• by Larissa Faw , April 28, 2020

Brands and agencies have created lots of COVID-19-related ad campaigns. But they’re also creating various programs to provide tangible assistance to those in need. Here’s a sampling.

The Cigna and the New York Life foundations are each making initial contributions of $25 million to seed the Brace of Heart Fund benefiting front-line healthcare workers. The New York Life Foundation will also match the first $25 million of additional individual donations received.

Together, the hope is to raise more than $100 million to protect families from financial hardship.
As part of the Fund’s awareness push, McCann New York developed materials to illustrate that “bravery has a face.” The outreach runs across social media, print, online video and Cigna owned channels.

Chemistry’s advocacy drive donated $100 for every employee that completed all of his or her timesheets for one week this month to Feeding America. Leaders thought this was a fun way for agencies to make a tedious task into a charitable one as well as tack on the added bonus of doing some good for the community. The agency donated over $8,000 to help those in need.

Freelance platform Upwork is establishing a $1 million Work Together Talent Grants program to provide talent to select organizations working on projects to counter the impact of COVID-19. Organizations are invited to apply for a grant of up to $25,000 in talent credits at upwork.com/worktogether.

Through the initiative, Upwork will match organizations with independent pros and cover the cost of their services for projects whose mission is tied directly to mitigating COVID-19’s impact on individuals, communities and economies.

To jumpstart this initiative, Upwork and agency Duncan Channon are releasing a national TV ad using real freelancers explaining the program through FaceTime video. The visibility campaign also includes digital and audio spots.