How to Celebrate Black History Month at Your Company

Whether mentoring children, uplifting Black communities, or combatting mass incarceration, there are many ways your organization and employees can support communities of color at both the local and national level–during Black History Month and beyond.

How your company can celebrate Black History Month

The following initiatives were curated by our team of social impact experts that execute thoughtful social impact efforts for our customers every day. Some of these initiatives are easy enough to accomplish internally, but for others, you will need to lean on a social impact program or team. 

Don’t have a social impact program or team? Learn more about Percent Pledge powered customized social impact programs, a single source for donations, volunteering, charity vetting, & impact reports.

[1] Donations

Our Percent Pledge Cause Portfolios contain highly-regarded, thoroughly vetted nonprofits that help take the guesswork out of choosing the right organization for your company and employees to donate to and partner with.

Uplifting Black Communities Cause Portfolio

The Uplifting Black Communities Cause Portfolio contains five highly impactful, vetted charities supporting the success of the black community through leadership development, mental health and wellness, tech education and career readiness, and ensures the stories of African Americans are documented, shared, and celebrated!

Braven 

Braven empowers promising, underrepresented young people with the skills, confidence, experiences and networks necessary to transition from college to strong first jobs, which lead to meaningful careers and lives of impact.

GirlTrek 

GirlTrek is a global movement of Black women leveraging the historic legacy of walking and the power of self-care as a pathway to heal and transform lives.

NPower

NPower creates pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities.

Surge Institute 

Surge Institute educates and develops leaders of color who create transformative change for young people, their families, and our broader communities.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History is on a mission to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community.

Percent Pledge allows all companies and employees to donate to these nonprofits simultaneously through its Workplace Giving Platform.

[2] Volunteering

Time is invaluable, and volunteering your organization’s time, while inspiring your employees to do the same, is often the greatest gift you can give. It’s the perfect team-building event and can have an incredibly positive impact on your employees and your organization.

Give someone a second chance

Organize a group of employees to volunteer with Defy Ventures. Its Entrepreneurs In Training (EIT) program offers prison-based volunteering for individuals who are currently incarcerated, giving them the tools and support they need for a second chance at future success.

Show how much you care

Assemble a team of employees to take part in Together We Rise's Sweet Case Build. Volunteers decorate and pack duffel bags, for children in foster care, filled with comforting items such as teddy bears, blankets, coloring books, crayons, and hygiene kits.

Change a life, become a mentor

Give your employee volunteers the opportunity to provide academic support, leadership development, career exposure, and college access with LINK Mentors.

A single volunteer event takes 20-30 hours to plan and execute. Learn how Percent Pledge saves your company that time by organizing customized volunteer events.

[3] Other great mentoring opportunities 

Inspire your employees to get involved and show their support. No gesture is too small.

Shop Black-owned businesses

Encouraging employees to support black-owned businesses is as easy as it is rewarding with these two helpful directories to locate businesses near them: Support Black Owned and National Black Guide.

Know your history

Organize a book club for your employees, inspired by Black History Month, and include titles from these notable selections.

Find a breakdown of each of these efforts and more for your company to make a positive impact this Feburary by downloading our Support the Black Community Kit. Again, if you need help pursuing these initiatives, learn more about Percent Pledge’s proven social impact program and team of experts by requesting a demo.