Skills for Cities 2020: Keeping Promises
Common Impact offers companies an opportunity to act on racial justice promises they’ve made to their employees, their customers, their stakeholders and, most importantly, their communities.
An online day of service in support of Boston and NYC nonprofits | October 2020
Common Impact, a nonprofit recognized as a national leader in skills-based volunteerism, is dedicating its third annual Skills for Cities to support racial justice and Black-led nonprofits facing the double pandemic of racism and COVID-19. The day of skilled service events will engage corporate teams and community leaders in working together to create a path toward a new, more equitable future.
Skills for Cities unites talented corporate and nonprofit professionals for a day of learning, community building and skills-based volunteering. Taking place online during Pro Bono Week, October 25-31, 2020, the events will have cross-sector teams collaborate around virtual tables to complete projects that accelerate and sustain the capacity of nonprofits by providing actionable support in functional areas like finance, operations, technology, human resources, marketing and strategy.
“Common Impact was founded twenty years ago to support nonprofits alleviating inequality. There is no more urgent mandate of our time than fighting racial inequality,” said Danielle Holly, CEO of Common Impact. The organization said it will also step up its advocacy for greater corporate involvement in these issues. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of companies support the Black Lives Matter movement, and they’ve asked us what comes next, what taking action on those promises will look like in a few months and what they will be able to point to in a year to say they kept their promises. This year’s Skills for Cities is meant to be a step in translating that support into action.”
“We know that communities of color – and the nonprofits that serve them – are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” said Jay Althoff, Chairman of the Board of Common Impact and President & COO of SHIFT. “We are committed to working with our corporate partners to ensure their support of the sector during the coronavirus crisis also helps to drive racial justice.”
Launched in 2018, Skills for Cities has provided an estimated $215,000 in pro bono services to local communities, and over 90% of participating volunteers and nonprofits believe their work created a measurable difference for their organization.
One Skills for Cities 2019 nonprofit professional remarked, “It was amazing. I have been involved in nonprofits for dozens of years and sharing corporate skills is much more beneficial to charitable organizations than raking leaves!”
How to Join Skills for Cities 2020
For corporate teams in CSR, DEI, HR, Communications & Marketing and beyond who want to know more or would like to participate in Skills for Cities, download this information sheet or email Common Impact.
About Common Impact
Common Impact is a national nonprofit that works to build a society in which individuals and businesses invest their unique talents towards a shared purpose: strengthening the local communities in which we live and work. Founded in 2000, Common Impact has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of the country’s leading nonprofit organizations to create this transformational change through skills-based volunteering. Learn more about Common Impact’s services, impact and clients.
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Media Contact:
Debra Caruso Marrone
DJC Communications
(212) 971-9708
debra@djccommunications.com
