The ongoing pandemic nudged many amongst us to re-evaluate our relationship with the communities that we are a part of. Over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic cast a light on the varying elements in our society—socio-economic inequality, healthcare, climate change, and food security, to name a few. Many a times, the only ray of hope seemed to be the inspiring stories of people going beyond their might to help their families, friends, and even strangers.
There now seems to be renewed faith in the individual’s power of doing good, with the smallest acts of kindness being celebrated, and rightly so. When entire cities went into lockdowns, it was the individual that paused to reach out to a neighbor from within the confines of their balconies and it was the individual that offered a glass of water to a food delivery person on a sweltering day. It is actions like these that make us more human and keep us all connected as individuals.
Now, more than ever, individuals and the corporations that they’re part of, are taking cognizance of the role that they play in society and the power of good that they hold within them.
Staying in touch with ground realities
At Deloitte, making an impact in the community is a cornerstone to the values that guide the organization and its people. Staying in tune with the urgent needs of the hour, Punit Renjen, Deloitte Global CEO, in his address at the One Young World Summit in Munich, had reiterated the organization’s commitment to:
- Impact 100 million futures by 2030 as part of the WorldClass initiative
- Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the WorldClimate initiative
- Accelerate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
- Respond to the most pressing needs in our communities, such as providing relief support in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
Through this, he encouraged delegates to drive impact in their communities by relying on their Summit experience to create positive change.
With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the traditional ways of conducting business and nurturing relationships, through 2021, Deloitte identified and developed new ways of approaching its interaction with communities and the world to create a positive and sustainable impact. These innovations in the areas of gender equality, education, healthcare, environment, and social equity are designed to be joint efforts with other organizations, startups, nonprofits, and investors, to ensure they have a lasting impact. Deloitte’s 2021 Global Impact Report highlights the top innovations and the ingenuity that helped us continue to make an impact despite the pandemic.
The spirit of volunteering
Deloitte celebrates the spirit of volunteering and giving back through its annual flagship event—Impact Day—where all professionals spend an entire workday putting their skills and determination to use for the benefit of the communities. The pandemic led to the virtualization of this program, thus ensuring that Deloitte continues to stand true to its commitment towards communities while also making an impact that matters. As Deloitte grows, so does our capability to make a larger impact in the community.
Beyond just an annual event
Our culture of giving permeates every layer in the organization, right from the organization to the individual level—with every single professional empowered to give back to the community and having their voices heard. To ensure corporate citizenship is not just limited to an annual event at Deloitte, we engage throughout the year with nonprofits (NGOs) via various platforms of collaboration to make an Impact every day in our communities. As we collaborate with NGOs and their people to build strong, resilient, and happy communities, our professionals have the option of volunteering their time, efforts and skillsets based on their interests, or to pledge financial contributions towards a cause that’s closest to their hearts.
From strategic donations and employee giving to volunteering and pro bono projects, the corporate citizenship programs at Deloitte are thoughtfully designed to support communities while also inculcating a culture of community service in professionals.
Staying in touch with a generation that cares
This sustained year-long effort is also a reflection of the value our employees place in the joy and importance of giving back to make a change. Over the years, this has resulted in an enhanced employee engagement across various corporate citizenship activities.
Deloitte’s 2021 Millennial Survey results show an increase in the levels of hope that GenZ and Millennials have towards the possibility of taking corrective measures to fix the environment. It wasn’t surprising to see that nearly three-fourths of the respondents felt that the COVID-19 pandemic had made them more empathetic towards their communities. Today, professionals truly and increasingly care about being associated with an organization that has an inherent and genuine sense of responsibility toward the community.
“I started my career in the nonprofit sector in India, working at the grassroot level, trying to help underserved communities find solutions for their basic needs. After dedicating six years to the nonprofit sector, I decided to switch to the corporate world. To join an organization that prioritized its corporate citizenship was of utmost importance to me. Witnessing Deloitte’s commitment toward creating a positive and lasting impact in local communities has been extremely reassuring for me! I know that even the smallest of my efforts, as part of Deloitte’s corporate citizenship programs, will grow into something significant and beautiful for the communities we work with. I feel relieved to know that I’m a part of an organization that believes in giving!”, says Arundhati Bose, a recent hire in the Communications team.
In summary
The nature of corporate citizenship is evolving, from merely giving to charities, to now being equally responsible allies in the process of making positive change. An organization’s commitment toward influencing positive change in the world is increasingly impacting the way its clients, consumers, and its employees engage with it. It is now integral to how most organizations conduct their business.
At Deloitte, our culture of giving is a result of the confluence of the skills, passion, and ingenuity of our people, and a deep sense of commitment that we as an organization have toward our communities.
Learn more
To find out more about Deloitte’s commitment to serve communities, head over to our corporate responsibility and sustainability page.