CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Benevity, Inc., the leading provider of global corporate purpose software, today announced availability of Civic Engagement Content for the Missions module within its employee engagement solution, Spark. The content will inform people about critical civic issues, educate and encourage critical thinking with regard to media consumption, and make their vote count in the upcoming 2020 U.S. election.
Going into a Presidential election in the middle of a global pandemic presents a unique need and opportunity for employers to engage their people, while helping them exercise their right to vote. The challenges are clear: 67 percent of people say that COVID-19 will disrupt Americans’ ability to vote and one in 10 Americans said they or a member of their household were unable to get time off from work the last time they tried to vote. Benevity’s Civic Engagement Content, combined with the platform’s volunteer time tracking functionality, makes it easy for companies to encourage participation.
To create the content, Benevity partnered with Countable, an audience engagement platform lowering the barriers to civic education and action. They created nonpartisan information and tools to get employees politically engaged in their community, regardless of what side of the ballot they’re on. Employees can also take part in four challenges and track their progress through the activities, specifically:
- COVID-19 and Your Vote – educating people on remote voting, voting by mail and other pandemic safety precautions.
- Media Mindfulness – helping people separate fact from fiction in the overwhelming world of biases, ‘deepfakes' and social media bots.
- Election Day Ready – a state-by-state voting guide with key dates and deadlines, finding your polling place and a handful of ways to help friends, family and others exercise their right to vote.
“Whether it’s finding out how to register to vote, where to vote, or understanding media bias, the Civic Engagement Content we created in partnership with Benevity makes it easy for anyone to get inspired and take civic action,” said Countable Founder and CEO, Bart Myers. “There’s nothing more democratic than making sure people stay informed, exercise their right to vote and take sustained action on the issues that matter to them.”
Data from previous Missions has proven it to be an effective tool in driving engagement and participation. So far in 2020, those Benevity clients with Missions enabled saw 58 percent higher donation participation, and 71 percent higher overall program participation. A less quantifiable, but nonetheless impactful business benefit, comes from building an inclusive, purpose-driven culture that deepens connections with their people during an important time.
“Perhaps more than ever, people’s work is integrated with their personal life. Mixing business and politics doesn’t have to be risky if the goal is engagement and inclusion, not taking sides,” said Bryan de Lottinville, Benevity Founder and CEO. “By putting participation over partisanship and purpose over politics, companies can step up and support their people during a critical time for both society and their business. There are lots of reasons to do it. And with research showing that employees and customers are more loyal to brands that are purpose-driven, and who they most trust, the bigger business risk may lie in not doing anything at all.”
The Civic Engagement Content will be available to hundreds of existing Benevity clients with Spark at no cost. Other interested companies can download Benevity’s Civic Engagement Guide for access to some of the activities and examples as well as other resources to empower civic action through giving, volunteering and positive actions.
Hear more from Benevity, ACLU and Levi Strauss in their recent webinar, The Expanded Role of Companies in Empowering Civic Action.
About Benevity
Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the leader in global corporate purpose software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. A finalist in Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards, many iconic brands rely on Benevity’s cloud solutions to power their purpose in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 20 languages, Benevity has processed more than 5 billion dollars in donations and 32 million hours of volunteering time, 210,000 positive actions and awarded one million grants to 251,000 nonprofits worldwide.
About Countable
Countable powers action and impact for campaigns, non-profits, advocacy organizations, and corporations. With a brand-safe solution to communicate, educate, and activate communities, Countable provides the tools and services to power your purpose. Learn more at www.countable.com.
Media Contact
Amanda Orr
Kickstart for Benevity
1.323.601.5734
press@benevity.com