Support Us in Building a More Inclusive America!
As 2021 — another year of navigating the pandemic — winds down, we’re grateful for supporters like you, who have made this year a success regardless of the uncertainty that we encountered at every turn. This year, Open to All continued to grow, with almost six hundred thousand businesses that are committed to the belief that building a stronger country means that everyone should feel safe, respected, and accepted as they live, shop, and work. It’s truly inspiring to see how our communities have come together to change the way we do business. Thank you for your commitment to being Open to All!
In the long haul that is the Covid pandemic, we’ve seen businesses large and small shutter stores and scale back services to keep us all safe. In a time of crisis and lost profits, businesses could have cut back on their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Instead, Open to All businesses of all sizes demonstrated their commitments in myriad ways.
- Throughout 2021, Open to All collaborated to address the vulnerability of frontline workers. We worked with partners like Hollaback! and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and corporate partners to launch a groundbreaking initiative, Inclusive Retail, a campaign that puts tools and resources in the hands of businesses and customers alike to ensure the inclusion, safety, and acceptance of those on the front lines of retail: floor staff and sales associates.
- We asked customers to join as part of the solution with the launch of The Customer Action Center, featuring resources and tools that empower customers to practice effective allyship if they see an employee receiving unjust treatment from another customer, including: allyship resources created by Hollaback!, in-depth videos about allyship and implicit bias, and a new Customer Pledge where consumers can affirm the values of being Open to All.
- In addition, Yelp introduced an LGBTQ-owned business attribute that will allow business owners to self-identify as LGBTQ-owned. The latest Yelp attribute identifying LGBTQ-owned businesses illustrates the values of Open to All. It follows recent new attributes that help consumers support not only Open to All businesses but also the Latinx-, AAPI- and Black-owned attributes.
We envision a world in which businesses welcome everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from. We couldn’t have made an impact this year without the support and dedication of everyone who believes in fairness and equity.
If you can’t chip in, we understand. With so many struggling, it’s a hard thing to ask.
There are other ways you can support Open to All: support Open to All businesses when you do your holiday shopping. We’ve put together a Holiday Gift Guide with great gift ideas from our businesses.
Sign that Customer Pledge and commit to treating employees and other customers with respect and dignity.
You can also visit www.Yelp.com to find the nearest Open to All business to patronize when you’re out and about. And business owners, be sure to activate your Open to All Attribute on your Yelp business profile so holiday shoppers can find you!
Order an Open to All window cling to be displayed in a public-facing window. You can also feature a digital cling on your website, social media channels, and on your hiring page. Open to All has put together this Digital Toolkit for Businesses with everything you need to show your customers and employees that you are Open to All.
Open to All is a campaign to transform America. We believe we all have something to contribute. We believe we can all learn from one another. We believe when businesses commit to supporting their employees, customers, and communities, we all benefit.
Join us as we head into a new year with a renewed commitment to this work. Until then, stay healthy and safe.
In solidarity,
Calla Rongerude
Open to All Director
