Make Kindness Count

Make Kindness Count

Make Kindness Count is an initiative that embraces everything the University of Maryland, Baltimore believes in — promoting and celebrating kindness within our University community by fostering belonging and a culture of care.

Research shows that paying it forward and performing random acts of kindness can benefit your overall well-being and happiness. Let’s spread kindness and strive to create a positive and supportive work environment for all.

Blue jars on a table

Warm the Soul with Kindness

To kick off the Make Kindness Count initiative, "warm the soul with kindness" soup kit jars were distributed to faculty and staff at UMB's Holiday Craft Fair on Dec. 2, 2022. Recipients were encouraged to keep the jar for themselves as a form of self-care, or to pay it forward by passing it along to a colleague or friend. 

In addition to the soup kit, each jar included a "kindness note" that can be passed on to recognize someone you appreciate.

Watch a video on Instagram.

Printable Posters

Always be Kind Poster

Always be Kind Poster (8.5"x11")

I Commit to Kindness Poster

I Commit to Kindness Poster (8.5"x11")

Kindness Makes the World a Better Place Poster

Kindness Makes the World a Better Place Poster (8.5"x11")

Tear-Off Poster

Tear-Off Poster (8.5"x11")

Virtual Background

Download this image to use as a virtual background for your Webex, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams meetings.

More information and other UMB virtual backgrounds are available here.

Make Kindness Count Virtual Background

Email Signatures

Download one of these images to insert into your Outlook email signature, at the bottom.

After the picture is added to the email signature, it needs alt text to be accessible.

  1. Alt-click on the new picture to access the sub-menu. Choose EDIT ALT TEXT...
  2. Type or copy/paste Make Kindness Count into the ALT TEXT window.
  3. Click OK

For extra bonus points, make the picture a hyperlink.

  1. Alt-click on the picture.
  2. Choose HYPERLINK...
  3. Copy/paste https://www.umaryland.edu/launch-your-life/kindness/ into the ADDRESS field.
  4. Click OK.

More information about UMB email signatures is available here.

Make Kindness Count Email Signature

Make Kindness Count Email Signature

Resources

  • Grateful Living
    Grateful Living is a global nonprofit organization offering online and community-based educational programs and practices.
  • Greater Good Magazine: Happiness
    Greater Good magazine turns scientific research into stories, tips, and tools for a happier life and a more compassionate society.
  • Pay it Forward Day
    Pay It Forward Day is a global initiative that exists to make a difference by creating a ripple of kindness felt across the world.
  • Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
    The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation provides free kindness resources to help you make kindness the norm.
  • Kindness.org
    Using science to build products, programs, and partnerships that empower people to transform behaviors and choose kindness more often.

Launch Your Life: A Division of Administration and Finance, UMB Human Resource Services