supporters proudly joining the fight to close the gap.
We Testify by We Testify (a project of NEO Philanthropy)
Silver
Human & Civil Rights
We Testify is an organization aiming to shift the way abortion is discussed in media and to widen the existing array of abortion storytellers. It aims to improve the media’s understanding of the context and complexity of abortion. They invest in amplifying the voices and expertise of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ abortion storytellers to advocate for increased access to and more holistic abortion experiences. They provide comprehensive abortion resources with important information and foster a massive community of storytellers and advocates.
Shame in Medicine: The Lost Forest by The Nocturnists
Gold
Health – Community Engagement
In partnership with the Shame and Medicine project at the University of Exeter, The Nocturnists produced the 10-part podcast series Shame in Medicine: The Lost Forest, exploring shame and how systematic shame is in healthcare. When healthcare workers internalize the shame, it continues to challenge the medical community by leading to poor health outcomes. Shame in healthcare also leads to a wide range of issues like burnout, impaired empathy, unprofessional behavior, and disengagement from learning. The series highlights true stories from healthcare workers worldwide to uncover the true harm shame has on the world of medicine.
CIELO by LightbeamTV
Silver
Humanitarian Action & Services
In the short film CIELO, LightbeamTV spotlights an Indigenous women-led nonprofit organization that works on holistically supporting the Indigenous community in Los Angeles. Comunidades Indígenas en liderazgo (CIELO) fights for social justice from a unique perspective by providing interpreters, medical and financial resources, and hosting cultural events. The film highlights the considerable impact that CIELO has had on the local Indigenous community, like how they raised more than $4 million in funds and food cards during the COVID-19 pandemic. CIELO also works on increasing visibility on Indigenous immigration issues and providing necessary resources to the community to improve their overall quality of life.
DigiMENTE by Movilizatorio
Bronze
Responsible Technology – Awareness & Media Categories
Digital literacy has become a vital skill in recent years because of the proliferation of disinformation on the Internet. To combat disinformation, Movilizatorio released DigiMENTE, the first media literacy curriculum for young people in Latin America. Movilizatorio developed the curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure virtual learning didn’t disrupt young people’s education. The curriculum has four modules focusing on specific areas of disinformation in media, making it a comprehensive resource for teaching media literacy. DigiMENTE allows students to better analyze the information they find online and engage with it critically.
The Girl Who Built The Rocket by Nexus Studios
Silver
Sustainability, Environment & Climate
In partnership with WaterAid, Nexus Studios and Don’t Panic released the short film The Girl Who Built The Rocket to advocate for the global water crisis and reframe the public’s understanding of drought. The story centers on Fara, who builds a makeshift rocket to find water on Mars and bring it back to her family in Madagascar. By lining the launch of the film with the launch of three Mars missions to explore the Red Planet for water, it’s pushing for focusing efforts on searching for water here on Earth instead. Directed by filmmaker Neeraja Raj, the video was pivotal in WaterAid’s campaign to engage the public with the global water crisis creatively.
We’re thrilled to foster a global community of impactful nonprofits and grassroots advocates building toward a better future for all. To amplify your work on a worldwide stage and position it alongside leading changemakers, enter the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards by the Final Entry Deadline on Friday, September 15th!
