William Blair colleagues teamed up with nonprofits around the world during the 2022 holiday season to help those in need.
Many communities felt the stresses of inflation, others were dealing with the trauma of displacement brought on by war and economic crisis this holiday season. Colleagues responded by volunteering their time and financial support to many causes including food banks and coat drives, nonprofits helping children and families in poor communities, and organizations working with refugees.
“It was truly inspiring to see the commitment and compassion our colleagues shared with their neighbors over the holidays,” says Nancy Bonges, director of community engagement at William Blair. “Through our partnerships with community organizations globally, we see first-hand how many individuals and families are struggling. Others are in living in crisis, without a home and rely on communities for basic human needs, food, clothing, a shower.”
In London, William Blair collected thousands of coats in partnership with the annual Wrap Up London campaign to warm the homeless, refugee families, the elderly, and others in need. In 2022, the coat drive pledged to clothe three recovered Ukrainian villages where 1,500 refugees are living. Colleagues also created holiday crackers for families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses in London.
At the firm’s Denver office, colleagues teamed up with WeeCyle to sort baby items that were distributed to Colorado families in need of essential articles for their infants and toddlers.
In Chicago, William Blair worked with community partners Chi-Care and ShowerUp, nonprofits on the front line assisting thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers in need of food, clothing, shelter, and basic hygiene and personal care. Colleagues organized a firmwide coat drive in the employee cafeteria, and on Sundays during December worked at Chi-Care and ShowerUp, helping the displaced families.
The Boston office partnered with Action for Boston Community Development development to collect food to help local neighbors in need.
Colleagues in Frankfurt organized a Tree of Giving Holiday campaign granting wishes of girls and young women with the FeM Girls House Frankfurt, a nonprofit that supports and advises 13- to 21-year-olds affected by violence.
And the list goes on as employees in offices around the global stepped up to support others.
The William Blair foundation and the firm’s employee-match gifting program also raised tens of thousands of dollars during the holidays to support food depositories, toy drives, social service organizations, rehabilitation centers, Thanksgiving meals, and children’s hospitals. That included donations to UNICEF, the International Rescue Committee, the Red Cross, and other global organizations supporting Ukraine relief.
“Community engagement has always been a core value of the firm,” says Bonges. “The support from our colleagues globally during the 2022 holiday season underscores their commitment to their communities and it is an honor to work with such dedicated, caring people.”