Jeff Hoffman speaks with Gerard Dehrmann, SVP, Public Affairs & State and Local Government Relations, Walmart Stores, Inc. and Kabir Kumar, Senior Director, Community, Walmart.org. to explore the dynamics of the relationship between company’s government relations and corporate citizenship functions and how they can work together to greater effect.

In this interview, Nicole Anderson, President of the AT&T Foundation and AVP, Corporate Social Responsibility, discusses AT&T’s response to COVID-19, including why company the reaffirmed its commitment to distant learning and the importance of building upon your existing network, partners, and core competencies to deploy resources quickly and effectively in a time of crisis.

In the final part of our series exploring corporate citizenship in the Global South during COVID-19, Jeff Hoffman, Institute Leader of Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, speaks with Bassam Alfeeli, Director of Innovation at The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, and Jennifer Suleiman, Chief Sustainability Officer, and Malek Hammoud, Chief Investment & Digital Officer from the Zain Group on how digital transformation is accelerating positive change across The Middle East.

A recently released study found that workplace giving programs are growing in popularity and acceptance as companies look for more ways of investing in communities that are key to their business.

In Part 3 of this 4-part series, Jeff Hoffman, Institute Leader of Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, speaks with Sandeep Makkar, Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson, Medical India, and Prabhat Pani, Senior Advisor, Partnerships & Technology at Tata Trusts, to learn how COVID-19 is impacting India’s economy, healthcare system, and how their businesses are responding to and addressing the dire effects of the pandemic.

Corporate Citizenship in the Global South During COVID-1: Part 2 – Latin America. In Part 2 of this 4-part series, Jeff Hoffman, Institute Leader of Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, speaks with Sandro Mesquita, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability for Latin America, AT&T, and Maria Luiza de Oliveira Pinto e Paiva, Director of Sustainability, Suzano, to learn how COVID-19 is impacting South America, the resulting economic crisis, and how their companies are stepping up.

Corporate Citizenship in the Global South During COVID-1: Part 1 – Africa. In Part 1 of this 4-part series, Jeff Hoffman, Institute Leader of Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, speaks with Dorcas Onyango, Head of Sustainability, Southern & East Africa Business Unit, Coca-Cola, and Ruth Lewin, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Discovery Limited, to learn how their companies are navigating the pandemic and providing critical support throughout the continent.

What community relations have long practiced is even more critical after the death of George Floyd. We often talk about the authenticity of “bringing our whole selves to work;” the concept works with bringing our whole company to the community. Beyond basic business functions, we bring our core competencies, and our corporate citizenship strategies to the community through cash, in-kind and product donations along with expertise; much of it delivered through our amazing employee volunteers.

There are financial, social, and health implications for companies, employees, and communities as we think about reopening the economy. Recovery will be a long and winding road, and companies have an opportunity not only to help lead but to help take us to a more green, humane, and thoughtful world.

Food security for vulnerable communities and front-line responders has taken on increased relevance and importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are five organizations that are responding in herculean way to help those most in need.