What is the BNI Foundation vs Business Voices Teams
Submitted by David Kauffman Vice Chair BNI Foundation
I am often asked what is the difference between the BNI Foundation and the Business Voices Teams? The BNI Foundation is helping to change lives by improving circumstances for children facing financial instability that negatively affect their educational opportunities. We support initiatives that provide resources to educators and organizations that make success easier for kids, either by removing barriers or by providing incentives for focusing on studies. For us, the mechanism to help with this shift is investing our time, treasure, and talent to assist in education where we can. We do this through our Givers Gain® Grant Program and through our Business Voices Teams.
Business voices teams can best be described by the phrase “boots on the ground”. Support looks different depending on what the schools or educational organizations identify as their greatest challenges. In some communities, poverty is one of the top challenges. Kids need food to eat or socks and underwear to wear! In other communities it may be bullying, eating disorders, or alcohol use. Sometimes it is staffing career days or mentoring students. Other times it can be as simple as reading to the young students. That is why we recommend listening to what the schools, teachers, and even the students, identify as their unique challenges. Wherever there are young people, there are ways they will benefit from having us in their stories.
We call this work cause networking — and who better to lead the way with cause networking than the world’s largest, most successful networking organization?
Tell Us About Your Business Voices Efforts
You organized the team, did the work and put together a great project to help students in your community. Now let us shine a light on your efforts. By completing the Business Voices monthly form, you will inspire others by letting the world know what your team is doing. Send us photos, videos and details of your event so we can highlight it on our website and social media.
You can find the form here. You can also visit our site to learn about past Business Voices successes.
BNI Foundation at the 2018 Global Convention
The BNI Foundation will be there, continuing its mission to help students and schools around the world. Stay tuned to our website, bnifoundation.org, for more information about BNI Foundation activities at the 2018 Global Convention.
