Carolyn S. Berkowitz, ACCP
At ACCP, a sense of community has always been a hallmark – but in the face of the growing pandemic of COVID-19, community has never been more vital. Beyond the stressors of our new “quarantined normal,” our member corporations are on the front lines, being asked to put people far ahead of profit and contribute even more to the common good. Many of our members have certainly worked with issues of disaster relief and humanitarian aid in the past, but never has an issue touched so many of us in such a widespread manner.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve met (virtually!) and talked with dozens of our members about their responses to this crisis, and while it is still very early in the process, we are seeing some trends emerge. In a series of blogs over the coming days and weeks, we’ll share with you what we are learning from the community.
Trends in Partnerships
The global community has been called upon to be adaptive, innovative, flexible, and resourceful as never before. This includes seeking partnership where none had previously existed, nor thought possible. One of the assets and talents the CSR person brings to this crisis is their network – across industry, sector, and geography – and their ability to partner with other corporations. Here are a few great examples of this among our members:
- C&S Wholesale Foods and US Foods have partnered to help address food supply worker shortage in grocery stores and restaurants.
- Illumina – which focuses on genome sequencing – and Microsoft are teaming up to enhance efforts to identify and treat COVID-19.
- Workday, NetApp, Salesforce and 22 other Bay Area tech companies have joined forces to collectively raise $22 million to support the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.
As an ACCP member, you are part of a community of 230 companies, and the potential for partnerships with other members is at your fingertips. Below are some resources to get you started:
- Please continue to post and share in the ACCP Communities what your companies are doing, or use it as a resource to find out best practices from your peers.
- ACCP is also compiling COVID-19 resources for our members which you may find helpful, including new research and reports.
- Finally, we’re pleased to provide tools and resources from our Collaborating Partners, CECP, Points of Light, and Council on Foundations, which they’ve made available to ACCP members as part of the partnership.
At a time when community is more important than ever, please know ACCP is here for you. Reach out to us for any assistance we can provide. We are thinking of you, your companies, and your families.
