Reliance's social impact program earned 83% participation

Reliance's social impact program Reliance Cares, initially available to more than 13,700 employees in the U.S., was created to share the company’s success with its employees and the local communities made up of families just like their own.

The challenge

Reliance, Inc. needed to build a social impact program from the ground up. With only 1.3 people dedicated to support (one full-time CSR resource and a super passionate executive sponsor), 75+ brands/subsidiaries, 60+ unions and 60% of their team being deskless — this was no easy task! The team knew they could overcome these challenges with the right platform and strategic partners that would help them understand the scope of launching a new program.

The Solution

Choose the right partners

Working with Benevity’s Sales and Client Success teams, Reliance, Inc. was equipped with the case studies, best practices and data they needed to make informed decisions and support a fast-growing program. Plus, one of Benevity’s partners, Realized Worth, helped them scope out the launch and build the right internal team to keep their program running smoothly.

Take a top-down and bottom-up approach

The Reliance Cares Executive Committee encouraged leadership support for the new program across the family of companies. Employees also volunteered to champion the program locally by joining a launch team made up of administrators, sales people, a welder, company presidents and anyone who was eager to help. They attended rally sessions, hosted launch parties and were provided with training and resources like flyers, email templates and speaking points so they could help answer questions and get more people doing good.

Kick-start the goodness

To get people excited to log in and donate, Reliance, Inc. seeded each employee’s Benevity Giving Account with $25 — and gave 10 random employees $1,000 to donate! Then they really upped the incentive with a competition. Whichever subsidiary got closest to 100% redemption of their $25 rewards would get an additional $25,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choice. Amazingly, 12 subsidiaries reached 100% and many came so close that Reliance, Inc. ultimately awarded a total of $180,000.

Make it easy — and open

Kiosks, or shared computers set up for HR purposes, were used at every location so that deskless employees could easily engage. They could also use the Benevity app, or scan a QR code, to get to their program website. All employees could donate to any nonprofit of their choice through the program, and those donations were matched by Reliance, Inc. at 100% up to $1,000 per year.

The result

Since launching with Benevity, Reliance, Inc. has exceeded all expectations! The Reliance Cares program saw:

• More than 80% participation in the six-week launch, compared to a 20% industry average
• Nearly $1 million donated in the first six months
• More than $115,000 raised for their employee relief fund (2:1 company match)
• The program built momentum for the Reliance Cares program, strengthened colleague connections and boosted company pride