THE KINDNESS EFFECT

Understanding the science and research around kindness. Changing culture & community one kind act at a time.

WKM & Leadership Role

London, UK (Sept. 10, 2026) - The World Kindness Movement (WKM) has elected a new leadership team that will reflect the organization's founding purpose: serving as the global representative, voice and amplifier for the world's kindness community.

Alan Williams of the United Kingdom has been named President. He is joined by three new officers: Vice-President Natalia Reurso of Italy, Secretary General Francesca Donlan of Rhode Island, USA, and Treasurer Jenny Haase of Utah, USA. Both former presidents Stephen Oke, of Nigeria, and Nirmala Mehendale, of India, will support the team in its efforts.

“The new leadership team believes that the future of kindness isn't one organization, or an event celebrated one day a year,” Williams said. “It requires a global community to work together and make kindness the bedrock of everyday life.”

WKM is a global, non-political, non-commercial and non-religious initiative that promotes kindness as a universal value capable of bridging cultural, political and geographical divides. It was founded in 1997 at a conference in Tokyo, where kindness organizations from around the world created a global roadmap for compassion and goodwill. In 1998, WKM established World Kindness Day, now celebrated annually on November 13. WKM brings together people and organizations working to make kindness a more visible and valued part of everyday life

k20 Summit

Cofounder and producer of the k20 Kindness Summit held in May 2026 at Florida Gulf Coast University.

The summit brought together influential national and international leaders to explore how kindness serves as a powerful force for positive change.

Organizations including The World Kindness Movement, The Global Kindness Institute, Kindr Foundation, Kindness.org, Kindness Unlimited, KindLee, Kindness Worldwide, RippleCore and others committing to building a more connected and collaborative global kindness movement supported by the k20 initiative.

01Jan

New Year's Resolution 2025: Be Intentionally Kind Every Day

I made a New Year’s resolution that I will share an act of kindness every day. In an era where hate speech has become normalized, kindness needs a much stronger voice.

Science has found that kindness creates a ripple effect that can transform communities and build a culture of kindness and empathy.

When we see someone being kind, it motivates us to be kind.

Will you help me give kindness a stronger voice?

KindnessCounts Awards

Today, we’re sharing, cheering and celebrating Francesca Donlan, APR Donlan as the overall winner of the hashtag#KindnessCounts Awards, receiving the Consistent Kindness Award — and for good reason.

Francesca committed to sharing one act of kindness every single day for 365 days.
Not for attention.
Not for reward.
But because kindness, for her, is a daily choice.

Francesca’s commitment reminds us that kindness doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful. It needs to be steady. Reliable. Lived.

Francesca, thank you for modelling what consistent kindness looks like in action — and for having the courage to share them with others. We'll be in touch shortly to organise a time to interview you so we can amplify your efforts further.

hashtag#KindnessCounts hashtag#ConsistentKindness hashtag#KindLeadership hashtag#CultureByDesign

Spreading light: Teacher inspires college students with class on kindness

Francesca Donlan developed and taught the first kindness class at Florida Gulf Coast University. She taught more than 200 students over three years and their outcomes exceeded all expectations.

Data compiled from three years of teaching revealed that by the end of each semester students reported higher levels of self-compassion, a renewed energy and commitment to practicing acts of kindness and a stronger connection to their community.

It helped FGCU college students suffering through one of the worst hurricanes in Southwest Florida history and Covid realize that in the worst of times, kindness has the power to heal and change their lives for the better.

Research reveals that kindness has the power to significantly improve our professional and personal lives for the better. Francesca offers one-hour presentations as well as other longer programs that will strengthen morale, foster community and leave participants with a roadmap to create a kinder, happier and healthier life.

Francesca Donlan brought her Kindness Effects strategies to the North American Travel Journalists Association board meetings. Her tremendous people skills and kindness practices helped unify and empower our board. She showed us how kindness can build resilient teams, boost happiness and physical and mental well-being. It helped us work more effectively as a team and create a stronger community. I have applied these unique kindness techniques to my production company as well as my personal life and have seen the positive results they bring on many levels.
Jeffrey Lehmann
TV Producer and Journalist

In a world where the darkness of divisiveness and fear seem to dominate our culture and the news cycles, Francesca Donlan and her Kindness Effect teachings stand as a beacon of light, hope and compassion. Francesca’s engaging talks and insightful teachings serve as gentle reminders of our shared humanity and the goodness within us all. She helps us tap into our better angels. Francesca’s message on kindness is one I’ve personally witnessed her live by, especially in the face of adversity. It’s also a message she eloquently shared on the World Footprints podcast during the pandemic and it offers a vital counterpoint to the darkness of war, hatred, and fear. Francesca's dedication to fostering kindness is the change our world desperately needs today.
Tonya Fitzpatrick Esq.
CEO/co-Founder, World Footprints

Francesca was the first adjunct professor to teach a kindness course - The Kindness Effect - for three years at FGCU. The popular class taught students about the science and research around kindness. At the end of the semester, students reported increased self-compassion, a belief in kindness and kindness practices, and felt more connected to their community. Her enthusiastic teaching style and passion around kindness make her the perfect person to teach these principles.
Dayna Harpster
Florida Gulf Coast University

KINDNESS AND KIDS (OF ALL AGES)

The benefits of kindness have a profound impact on children of all ages. Increased acts of kindness create a richer community, stronger friendships, higher self-esteem. Is your current school culture as kind as it could be? Find out how to establish kindness as a value and create a kinder community with the right tools.

