FleishmanHillard’s pro bono and volunteer initiative, FH4Inclusion, supports nonprofit organizations that are creating an inclusive society — one where all people feel valued, their differences are respected and their basic needs are met, so they can live in dignity.

Like many parts of the United States, Texas has seen an increase in threats of violence toward the LGBTQIA+ community this year, as well as legislation targeting this group specifically. According to the Human Rights Campaign, legislators in Texas have introduced more than 100 anti-LGTBQIA+ bills this year – more than 20% of all the anti-LGTBQIA+ bills introduced in the U.S.

Our Texas team members felt compelled to find a way to support this community through our FH4Inclusion initiative and, over the summer, partnered with the Resource Center, which operates one of the largest LGBTQIA+ community centers in the U.S. and is a primary HIV/AIDS service organization in North Texas. With a staff of nearly 100 people supported by over 1,200 volunteers, the Resource Center serves more than 62,000 people each year through programs that address the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community and services that provide critical assistance to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS – including a food pantry and hot meal program that serves 800 people each week. They have grown into a trusted provider of LGBTQIA+ services in a safe, affirming environment with the goal of achieving recognition and equal rights for all LGBTQIA+ people. (To learn more about the Resource Center and the multitude of ways they support the LGBTQIA+ community, visit myresourcecenter.org.)

To ensure that all our Texas team members could participate, we worked with the Resource Center to find multiple ways for folks to contribute –including on-site, in-office and remote options. Our support kicked off in June for Pride Month with a letter-writing initiative and food/supply drive where colleagues wrote letters or shared cards with words of encouragement and/or donated much-needed food/supplies to support the LGBTQIA+ community. In July, eight FleishmanHillard team members delivered the donations of cards and goods to the Resource Center and spent the morning assisting clients in the food pantry and serving hot meals.

In all, our colleagues donated 166 pounds of food and goods and spent 44 hours planning, writing cards and volunteering to support the Resource Center.

The efforts by our Texas office helped bring our cumulative contributions through FH4Inclusion to more than 37,000 hours of service to more than 130 nonprofit organizations globally.

FleishmanHillard and Cannes Can: Diversity Collective (CC:DC) joined forces this summer to bring fresh perspectives to key creative gatherings, leveraging the power of FH4Inclusion, FleishmanHillard’s pro-bono and volunteer initiative that has provided more than 37,000 hours of service to more than 130 global nonprofit organizations advancing inclusion.

It all started when Adrianne C. Smith, FleishmanHillard Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and CC:DC founder, attended her first Cannes Lions Festival and witnessed a significant lack of representation. She created CC:DC in 2017 to continue the conversation about the lack of diversity in the communications industry and to bring previously underrepresented groups to the table. In 2018, the organization brought its first group of ambassadors to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where storytellers, creatives and other industry professionals gather annually. From there it took off, bringing more ambassadors each year and creating bespoke programming.

Fast-forward to 2023, we locked arms with CC:DC and supported social media management, media relations, thought leadership, activation planning and on the ground logistics at CC:DC’s two annual activations: the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Inkwell Beach at Martha’s Vineyard. At the events, our colleagues helped connect Grammy award-winning producers, well-known activists, artists and Fortune 500 sponsors to facilitate thoughtful and impactful conversations surrounding the intersection of inclusion, creativity and the need for continued investment into both within our industry.

Our global creative team also got in on the action, working with CC:DC to reinvent its AYA Inclusion Awards program hosted in Cannes. This included developing the graphic design and overall aesthetic of the awards, along with creating the award categories and judging standards, and having a hand evaluating the entries. In the spirit of inclusion, the AYA awards are free to enter.

“The goals of FleishmanHillard and CC:DC align in many ways to create a more inclusive communications and marketing industry. We were able to uplevel the already impactful work that CC:DC has been doing by enhancing the AYA Inclusion Awards with our world-bending creative leaders, managing the flow of events flawlessly, and increasing social and traditional media awareness, which garnered great feedback and engagement online while landing over 20 pieces of coverage in publications such as PRWeek, PRovoke, the Lions Daily News, Campaign, Fast Company, Human Resources Director Magazine and more,” said Francesca Weems, Director of DEI, FleishmanHillard.

