Pro Bono Perspectives S2E26: Tom Crohan, John Hancock

Tom Crohan, Vice President & Counsel, Corporate Responsibility & Government Relations at John Hancock, joins host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly to talk Skills for Cities and John Hancock’s response to COVID-19, racial injustice, and social inequity. John Hancock co-hosted this year’s Skills for Cities day of cross-sector collaboration aimed at supporting racial justice and BIPOC-led nonprofits amidst the dual pandemic of racism and COVID-19. Having participated in Skills for Cities as a volunteer himself, Tom comments on the diversity of backgrounds and location the virtual environment enabled, as well as how the diversity of thought at the table made it an even more powerful instance of combining strengths to do good for communities in need.

Tom and Danielle discuss the urgency in addressing not just COVID-19, but racial justice and systemic social issues too, and the need to maintain that momentum. He shares how John Hancock doubled down on its MLK Scholars program to connect Boston teens with jobs in the nonprofit sector and how they and their partners made it work virtually so young people could still have access to important opportunities to succeed during this difficult time. Tom and Danielle also discuss more broadly the strain COVID-19 has put on the nonprofit sector, the imbalanced “K-shaped” recovery we’re already seeing, and the importance of humility, balanced power dynamics, and true collaboration in order to achieve the impact all sectors want to see.

To learn more about John Hancock’s services, CSR initiatives, and community engagement programs, visit johnhancock.com/index.html.