SF Gives Spotlight: Q+A with Krista Moatz

Founder, EVP Culture and Corporate Citizenship at POPSUGAR

SF Gives is a coalition of 23 companies that have come together to fight poverty in the Bay Area. Representatives from each meet monthly to share best practices and take action. From time to time, we’ll feature the great work that’s underway by our SF Gives partners and introduce you to this incredible crew of corporate do-gooders.

POPSUGAR Inc. is a global media and technology company including lifestyle media publisher POPSUGAR, digital shopping platform ShopStyle, and monthly subscription box POPSUGAR Must Have. The organization was a founding SF Gives partner and has continued to be an active leader in the effort. Their involvement and work in SF Gives was integral in helping the company establish a corporate citizenship strategy and program.

We sat down with Krista Moatz, EVP of Culture and Corporate Citizenship and Kitchen Cabinet member to hear about their progress.

Q: What’s something that your company’s employees have done that you’re proud of, and where does your company’s value of giving and service come from?

A: Our internal philanthropy program is called PSGives and our employees are really the ones that keep driving us to evolve and increase our efforts across the board. They are constantly coming to me with new ideas for ways to get involved. One of the programs I am most proud of are our “Months of Giving” that we have three times a year. During these months, our employees choose a cause for the entire company to rally around and are also granted an additional day off to volunteer during the month. For example, in May of 2016 we focused on Women and Family Homelessness. Each of our five office locations (San Francisco, LA, Chicago, New York and London) chose a local organization dedicated to helping homeless women and families to support. The cities organized activities like bake sales, clothing drives, and rummage sales to fundraise for their chosen organization in addition to volunteering.

Q: Why do you think it’s important for companies to get involved in programs like SF Gives?

A: I think it’s important for companies to make sure they are active participants in the communities in which they operate. I also think it’s something that today’s employees are looking for in their employers. People want to work for an organization that has similar values to their own, a company they feel connected to and that is making an impact.

What advice would you give young entrepreneurs or start-ups that are thinking about starting a CSR program?

A: Make it part of your mission and values from the beginning. It’s much harder to decide to have a Corporate Social Responsibility program when it’s not ingrained in your culture. Take a look at the SF Gives Playbook and execute some of the simple ideas for a quick, easy win to kick things off. There are many programs you can implement that don’t involve donating large sums of money like offering employee volunteer days, opening up your offices to organizations in need of space and hosting student groups from non-profit organizations.

Q: What’s unique about giving in the Bay Area? What does a better Bay Area look like to you?

A: It’s unique for giving to be ingrained in the cultures of so many of the startups here, as well as in the personal ethos of people living in the Bay Area. A better Bay Area is one in which there are more opportunities for everyone to benefit from the vast innovation and wealth creation happening here. It would be great to see us put our creativity and skills towards a long-term solution to help the large homeless population who live on our streets.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: POPSUGAR employees inspire me with their passion and genuine interest in giving back to their communities. The leaders of Tipping Point’s grantee organizations inspire me with their selfless dedication to fighting poverty each and every day. Fellow SF Gives member companies have inspired many of the programs we have put in place at POPSUGAR. Tipping Point Founder and CEO, Daniel Lurie inspires me with his unwavering dedication to the Bay Area and his ability to make me feel compelled to help help in the fight against poverty. And last but not least, my young children inspire me to make sure the Bay Area truly is a better place for them to grow up in.