Introduction

Breast cancer may be the world's most prevalent cancer. The World Health Organization reports that in just the five-year period from 2015-2020, 7.8 million people were diagnosed with breast cancer, 99 percent of whom were women.

This month, Deed is highlighting nonprofits that support breast cancer patients, educate the public about risk factors, and raise money for life-saving research.

In the early 1990s, a woman named Charlotte Haley began making peach ribbons by hand. Haley, the granddaughter, sister, and mother of women who had all battled breast cancer, passed out thousands of ribbons with a card that read: “The National Cancer [Institute‘s] annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon.”

The breast cancer awareness movement as we know it today would not exist without Haley. And while many organizations have since made progress toward improving breast cancer treatment, your employees can still wear Charlotte Haley’s ribbon in word and deed. 

What is Deed’s “Cause of the Month” initiative?

Deed launched our “Cause of the Month” initiative in response to the important moments we see happening in the world around us. With our toolkits, we aim to inspire our client-partners and rally employees to become volunteers, donors, and leaders by supporting causes they really care about. 

With “Cause of the Month,” we aim to bring greater context to periods of observance—from Pride Month to Women's History Month—such that anyone who reads our toolkit will have a clear plan of action for how to maintain their support today, tomorrow, for the rest of the month, and throughout the year. 

What will I get in every “Cause of the Month” toolkit? 

While every “Cause of the Month” toolkit has unique insights and engagement opportunities relevant to each particular cause, you can always expect us to cover certain areas.

For a better idea of what you’ll be getting, here’s what’s included in our Breast Cancer Awareness Month toolkit: 

• Volunteering and giving opportunities in the U.S. and around the world.
• A calendar of awareness days in October.
• Employee and employee resource group (ERG) engagement ideas, as well as a walkthrough of how to craft a social impact campaign around Breast Cancer Awareness.
• Recommendations of worthwhile books, podcasts, and films that explore the science of breast cancer and advocacy for better patient outcomes
  
  

Preview: “Cause of the Month: Breast Cancer Awareness”

How to rally your employees to raise awareness and help end breast cancer once and for all

Breast cancer is a global problem that requires collective action with a broad goal to end the disease. In 2020 alone, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 people lost their lives, according to the WHO. But as corporate social responsibility leaders, we have an opportunity to share reminders of early and regular testing, to spread news of emerging treatments, and to rally our employees to medical research institutions and hospitals working to find a cure, we have an opportunity to make an impact as individuals and organizations.

Deed makes it fun and easy for millions of employees to share their time, money, and talent with causes they care about. We started as a viral volunteering app, and today our platform gives the world’s most inspiring brands—from Airbnb to lululemon—one exceptionally-designed home for all of their purpose-driven activities.

Corporate grantmaking, employee donations/matching, diversity & inclusion, and employee resource groups (ERGs) are only the beginning. Because over the past three to five years, everyone’s expectations for Fortune 500 corporate social responsibility have radically changed. But with our trusted integration partners like Workday and PayPal, hand-in-hand customer service, and a collaborative product team, Deed’s platform moves at the speed of work. 

To work with a true partner in social impact this February, reach out now and receive the full “Cause of the Month: Breast Cancer Awareness” toolkit.