THE KINDNESS TOOL KIT

Research and science reveal how kindness can change your life. Ivy League universities including Yale, Stanford and Harvard include kindness curriculum in their educational programs. What are all the experts revealing about kindness and how can it change your personal and professional life for the better. Learn how incorporate specific kindness techniques into your daily life.

KINDNESS, HEALTH AND LONGEVITY

Science and research reveal that acts of kindness produce health benefits that help people live longer. Practicing specific kindness behaviors increases heart health, reduces inflammation, decreases stress and anxiety, improves resilience and creates stronger friendships. Learn how to adapt kindness techniques to live a longer and healthier life.

CULTIVATING KINDNESS CULTURE AT WORK

Most people quit their jobs because they don't like their boss. Organizations that prioritize and value kindness attract and retain talented employees, foster community, have loyal customers, and enhance their reputation and brand image. Learn how to cultivate a culture of kindness.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL
FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY
NAVAL WAR COLLEGE

IT'S COOL TO BE KIND

The Kindness Effect class was featured on the cover of the Florida Gulf Coast University 360 Magazine.

Stories2ShareNBC - firstfeature

Francesca speaks to NBC's Story2Share about the impact of kindness on her class at FGCU.

Stories2ShareNBC: Secondfeature

NBC's Story2Share returned to The Kindness Effect class at FGCU to see how students coped with kindness during Covid.

WINKTV - Kindness Class helps Seniors

CBS Wink TV films a segment on The Kindness Effect class about it's mission to help seniors during Covid.

Kindness Podcast with swflstrong

Francesca speaks with Southwest Florida Strong Podcast from CONRIC pr + marketing about the impact of kindness on Southwest Florida.

World Footprints/Kindness/Podcast

Tonya Fitzpatrick, co-Founder of World Footprints, LLC, a socially conscious travel media platform interviews Francesca on the topic of kindness during Covid.

WINKTV- Making Kindness go viral

CBS Wink TV produce a news segment about how Kindness Effect students helped the community.

Florida Weekly: Come From Away - and kindness class

Broadway show Come From Away intersects with FGCU Kindness Effect class.

Kindness Speech to ROCK team

Francesca shares some stories from class on the power of kindness with a group from FGCU's Roots of Compassion & Kindness.

Ebella Magazine Essay

Francesca writes an essay on self compassion and lessons learned during Kindness Effect class.

Gulfshore Business: Kindness in the work place

In recent years, experts have pointed to what they call a “kindness deficit” in the world. Francesca Donlan discusses the impact of kindness in the workplace.

Gulfshore Life

Kindness is a teachable virtue that can create a better world, and it all starts at home.

Tea Parties With Angels

TEA PARTIES WITH ANGELS - The Pulitzer Prize nominated true story of a remarkable Cape Coral girl and her relationship with angels.

Deanna & Melissa

Best of Gannett and Society of Professional Journalists award for this six-part series covering two roommates challenged with different eating disorders and their attempts to help each other.

Amazing Grace

Pulitzer Prize nomination for multi-media collaboration. Best of Gannett and Society of Professional Journalists First Place award for series on the life and death of a Fort Myers boy with a very special wish.

Summer of Hunger

The "Summer of Hunger" series took top award in Multi Media Storytelling for Excellence in Feature Writing by the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors.

Dancing Classrooms

Almost 600 Lee County fifth-graders learned to twirl, swing, curtsy and take a bow as part of Dancing Classrooms. Between the beats of the music and the challenging choreography, they learned profound life lessons.

Up Beat Columns

The weekly column, The Up Beat, ran in The News-Press, a Gannett newspaper in Fort Myers, Fla. for three years and focused on the sunnier side of life.

Kindness Advocate, National Speaker, Writer, PR professional

Francesca Donlan is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist with experience as a travel PR exec and adjunct professor. She is Secretary General of the World Kindness Movement and Cofounder of the k20 Kindness Without Borders Summit held at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2025. Francesca holds a M.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri and a B.A. in psychology from Rutgers University.

Francesca has spoken about the science and research around kindness at a variety of schools, clubs and senior living communities. Some of those include North American Journalists Travel Association, University of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University, St. George’s school, The Naval War College, TeamFame at International Tennis Hall of Fame, Providence Library, Fort Myers Leadership, Pelican Preserve community, Buccaneer Estates and Magnolia Landing Golf & Country Club and more.

Her book: EveryDay Kindness - 52 Ways to Make Yourself Happier and the Science to Prove It - comes out the winter of 2026.

She currently resides in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

Narragansett, RI, USA

francescadonlan4@gmail.com

THE KINDNESS EFFECT

Understanding the science and research around kindness. Changing culture & community one kind act at a time.

Acts of Kindness Blog 2025

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KINDNESS EFFECT

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KINDNESS PROGRAMS

KINDNESS AND KIDS (OF ALL AGES)

THE KINDNESS TOOL KIT

KINDNESS, HEALTH AND LONGEVITY

CULTIVATING KINDNESS CULTURE AT WORK

KINDNESS pRESENTATIONS

KINDNESS IN THE CLASSROOM

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL

FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY

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