Community Vitality in Action

Random Act of Kindness Day®

The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF), 2008 - present

THE PROJECT
It has been suggested that timing is everything.  Such is the case with Random Act of Kindness Day®.  Step back to early 2008.  At a strategic planning meeting for board and staff, a board member suggested that The KWCF help create empathy in the community.  This suggestion contributed to the overall vision and strategy for The KWCF in its planning for upcoming years.

A few short months later, a volunteer of The KWCF brought the idea of Random Act of Kindness Day® forward to Rosemary Smith, CEO.  The KWCF’s vision of creating a more empathetic and connected community tied in very well to the concept of the day — to encourage citizen engagement through the pay-it-forward philosophy, unite citizens together, and create a stronger sense of community belonging.

In November of 2008, Random Act of Kindness Day® was born.  Each year more and more businesses, organizations, schools, and individuals have taken up the "call for kindness" with close to 150,000 Random Act of Kindness Day® cards circulating around the K-W community. The cards encourage the cardholder to perform a simple act of kindness for someone — a neighbour, a friend, a co-worker, or even a stranger — and hand the card over to that person - encouraging him/her to do the same.

There are so many different types of action that people can use as their kind act - buy someone a coffee, congratulate someone on a job well done, pay someone's parking meter, even something as simple as holding open a door for someone with their hands full.

In November 2010, many members of the K-W community attended an official Random Act of Kindness Day® Kick Off event at the Kitchener City Hall Rotunda. People from all walks of life joined in for festivities and teams of volunteers left the event full of vim and vigor to spread the gift of kindness. Some performed their own individual acts of kindness and others handed out free copies of the Waterloo Region Record - made possible by generous donations of friends of The KWCF.

In addition, Random Act of Kindness Day® has also been celebrated in Cambridge, Guelph, Windsor, Orillia, Brantford, Niagara, Milton, and the Yonge-Lawrence Village in Toronto — lead by community foundations and/or Business Improvement Area organizations in those cities.

Having Random Act of Kindness Day® spread across the province and the country is a dream of The KWCF, but The Foundation is quick to remember that it all began here in K-W with a vision from one of The Foundation's volunteers.

"We are truly blessed to live in such an amazing community where so much kindheartedness happens every day. Our hope is that people will slow down just a little on this special day and recognize when someone does something nice for them — and then pay that thoughtfulness back," shares Rosemary Smith, CEO of The KWCF. “By doing so, we become a stronger and more vital community — a community where everyone benefits and everyone belongs.”  
 

LESSONS LEARNED

  1. Establish a committee of volunteers to assist you.  You will need assistance in spreading the word about Random Act of Kindness Day®.  The committee should consist of individuals from many diverse areas in your community e.g. arts, social services, financial services, marketing, media, educational etc. so that they can help promote the day in all sectors.  They can also assist with delivery of posters, cards, eblasts, social media, and planning of events.
  2. Random Act of Kindness Day® is a great way to create awareness about your community foundation.  The existing branding provides a strong connection to community foundations.  However, it is important that all community foundations participating stay true to this branding and not use this day as a fundraiser.   
  3. Establish a media launch and kick off event.  Engaging media early in the process (roughly two months before the day) helps to gain their support.  It is in your best interest to not offer exclusivity for Random Act of Kindness Day® as the day is an “inclusive” event.  Hosting a kick off event on Random Act of Kindness Day® provides an opportunity to bring the community together at a starting point plus provides the media with a place in which to take pictures, videos, interviews etc.
  4. Have volunteers do something special on Random Act of Kindness Day®.  Having groups of volunteers out on the street or around town doing “kind acts” is important and helps to give a face to Random Act of Kindness Day®.    

NEXT STEPS
The first Random Act of Kindness Day® was hosted by The KWCF on November 14th, 2008. In 2010, several other community foundations and organizations joined The KWCF in hosting Random Act of Kindness Day® in their communities. You can get involved too!

How can my community foundation participate in Random Act of Kindness Day®?
Along with small administration fee, you will be asked to sign an annual contract agreeing to follow trade-marking and branding for Random Act of Kindness Day®- remaining true to the original intent of the day by not using it as a fundraising initiative. After signing up, your community foundation will receive templates and tools to help you with hosting your own Random Act of Kindness Day®.

We are pleased to share that Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) supports this kindness initiative. CFC community foundation members will have first right of refusal for hosting Random Act of Kindness Day® in their individual community(s). Should community foundations turn down the opportunity to host this special day, other 'like-minded' community-based organizations will have the opportunity to take on leadership for Random Act of Kindness Day®.