How to Celebrate Black History Month at Your Company

Whether mentoring children, helping reduce gun violence, 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 Racial Equity Cause Portfolio contains four 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.

Live Free

Live Free organizes communities directly impacted by gun violence and mass incarceration and works to build a society in which every person lives in a safe, healthy environment, is respected and included, and has agency over the decisions that shape their lives.

The Bail Project

Fueled by an unprecedented mobilization of passionate people, ideas, and resources, The Bail Project’s goal is to combat mass incarceration while working to transform the US system of pretrial justice for generations of Americans to come.

National CARES Mentoring

National CARES Mentoring is a pioneering, community-mobilization initiative that secures, heals, and transforms the lives of impoverished Black children by inspiring, recruiting, and mobilizing masses of caring Black men and women to mentor and nourish them.

Equal Justice Initiative

With a commitment to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, the Equal Justice Initiative is challenging racial and economic injustice and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. It’s the only organization providing holistic programming on a national scale to advance impoverished Black children, as well as being the nation’s leader in the recruitment, training, and engagement of African American mentors.

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.