Engine Expands CSR Program with Increased Corporate Giving, Addition of Social Justice Cause
DENVER – March 14, 2022 – Travel technology leader Engine today announced the company is increasing its corporate giving in 2022 and expanding its three strategic pillars to four with the addition of Social Justice under its Corporate Social Responsibility Program. Launched in 2021, Engine initially focused its giving to support organizations in the areas of education, the environment and women and children.
“Our business success in 2021 has enabled us to contribute more funds that help organizations meaningfully address some of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Elia Wallen, CEO of Engine. “It’s our hope that in sharing the impact of this program, other companies will feel confident in implementing their own unique ways of giving back. Collectively, we can better our surrounding communities and make a positive difference in the world.”
New Partnerships for 2022
In 2022, Engine’s CSR program will include partnerships with:
- University of Colorado Boulder’s Korey Wise Innocence Project (KWIP) – In launching social justice as an area of focused giving, Engine will partner with the Korey Wise Innocence Project (KWIP), which offers pro-bono legal services to people believed to have been wrongfully convicted in the state. The money will be used to fund a community outreach and education program designed to raise public awareness about wrongful conviction.
KWIP is named after Korey Wise, one of the five wrongfully convicted teenagers of the Central Park Five. Because of the time intensive and complicated nature of the work, KWIP can only actively investigate and litigate 15 cases at a time, though there are more than 150 applications waiting to be reviewed.
“We appreciate Engine’s generous donation to the Korey Wise Innocence Project as it will help us litigate more cases of wrongful convictions,” said Ann England, a clinical law professor at the University of Colorado, School of Law. “We provide free investigative and legal services to people serving time in Colorado prisons for crimes they did not commit. Without our assistance, these individuals would likely spend more time incarcerated when they could be making positive contributions to society.”
- SafeHouse Denver – Under its women and children pillar, Engine will support SafeHouse Denver, which works to eliminate domestic violence in the Denver area by providing shelter and counseling to survivors of abuse, working with local agencies to improve the way systems respond to domestic violence, and offering educational programming to prevent future violence. SafeHouse Denver provides a safe shelter for women and their children, serving more than 250 adults and children per year.
“SafeHouse Denver is the only agency in the city and county of Denver that provides a full continuum of care for survivors of domestic violence and their children,” said Victoria McVicker, SafeHouse Denver’s CEO. “Engine’s support will allow us to support survivors with emergency shelter, basic necessities, advocacy-based counseling, extended stay housing, and more. We are so grateful for their partnership.”
- Children of Uganda (COU) – Under the education and women and children pillars, Engine will work with this international nonprofit to fund education for eight Ugandan children over the next three years. COU traces its origins back to the remarkable work of Sister Rose Muyinza, who was known as “Uganda’s Mother Teresa.” In partnership with Sister Rose and the Daughters of Charity, COU has supported hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children with access to education and livelihood support.
“Children of Uganda is excited to partner with Engine. Their support will provide education and daily care for 8 students over the next 3 years so they can focus on achieving the lives they deserve,” shares Pamela Brannon, Children of Uganda Executive Director. “Our family of supporters – which now includes Engine – help us confront poverty and social injustice in Uganda through education and empowerment of its most vulnerable children and their families.”
Following the success of last year’s partnership with global reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted, Engine will extend its support of the organization’s on-the-ground efforts to plant 50,000 new trees along rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest to restore habitats of the West Coast Chinook salmon, which has significant downstream impacts on the endangered orca whales.
Greater Employee-Driven Giving
Also, new this year is greater employee-driven giving. With increased attention on mental health, Engine team members collectively decided to direct funds to address this issue. Each quarter, a different company department will choose a mental health organization to support.
Addressing Urgent Global and U.S. Matters
Engine, like many organizations, is concerned for the welfare of citizens and residents who have had to flee Ukraine in a desperate search for safety. Engine recently announced a donation of $35,200, or $100 per associate, to the United Nation’s World Food Programme, which launched an emergency operation to provide assistance for people seeking refuge. The company is also offering assistance to its associates, clients and contractors who have friends and family fleeing the Ukraine.
“We will work as quickly as we can to connect those loved ones with a safe place to stay within our network of hotel partners,” added Wallen. “And we’ll continue to look for more ways to support additional agencies and nonprofits on the ground as the situation develops.”
As these emergency situations arise, Engine will contribute monetary and in-kind donations and services where it believes is most impactful.
About Engine
Engine is the world’s largest Lodging Performance Network, established to create a richer, more rewarding business travel experience by connecting a global network of businesses and lodging partners. The collective power of the network delivers significant savings, convenience and choice to business travelers, while driving significant and differentiated business to lodging partners. Engine is trusted by 550,000+ individual members across 40,000+ businesses and 700,000 hotels in 185+ countries.
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