Editor’s note: Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine (CMM) and ISSA Charities are both affiliated with ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association. CMM is owned and published by ISSA and ISSA Charities represents the charitable arm of the association and the cleaning industry at large. CMM covers the work of ISSA and its divisions through staff-written and contributed articles.
This season is a time of joy, connection, and giving. Whether celebrating holidays or closing out the year by spending quality time with friends and family, it’s a time when spreading joy and showing that we care is top of mind. ISSA Charities is asking the cleaning industry to join the spirit of giving and give back to communities and those in need.
The holiday season is one of the most important times for charitable giving. Not only does almost one-third of all giving occur in December each year, but 12% of all giving occurs in the last three days of the year. Gifts from individual donors also make up a huge portion of a foundation’s fundraising. As of 2017, the largest source of charitable giving was individual donations, making up 72% of all contributions. It is critical for individuals to provide support during this time of the year to maintain our programming.
Making an impact
ISSA Charities represents the charitable arm of the cleaning industry. Our three signature charities work to impact the lives of individuals within and outside the cleaning industry. Each charity has a distinct mission:
- Cleaning for a Reason. A cancer diagnosis can be devastating to people and their loved ones. When undergoing cancer treatment, basic tasks like cleaning the home are challenging or even impossible to accomplish alone. Additionally, with an estimated 9 million new cancer cases diagnosed in 2021 according to the American Cancer Society, the need for help is only growing. Cleaning for a Reason enables cleaning service provider partners and volunteers across North America to provide a critical need and give a sigh of relief to patients and their families by providing free home cleanings.
- ISSA Hygieia Network. According to the McKinsey & Co. “Women in the Workplace 2021” survey, women make up 48% of the corporate workforce but comprise only 24% of C-suite leaders. Additionally, 42% of women said they have felt burned out often or always in the past year. This is a significant increase from 32% in 2020. To help women navigate their careers, the ISSA Hygieia Network provides resources including a mentoring program, networking and leadership conferences, webinars, networking events, and regional communities. These programs are critical to helping women in the cleaning industry reach their fullest potential.
- ISSA Scholars. When adjusted for inflation, costs tied to tuition and fees increased over the past 20 years for public four-year colleges by 100%, and private four-year colleges by more than 50%. To cover these costs, the 9 million Americans with student loan debt owe an average of over $36,000 in federal loans. ISSA Scholars provides scholarships to deserving students to alleviate this burden on them and their families and help them achieve their dreams of higher education.
Closing out 2021 with charitable giving
We saw at this year’s ISSA Show North America the innovation and progress we’ve accomplished as an industry to open the world back up since the pandemic. Moving into 2022, we hope to increase our momentum to continue making the world a cleaner, healthier, better place to live.
This holiday season, please consider helping us make an impact on behalf of the cleaning industry. Please help us make a difference. Donate here.
CMM covers the work of ISSA Charities and its three charitable programs. Read our related stories here:
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