The reinvigorated awards were also a hit.

“It was inspiring to see so many amazing pieces of work that center various aspects of diversity – be it race and ethnicity, accessibility or gender equality. With work entered from China, Brazil, France and the U.S., the AYA Inclusion Award is a great showcase that across the world diverse agency teams are using creativity to make an impact for marginalized communities,” said Anne Beutel, FleishmanHillard vice president.

There is strength in working together to achieve a common goal. FleishmanHillard is lending its expertise to the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective (CC:DC) through FH4Inclusion, the agency’s global pro bono and volunteer initiative, at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

CC:DC was founded by Adrianne C. Smith, now FleishmanHillard’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, in 2018 with a vision for moving the needle on inclusion and diversity in the industry. As such, FleishmanHillard will provide in-kind support to sponsor and drive forth the two organizations’ shared vision to directly pour back into the next generation of industry leaders and work to make the communications, marketing, advertising and creative industry more inclusive. The agency’s support for CC:DC includes media relations, social strategy, event management, ambassador logistics and branding to help with its continued success. Additionally, the agency has partnered with CC:DC to rebrand its signature Inclusion Awards to the AYA Inclusion Awards. The AYA is an adinkra symbol for endurance, independence, defiance against difficulties, hardiness, perseverance and resourcefulness; this award illustrates why inclusion is good for the world and good for business, underscoring the idea that you must include the world to have world-bending ideas. FleishmanHillard is the presenting sponsor of the AYA Inclusion Awards, which celebrate culture-shifting creativity across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, neurodiversity, age and body diversity.

The activation focuses on the intersections of DE&I, innovation and creativity. This year’s Inkwell Beach theme is “Expect the Unexpected: Moving DE&I from WOE is me to WOW is me.” Programming includes:

Juneteenth Celebration – Bridging the Gap of Information Dissemination. 

Opening night party (featuring a special musical guest) and the annual AYA Inclusion Awards. 

“Day of Disruption” (featuring bestselling author, speaker and entrepreneur Luvvie Ajayi Jones; and stand-up comedian, bestselling author producer, actress and publisher Phoebe Robinson), where we explore forward-focused ways to implement revolutionary change in the creative industry. 

“Daily Cultural Updates” featuring the 2023 cohort of CC:DC ambassadors.

Also onsite with CC:DC will be FleishmanHillard’s Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt, senior manager of DE&I programs, and Kira Nielsen, senior account executive, who were both selected as members of the 2023 CC:DC cohort.

Over 8 thousand miles, or 13 thousand kilometers, separate the U.S. and India, but the FleishmanHillard Diversity Fellows proved once again that forming connections with global colleagues is achievable despite the geographic distance. The Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship, a program for up-and-coming PR leaders in the United States, was founded in 2012 and continues to be a beacon for those passionate about the intersection of diversity, inclusion, brand and reputation. Fellows explore these topics on a global scale with our virtual expatriate experience, the Cross-Cultural Connections Program, launched in 2021. For the 2022 program, the Fellows were asked what office they had interest in learning more about, and were eager to partner with  FleishmanHillard in India, supported by colleagues in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.   

This year’s program participants included:  

We asked this year’s participants to share their “Top Five’s” about the experience. Here’s what they loved the most:  

 Learning about another country’s culture.  

 Networking with new colleagues and coordinating schedules across time zones. 

 Applying a global lens to topics they are passionate about and exploring solutions to global issues. 

 Learning about different markets, clients and campaigns.  

 Presenting to key leaders and developing their project management and presentation skills.  

Unexpected Discoveries  

Fellows and their Mumbai partners bonded over shared hobbies, PR practice areas and the value they place on incorporating DE&I into their work. It didn’t take long for each pair to finalize their project’s focus, where they examined important topics including, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, best practices for partnering with influencers and the importance of bringing the principles of design justice to the virtual world. With topics as varied as these, it is no wonder that there were a few surprises along the way.   

Aaisha and Himani, learned that much of the metaverse has yet to be researched.   

“The metaverse is new enough that it gives the perfect opportunity to right the wrongs of web 2.0 and create a safe and inclusive space for individuals to come together…that is, if companies can create it properly.” Aaisha Shafique  

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Grace and Crystal learned that researching regional practices can yield a multitude of results. Grace shared:

“I did not fully realize how much the business of influencer marketing can differ from country to country.”  

Ron and Arushi used their research to highlight the challenges that face the LGBTQIA+ community, providing examples of why we must become better allies to our team members. Ron stated:

“Although the U.S. is quite progressive in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, there are still many challenges that exist for that community, especially because protections can vary depending on the state you live in.”  

Coming Soon: Cross-Cultural Connections v.3  

We look forward to our next global partnership and the inevitable opportunities it will bring later this year. While the topics and participants may change, the one thing that will not is our firm’s commitment to inclusion and connection. As always, our Diversity Fellows will be ready – to explore new topics and learn new lessons as we all work toward a more inclusive future for the PR industry.   

You can learn more about openings in our Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship program by visiting our careers page here.   

Turning the page to a new calendar year means celebrating the successes of the past 12 months, catching my breath, and resolving what I want to do better moving forward. As global lead for FH4Inclusion, this initiative is on the list of things that give me pride and continued purpose in my profession and life. Six years ago, we launched FH4Inclusion in honor of FleishmanHillard’s 70^th anniversary. We marked that occasion by uniting all our global offices to champion inclusion in the many places we live and work through pro bono and volunteer service.

Following our 70^th anniversary year, we redoubled our efforts. Two years ago, in conjunction with our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) plan, we committed to surpassing the equivalent of $7.5 million in pro bono and volunteer time by the end of 2022 to honor our 75^th anniversary. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, I am delighted to share that we reached our goal through more than 35,000 hours of cumulative service to 130 nonprofits globally. We remain steadfast in ensuring we show up for our FH4Inclusion clients as we would any other.

There are many why’s behind FH4Inclusion, including:

Supporting nonprofit organizations. An essential part of the fabric of our society, they face immense pressures as they work to expand their impact, including an uncertain economic climate and inadequate staffing, as reported by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Employee interests. Research of Millennial and Gen Z workers – who make up nearly half of the workforce – underscores the importance of employee corporate giving efforts. Specifically, Benevity found 52% lower turnover among newer employees (i.e., those who have been with the company two-and-a-half years or less) who participate in purpose programs.

Beyond the numbers, it is the words of our FH4Inclusion clients and colleagues that stick with me:

“FleishmanHillard played an instrumental role in the highly successful and multi-award-winning launch of WeThe15. Led by the London team who provided excellent strategic advice throughout, FleishmanHillard’s international network of offices implemented the launch campaign to great effect, with coverage reaching billions of people around the globe. The coverage was beyond our wildest dreams and has done so much to advance the rights of the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.” – Craig Spence, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, International Paralympic Committee

“As part of our 50th Anniversary, we wanted to address the racial wealth gap. Your guidance and assistance were invaluable to my team as we build the infrastructure needed to make NMSDC a household name and the leading voice for advancing generational wealth in communities of color. I am especially grateful for the placements NMSDC was able to secure in Forbes, New York Times, and Bloomberg thanks to the FleishmanHillard team’s tireless outreach.” – Stefan Bradham, VP of Marketing and Communications

“In North Carolina, we were proud to deepen our partnership with HBCU (Historically Black College and University) NC Central University through a specific request from the professor we’ve worked with on past recruitment sessions. Our team virtually visited her PR Campaigns class to host a lecture on influencer marketing and paid social media campaigns, with the goal of enriching the students’ coursework and fostering interest in these growing fields. As we saw through this project, it’s important to establish recurring relationships with local partners because they naturally open the door for new opportunities to make an impact.” – Elizabeth Comtois, Account Supervisor, North Carolina

Through my tenure with the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University – as a student two decades ago and now as vice chair of the National Advisory Board – I know that there are important principles we must take seriously for service to be ethical and effective. These include humility, preparation, reflection and learning.

I am grateful to collaborate with so many colleagues who take being of service seriously and l look forward to our continued embrace of these principles to ensure we are doing good in 2023 and beyond.