Black Lives Matter: Immediate Action and Long-Term Work at Mission North

The movement to dismantle racist systems and end violence against Black people is imperative. Until now, our leadership team has focused on responding internally to the latest acts of brutality and ongoing resistance efforts — we held an open forum All Hands inviting our teammates to learn, listen and share; and we all spent a day away from work as an opportunity to process, protest or take care of mental and physical health. We’re continuing to discuss systemic racism at work because we recognize that real change requires urgent attention and long-term work.

We also know that actions speak much louder than words. As a communications agency, we’re in a position to make a meaningful impact through our daily work and the stories we tell. Our pro bono work has been a foundational element to Mission North’s e3thos program, which has invested more than $800,000 in grants and professional services to nonprofits since launching four years ago. For two years, we donated our services to Code2040, a nonprofit whose mission is to activate, connect and mobilize the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx people in the innovation economy. Our current e3thos client is Technovation, a global tech education nonprofit that inspires girls and families to be leaders and problem-solvers in their lives and their communities.  

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We make significant e3thos grants each year to causes that are in line with our values around equity and  social justice. We’ve dedicated our remaining 2020 Impact Grants to two important organizations. 

• The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities and achieve racial justice through litigation, advocacy and public education.
• The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.  

We know that we have more work to do. Looking inward, for example, we recognize the need to build a more racially diverse leadership team. We are rethinking our path of action in close partnership with our diversity and inclusion, HR and leadership teams to drive change within our company and through our work and community investments. 

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Together in action,

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Tyler and Bill