Today, Edelman participates in #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving and charity, by launching a matching donation program with the American Red Cross to help raise disaster relief funds for the fires in California, Hurricanes Michael and Florence and the Indonesia earthquake.
Celebrated every year after Thanksgiving and the swirl of consumption associated with Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the U.S., #GivingTuesday encourages people to give back by donating and volunteering.
A key principle of success for my father, Dan Edelman, who founded our firm in 1952, was giving back to the communities in which we operate. I’m proud to help lead these efforts at Edelman as an ongoing extension of our values and our legacy. It’s why we encourage all of our employees to get involved in our global giving efforts.
This year, Edelman aims to raise $25,000 to benefit people affected by the natural disasters that have occurred in the past months and taken the lives of many. The Daniel J. Edelman Family Foundation has agreed to provide up to $25,000 to match the donations made by Edelman employees, for a total of $50,000 donated to the American Red Cross.
While the Red Cross has already mobilized disaster relief assistance in all four of the affected areas, recovery in these cities will be a long journey that will require years of rebuilding and additional funding.
More than 2,000 people have lost their lives and thousands remain missing in the Indonesia earthquake that demolished entire villages and damaged more than 67,000 homes. Hurricanes Michael and Florence have flooded numerous areas with their strong winds and rainfall, ravaging communities and killing scores.
Most recently, fires in California have taken the lives of nearly 80 people and destroyed the homes of thousands, leaving many without a place to live. And although the Red Cross has provided shelter to more than 700 individuals, challenging obstacles remain in the future for those whose homes are no longer.
As a global business, we have a responsibility to support communities around the world. It’s through our Citizenship function that Edelman remains steadfast in continuing to do good on #GivingTuesday and throughout the year as well. To learn more about how Edelman gives back, please read our FY18 Citizenship report.
John Edelman is managing director, Global Engagement and Corporate Responsibility.
