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Skills-Based Volunteers Give Critical Support to Racial Equity Nonprofits

By Common Impact | November 12, 2021

The Allstate Foundation and Common Impact collaborate for large-scale day of skills-based volunteering

Brooklyn, N.Y. & Northbrook, Ill. – November 12, 2021 – Common Impact, the nonprofit pioneer in skills-based volunteering, and The Allstate Foundation are collaborating again on November 17 for another day of service, this time strengthening nonprofits dedicated to advancing racial equity and creating a more just society.

During this intensive day of service, nearly 150 Allstate volunteers will use their professional skills to complete 15 projects that will build the capacity of 12 organizations, all led by people of color or with a racial justice focus. During a mid-day panel discussion, Julian Posada of LiftUp Enterprises, Shilpi Shah of SKS Consulting Services, Sonya Anderson of Thrive Chicago, and Rob Pabon of Chicago Cares will discuss the consequences of unconscious bias in organizational development and how these assumptions about the way nonprofits should operate and make decisions around growth strategies can be detrimental to the success of organizations led by people of color.

“The Allstate Foundation is a tremendous partner dedicated to long-term efforts to advance racial equity. We are excited to connect the vast skills and expertise of Allstate employees and agents with these nonprofits who work on a daily basis to build stronger communities,” said Danielle Holly, CEO of Common Impact. “The day of service will help these nonprofits address strategy and operations challenges that have been holding them back from further growth as well as foster strong relationships between the volunteers and nonprofits for years to come.”

Volunteers from Allstate will spend the day working virtually with nonprofits on various mission-critical areas, including technology, strategy, finance, human resources, and marketing. Participating nonprofit organizations include:

Each project addresses a specific need to build the capacity of these organizations as jointly defined by the nonprofit leaders and Common Impact staff. For example, one team of Allstate volunteers will help a diverse youth-focused nonprofit develop a training framework for first-time people managers. Another team will evaluate the social media presence of an organization serving Latinx leaders, making strategic recommendations to drive greater audience engagement.

“We are proud to work alongside our nonprofit partners to achieve a more equitable society by lending our skills to support the impactful work they’ve already started,” said Laura Freveletti, Senior Program Officer, The Allstate Foundation. “Together, we hope to create equitable communities where people and communities thrive.”

This is The Allstate Foundation and Common Impact’s second day of service dedicated to advancing racial equity this year. In the first event held in June 2021, 100% of the nonprofits rated the quality of the deliverables they received as excellent and felt that the work accomplished made a real difference for their organization. In addition, Allstate volunteers overwhelmingly reported that the day of skills-based volunteering made them more aware of social justice issues, feel more connected to their community, and had a significant impact on their professional development.

About Common Impact
Common Impact is a national nonprofit that works to build a society in which individuals and businesses invest their unique talents towards a shared purpose: strengthening the local communities in which we live and work. Founded in 2000, Common Impact has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of the country’s leading nonprofit organizations to create transformational change through skills-based volunteering. Learn more about Common Impact at www.commonimpact.org.

About The Allstate Foundation
The Allstate Foundation pursues equity so people and communities can thrive. Since 1952, the Foundation has led national programs, partnered with leading organizations and offered grants to local nonprofits to create innovative, long-term solutions for those in need.

Media Contacts:
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MacMillan Communications
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