CALGARY, AB – June 19, 2017 – This World Refugee Day, Benevity, the market leader in workplace giving, volunteering and community investment software, announces that donations made through its award-winning cloud solution to human rights and refugee causes have increased 6 times year-over-year since the Executive Order banning travel by nationals of 6 Muslim-majority countries in January 2017. In particular, companies and their employees used Benevity’s technology to respond quickly in the immediate aftermath of the Order, with donations to refugee-focused causes increasing 37 times year-over-year in the month following the announcement.
“It’s gratifying to see companies rallying their people to come together based on their individual convictions around maintaining civil rights, supporting a diverse and inclusive economy and stepping up to support the world’s more than 65 million displaced people.
Many of Benevity’s clients, which include a large number of the Fortune 1000 and their socially-conscious employees, have been taking action in support of civil liberties and refugees since the 2016 presidential election in the U.S., with an even more dramatic surge occurring since the announcement of the travel ban. Through easy-to-launch fundraising and matching campaigns that enable employees to give to the causes of their choice during times of social crisis, companies are engaging more people in supporting the causes that matter to them.
“It’s gratifying to see companies rallying their people to come together based on their individual convictions around maintaining civil rights, supporting a diverse and inclusive economy and stepping up to support the world’s more than 65 million displaced people,” says Bryan de Lottinville, founder and CEO of Benevity. “Within Benevity’s client community, companies are seeing the number of employees supporting these causes soar from 3% of their population to 33%, with some of them having more than half of their employees donating to at least one charitable organization of this kind. Enabling people to engage in social issues as part of their employer brand is not only making social impact, it also happens to be good for business, serving to better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse demographic of talent. It’s also just the right thing to do."
“Companies realize that attacks on civil liberties threaten their employees, their customers, and the communities in which they operate. By involving and empowering all of these stakeholders, some corporations will be vital collaborators in the global movement for liberty and justice.
Across Benevity’s enterprise client base, the number of individual donors contributing to 16 prominent refugee support and civil rights charities — including the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, the US Association for the UNHCR, International Rescue Committee, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center — increased by nearly 13 times since the Executive Order. Contributions to the ACLU Foundation grew a staggering 1,300 times during this period.
“We are inspired to see companies taking a stand for people’s rights,” says Danielle Silber, Director of Strategic Partnerships, ACLU Foundation. “Companies realize that attacks on civil liberties threaten their employees, their customers and the communities in which they operate. By involving and empowering all of these stakeholders, some corporations will be vital collaborators in the global movement for liberty and justice.”
According to the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer, trust in governments and media are at all-time low in many countries across the world. At the same time, business is viewed as the only institution capable of making a positive difference globally. However, in a 2017 study by Cone Communications, individuals placed themselves above business as the most effective vehicle for solving today’s most pressing social and environmental issues with 63% saying they’re hopeful business will begin to take the lead. Companies that approach positive change through the empowerment of their people as part of corporate “Goodness Programs” are operating most effectively at the intersection of these two forces for change.
“Companies that approach positive change through the empowerment of their people as part of corporate “Goodness Programs” are operating most effectively at the intersection of these two forces for change.
Businesses are taking on a more prominent role in the social landscape and their employees, customers and shareholders increasingly expect it of them. This World Refugee Day, influential, mission-driven companies will no doubt continue to prove that they stand #WithRefugees. By enabling inclusive and immediate participation through user-centred workplace giving technology, Benevity amplifies and expedites the positive impact of corporations and their employees in supporting some of the world’s most pressing social issues.
About Benevity Benevity, Inc., a certified B Corporation, is the global leader in online workplace giving, matching, volunteering and community investment software. Many of the world’s most iconic brands rely on Spark, Benevity’s award-winning Cloud solution, to power corporate “Goodness Programs” that attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce by connecting people to the causes that matter to them. With software that is available in 16 languages, to several million users around the world, Benevity has processed over a billion dollars in donations to more than 100,000 charities worldwide.
Media Contact Linda Chan lchan@benevity.com 1.403.630.8606