At Pratham, our corporate partnerships play a vital role in expanding awareness, advocacy, and engagement around education equity. Through strong relationships with employee resource groups (ERGs), companies like SMBC Group Americas and Goldman Sachs have created meaningful opportunities for their employees to connect with Pratham’s mission in hands-on, personal ways.
This year, both partners invited Pratham to host volunteer card-making events, which are simple yet powerful activities that allowed employees to create handwritten messages of encouragement for children and youth participating in Pratham programs across India.
SMBC: Celebrating Diwali With Purpose
More than 400 SMBC employees participated in festive Diwali-themed card-making sessions in support of Pratham. Organized by the ElevAsian ERG group, the celebration took place across SMBC’s New York and Jersey City offices, as well as virtually, blending cultural celebration with meaningful service.
The Diwali festivities were rich and vibrant, featuring a singing performance in ten languages, a spirited dance performance by SMBC colleagues, henna art, and authentic Indian cuisine. At the heart of the celebration was a volunteer card-making activity, where employees created Diwali cards for Pratham program participants.
Goldman Sachs: Deepening Engagement Through Advocacy and Action
Goldman Sachs welcomed Pratham back for a card-making volunteer event that continued to build momentum and deepen employee engagement. The format proved especially impactful: the session began with an overview of Pratham’s education and skilling programs, followed by card-making for program beneficiaries.
The conversation then expanded as NY Young Professionals Board Member, Bharat, shared insights into the YP Board’s work and upcoming events, while NY Board Members Meera and Jignesh spoke about their personal “Why Pratham.”
These events created valuable space to discuss the importance of advocacy in the U.S., spreading awareness about global education challenges, and the many ways corporate partners can support Pratham’s work. We are deeply grateful to Goldman Sachs and SMBC and to their dedicated ERG leaders and volunteers, for championing Pratham through these thoughtful engagement opportunities.
Interested in getting your company involved? Email [email protected].