The bank and the WNBA’s players union will work together on social reforms including racial equality, gender equity, and voting rights.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership for the WNBA and perhaps all of sports, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) named Amalgamated Bank its first-ever official social responsibility partner, the two organizations announced Monday.
Together, Amalgamated and the WNBPA will promote social reform, specifically racial and gender equity and voting rights. Amalgamated Bank’s foundation will support the WNBPA’s Social Impact Fund by driving grant money to organizations including the National Council of Negro Women, Black Voters Matter, the New Georgia Project, Sister Song, GLITS, and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund.
As part of a collaboration facilitated by OneTeam, the WNBPA’s sponsorship and licensing partner, four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird, Washington Mystics WNBA champ Natasha Cloud, and Atlanta Dream All-Star Elizabeth Williams will star in a series of videos called “Shout Outs.”
Bird’s video will highlight the issue of gender equality, Cloud will discuss the fight for racial justice, and Williams will share her experiences related to voter suppression. The series of “Shout Outs” will run online and on social and digital platforms.
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“Our members have provided the blueprint and have consistently moved with collective action on the issues that matter to them, their communities, and fans across the country,” said Terri Carmichael Jackson, the WNBPA’s Executive Director. “We are delighted that Amalgamated Bank, whose corporate values align with ours, has affirmed the work and will provide strong support for the players’ social advocacy agenda.”
The partnership represents Amalgamated Bank’s first partnership with a sports organization utilizing financial tools to align with a sports organization or professional athletes to advance economic, social, racial and environmental justice issues.
“This is not your typical sports sponsorship. It’s a collective action to use our voices and resources to advance racial justice, voting rights, and gender justice, while lifting up the work of movement leaders across the country,” said Priscilla Sims Brown, Amalgamated Bank’s President and CEO. “Amalgamated and the WNBPA share a deep alignment. Our joint legacies of standing up for what is right provides the perfect platform for Amalgamated to become the Official Social Responsibility Partner of the WNBPA.”
