Champions of Change: Giving Back When Communities Need It Most
Supporting Vulnerable Communities Around the World
As the first evidence of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, there was no way to predict the profound impact it would have on people and communities around the world. Companies began developing response plans and it quickly became clear that this was anything but business as usual. As Director of Global Community Engagement and Corporate Giving at Mars Inc. I immediately went to work to evolve how Mars and its businesses could meaningfully support our more than 130,000 Associates around the world and the communities in which they live and work. This meant mobilizing willing and available Associates — many of whom were experiencing COVID-19-related hardships themselves — in a shared initiative to respond and give back.
Leading the company’s COVID-19 response and giving campaign, my focus was on designing and implementing a program to aid vulnerable people within Mars’ supply chain communities, where we operate and source our raw materials. The campaign quickly exceeded its goals and expectations and is the company’s largest global giving campaign in history. In addition to raising funds and providing support, the global giving campaign has prompted us to re-think our approach to corporate giving during times of crisis.
Over the past year, we have established and built on existing partnerships with not-for-profit organizations to coordinate and record cash and in-kind giving to support communities across the globe suffering and recovering from COVID 19. The program targets women, girls, and companion animals to deliver the greatest impact. The team works with groups around the world to tailor how funds are used to best serve their local communities — an approach that has set a new standard for Mars global giving efforts.
Creating a lasting impact
The campaign required guidance and coordination with Mars global business segments and engagement with Associates who wanted to actively support their communities. This collaboration led me to create the company’s first ever global giving campaign which has resulted in over $40M in cash and in-kind support for communities impacted by the pandemic. The program began with an $8M commitment supporting three global organizations: CARE, the United Nations World Food Programme, and Humane Society International, which was then complimented with $12M from our Mars businesses, including Mars Wrigley, Mars Food, Mars Petcare, and Mars Edge. However, the initial commitment was very quickly surpassed. To date, through continued cash and in-kind support, over $40M has been given in support of global pandemic relief efforts.
The initiative, helped coordinate local donations to support dozens of community organizations, focused on supporting frontline workers, pets in need and people in Mars communities including:
· Banfield Pet Hospitals donating Personal Protective Equipment and ventilators
· Mars Wrigley and Mars Food donating food to support those experiencing food insecurity
· The Mars Foundation donated $500,000 to the Capital Area Food Bank, serving the greater Washington, D.C., metro area
· Mars Food provided healthy meals to heath care workers at Rush University Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial Hospital through a donation to Culinary Care.
Additionally, as the Delta variant devastated India in June, we coordinated an additional $2M donation to support the communities in India where Mars Associates live and work.
Supporting communities where Mars Associates and customers live and work was critical as the company responded to the global pandemic. These examples provide just a glimpse of the passion and dedication of the company’s commitment to readily respond and positively impact communities around the world.
Carrying Purpose into the Future
Moving forward, our desire is to leverage the program’s success as a model to engage more Associates and serve more communities as they face hardships.
The last two years have been incredibly challenging for so many around the world, but I remain inspired and awed by the giving spirit of our Associates and by our ability to mobilize quickly to provide support. As we look to the future, we are committed to continuing to innovate how we guide philanthropic efforts to ensure we have the biggest positive impact on the most people.
More About Annette Jennings:
Annette Jennings serves as Director of Global Community Engagement and Corporate Giving at Mars Incorporated. She is dedicated to creating opportunities for Mars Associates to give back to communities where we operate and source our raw materials, as she leads Mars’ giving, disaster relief and local and global Associate volunteering programs. These initiatives helped expand Mars, giving footprint and facilitated opportunities for Associates to support their communities.
