Corporate Social Impact Quarterly / July 2023. A classroom in Rwanda.

Centering the experiences of communities closest to social issues is central to Tides’ approach to social impact. In this edition, we highlight a range of partnerships and grantees demonstrating this approach in action.

We are proud to feature a few of our grantee partners that are advocating for and serving the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans and BIPOC community members who are most impacted by recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Given the renewed backlash against the LGBTQ+ community and the recent SCOTUS decision that allows businesses to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples, we are calling on our partners to provide the LGBTQ+ community sustained, intentional support beyond Pride Month. Read our statement in response to this ruling, as well as our statement about the court’s devastating decision to restrict affirmative action, which will have implications not only for equitable access to higher education, but also potentially for how corporations manage workforce diversity programs.

We also sit down with Kate Spade New York to discuss the company's commitment to investing in the mental health of women and girls, its deep partnership with communities and grassroots NGOs in Rwanda, and how we’ve partnered with grantees throughout the complex process that is international grantmaking.

We hope to inspire your social impact team to consider new ways to engage the communities you seek to serve as you develop your grantmaking strategy, partner for greater impact, and consider what authentic allyship might mean for your brand. Feeling inspired but not sure how to integrate trust-based or participatory practices into your social impact programs? Let our team know so we can work with you to design social impact programs centered in equity and authentic community engagement.

—Tides’ Corporate and Strategic Initiatives Team

Google CEO Sundar Pichai sitting with a group of students.

// New Partnership with Google Makes Entry into Cybersecurity Field More Equitable

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Tides’ longtime partner Google, recently announced a $20 million commitment in collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to help thousands of students in higher education pursue careers in cybersecurity by offering real-world experience with under-resourced institutions such as small government offices, rural hospitals, and nonprofits. Tides is proud to support the strategy and operations of the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund and open the door for a diverse group of students to gain more hands-on experience in the field, which is in alignment with our dedication to social justice.

Learn more

A presentation by organizers from Resonate.

// Reimagining Mental Health Services: How Kate Spade New York Is Supporting Women and Girls in Rwanda

Kate Spade New York has long been vocal about its commitment to investing in the mental health of women and girls, a globally underfunded and undervalued area that the brand believes is fundamental to true women’s empowerment. Through the Kate Spade New York on Purpose Fund at Tides Foundation, Tides is proud to support Kate Spade New York’s commitment, leaning into trust-based grantmaking practices and centering the experience and expertise of grassroots partners along the way. Read on to learn how Tides Foundation has partnered with Kate Spade New York to provide 100,000 women and girls with mental health resources by 2025, mobilizing funds to support grassroots mental health initiatives in Rwanda.

A Latine woman standing proudly in front of a large trans flag banner.

// Beyond “Rainbow Capitalism”: Sustained Support Creates Real Change for the Trans Community

State legislatures are advancing a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills including “parents’ rights” bills that aim to suppress transgendered people’s right to gender-affirming care, inclusive education, and freedom of expression. This trend is just one reason companies and brands must choose to shift beyond “rainbow capitalism,” which focuses on seeking profit and goodwill for public actions during Pride Month, and instead provide sustained giving to youth and BIPOC members of the trans community beyond Pride.

Tides is excited to announce our partnership with employee-giving platform Deed! Deed is a workplace giving and volunteering platform that puts people first. Backed by an infrastructure of trusted payment processors, Deed’s Fortune 500 partners support 2 million-plus nonprofits through their platform. Stay tuned for more details about how Tides can support your employee-matching program through your DAF and other ways we can help catalyze employee engagement in our next issue!

// Tides Foundation's Action for Sustainable Derivatives (ASD) Impact Fund celebrates one year. Check out how the fund has supported on-the-ground initiatives to protect the environment and drive sustainable palm production that will move the industry toward more environmentally friendly supply chains.

// Vans launched a new “Together as Ourselves” collection in celebration of Pride Month alongside a $200,000 commitment to support organizations advocating for and serving the LGBTQ+ community.

// As part of MAC Cosmetics’ ongoing commitment to racial equity, the company announced it is broadening its partnership with Race Forward and Broadway League in honor of Juneteenth. MAC provided Race Forward with a $100,000 donation and sponsored “Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth,” a free outdoor concert celebrating Black Broadway performers.

// Clorox spotlights Tyler Van Arsdale as part of The Clorox Change Makers, an initiative to highlight team members who champion efforts with inclusion, celebrate diversity, promote equity, and practice allyship.

// American corporations are increasing their charitable investments in Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), often at the urging of involved employee resource groups. The Chronicle of Philanthropy outlines how corporate contributions and deeper partnership are enabling schools to expand degree programs and facilities to better equip students for the workforce.

// Sustainable Brands highlights Tony’s Chocolonely’s new independent governance structure, protecting the brand’s mission and core values in perpetuity, even in the case of acquisition. The company aims to inspire other mission-driven brands to protect their values for the future.

// One year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, two frontline activists advocate the need for donors to continue supporting abortion rights in the South.

// Tides is excited to introduce our new chief financial officer, James Lum, a mission-driven financial leader who will oversee Tides’ finance and investment operations. Check out our Q&A to get to know James!

// Managing Advisor Diana Hunter and Program Manager Albert Cevallos highlight the Innovation for Change (I4C) network, a special initiative partner of Tides Center, and the growing need for philanthropy to continue strengthening global democracy in the face of unprecedented threats to civil liberties.

// Tides Foundation recently launched the Immigrants Belong (I-Belong) Fund, providing immigrant-led nonprofits with resources to develop innovative pro-immigrant storytelling and shift the false narrative about immigrants. I-Belong’s Independent Advisory Committee sits down with Liah Caravalho, Tides’ senior manager of external communications, to discuss the fund’s commitment to building a pro-immigrant future.

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