At the January 2023 Member Meetup, members discussed strategies and best practices for using company expertise to give back to the community through skills-based volunteering, nonprofit board service, or other pro bono activities.
Ready Response: Employee Relief Funds, Disaster Response, and More

COVID-19 is disrupting business operations and ESG programs across the world. To support your efforts in this time of disruption, we’re rounding up relevant Center resources, news, company best practices, and research and gathering it in one place at Resource(ful).
Blog: Employee Relief Funds: Supporting your Workforce Through Hardship
As this pandemic continues, employee needs are becoming increasingly complex, and more CSR professionals than ever are reaching out to us for advice on setting up their own employee relief funds. READ MORE
Upcoming Webinars
We’re developing insight-packed webinars to share the expert content you would have received at the 2020 Conference. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events.
March 30; 3:00 pm EDT
Hear from experts who have maximized employee engagement by involving their employees in ESG problems and by communicating results creatively.
Conference Breakout Webinar | Constructive Collaboration with Investor Relations
April 1; 3:00 pm EDT
Expert panelists will demonstrate how they were able to work with colleagues in investor relations to help their companies meet shareholder demands and amplify their own CSR efforts.
Conference Breakout Webinar | Sustainability Targets: Setting and Achieving Bold Goals
April 2; 12:00 pm EDT
Learn about initiatives to help you set, track, and report on environmental goals to deliver sustainable growth now and in the future.
Check out all of our upcoming webinars.
This digital conference content is brought to you by FedEx.
Members in Action
Check out our ongoing list of how companies are responding to COVID-19.
Companies are sharing their COVID-19 response efforts directly with the Center:
“APS announced a $1 million contribution to help nonprofit agencies with their response to COVID-19. The company will immediately distribute $500,000 to the Arizona Community Foundation and different chapters of United Way throughout Arizona. These funds will support various nonprofit organizations directly assisting individuals and families experiencing hardship due to COVID-19. Through collaboration with a broad range of partners from different sectors, APS will work quickly to assess how the remaining $500,000 commitment can best fill resource needs across Arizona. This additional funding may be issued from the APS Foundation.”
“athenahealth is making a donation to the CDC Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund through the ‘All of Us’ campaign for COVID19 response efforts. This donation is being made in honor of healthcare workers across the globe, as they truly are our ‘healthcare heroes’. athenahealth is also proud to match up to $100,000 of employee donations to the campaign.”
“New Balance is temporarily closing offices, factories, and owned stores in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe, though all associates will continue to receive their regular pay and benefits. In addition, the New Balance Foundation has committed $2 million in non-profit grants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support local, regional and global communities.”
How is your company responding to COVID-19? Let us know by contacting us at ccc@bc.edu
Relevant Research
Offering Support to Employees and Communities during a Disaster
Learn more about the mechanisms available to you to provide aid during times of need. READ MORE
Breaking the Disaster Cycle: Relief and Resilience
CITGO, Banco Popular, and Travelers have developed disaster relief programs that incorporate both real-time solutions and long-term focus. READ MORE
News You Can Use
Strong leadership for uncertain times
Business leaders from top companies such as Accenture, Novartis, and PwC offer insights on the unprecedented challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Financial Times
Join the discussion in our member community.
Related Content
In January 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that would ban employers from imposing non-competes on their workers, a widespread and often exploitative practice that suppresses wages, hampers innovation, and blocks entrepreneurs from starting new businesses.
Under a new standard, Maryland courts will now evaluate harassment claims based on the "totality of the circumstances" (as opposed to the traditional "severe and pervasive" standard), which opens the door for employees to pursue claims in instances where alleged harassing conduct may have been either less frequent or less egregious.
In December 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the strongest-ever national clean air standards to cut smog- and soot-forming emissions from heavy-duty trucks, beginning with model year 2027.
Japan will soon be the first country to issue guidelines for ESG data and ratings providers, as global regulators step up scrutiny of firms that measure companies on their ESG practices.
In December 2022, Indonesia's parliament, representing the world's third-largest democracy, passed a law banning people from having sex outside marriage or cohabitating, at the risk of prison time.
The new rules of an expanded NJ WARN Act will take effect on April 10, 2023. Major changes to NJ WARN include expanded notice obligations, mandatory severance, a lower threshold for mass layoffs, and expanded counting and coverage of part-time employees.
WEBINAR: Re-watch this webinar, featuring corporate citizenship leaders from AvalonBay Communities and Travelers, as they discuss how their disaster relief programs are helping communities prepare...before disaster strikes.