William Blair colleagues around the world celebrated Global Month of Giving in November. The annual campaign is focused on investing in the communities where we live and work, and we are proud to support so many wonderful philanthropic organizations.
Thirteen William Blair offices hosted fundraisers, drives, and events throughout the month – our largest firmwide effort to date. Colleagues participated in volunteer events together and individually, many supporting our Global Community Partners. They also utilized their Volunteer Paid Day Off and took advantage of William Blair’s firmwide gift-matching programs to increase their impact when making philanthropic donations.
Sabrina Curran (IB) participated in Global Month of Giving events throughout November and shared that “William Blair is an outstanding firm because of its commitment to Community Engagement. I recently joined the organization and have been so impressed with how engaged my colleagues are, from senior leaders to my peers. We have a wonderful opportunity to give back to our communities, and Global Month of Giving is a perfect showcase for the great work the firm does every day.”
Our London office partnered with WrapUp London to collect pre-loved warm coats that are then shared directly with frontline charities and given to those who need them most. This year, the organization collected at least 7,000 coats in November (and still counting!), with our William Blair colleagues significantly contributing to the drive's success. Our Frankfurt colleagues also supported the effort, shipping several boxes of coats to the organization.
Our Chicago office hosted several events throughout the month, culminating with two kit-packing events that supported Global Community Partners YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, hosted by the William Blair Women’s Alliance, and Chi-Care. Colleagues gathered to pack 150 backpacks for students in need of school supplies and 750 snack packs for families being supported by Chi-Care.
Beth Pekol-Porto (Research), co-chair of the William Blair Women’s Alliance, emphasized the importance of partnerships with community organizations and the need for giving back. “The Women’s Alliance has long partnered with YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, given the YWCA's mission of eliminating racism and empowering women and families. There is a clear alignment in the values of our organizations that has made this a fruitful partnership over time, and we always look for ways we can support organizations that bring so much to our communities.”
Several of our offices, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, New York, San Francisco, and Singapore, hosted fundraising events to support critical causes such as health care, food security, combatting homelessness, childhood and adult education, and services for veterans and their families. Many offices also collected warm winter clothing items and holiday gifts for families in need.
Community Engagement is part of our mission at William Blair, and we are thrilled with our colleagues’ participation in Global Month of Giving. We appreciate their generosity towards organizations that do such important work in our communities this month and every month. To learn more about William Blair’s commitment to our communities, please visit our Community Engagement webpage.