Allison+Partners’ Third Annual Global Day of Giving: Social Distancing Doesn’t Have to Stop Your Philanthropic Spirit!
By: Kay Brungs Laud
Volunteering has always been a big part of my life, from helping socialize dogs at my local humane society when I was 10 to connecting with kids my age at women’s shelters from middle school through high school, to leading my sorority’s philanthropic efforts and serving on the Board of P.A.W.S. Chicago. So when I joined Allison+Partners a little over three years ago, it was a no brainer I would be a part of our company’s Global Volunteer Committee. I was beyond honored to be asked to serve as the committee’s co-lead, which became more exciting when I got to help launch Allison+Partners’ first Global Day of Giving.
Numerous studies indicate the value and importance of company supported and encouraged volunteer work, but Global Day of Giving was born out of our agency’s entrepreneurial spirit and proposed by Allison+Partners employees. We pitched the idea to honor of our agency’s anniversary by giving all of our offices around the world a day to step away from their desks and give back to their communities. The founders and partners approved, and we have successfully executed the event for three years. As co-lead of our agency’s volunteer committee, Allison+Purpose, I was excited to build on the successes of our first two years of Global Day of Giving and to make our third annual event all that more special.
Then in March, we were all sent home and have primarily worked virtually ever since. I was incredibly nervous about the impact COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines would have on our 2020 Global Day of Giving efforts. However, our entire agency came together to pull off an amazing virtual Global Day of Giving!
Every year, we select a focus for our volunteer efforts. For our first year, we asked teams to support organizations that make a difference in the lives of local youth. In the second year, we focused on ways we could make a positive environmental impact in our communities. This year, we decided it was important to shift our original theme to focus on our local communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across the globe, our offices stepped up and came up with some creative and meaningful projects that would keep our Allison+Partners team safe while making real connections within local communities. Our global agency volunteered more than 300 hours in September with local nonprofits, organizations and individuals particularly impacted by COVID-19. From reading virtually to students in underserved Dallas communities, to buying groceries for homebound seniors in Portland, to painting cloth bags for hospital patients in Bangkok, to connecting with Special Olympics’ health messengers in Chicago and Seattle, to conducting clothing drives, to writing letters to senior citizens in New York and New Jersey, our team members helped impact their local communities and make some meaningful connections even while so many of us are at home.
Allison+Partners has always encouraged volunteerism among our employees as a way to nurture the many local environments outside our day-to-day work and create opportunities for us to foster team bonding and a sense of pride for all employees. This year, it felt even more important to take time to step back and support our communities that have been particularly hit hard by COVID-19. Global Day of Giving gave our agency the opportunity to interact with individuals in a meaningful and special way. And during a global pandemic that has separated so many of us from our normal social interactions, it felt especially great to make a connection with someone we didn’t know before. As is so often the case with volunteering, I find I get more out of the experience than I expected!
Kay Brungs Laud is a Senior Vice President and works out of Allison+Partners’ Chicago office. Since the age of 10 Kay has had a hard time saying no to volunteer projects. She has been involved with numerous non-profits both personally and professionally. She graduated from American University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and served as Delta Gamma’s Vice President of Philanthropy while an undergraduate. She’s currently a board member of the P.A.W.S Chicago, where she adopted her two fur babies; Heidi and Albert
