The Color Movement

When Sister Irene O’Neill walked into our Minneapolis office back in 2018, she came with a purpose. To convince us that Catholic Sisters were doing some of the most impactful work out there. To explain that her dream is to unite Sisters all over the globe in order to amplify that impact. And to ask for our us to join her.

Alight is and always will be a non-sectarian, non-religious organization. But, we also recognize true humanitarians when we see them. Our eyes were quickly opened to the incredible power these women have to build relationships, to provide sanctuary, to embrace those who are otherwise ignored. They work in the toughest neighborhoods, communities, and countries as the changemakers sometimes making the biggest difference. It didn’t take long for us to say yes.

Since then, together we’ve built a new movement—one united in the idea that Sisters know best how to serve their communities, but that also brings new eyes, fresh insight, and bold action to make a difference, side by side.

How It Works

Everywhere it goes, the Color Movement brings three things. First, it’s a bold, beautiful, and colorful identity that unites Sisters and the people they serve, giving kids and families something positive to rally under. Second, it puts more resources into the hands of the Sisters, amplifying what they’re already doing and bringing to life new ideas for how to do even more. This looks like support both big and small, tailored to their specific communities – things like new youth centers, more school supplies, vocational school, shade for gardens, women’s empowerment programs, and more. And third, the Color Movement opens up meaningful pathways of connection to the wider world, allowing people in, sharing stories of hope and resilience.

In El Salvador

El Salvador is plagued with endemic gang violence, extreme poverty, and the exploitation of families trying to create a meaningful life. But hidden in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods are groups of fearless Sisters, working day after day to provide critically needed support to families living on the brink.

Over the past 3 years, Alight teams have been in El Salvador, launching our partnership with Catholic Sisters and working with Sisters and the neighborhoods they envelope with their sanctuary spaces. Alight is their shock absorber, removing previously existing barriers to obtaining significant funding that have prevented substantial growth. We follow their lead, shaping our programming to help meet the most pressing issues facing the communities where they live—violence prevention, youth empowerment, and protection.

On the U.S.-Mexico Border

We believe there is a simple human justice in the chance to build a life. Migrant families have been on a tough journey, and what they yearn for is a little piece of home to reconnect with their dreams, to feel whole again.

With this idea in hand, we’re teaming up with a powerhouse group of partners at the U.S./Mexico border, transforming existing migrant shelters, which are often Sister-led, into human-centered, meaningful spaces. Spaces to gather, heal, and support one another. With Catholic Sisters as one of our key partners, we’re doing more of what they do best—creating a place where vulnerable families can be surrounded by love and community; where they can live, plan, and dream.

Global COVID-19 Response

There are 642,000 Catholic Sisters around the world, and many of them were—and still are—on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention. Facing this unprecedented moment, Alight teamed up with hundreds of Sisters across the globe through the Color Movement to give them the tools they needed to keep their communities safe.

Alight provided a central platform to unite, organize, and amplify the work of the Sisters as first responders. Sisters invited us in as their partners for change, working to bring in back-up, offering support from Alight teams on the ground, and providing insight from decades of hands-on experience and technical support. Together, we reached over 1,300 Sisters and 54,000 people in their communities across 37 countries, with resources tailored to support these community’s unique needs and contexts. And, through Alight’s In Our Hands messaging, we reached 19 million people worldwide!

A Colorful Collaboration

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Since the Color Movement launched in El Salvador, the Global Shapers and LERO Studio have been such amazing partners. They’re always willing to support every initiative and to serve as a networking resource, identifying and connecting the project with various local actors who can help maximize the project's impact.

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100M People: COVID-19 Health Messaging Reaches New Heights

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The #InOurHands campaign gets virus prevention information to marginalized and remote communities through global grassroots efforts.

Alight’s In Our Hands COVID-19 health messaging campaign has officially reached 100 million people worldwide—many of whom would not otherwise have been reached. Read More

Sisters on the Frontlines

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Partnering with Catholic Sisters to fight COVID-19 Around the Globe

Did you know there’s a network of 642,000 Catholic Sisters around the world, many of them on the frontlines of COVID-19? Nuns have a long history of standing alongside some of the most vulnerable communities during times of great need, doing the doable to protect them as fiercely as they can. Recognizing the unique power of this Sisterhood, we began our work with Sisters in El Salvador and at the border in 2018 under the Color Movement initiative. Now, in this unprecedented moment, we’re helping them protect the people they serve all over the world. And, we’re working to keep them safe through virtual emergency planning sessions and trainings - so they can keep going. Read More

Amplifying good. Lifting voices.
Bringing the Color.

The Platform: