CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This past year saw Charlotte nonprofits and big businesses team up in unprecedented ways to help the community navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, but could there be better ways having an even bigger impact?
A new study looked at exactly that.
The Social Good Report was conducted by Josh Jacobson of Next Stage Consulting. He spoke with business leaders from across the Charlotte community, including AvidXchange. Their approach to giving back first took shape way back in 2005 when the Charlotte-based tech company formed a foundation to help kids impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
Since then, the company has dedicated its philanthropic efforts to bridging the digital divide, with employees being encouraged to be active in the community voluntarily teaching a STEAM curriculum.
"When we're partnering with nonprofits there's usually a money piece but what we want to see our folks doing is engaging their time with the community members," said Robert Phocas, the director of corporate social responsibility at AvidXchange. "At AvidXchange, we prefer to lead with our talent and time followed up by the treasure."
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That's why AvidXchange was one of the dozens of companies featured in the Social Good Report, which looked at the partnerships between businesses and nonprofits in Charlotte. The report also examined what's working — and what isn't.
"We're in an evolution," Jacobson said. "Certainly the last year with the pandemic, and the fight for racial and social justice, companies are now more thoughtful in how social good shows up inside their companies but also how they invest in it."
Jacobson says Charlotte is full of philanthropic companies and individuals but we all need to be more strategic about the ways we give back.
"That's what we're trying to highlight with this report," Jacobson said. "Profit and purpose being brought together transform a community into what we dream and what we want it to be."
Even in 2020, during the heart of the pandemic, SHARE Charlotte, an agency that works with 400 nonprofits in the metro, says donations were up a whopping 300%.
Contact Michelle at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.