Philanthropy

One way to measure inequality in the country is through the digital divide. A Pew Research Center article revealed that even as lower-income Americans make gains in tech adoption, the divide persists. Around 29 percent of adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year don’t own a smartphone and more than four-in-ten don’t have home broadband services (44 percent) or a traditional computer (46 percent). Meanwhile, higher-income Americans are also more likely to have multiple devices that enable them to go online. This divide also impacts children, including fostering a so-called the “homework gap”—the gap between school-aged children who have access to high-speed Internet at home and those who do not.

Our story began in 1998, when HBO aired the Academy Award-winning short film “Trevor.” Introduced by Ellen DeGeneres, the film was broadcast alongside the launch of TrevorLifeline, the world’s first 24/7 national lifeline supporting LGBTQ — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning — young people in need of crisis intervention. The first calls were answered that night.

In his teen years, Kenneth Martinez would often drive home after school, pull into his driveway, and see a familiar sight next door: His elderly neighbor, sitting in the shade of an old tree, waving at him.

Antwone Fisher, an author and screenwriter who spent years homeless when he was a teenager, talks about being born in prison to his incarcerated mother, escaping foster home abuse, and living on the streets until joining the Navy, where he served for 11 years.

You see it: The need for corporate philanthropy is skyrocketing. Worthy, urgent causes appear literally overnight. And enterprises like yours are responding in a big way, generating positive impact for a host of beneficiaries via grantmaking, employee donations and volunteer programs.

Mohawk Industries creates quality flooring for homes and businesses around the globe. The company’s roots are firmly planted in American soil, with its brands dating back more than a century. Mohawk’s extraordinary growth over the past three decades results from the talent, integrity and dedication of its people. Yesterday, to honor its employees and celebrate its unique American heritage, Mohawk hosted a special American flag raising ceremony.

When the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, it signalled the beginning of a remarkable and crucial set of initiatives which have thrown a lifeline to tens of thousands of refugees forced to flee their homes.

Youth mentorship has been given a tremendous boost thanks to a transformational $3.1 million donation by Scotiabank to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.

General Mills announces the 20 winners of its Food Recovery Champions program that awards grants to expand surplus food recovery in the U.S. and Canada for greater social and environmental impact.

Are you attending the SHRM 2019 Annual Conference & Exposition next week? We invite you to meet in-person with our team while we’re together in Las Vegas to discuss your employee giving and engagement efforts and how we might help you achieve your giving and engagement goals.