Small Business Spotlight: YellowDog
YellowDog, a design, print and marketing studio in Denver’s Clayton neighborhood, completed their first-ever period product drive, collecting more than 3,500 donations.
The 2023 State of the Period report found that nearly one quarter of teens and one third of adults struggle to afford period products, resulting in missed school days, lost wages, stress and embarrassment that no one should have to experience. YellowDog Office Manager Sara Lou Klein saw this need and felt driven to help. She had previously worked with the organization Period Kits and felt strongly about equipping people who menstruate with these basic necessities. Community is one of YellowDog’s core values, and owners Jenny and Dan Mulligan threw their full support behind the initiative.
Insights into Corporate Grantmaking: Strategies from B:CIVIC Investors
Corporate grant making is one tool for supporting communities and driving social impact. We spoke with three corporate foundations, COPIC Medical Foundation, IMA Foundation and Get Grounded Foundation of GFM|CenterTable, to understand the approaches of foundations of differing sizes, maturities and focus areas. There are several common themes across the foundations:
- Focus areas address critical community needs while aligning with business strategies
- The review process incorporates many voices.
- Extending engagement with grantees and leveraging your business assets to further support and amplify impact beyond the grant.
Keep reading below for more insights on building your grantmaking strategy.
Strategies for Investing in Resiliency
B:CIVIC published “Planning for Resilience: Disaster Response Toolkit” in December 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was developed to support businesses in their efforts to effectively respond to all types of disasters and build resiliency in our community. Nearly three years later, companies and community needs have evolved. We caught up with several of the companies featured in the Strategic Disaster Response Toolkit to learn about new features to their strategies. A common thread across all companies is growing attention to social and environmental resiliency and a proactive approach.
How to Help Migrants Newly-Arrived to Denver
Hundreds of asylum-seekers and migrants have arrived in Denver from South and Central America over the past two weeks. Mayor Hancock issued an emergency declaration and is calling on the entire community to assist with sheltering, feeding, clothing, and meeting other essential needs of these new arrivals, particularly as winter weather sets in. Here are several ways you can help, and more information can be found here at this link.
Support Boulder County Today
This was originally shared in the B:CIVIC community newsletter on Jan. 4, 2022.
Resources to Help Support Boulder County
Oil & Gas Showing Support with COVID-19
Oil and gas is known for being a boom and bust industry. Its leaders and employees are no strangers to dealing with dramatic fluctuation in commodity prices due to factors outside their control. Now, the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia have created a dual negative impact that is hitting the industry especially hard. In spite of this combination of challenges that have led to lay-offs and billions of dollars in losses, industry members have stayed true to their roots and continue to provide philanthropic support to local communities.