During times of crisis, inequalities that disproportionally impact marginalized groups are amplified. At Salesforce, our Employee Resource Groups, or Equality Groups as we call them, work tirelessly to support underrepresented communities and drive impact throughout the year, both in our workplace and in the places we live and work. Today, Salesforce is launching a new Giving Tuesday initiative as a way for each of our Equality Groups to give back to the community, while supporting #GivingTuesdayNow, a new global giving initiative that emerged as an emergency response to the need caused by COVID-19.
Since pivoting all of our events — internal and external — from in-person to virtual for the rest of the year, we are reimagining ways we can create community and connection between our customers, stakeholders, employees, and communities while using our platform for change.
One way we create a culture of community and inclusion within Salesforce is through our 12 Equality Groups. We encourage every employee at Salesforce to participate as allies to build empathy, learn, and stand up for their colleagues. As a result, 1 in 2 employees are in one or more Equality Groups.
Each Equality Group is financially empowered every quarter to drive forward initiatives that are important to their community. This can be anything from volunteering time to donating to a non-profit; hosting a speaker and discussing key issues impacting their community, or organizing events for members and allies to celebrate and honor a significant moment in time such as MLK day or Pride.
As we pivot during these changing times, Equality Group leadership decided to use their budget to launch the Salesforce Equality Group Matching Challenge for #GivingTuesdayNow. Each of our 12 Equality Groups is matching up to $10,000 in employee donations to nonprofits providing targeted COVID-19 relief to their respective communities.
Here’s a breakdown of each Equality Group and its selected organization:
Abilityforce – for our employees living with disabilities and their allies — are donating to Disability Rights Fund, which is working to address concerns about (COVID-19) with their staff, grantees, partners, and other stakeholders. Learn more here.
Asiapacforce – for our Asian Pacific Islander employees and their allies — is donating to the Asian American Journalist Association, which aims to help dispel misinformation in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, they are urging news outlets to refrain from images and language that fuel xenophobia and racism. Learn more here.
BOLDforce – our Black Organization for Leadership and Development —for black employees and their allies. They are donating to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to support the BBBS Coronavirus Task Force to save agencies from closure, align the NA BBBS network, and provide in-person and online support to families as needed. Learn more here.
Earthforce – our community for sustainability — is donating to Plant for the Planet, to plant 1.000 billion trees, and empower 1 Million children worldwide to become Climate Justice Ambassadors. Climate Action is needed now more than ever. Learn more here.
Faithforce – our interfaith community — is donating to Preemptive Love, which is responding to the urgent food needs of families in refugee camps in Iraq. They are delivering prepackaged food door to door, so no one has to leave their home. Learn more here.
Genforce- our intergenerational community — is donating to Frontline Foods in partnership with World Central Kitchen to purchase and deliver food from local restaurants to hospital workers fighting COVID-19. Learn more here.
Latinoforce – for our Latina/o/x employees and their allies — is donating to We are all Human Foundation and encouraging employee giving to support the Latino Community Foundation’s #LovenotFear fund, which provides relief to Latinx families in the Central Valley. Learn more here
Outforce – for our LGBTQ+ community and their allies — is donating to the Trevor Project, which is providing crisis counseling to LGBTQ young people thinking of suicide, offering resources, education, and advocacy during the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more here.
Southasiaforce – for our South Asian employees and their allies — is donating to Oxfam to increase its ability to provide soap, sanitation services, and clean water especially to people in higher-risk environments such as refugee camps or crowded urban areas. Learn more here.
Vetforce – for our Veteran employees, veteran family employees, and their allies — is donating to Blue Star Families, which is leveraging its close relationships with government leaders and communities to bring visibility to challenges affecting military families in a thoughtful and timely way. Learn more here.
WINDforce – our Worldwide Indigenous Network of Diversity, for indigenous, first nations, and native employees and their allies. They are donating $5,000 to Native American Health Centers as it continues to provide comprehensive medical, dental, and behavioral health care for the Native community in the Bay Area. Learn more here.
WINDforce is also donating $5,000 to Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, which is the leading mentorship organization for indigenous youth in Australia. AIME is pivoting to online mentoring in the era of COVID-19. Learn more here.
Salesforce Women’s Network is donating to Futures Without Violence, supporting this organization as they respond to the increase in domestic violence as a result of COVID-19. Learn more here.
As we work to create a workplace that is inclusive and reflective of the diverse communities in which we live and work, our Equality Groups are instrumental in celebrating and honoring our diverse communities. Learn more: Salesforce.com/Equality.
