In times of adversity, celebrating and supporting one another is more important than ever. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic this summer, RBC launched an initiative that provided an opportunity for employees to recognize and encourage each other while also making a difference for their communities.

Called #PowerOfPurpose, the initiative was part of RBC's firm-wide employee recognition program, and aimed to highlight the many ways employees supported their communities, their colleagues, and their clients in the face of challenging circumstances.

But more than that, #PowerOfPurpose also enabled employees to support charities at a time when organizations needed financial donations more than ever, and when volunteering or in-person support wasn't possible.

Any RBC employee who received or submitted a #PowerOfPurpose recognition throughout the summer was entered into a series of draws to receive $150 to donate to their charity of choice. In total, more than $500,000 was allocated to impact communities around the globe.

Over 20,000 #PowerOfPurpose entries were submitted by RBC employees, and 1,899 charities received donations in 19 countries. More than 100 drawn winners were chosen from RBC Wealth Management–U.S., and nearly $12,000 was donated to charities throughout the United States.

“Even though most RBC employees are working remotely and are unable to volunteer or give back in person right now, the #PowerOfPurpose campaign helped everyone in the U.S. and around the world have an active role in helping our clients, communities and each other,” says Martha Baumbach, director of Community Affairs for RBC Wealth Management–U.S.

Some RBC Wealth Management–U.S. employees were particularly strategic in how they made a difference.

Morgan Edwards, a branch service manager and registered client associate in RBC Wealth Management's Sarasota, Florida branch, participated in the #PowerOfPurpose program with two other members of her team. When all three were selected as winners in the draws, they saw an opportunity to maximize their impact by directing their donations to the same organization, Florida-based charity Take Stock in Children (TSIC).

To complement the #PowerOfPurpose donations to Take Stock in Children (TSIC), Edwards (second from left) and her team gave an additional $4,000 to the organization through an RBC Foundation grant and a team donation.

TSIC works to break the cycle of poverty for low-income, academically qualified students in Florida by providing opportunities for postsecondary education. The organization offers mentors and college scholarships to help students graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills they need to graduate and successfully enter the work force.

Edwards is a mentor for TSIC in Sarasota and wanted to help those students' families, many of whom are in need during this difficult time.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have been struggling to even put food on the table,” Edwards says. “Our team is dedicated to helping the community as much as possible, and #PowerOfPurpose made it easy to do that.”