The Coca-Cola Company contributes $2 million to Catalyst’s ‘changing workplaces, changing lives’ campaign

The Coca-Cola Company today announced a $2 million, multiyear award to Catalyst Inc. to help women worldwide grow and thrive in business. The donation was announced in conjunction with Catalyst’s 50 th anniversary celebration held this week in New York City.

Catalyst, a nonprofit organization working to accelerate the advancement of women globally, will use the funding to create the Center for Corporate Practice Research, which will analyze more than 20 years of initiatives on inclusion used by large corporations. It will share its findings and best practices with global markets working to achieve gender parity.

“At The Coca-Cola Company, we believe the real driver of the 21st century will be women, who will play a pivotal role in shaping our global economy and our society,” said Ingrid Saunders Jones, Chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “As we considered the global needs of women and the extraordinary work being done by Catalyst, we chose to support Catalyst in a way that would enable women worldwide to succeed.”

Empowering women to thrive in business is a global commitment for The Coca-Cola Company, which in 2010 announced an initiative to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs across its global value chain by the year 2020.Through 5 BY 20, Coca-Cola is developing and implementing programs that enable women entrepreneurs to break down the barriers they face. These programs include business skills training courses, access to financial services and access to support networks of peers or mentors.

In addition to 5 BY 20, The Coca-Cola Company’s Women’s Leadership Council directs the Company’s internal focus on women. Led by Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent, this group of 17 women executives works to identify strategies to recruit, develop and retain women into senior leadership positions.

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, and India, and more than 500 preeminent corporations as members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. The Coca-Cola Company has previously awarded more than $1.2 million to Catalyst for sponsorships, general operating and program support.