December 2022 Newsletter

May 28

Wishing FULLness


FWD Newsletter: Dec 2022 - Insights, Features, & Opportunities	View in browser

Hey You, yeah You! Happy December!

Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa…everything, or nothing at all, we (all of us here at FWD) wish you health and happiness as we conclude 2022 and prepare to welcome a brand new year!

It's such a weird go go go hyper productive, hyper festive, hyper full, hyper busy, hyper exciting, hyper lonely, hyper happy, emotionally charging, exciting, expensive, extravagant, and potentially exhausting time of year chock full of expectations and looming 'shoulds'.

It’s beautiful and complex and riddled with opportunities to follow the path or make choices. Following the path can be the choice! Or you may desire to make your own path, or create a short-cut, or take a detour, or take a rest, or skip or dance rather than walk or run.

I'm threading the line between powering through the end of the year and being present, and making intentional and intuitive choices with my time, while trying to be patient with, and kind to, myself.

Personally, I'm grateful to share that my life is FULL right now.

I've had a beautiful, amazing, wild, devastating, successful, happy, sick, rewarding, painful, FULL couple of months...

I choose the word full rather than busy as it allows me to make space to recognize the blessings rather than stress over the capacity.

Here's to choosing our descriptive words. Here's to making choices and honoring our needs. Here to You. Wherever you are in this season. Wishing you joy - on whatever path you choose. Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa. Happy You.

A few dates to know in December:

December 10 - Human Rights Day
December 19 - Hanukkah begins
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Kwanzaa begins

Reminder: Take a moment to breathe. It’s one small act that can make a big difference. Let the act of breathing out symbolize the release of what is old, and what is no longer serving you. And as you draw in a deep, new, cleansing breath of air, visualize hope and refreshment to come. (If you’re skeptical about how deep breathing alone can help relieve stress, just read up on some of these documented health benefits). *A great ritual to add to your 2023 planning if you're not already incorporating moments for breath into your days.

FWD in 2023. There are some exciting changes coming to FWD in 2023. We've been deep in strategic planning over the past few months reviewing EVERYTHING we've done and really diving into what best aligns with our mission, serves the highest value, creates meaningful impact, and is fun!

We'll be sharing more on what's ahead on our roadmap including updates on a few things we'll be sunsetting and a few things we'll be sunrising into the new year.

What’s Inside:

Because December is peak holiday season, we’re here to help you celebrate in culturally sensitive, inclusive ways. And if you’re still finishing up some last minute shopping, explore how you can find and support minority-owned businesses. Plus, we’re including our top 4 most read articles of 2022:

Here's to breathing in to 2023!

With Gratitude,

Michael, FWD Founder

FWD Insights: Most Read 2022

Communication is Complex: How the Feedback Loop Changes the Game

5 Ways To Actionably Incorporate DEI Efforts In Your Small Business

8 Ways Employers Can Cultivate An Effective Culture for Remote Workers

Authenticity vs. Oversharing: How to Use Social Media with Intention

December Reading List

Take some time away from the hustle and bustle to relax and recharge your mind with these December reads from around the web:

How Emotionally Intelligent People Turn Frustration and Stress Into Fulfillment and Achievement (from Inc.)
4 Ways to Practice Inclusiveness During the Holidays (from ASAE)
The Best Practices Guide for Inclusive Marketing (from The Diversity Movement)
How an HR expert Helped a Small Business Owner Hire Top Talent (from Insider)

Opportunities

It's the season of giving

December is year-end-giving season for nonprofits everywhere. If you’re looking to give to a good cause, Charity Navigator can help you find a local organization to support. (Plus, make your donations by December 31st to receive added tax benefits.)
Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy is seeking nominations for local Black philanthropists, to be highlighted in their February 2023 exhibition, “The Soul of Philanthropy.” Submit your nominations for categories such as “Hidden Philanthropist,” Emerging Philanthropist,” “Youth Philanthropist,” and more.

+ Including our shortlist from our Giving Tuesday shout-outs: These are a few of the incredible organizations FWD supports and or partners with. The organization names are linked to their websites and we've included a direct donation link [$] next to each one for your convenience: