This entrepreneur has stepped up to help during two global crises — here’s what he’s learned

Author Julie Ma
The future of CSR according to Danby Appliances CEO Jim Estill

Why It Matters

Along with the rest of the world, Canada is facing some major challenges as we recover economically from the pandemic. Unemployment is at a high, experts say homelessness rates will rise, and small businesses are fundamentally threatened. Corporations with the means to do so have a responsibility to contribute to recovery.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"This entrepreneur has stepped up to help during two global crises \u2014 here\u2019s what he\u2019s learned. Prior to the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015, Jim Estill \u2014\u00a0founder and CEO of Guelph-based Danby Appliances \u2014\u00a0had always taken a more traditional approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). As he explains it: \u201cBasically, there's a certain amount of money you need to keep to run a business, and I would donate everything above that every year.\u201d But during both the Syrian refugee crisis five years ago and today\u2019s COVID-19 pandemic, Estill has felt a need to take things a step further.\u00a0 In 2015, after watching the migration crisis unfold in Europe, Estill decided to personally sponsor 50 refugees, offering

Join a community of 2000+ impact-oriented professionals like you. Get full access to this story and all Future of Good content, including tickets to our digital events and networking, with a membership.