Dear Friend,
We’re all thrilled to see 2020 come to an end but predictions of a long, hard winter still loom large.
With a vaccine rollout imminent, we’re cautiously optimistic that a new year will bring new possibilities for the social impact space.
Here are five reasons to be optimistic about 2021 that will keep your heart hopeful this holiday season:
1) More than half of U.S. CEOs surveyed in the CEO Confidence Index believe there will be increases in hiring over the next 12 months. This is the highest proportion since December 2018, a clear sign that business leaders are optimistic we have now turned a corner in this pandemic.
2) Large companies aren’t the only ones feeling jolly this December. A new survey from GGV Capital and Hello Alice of small and medium-sized business owners describes their outlook for 2021 as “optimistic” and reports that SMB owners expect an uptick in hiring, technology purchases, and overall growth.
3) Start-Ups are also feeling the glow. Venture firms have raised record levels of capital and a strong stock market has enabled more I.P.O.s. Start-ups secured $36.5 billion in funding in the third quarter, up 30% from 2019, according to CB Insights.
4) Retail sales are rebounding due to continued consumer resilience, said the National Retail Federation. Holiday sales during November and December will increase between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent over 2019 – an incredible accomplishment amidst a global pandemic.
5) Combine this strong business sentiment with an ever-expanding consumer and employee desire for purpose-focused engagement and you have a recipe for a red-letter social impact year in 2021.
From all of us at Engage for Good, we hope your holidays are merry, safe and bright and we can’t wait to hear about YOUR social impact successes in 2021.
Sincerely,
David Hessekiel
President
Engage for Good
P.S. We’ve made some changes to the Halo Award timeline for 2021. Be sure to check below for a few critical updates to help in your planning.
>P.P.S. Remember that there’s still time to submit your ideas for the 2021 Engage for Good (Virtual) Conference. Share your ideas by December 22nd!
