Corporate Social Impact Quarterly / May 2023. A technology classroom in Ethiopia.

An increasing number of companies are stepping up to the plate to defend human rights and safeguard civil society in response to a myriad of challenges impeding civil liberties around the globe. From the host of companies joining the pledge not to fund election deniers’ campaigns to Disney’s vocal and financial backing of LGBTQIA+ rights in Florida, companies are using their platforms and resources to protect the rights of their employees and communities.

Tides Center's Strategic Initiatives partner, Innovation for Change (I4C), a global network of human rights defenders, has long been deeply involved in this movement, leading innovative campaigns and developing tools to advance women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, youth activism, climate justice, and digital security. In this newsletter, we are excited to share five key philanthropic actions your company can take to safeguard human rights and protect democracy on a global scale. These recommendations are based on our partnership with the network.

We hope that you find inspiration in I4C’s work in your own social impact strategy. If your social impact team is interested in funding human rights and democracy programs, and would like a strategic thought partner, please contact our team for support!

—Tides’ Corporate and Strategic Initiatives Team

// Tides Welcomes Malenie Areché Rodríguez

Portrait of Malenie Areché Rodríguez Tides is pleased to introduce our newest corporate social impact advisor, Malenie Areché Rodríguez. Malenie has worked in the nonprofit, corporate, and government sectors, serving as an advisor, policy researcher, corporate social impact advisor, communications and digital strategist, coalition builder, and consultant for Google, Accenture, and Dell. Malenie also served as a human rights commissioner for the City of Austin, Texas, since 2021.

Prior to joining Tides, Malenie was the advisor and communications director for the Travis County Judge, who presides over the Travis County Commissioners Court, which oversees the county’s $1.4 billion annual budget, acts as the county’s chief administrator, and is the director of Emergency Management for the county. Malenie is thrilled to join the Tides team and work with our corporate partners to advance their social impact goals.

Two volunteers painting a banner for a climate march.

// 5 Actions Philanthropy Can Take to Strengthen Global Democracy

Tides Center is proud to partner with the Innovation for Change (I4C), a global network of human rights defenders, providing grant-making and capacity building. The network of 30,000 grassroots activists and civil society organizations works across 143 countries to promote, strengthen, and protect human rights. Investing in grassroots organizations and providing funding for emergent strategies has yielded tremendous impact. Read about five actions that your social impact team can take to help strengthen global democracy and defend civil liberties.

// Tides senior advisor Erin Ceynar collaborates with the Wells Fargo Climate and Social Justice Fund to emphasize the need to invest in frontline communities to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

// Salesforce announced that it's awarding $1 million in unrestricted funding to BIPOC-led nonprofits to fund innovative programs addressing racial inequities in education, economic opportunities, and community resources.

// Sephora was acknowledged at this year’s SXSW Innovation Awards, winning the Enterprise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award, which recognizes the company’s “exemplary impact and results in advancing company diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.”

// Innovation for Change’s MENA Innovation Hub launched a new digital security app to mitigate online violence against women and girls. The app was created in response to the growing concern of technology-facilitated violence against women and girls in the Middle East and North Africa region.

// Antoine Andrews, chief diversity and social impact officer at Momentive, highlights the four significant DEI trends that will lead the social impact space throughout 2023.

// Why are donors hesitant to support grassroots organizing? Ben Naimark-Rowse outlines in The Chronicle of Philanthropy how institutions and funders should adapt to embrace the future of social change.

// Forbes outlines three ways in which philanthropy can bridge divides and bring America closer together, primarily through the power of co-design, lifting up stories of connection, and sharing power and decision-making.

// 2023 will be marked by economic uncertainty and tightening of the global economy. Social impact leader Admas Kanyagia advocates for corporations to continue investing in impacted communities and building engagement with their employees while weathering the economic storm.

// Tides CEO Janiece Evans-Page highlights Tides’ year of impact in 2022 and emphasizes the need to shift power to “under-championed” communities in 2023.

// Armand Coleman, executive director of Transformational Prison Project (TPP), a Tides Center project, sits down to discuss his journey with restorative justice and how TPP works to help others heal.

// Tides program officer Beth Huang outlines the importance of constituent participation, specifically civic engagement, advocacy, and organizing, at the local and state level to ensure that voters elect decision-makers who reflect and respond to their communities. Tides Foundation’s Healthy Democracy Fund is mobilizing funds to base-building organizations across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic to engage voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Interested in becoming a corporate partner?

We believe that to achieve shared prosperity and social justice, we must take a collaborative, bold approach to the work.