Changemakers answering a higher calling to community service
Spiritually inspired visionaries, innovators and entrepreneurs bring hope and opportunity to others .
By the Wayfarer Foundation
MARCH 7, 2024
Our world today operates more like a neighborhood because our futures have become increasingly linked. While forces such as racism, nationalism and sexism continue to pit nations and groups against one another, we also see a growing global movement to build communities increasingly characterized by understanding and cooperation among diverse peoples. That movement has resulted in several meaningful developments towards a more unified world, including:
- Over the last 50 years, more than 1,500 reforms enhancing women’s economic empowerment have been passed in every country, and there is a growing trend towards redefining masculinity. 1
- Increased access to secondary education within developing countries has helped reduce global extreme poverty by one billion people worldwide since 1990.2
- A significant reduction in child mortality has been achieved over the past two decades. Between 2015 and 2021, the global under-five mortality rate fell by 12 percent, from 43 deaths per 1,000 live births to 38. 3
- Since 2007, the African Union, in partnership with the World Bank and 22 African nations, has led the Great Green Wall initiative, a sustainability program that addresses climate change and economic growth by increasing the amount of farmable land along a 4,800-mile expanse bordering the Sahara Desert. 4
These efforts demonstrate the fruits of spiritually inspired efforts. These actions uplift the character of entire communities, consider every human being deserving of basic civil and human rights and inspire changes that benefit everyone.
“When people, tired of the world’s suffering and inspired by a fresh vision, begin to form new value systems, organizations and structures, we can begin to co-create a unified world.”
– Bahá’í writings
In neighborhoods across the United States, we see changemakers actively engaged in the work of community building. Many of them look to spiritually inspired values as a source of motivation and to help them find meaning and purpose in their work. Recent studies show more than 80 percent of Americans describe themselves as religious, spiritual or a person of faith. Spirituality, i.e., the positive belief in something bigger than ourselves in service of the greater good, has always been a uniting force, a motivational driver and a catalyst for impact. Spiritually inspired motivation has always advanced a purposeful and dynamic collaboration among nonprofits, faiths, communities, individuals, industries and businesses, resulting in more prosperity and social progress.
Moving forward better, together
Building the fabric of the community that creates ripple benefits for all its citizens is society building and it is a slow, methodical process.
Society building work is never done alone. It requires the willingness of different groups to work together to make meaningful change. That spirit of cooperation, trust and friendship — across all faith practices — reveals itself through the selfless efforts of committed nonprofit organizations that work every day to build a society of more peace, justice and prosperity.
Wayfarer Foundation is proud to collaborate with many of these organizations to help realize the vision of a society that works for everyone.
In neighborhoods across the United States, we see changemakers actively engaged in the work of community building.
Wayfarer Foundation, inspired by Bahá’í principles, which are universal in nature, partners with more than 150 nonprofits in support of their innovative efforts to promote justice, community, spirituality and resilience in their local communities. Wayfarer is honored to work alongside vibrant nonprofits dedicated to helping their communities flourish by listening to them, providing the support they envision and learning from their collective wisdom and experience.
63% of our partners are led by women and/or gender-diverse people
78% of our partners are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)-led
88% of our partners are working in communities that are 50 percent or more BIPOC
Focusing on the connections that bring us together; collaborating with other stakeholders to achieve peace, justice and prosperity; welcoming the possibilities from co-creation that uplift us individually and improve our communities — these are the hallmarks of spiritually inspired work.
“At New Era Creative Space, we work diligently to enable strong communities that are just, vibrant, thriving, self-sustaining and diverse, where young people learn to come together and use their talents to better themselves and their communities. Partnering with Wayfarer has enabled us to make a lasting impact in our community and, in turn, the world.”
– Ridván Idara, executive director of New Era Creative Space
“Now, more than ever, those who claim to believe in the oneness of humanity must band together and challenge the injustices faced by too many,” says Ridvan Idara, executive director of New Era Creative Space, an arts nonprofit which inspires stronger communities through creative programs. “We recognize this imbalance and strive daily to create a more just world. We work diligently to enable strong communities that are just, vibrant, thriving, self-sustaining and diverse, where young people learn to come together and use their talents to better themselves and their communities. This, we believe, fits hand in hand with the Wayfarer Way.”
Supporting a better future
The philanthropic sector often provides project-based giving, offering grants or alternative means of support to an organization’s specific programs with strict requirements for use within a particular time frame. While this approach to funding helps various programs flourish, in many cases, it does not lay the groundwork necessary for an organization to be able to sustain its practices across all programs and be prepared in case of an emergency — for example, the challenges that arose as a result of covid-19.
Wayfarer Foundation believes that resilience is a crucial tool of support when providing resources to and earning the trust of our nonprofit partners and we commit to making more multi-year and general operations grants in the years ahead. It is our deep hope that this kind of grantmaking frees up the time, resources and imaginations of our partners so that they can dream big, build sustainable organization, and focus on their vital on-the-ground work.
“At Tahirih, we focus on survivors of violence as whole people. We understand that change starts with us — that survivors know what is needed to stop violence to bring justice, to envision a brighter, more equitable future.”
– Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center
For those who share our vision of a more peaceful, just and prosperous society, we invite you to consider supporting these nonprofit organizations engage in the work that allows all of us to move forward together. Stand with the visionaries, innovators and entrepreneurs who dare to dream big to bring about lasting societal change.
“The 100 Horses Women’s Society is cultivating resilience by empowering matrilineal leadership. The girls we work with today will be the mothers, aunts and grandmothers of tomorrow, empowered with their ancestral and cultural identities and passing that knowledge on to the next seven generations, perpetually.”
– Medina Matonis, executive director 100 Horses Women’s Society
Visit wayfarerfoundation.org to learn more about the inspirational work of our nonprofit partners.
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