Oxford’s kickoff meeting is Sunday, February 22 from 5–6 pm at Circle & Square’s brewhouse room.
Six inaugural local service clubs will bring people together to strengthen their communities with the goal of building the leading service club in America by reducing barriers to service for everyone.
Today, An Army of Normal Folks – the podcast and content platform created by Coach Bill Courtney, star of the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated – announced the launch of a new national initiative. The effort is designed to make it easier for people to get involved where they live with the goal of building the leading service club in America.
“These clubs are an extension of what I’ve seen over and over again through our show,” said Bill Courtney, An Army of Normal Folks host. “There’s no shortage of everyday Americans stepping up for each other. We just need to make it far easier for folks to serve and reduce as many of the barriers to service as possible. That’s what our local service clubs are designed to do.”
Service clubs are groups of neighbors who come together to work side by side to help others and strengthen their community. The first are launching in Atlanta, GA; Dutchess County, NY; Memphis, TN; Ozaukee County (Milwaukee area), WI; Oxford, MS; and Wichita, KS.
Research shows that only 33% of Americans are contributing in their community at the level that they want to. These new service clubs aim to close that contribution gap by offering three opportunities to engage:
- Giving Circles: Where community members pool their giving to make larger transformational gifts together than they could on their own. Everyone gets an equal vote on deciding where to make gifts.
- Army Activations: Monthly service days that make it easy to show up and serve together.
- Service Concierge: There are an enormous number of nonprofits, and many people don’t have time to research all of them. The Service Concierge helps members explore 2-3 service opportunities that match their unique passions and abilities.
The initiative is supported by Stand Together, a philanthropic community that empowers people to tackle the root causes of America’s biggest problems, from helping communities address addiction and poverty to expanding economic opportunity, transforming education, and removing barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential.
To jumpstart the launch of the local service clubs, Stand Together is offering challenge grants to each club’s giving circles:
- $3,000 when a giving circle reaches 25 members;
- $12,000 when a giving circle reaches 100 members; and
- $25,000 for the giving circle that recruits the most members in the first 60 days.
“The overwhelming majority of people want to be part of the solution to the challenges holding others back,” said Derek Johnson, Executive Director of Stand Together Trust. “But too often, they feel alone or unsure of where to start. When people see others stepping up, it builds confidence, creates connection, and opens new pathways to contribute in the lives of others. These clubs are about making it easier for people to act together.”
For more information about joining a club or helping to start one in your community, visit NormalFolks.us.
About An Army of Normal Folks
Army of Normal Folks (ANF) is a movement and podcast led by Coach Bill Courtney, subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated. It’s based on his vision that our country’s problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in DC, but by An Army of Normal Folks simply doing what we can. ANF seeks to build this movement that can change the country.
About Stand Together Trust
Stand Together Trust supports bottom-up solutions by empowering people through key institutions like business, communities, education, and government. We connect social entrepreneurs and policy innovators with resources—funding, incubation, talent, and strategic support—to accelerate their impact. As part of the Stand Together community, Stand Together Trust tackles the root causes of our country’s toughest challenges, from education and economic opportunity to health care and bridging divides. Learn more at standtogethertrust.org.
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