Read time: 5 minutes
At Unity, a big goal of ours is to ensure we’re always using our business as a force for good. And as our business evolves, we make sure that our goals and products continue to reflect that.
So when we see other businesses and nonprofits doing the same thing for their industry, we can’t help but think of ways on how we can support them and their mission.
Although COVID-19 has impacted our ways to help these businesses in a traditional sense (volunteering, in-person clinics, mentor programs), we’ve still found a way to help these companies and organizations grow:
Donations.
We’re proud to put the money we’ve earned back into our community, and we’ve donated over $5,000 to causes that align with our goals and values.
Now with 2020 (finally) coming to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the wonderful causes, charities and nonprofits we’ve donated to and how they’re using their business and our dollars for good.
B Corp Clinic
Every year for the last five years, NC State has held a B Corps Clinic for students to help B Corporations with their social and environmental impact while educating students on the power of B-Corps.
In fact, since 2015 over 2,300 points toward B Corps Certifications have been awarded, and that’s resulted in 10 companies from around the Triangle earning a B-corps Certification.
Not only do we love what NC State’s B Corps clinic has done for B Corps like us, but we also love what we’re able to do for students — to help shape the next leaders and innovators of the B-Corps community. We wanted to make sure that this clinic and program continued to provide that avenue for students, and it’s why we were proud to put our dollars into it.
Donation: $1,000
Earth Share NC
During our last meeting, our operations manager — Angela Liu — made a great point when it comes to our mission of using our business for good:
“All of this goes to waste if we don’t have an environment or planet to safely live on.”
Although we love seeing businesses transform into B Corps and sharing our broader mission, she did also bring up a great (and arguably more important) point: we need to do more to protect our planet.
In the past, we’ve volunteered our team to work alongside roads, highways, and beaches to pick up trash we may have found. But because of the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it limited our ability to make an in-person impact.
So when we found out we could donate to EarthShare NC’s cause, we jumped on the opportunity.
Donation: $500
NAACP
This has been a tough year.
From the millions dying to COVID-19 to the thousands of jobs lost due to the pandemic, this year has seen more than its fair share of hardship.
But the pandemic wasn’t the only issue our country faced, as the U.S. was faced with an issue that's rooted in this country's history:
Systemic racism.
Despite changes in rhetoric, policy, and viewpoints over the years, black people in this country are still seeing disgusting amounts of police brutality, voter suppression, and disenfranchisement, and that all came to a head this year with the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many more.
We at Unity saw an opportunity for growth — in ourselves and in our company — and we wanted to make sure we’re doing our best to support black people and the Black Lives Matter movement. So having the opportunity to donate to the NAACP and push its mission of racial equality and elimination of race-based discrimination was a no-brainer.
We still have work to do.
A lot of work to do.
And we’re hoping our small donation — and our efforts moving forward — will ensure that we continue to help support the NAACP and its goals.
Donation: $500
NC Business Council
Since its inception in 2014, the NC Business Council (NCBC) has worked diligently to bring mission-driven businesses together, foster community, and advance our local economy.
Through its model of advocate, influence, educate, and connect, they’ve been able to guide businesses towards goals and missions that not only benefit the business itself, but also our economy and environment.
In fact, our CEO — Alisa Herr — was one of three business leaders recently recognized by the NCBC as a Leader in Business Sustainability!
We’re proud to be part of the NCBC’s robust roster of members, and we’re happy to see our donation continue to push this wonderful organization forward.
Donation: $500
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity has made it a mission to provide affordable homes to underserved families in need, as well as revitalizing neighborhoods.
We loved this community-driven focus, and even more so knowing that they have multiple Accessibility Standards in place that include:
- Walkways with a minimum of 36” clear
- Continuous blocking added in bathrooms for future grab bar installation
- One bathroom and bed to have a minimum of 32” clear
On that alone, we knew we’d love to support them. But the team at Habitat Wake took it a step further and explained how exactly our dollars would go to work. This included a combination of:
- Grab bars added to the bathrooms, showers, and front and back doors (based on family needs)
- No-threshold showers
- Specially ordered lower cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom
- Ramps
- Level door handles
- Higher toilets
Proper accessibility, in-person, and online, is a big focal point for us, and we’re more than happy to support a nonprofit that shares the same values as we do.
Donation: $1,200
North Carolina Coastal Federation
Continuing our support of North Carolina’s ecosystem and our planet as a whole, we found it important to support the coasts of North Carolina, and we’re glad to know the North Carolina Coastal Federation does exactly that.
Since 1982, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has focused its efforts on protecting, maintaining, and restoring the North Carolina coast. The efforts of the federation and its thousands of volunteers have resulted in cleaner and safer waters and coasts for people and animals alike.
We love the work they do, and we’re hoping our small donation continues to it.
Donation: $300
We’re so grateful for these organizations that push our business, economy, and world forward, and we’re proud to stand by their side now and into the future.
If you’re looking to support a cause this holiday season, we highly recommend considering these wonderful organizations and nonprofits.