Partnerships

As devastating as Hurricane Harvey has been, it continues to bring people together around one common goal: help Houston. When Murad Ajani saw the toll Harvey took on his hometown, he seized the moment to bring together a community of more than 2,500 volunteers to help with recovery efforts.

Africa’s food companies and entrepreneurs are getting a boost from Partners in Food Solutions, an organization that is working across the continent to strengthen food security, improve nutrition and increase economic development.

The American Red Cross announced that Tata Consultancy Services a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has pledged $500,000 to support Disaster Relief through the Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). The pledge is in response to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Despite being one of the most diverse cities in the country, Philadelphia’s entrepreneurial and executive community is not reciprocally represented by Black, Latinx, and other ethnic groups. While people of color constitute 55% of the population, a 2016 Census Bureau survey found that just 15% of Philadelphia businesses are operated by non-white owners.

Comcast NBCUniversal hopes to address these disparities across the city by supporting Black & Brown Founders and other organizations that promote diverse business investment and give more groups the support and resources they need to start their own companies.

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago impacts more than 200,000 individuals annually through programs focused on safety and wellness, education and training, and economic sustainability. They provide career, financial management, digital literacy and business services to help youth and adult members achieve financial stability and obtain training to enter high-growth fields.

The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention (CHIP) mobilizes, advocates, and empowers community collaboration towards ending homelessness and fosters an effective system of homelessness prevention and intervention in the greater Indianapolis area. Their goal is to make homelessness rare, short-lived, and recoverable.

In 2016, 59 nonprofit organizations participated in the Charles Schwab Pro Bono Challenge—a skills-based flash consulting event where Schwab employees utilize their talents and expertise to support local nonprofit organizations in building capacity to serve the community. The projects spanned across 8 regions, engaged 318 employee volunteers and generated almost half a million dollars in social return on investment to the nonprofit participants. Talk about impact!

Habitat for Humanity and Fairfield by Marriott begin a national partnership this year, in celebration of Fairfield’s 30th anniversary.

As part of the partnership, Fairfield associates will join local Habitat organizations to help current and future homeowners build, rehab or repair their homes, helping to improve their communities and their living conditions.

Throughout October, hundreds of Fairfield associates will participate in build events across the U.S. and around the world. Projects will include the construction of new homes and rehabs or repairs to existing homes.

State Farm is kicking off several employee builds during the month of October to celebrate 10 years of partnering with Habitat for Humanity.

More than 400 State Farm employees in the company's hub locations of Dallas, Phoenix and Atlanta will build alongside four families in need of affordable housing. The employee volunteers will contribute to the revitalization of a historic neighborhood and help complete a Habitat town home community.

Now that I’m well into back-to-school mode and looking towards the future, I can’t help but reflect on our amazing South Bronx Sodexo Summer. A summer when twenty children from the largest stretch of public housing in the poorest congressional district in America chose to come together to: