In today's complex business environment, many corporate citizenship leaders are working strategically with their employee resource groups (ERGs). Also known as business network groups or affinity groups, these employee-led communities can foster a sense of inclusion and belonging, while sponsoring events and learning opportunities for people all throughout an organization.
Ready Response: Trust-Based Philanthropy, Online Events, and More
COVID-19 is disrupting business operations and ESG programs across the world. To support your efforts in this time of disruption, we’re rounding up relevant Center resources, news, company best practices, and research and gathering it in one place at Resource(ful).
Blog: Trust-based philanthropy: What has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A recent poll of corporate citizenship professionals found that a majority have increased corporate giving during this time. Further survey findings reveal smart best practices for grantmaking, in which corporate givers are relying on established processes and creating new ones to provide relief. READ MORE
Upcoming Virtual Events: Opportunities to Connect with CSR Professionals
Conference Breakout Webinar | Nonprofit board service: Getting your employees ready to serve
Thurs 5/14 at 12PM ET
At their best, nonprofit board service programs offer benefits to both the business and the community. Engaged employees benefit from increased exposure and new skills and knowledge, while nonprofits receive valuable human capital, business acumen, and advocates to advance their missions.
Member Meetups | Addressing Communication Challenges
Thurs 5/21, 12pm ET; Wed 5/27 3pm ET
COVID-19 has created new considerations for how to communicate out about your corporate citizenship initiatives, as well as how to communicate with employees. Members can use this safe space to troubleshoot, share learnings, and hear perspectives from our dynamic member community.
Members in Action
Check out our ongoing list of how companies are responding to COVID-19.
Fifth Third Bank announced a $75,000 philanthropic commitment to help address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Toledo, OH. The funds from the Fifth Third Foundation have been deployed to meet the immediate needs of individuals in the community that seek assistance from Connecting Kids to Meals and Mobile Meals of Toledo, Inc.
JetBlue's crewmembers in Fort Lauderdale came together to donate snacks to healthcare workers at the Broward Health Medical Center. Crewmember volunteers delivered dozens of boxes of snacks and Eat Up boxes to the heroes who are working around the clock to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. They also teamed up with longstanding partners at TERRA to donate 100,000 bags of chips to be distributed to those in need. This donation to Feeding America will go directly to those in our local communities who need it most.
Kroger announced the launch of an expanded Dairy Rescue Program, designed to support children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic through the summer months. In partnership with its dairy cooperative suppliers and farmers across the Midwest and South, Kroger will process and donate about 200,000 gallons of additional milk to Feeding America food banks and community organizations through the end of August, uplifting its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative.
How is your company responding to COVID-19? Let us know by contacting us at ccc@bc.edu
Relevant Tools & Research
Target SAFE Retail Kit: Considerations for Retail Operations Post COVID-19
Target's approach to SAFE Retail was developed in response to the fast-changing conditions presented by COVID-19 and the tools, processes, and responses that became necessary along the way to continue our operations and keep our teams and customers safe. The company is offering its learnings as a resource for others that may be thinking about how to operate retail locations differently for some time into the future. READ MORE
New Issue Brief: Employee Relief Funds
In times of crisis, employees may need additional financial support to help them overcome acute periods of hardship. One response mechanism available for employers is to develop an employee relief fund, which is a tax-advantaged fund intended to help employees cope with financial problems that render them unable to provide for basic necessities in their personal lives. READ MORE
News You Can Use
In philanthropy, race is still a factor in who gets what, study shows
According to a forthcoming report from Echoing Green and the Bridgespan Group, race remains a defining factor in which philanthropic organizations receive funding and how much they receive. Among organizations focused on improving the outcomes of Black boys, for example, groups with Black leaders had 45% less revenue, and unrestricted assets that were 91% lower, than their counterparts with White leaders. New York Times
Business suffers from lack of trust in its virus response
According to an 11-country study conducted by Edelman, the public relations consultancy, 43% of the 13,000 people polled said that they believe companies were protecting their employees sufficiently during the COVID-19 crisis and only 29% named chief executives among the list of leaders who had shone during the pandemic. The survey, an update of a study Edelman has conducted annually for 20 years, showed that trust in business has risen since the start of the year but has been eclipsed by a record surge in trust in governments. Financial Times
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RESEARCH BRIEF - Across all measured societies, ESG performance contributed to financial performance. There are cultural attributes, however, that both strengthen and weaken this relationship.