Deluxe Foundation Accelerates Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
Deluxe and the Deluxe Corporation Foundation today announced several strategic partnerships with critical non-profits, delivering on its promise to further accelerate its commitment in improving diversity and inclusion efforts in the communities it serves.
Earlier this year, following peaceful protests and civil unrest after the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Deluxe President and CEO Barry McCarthy announced the company would make significant commitments to local and national non-profits that support racial justice and equality. Deluxe sought leading partners where the company could bring impact at all levels -- Boards of Directors, volunteer opportunities, mentorship, support through professional services, and financial contributions.
McCarthy and the Deluxe Corporation Foundation board of directors committed $1.2 million to the Deluxe Corporation Foundation, to support diversity and inclusion efforts. To date, the organizations chosen to receive the three-year grants are:
- The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta) www.civilrightsmuseum.org
- The Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) (Minneapolis) www.meda.net
- The United Way African American Partnership (Atlanta) https://www.unitedwayatlanta.org/group/african-american-partnership/
"On behalf of our more than 6,000 Deluxe employee-owners, I am very proud to announce these commitments go far beyond a monetary donation," McCarthy said. "Our company has a long history of philanthropic and volunteer engagement, so it was important to us that we are able to commit to these organizations through time and talent as well. Each one was specifically chosen for the tremendous impact they make in our communities."
In each case, a member of the Deluxe executive team will be joining or is applying to be part of the boards of these organizations as part of the company's long-term commitment. Further, Deluxe is exploring opportunities for employee-owners to take advantage of volunteer opportunities through each organization.
"Change doesn't occur in a boardroom or a committee meeting. It happens when we commit to personally impact the conversation and take a leadership position to make it happen," said Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, Chair of the Deluxe Board of Directors. "As a black woman in a leadership role, I believe it is vital that we bring to bear the many resources at our disposal to address racial inequality issues that are impacting communities across the country. I applaud our management team and employee-owners for accepting this challenge and turning words into solid actions."
Deluxe employees representing all aspects of the company helped determine the non-profits that will best exemplify the need to address inequalities in equity and diversity. Each organization has its own focus that enables the donations from the Deluxe Foundation to impact different parts of society. For instance, MEDA focused on economic development for minorities, while the National Center for Civil and Human Rights sponsors the Equal Dignity campaign.
"Our employee-owners, specifically our African American Employee Resource Group (ERG) within Deluxe, led the charge to make these commitments. We are eager to get to work with our new partners to truly affect change in the communities we live in and serve," said Paquel Austin, leader of the Deluxe African-American ERG.
The Deluxe Corporation Foundation focused on long-term solutions that help people, businesses and communities thrive and grow. Since 1954, the Foundation has awarded more than $110 million to charitable organizations. In every grant the Foundation awards, Deluxe seeks to bring meaningful, lasting change to communities. Our grants have empowered Americans to understand the basics of entrepreneurship and help communities ease the burden during a time of crisis. To learn more, go here.
About Deluxe
Deluxe is a Trusted Business Technologytm company that champions business so communities thrive. Our solutions help businesses pay and get paid, accelerate growth, and operate more efficiently. For more than 100 years, we've been helping businesses succeed at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity. Our powerful global scale supporting approximately 4.5 million small businesses, over 4,000 financial institutions, hundreds of the world's largest consumer brands and processing more than $2.8 trillion in annual payment volume, positions Deluxe to be our customers' most trusted business partner. To learn how we can help your business, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp, www.linkedin.com/company/deluxe, or www.twitter.com/deluxecorp.
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