Corporate social responsibility continues to grow in prominence and importance for businesses worldwide. 

Today’s workforce expects strong mission-driven alignment with causes and activities that contribute to society. Enterprises grapple with this demand while ensuring a healthy bottom line remains the primary goal. 

Can both be achieved? According to marketing strategist Sheila McGillivray, the answer is, “Yes!” Sheila affirms, “Cause marketing is doing good business and doing good at the same time.”[1]

A MISSION-ALIGNED PARTNERSHIP – SPORT CLIPS AND SAPREA

In 2023, hair care company Sport Clips Haircuts partnered withSaprea to help raise awareness of child sexual abuse, ensure more survivors find healing, and equip more parents with prevention tools to protect their children. Impressed with the healing and prevention resources Saprea offers, Sport Clips decided to include them in their employee benefit package. These resources are now featured in Sport Clips’ Pro in You booklet, a sleeve of resources provided to employees in the backrooms of over 1,800 stores. 

SUPPORTING SURVIVORS IN THE WORKPLACE

Among these services is the Saprea Retreat, a free, four-day, clinically informed educational experience for adult female survivors of child sexual abuse. Sport Clips has not only shared information about the retreat with their stylists—the majority of whom are women—but has taken steps to help them get to the retreat. Founded in 2015, the Saprea Retreat has hosted over 5,500 women from around the globe. 

And though the retreat is free, one barrier that may prevent survivors from attending is the cost of travel. Sport Clips’ own nonprofit, the Eric Gozur-Wayne McGlone Memorial Relief Fund, can sponsor a survivor’s transportation to and from the Saprea Retreat if transportation is a hardship. 

Due to the generosity of this relief fund, more women, including Sport Clips’ stylists, have received the support, resources, and sense of community they need. Survivors who work for Sport Clips can apply for this relief fund.

BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES AND THE BUSINESS

This partnership exemplifies the principle of doing good business and doing good simultaneously. Sport Clips is doing good by offering enhanced benefits because they care about their team members. Yet, there is a meaningful bottom-line benefit as well. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse report experiencing 14 or more days of poor mental or physical health per month.[2][3]

Absenteeism has a direct adverse impact on the bottom line of any business. If team members who are also survivors are able to receive the resources they need, they are better prepared to meet the opportunities at work, benefiting both them and Sport Clips.

Julie Vargas, VP of Sport Clips’ Career Opportunity and Engagement, spearheaded the partnership’s launch. “We are honored to partner with an impactful program like Saprea,” said Vargas. “Our area developer in Utah, Duke Sorensen, recommended the organization to us. We were immediately drawn to their mission, the thoughtful care of their staff, and the life-changing benefits they offer our stylist community. Sport Clips is deeply committed to the overall well-being of some 13,000 team members working across our system, and Saprea has been a great addition to the many support programs provided at no cost to all team members.”

EXTENDING THE REACH OF THE PARTNERSHIP

Building on the partnership launch, Saprea received the opportunity to engage with more parents, caregivers, and survivors at the Sport Clips National Huddle in April of 2023. During this convention, Saprea staffed a booth and spoke in several breakout sessions to help spread their message of hope and healing. In addition, Saprea was invited to exhibit at this year's ISBN (International Salon/Spa Business Network) as SportClips President Edward Logan also serves as the association's president. 

Child sexual abuse impacts every neighborhood, community, and business, with an economic cost of over $9.3 billion in the United States annually. This story demonstrates how business leaders can make a difference in that cost by advocating for employees who have shouldered childhood trauma for years or even decades. It’s also a testament to the impact businesses can have on empowering parents and caregivers to protect the children in their lives from this worldwide epidemic. With more organizations like Sport Clips and Saprea working together, healing and prevention can become a reality for the next generation of children.

Citations:

[1]https://www.pinterest.com/pin/466122630179167865/

[2] Fergusson, D. M., McLeod, G. F. H., & Horwood, L. J. (2013). Childhood sexual abuse and adult developmental outcomes: Findings from a 30-year longitudinal study in New Zealand. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(9), 664-674.

[3] Downing, N. R., Akinlotan, M., & Thornhill, C. W. (2021). The impact of childhood sexual abuse and adverse childhood experiences on adult health related quality of life. Child Abuse & Neglect, 120, 105181.

About the Author:Chris Yadon, MPA, is the Managing Director of Saprea, a non-profit organization liberating individuals and society from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts. His expertise centers on increasing awareness around this epidemic and educating the public on best practices for prevention and the healing services available to survivors. Yadon has been featured across several regional and national media platforms, where he is often requested to be an industry thought leader and expert.