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There are a number of benefits that come alongside engaging in social responsibility through Upside, don't miss out on your Upside advantage
69% of millennials report that working for socially responsible employers instills a sense of pride.
Does your team realize your Upside pledge is a commitment they can be proud of too?
91% of global consumers expect companies to do more than make a profit, they believe companies need to act responsibly and address social issues.
Do your customers know your company is aligned with their values?
Now that you’ve made the commitment to give back, don’t forget to tell your employees, customers, and stakeholders! Here is the Upside logo, as well as the Pledge 1% logo (our American Partner), and some suggestions on how to do this:
Upside Members have found creative ways to promote their pledge. From promoting their commitment in each job posting to working with their charity of choice on a press release, here are a few examples:
Be sure to tag Upside’s accounts in your post (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) and use the hashtag #sharetheupside. See Envoi’s and Daisy Intelligence's LinkedIn post and MyWillow’s tweet for more examples.
Feel free to use the sample text below as part of your social post.
As part of <company>’s commitment to giving back, we are proud to announce that we have made a donation through The Upside Foundation of Canada. We’ve pledged a small portion of equity for charity, which will convert to a donation <for specific="" charity="" or="" cause=""> upon a successful liquidity event in the future.<company> joins hundreds of companies who have pledged, from whom over $3M in charitable donations have already been realized, with many more to come. Learn more and join us by visiting upsidefoundation.ca #sharetheupside</company></for></company>
See posts by Judi.ai and ODAIA as examples.
Fill out this form and you can be featured in our Charity Champions series
Many Upside Members have hosted events to engage their employees in the company's Upside pledge. Examples of this include:
- A founder engaged employees in the decision to pledge by having an Upside representative speak at an All Hands Meeting.
- A Member engaged employees in the decision of which cause to support by having an Upside representative speak at a team meeting about how to choose a charity.
- LevelJump hosted a pledge ceremony at their charity of choice, SickKids, to bring the pledge to life for their employees and key partners.
- Sensibill has built a corporate social responsibility program called Responsibill, which is focused on mental health. In addition to offering resources to employees and donating their upside to CAMH, they also offer volunteer opportunities for employees at CAMH.
Include Upside’s logo on your site along with a description of your pledge. Why? Companies that are vocal about their social responsibility efforts attract employees, customers and investors whose values are aligned with theirs, and often experience higher retention rates. One example is a study which noted that 64% of millennials won’t take a job if a potential employer doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices (2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study).
Sample text (short): "As part of <company>’s commitment to give back, we are a proud member of The Upside Foundation."</company>
Sample text (long): As part of <company>’s commitment to giving back, we are proud to be a Member of </company>The Upside Foundation of Canada. We’ve pledged a small portion of equity for charity, which will convert to a donation <for specific="" charity="" or="" cause="" if="" you="" have="" one="" selected> upon a successful liquidity event in the future. Through our participation with The Upside Foundation, we have embedded social responsibility into our business and tied our success to social good. </for>
For an example, see Pawzy website.
Click ‘Add experience’ and select The Upside Foundation of Canada’s LinkedIn page under ‘Company Name’, as the 'Role' we suggest "Member". Use the text below for the role description and make sure that the option to share this update with your network is on!
As the Founder of **Company Name**, I’ve pledged a portion of my company’s equity to charity. By pledging with Upside, I’ve made a commitment to share our future success to make an impact in my local community. The Upside Foundation enables founders of early-stage, high-growth Canadian companies to build social responsibility into their business by donating equity to the charity of their choice. It is a powerful community of values-driven founders that I’m proud to be a part of.
Our Slack workspace is a great place to join in on discussions with fellow Members and share resources. Contact members@upsidefoundation.ca if you’ve not yet been invited.
Take a look at our network of Members, Board Directors and Partners. Many of the connections Members make within the Upside community lead to informal mentorship opportunities and unique industry opportunities.
Keep an eye out for upcoming Upside events in our regular emails. If you’ve missed an event make sure to check out our YouTube channel to watch recordings.
Check out our Member Perks Catalogue, and submit a perk of your own by emailing us (see below for sample perks).
