Challenge
How do you affirm your company’s commitment to diversity, not just to members of your Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), but also to the broader community?
Solution
A global pharmaceutical firm hosted its first Diversity Day, engaging Caring Capital to spotlight the breadth of its employees’ backgrounds and interests, as well as their impact for good. The company asked each of its 11 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to choose a partner nonprofit organization, then to invite ERG members to attend a morning or afternoon Diversity Day session. Caring Capital:
- Selected an appropriate gift for members of each ERG to make for those helped by their partner nonprofits. For instance, a Parent Support ERG made uplifting Keepsake Frames for children mourning the loss of a parent, and the Women’s ERG decorated elegant Journals for Dress for Success
- Provided professional teaching artists and all required supplies to ensure successful teamwork in making gifts during 6 morning and 5 afternoon sessions
- Supplied note cards so that each of the 500 employees could write a personal message to his/her gift recipient
Results
Diversity Day culminated in a 5:00 p.m. reception for ERG members, leaders of the company and its foundation, and executives from the partner nonprofit organizations. After representatives from each ERG and nonprofit described their goals and affinities, the company:
- Donated hundreds of gifts for nonprofit clients at risk
- Presented cash donations to each nonprofit
- Applauded its employees for their collegiality and commitment to service
- Celebrated employees’ impact for good, within and beyond the organization
“Looking at the great variety of projects made by our volunteers, you can easily see the many benefits: they didn’t rush, connected with one another, and really cared about creating a perfect item. Thank you for the attention we receive as a client and the way the many projects are organized prior to and after they are created. Employee engagement and community outreach rolled into ONE!”
