What do all of our favorite socially-conscious brands and companies have in common?
They’re easy to love because their focus is in the right place: amplifying the voices of those advocating for change, whether it's for the environment, greater access to education or racial equality (just to name a few). This phenomenon of using the corporate voice to call for change is nothing new. Companies have a growing expectation to be active in social and political movements, and it is no longer enough for them to react to culturally relevant moments. Both internal and external stakeholders want to hear a genuine point of view, see a salient plan of action, and most importantly, watch how they’re holding themselves accountable.
While having thoughtful, standing values and pillars to ground institutions is important, being reactive is also incredibly crucial. Movements like Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate in the U.S. require momentum, awareness, and financial support in real-time.
Companies must respond to moments in time because they demand our attention, but we would be remiss to ignore their historical and cultural context, and how they’re all interconnected.
Deed launched our “Cause of the Month” initiative with this in mind. Cause of the Month aims to respond to the important moments we see happening in the world around us while remaining mindful that the injustices we witness are not born of a single incident. Our goal is to educate ourselves and our audience about how these issues are intersectional, how systems of oppression compound to produce what is happening in our communities. With Cause of the Month, we are endeavoring to understand a greater narrative and convey it in a way that resonates beyond just one month of observance. There is a continuous story being told as we recognize Women’s History Month, Black History Month, and this month’s recognition of Earth Month. For example, we can’t talk about gender equality without addressing racism or how climate change disproportionately affects women of color.
How will we do this? At Deed, we strive to provide diverse points of view, but we recognize that our team does not have deep expertise or experience with many of the causes we hope to elevate. We think it's important to let the experts speak for themselves, and highlight nonprofits every week of our monthly cause that provide a different perspective on the same issue. For Earth Month, we’ve selected nonprofits focused on land conservation, climate justice, green technology, and food waste respectively. On our Instagram and LinkedIn, we talk about the transformative change organizations across the globe are enacting, how it overlaps, and why it's significant.
Join Deed on our journey to make a difference! Our corporate partners are the first to know about the nonprofits we are supporting and why, as well as content suggestions and engagement strategies.