On June 7, we kicked off a global campaign to raise money for the Chicago Coaltition for the Homeless (CCH). As one of the organizers I want to give you some insights:

Our idea was to sell custom Roland Berger socks across the organization and donate the profit to benefit a good cause. We set an ambitious goal to sell 1 pair per employee worldwide. Through a 9-week campaign (and some time for financial validation), we are proud to announce that we have exceeded this stretch goal. We sold 2,582 pairs of fun Roland Berger socks and donated USD 12,000 to supporting the homeless community and preventing homelessness globally!!

The campaign process

The campaign started with a creative idea to combine driving social impact with showcasing Roland Berger spirit. With 100% of profits of customized socks being donated to CCH, we knew we could feel good knowing that each purchase helps homeless people get back on their feet and we would also be able to show pride in Roland Berger through a branded sock that acts as a reminder of one of our company's guiding values: Empathy.

We created five sock designs, in collaboration with our campaign coordinating partner, Toestees, to accentuate Roland Berger's cultural personality. In addition to the expected dress sock designs, we also included ankle sock options to improve inclusiveness of all genders and sizes.

Over the nine-week campaign, Roland Berger employees purchased these customized socks with 100% of profits going directly to CCH, our primary beneficiary. To increase engagement of global RB offices that may not feel as closely connected to US-based non-profit organization, we introduced a rule where any office reaching 100 pairs purchased can choose to donate its proceeds to a local organization that focuses on preventing homelessness. In the spirit of friendly competition, we also introduced an office leaderboard. The top three offices received prizes with the ranking based on the quantity of socks purchased as a percentage of the office size.

The impact

In total, we donated USD 12,000 to preventing and ending homelessness globally. This split out into contributions to CCH of USD 10,500 and Kaeltebus Muenchen of USD 1,500. With contributions to these two highly effective organizations, we've helped the homeless community from two approaches:

• Addressing the root cause – CCH works through strategic campaigns, community outreach, and public policy initiatives that target the lack of affordable housing to curb and ultimately end homelessness
• Resolving the symptoms – Kaeltebus brings practical help to the homeless community in Munich such as warm food and beverages, articles for personal hygiene, sleeping bags, etc.

Partners

To learn more about our partners, I've also included a brief description and links to learn more about them. Toestees coordinated the overall Roland Berger sock campaign and connected us to our two amazing beneficiaries.

Toestees :
Toestees is committed to connecting you to the causes you care about and delivering high quality products. A customized Toestees sock for your company or organization offers a campaign opportunity to both build engagement and strengthen community involvement.

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless :
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is the only non-profit in Illinois dedicated to advocating for public policies that curb and can ultimately end homelessness. They lead strategic campaigns, community outreach, and public policy initiatives that target the lack of affordable housing in metropolitan Chicago and across Illinois.

Kaeltebus Muenchen :
Kaeltebus Muenchen's core mission is to provide homeless people with immediate help without conditions or constraints. We do not force anyone to go to a collective accommodation in order to receive a benefit nor do we ask about the personal reasons for homelessness. But we are always available with help and advice when homeless people contact us. We provide support and assistance to anyone in need, regardless of age, appearance or origin.

Until next time,
Daniel