IMA Financial Shares How They Approach Disasters
The IMA Financial Group’s corporate foundation, the IMA Foundation, provides grants to support disaster response in communities where IMA Financial operates. The disaster’s level of impact on stakeholders in those communities is the primary factor considered in determining a response. While the grant-making is focused on Denver, Dallas, Kansas City, Topeka/Emporia (KS) and Mt. Pleasant (MI) areas, the company’s employees have ties and connections to communities that are affected by disasters across the country. To address this and support employees, they created a separate 1:1 employee matching gifts fund solely for disaster response. This fund operates in addition to the standard matching gifts program. The disaster response matching gifts program is open year-round and employees may utilize it to match the personal gifts to U.S.-based charities responding to disasters across the globe. The IMA Foundation uses an external online platform to manage both matching gifts programs.
Developing a Disaster Response Plan Checklist
Launched in 2021, our Planning For Resilience: Disaster Response Toolkit was developed to support companies in adapting and growing their disaster response strategies. Our members shared advice, resources and strategies used to curate a disaster response plan checklist. Below you’ll find the full list of recommendations and best practices.
How AT&T Focuses on Disaster Response
Andy Bailey, Sr. Program Manager for Disaster & Humanitarian Response, AT&T
Andy Bailey serves as the Sr. Program Manager for Disaster & Humanitarian Response at AT&T. His role was created in 2017 after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit in succession. “Harvey was the catalyst,” Andy explains. “Being headquartered in Dallas, Harvey essentially hit our backyard. Company leaders realized that significant disasters were happening globally at a greater frequency and that we needed a focused strategy for disaster and humanitarian response.”
How Western Union Approaches Disaster Response
Asialee (Asia) Drews, Programs and Grantmaking, Western Union Foundation
Asia Drews oversees programs and grantmaking at the Western Union Foundation. Since July 2018, she has managed the Foundation’s disaster relief grantmaking portfolio and funded more than 30 global crises, including the Foundation’s 2020 COVID-19 $1 million plus global response. The Western Union Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Western Union and is a 501(c)3 entity separate from the company. While it is a separate organization, the Foundation’s mission to provide skills training and education to forcibly displaced individuals and youth aligns well with Western’s Union’s global business. “Our disaster response grantmaking strategy meets at the intersection where Western Union customers and employees live and work and where the most vulnerable populations live, including top host countries for migrants and refugees,” Asia explained. “One major reason that individuals are forcibly displaced is due to natural disasters and crises. We provide funding to support immediate relief and sustainable rebuilding for communities in crisis so they can build the resilience needed to recover and access economic opportunity and education.”
B:CIVIC Summit 2020 Recap
Thank you to all who joined us on Oct. 22, 2020 for (Re)Define, B:CIVIC’s first virtual Summit. During a year of uncertainty, we are in awe, as almost 350 speakers and attendees from across the country engaged virtually to focus on the elevating business for good.
If you attended the Summit, all recordings can be accessed through the platform until Oct. 2021. If you missed the day, you can view the recap to learn more about our speakers, highlights from the day, our sponsors and committee members.
Congrats to the Civic 50 Colorado Honorees!
THE CIVIC 50 COLORADO 2020 HONOREES
The Civic 50 Colorado recognizes the most community-minded companies in our state. These companies have shown excellence in making corporate citizenship a part of their business in order to make substantive contributions to our community. Please join us in congratulating our 2020 honorees.
Meet Our Most Community-Minded Companies: