Imagine if your brand didn’t sell just products but became a vital part of your neighborhood, a trusted friend, and an inspiring business. In 2025, businesses are more than just sectors of the society. Brands live within the cultures and communities, creating more opportunities to focus on real connections, market location, and cultural and political influence. Success now means serving not only shareholders but also employees, customers, communities, and the environment.
As research highlights, brands are building strategies to align business interests with communities they serve. This win-win solution gives collaboration a new competitive edge.
Real-world example
Strong, healthy nonprofit organizations are best positioned to address these complex and often unpredictable challenges. Who is doing it well? NAMI’S top of the mind goal is to spread awareness about mental health and to provide support groups. Over 1,000 participants chose to either walk two miles or a full 5K along Lake Monona to raise money for the organization’s mission to provide education, support, and advocacy for anyone affected by mental illness.
Roadblocks
Unfortunately, many nonprofit community organizations are small and have limited resources to address the challenges they face like
- Relying on donations and grants makes income unpredictable
- Highly dependent on volunteers, making retention and engagement inconsistent
- Lack of expertise or tools for data collection & reporting
Despite wellness companies and corporate partners create environments that support mental health, community resilience, and sustainable development, customers feel wellness needs—including cognitive health, mindfulness and mental health, and longevity—remain unmet.
Partnerships, therefore, are a means to getting things done that individual organizations cannot achieve alone.
Smart Business
Who believes in community today? Most people believe a community is a place where everyone belongs, cares for one another, works together, and has the chance to grow and lead.
Companies that invest in building community organizations get it: this isn’t just kindness; it’s smart business. It’s a growing need where customers’ self-interest benefits both the community and businesses, supporting long-term success for all.
The partnership between Calm and UHC to launch CalmHealth, serving 13 million members, providing direct access to educators in underserved communities and helping build mental health capacity at the grassroots. This is the future that excites the wellness markets.
Evolving Perspective
A meaningful impact will make the future fulfilling. Consider it this way:
- Brands can create groups that can handle change and even identify it.
- Building relationships with community members, being open and honest about research methods and findings, and being culturally sensitive can help brands better understand community engagement.
- Encourage creativity by challenging long-held assumptions that prevent change. Community groups can break down these obstacles and generate fresh ideas.
Brands can build frameworks around asset mapping. What does asset mapping do? It unlocks a community’s unique strengths. How does it work?
Identify local talent, leaders, and community organizations within your area. Foster strong relationships and encourage diverse perspectives. Convene with clear objectives and establish key focus areas. Leverage external resources to support the community in achieving its goals.
