The Estée Lauder Companies Contributes to Global COVID-19 Relief Support

As the world is faced with the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) stands with the global community to help limit the spread of the virus and ease the related economic hardships faced by the communities in which we live and work. Guided by its family values and a spirit of giving, the Company has made contributions to support the well-being of our global communities, including monetary and in-kind donations, hand sanitiser produced at the Company’s facilities and the establishment of the ELC Cares Employee Relief Fund. 

Donations

In response to the impact of COVID-19 around the world, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., its brands and its corporate foundation, The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF), have provided the following donations:

• Globally, a $2 million grant was awarded to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to support their continued life-saving work around the world and response to coronavirus in under-resourced and highly impacted countries.
• ELCCF accelerated nearly $9.5 million in renewal grants (including $6.8 million in M·A·C VIVA GLAM grants) to provide current grantee partners with flexible funding in this time of need.
• The Company and ELCCF have pledged more than $3.3 million for local, front-line relief and response efforts to regions and countries around the world. These include, but are not limited to:
  • In ELC’s North America region, a grant was awarded to the Direct Relief Fund to support COVID relief efforts in the United States. In New York City, where the Company is headquartered, a grant was provided to support the establishment of The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, administered by the New York Community Trust. This fund provides critical support for New York City’s vital social services and cultural community organisations. In Canada, a grant was provided to Food Banks Canada.
  • In ELC’s APAC region, grants were provided to the Community Chest of Korea, the Red Cross Society of China, Shanghai Charity Foundation and Give2Asia. Additionally, in-kind donations were provided to the China Women's Development Foundation to support frontline medical staff. In ELC’s UK & Ireland region, the Company provided support to the British Red Cross and Age UK.
  • In ELC’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region, the Company supported the Spanish Red Cross, Akshaya Patra Foundation's work in India, the Italian Red Cross and Oxfam to support COVID relief work in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. 
  • In ELC’s Latin America region, grants were awarded to Unibes in Brazil, Cruz Roja in Mexico, Desafio Levantemos Chile, Cruz Roja in Argentina, Mision Huascaran in Peru, Panama Solidario and the Waldorf Foundation in Colombia.
  • As the impact of COVID-19 continues to present communities around the world with unprecedented challenges, ELCCF is awarding a grant to UNICEF USA in support of UNICEF’s work to provide much needed relief to those experiencing the devastating effects of the pandemic in India and Brazil.

• In the UK, ELC is making financial donations to the British Red Cross, to support the charity’s COVID-19 emergency response work, and Age UK, to support their work assisting vulnerable older people during the outbreak. ELC UK & Ireland is also donating thousands of hand and body products to Beauty Banks, front-line healthcare professionals and key workers supporting COVID-19 efforts.

Brand Donations

• The Estée Lauder Companies is partnering with BeautyUnited, an industry-wide effort, to support frontline healthcare workers with product donations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several ELC brands have committed to participating through donations and ELC executives have committed to driving awareness of the initiative.
• The Estée Lauder brand is donating two million surgical masks for those on the frontlines in New York as part of our continued effort towards COVID-19 relief.
• M∙A∙C Cosmetics' VIVA GLAM Fund will be allocating $10 million to 250 local organisations all over the world that are providing essential needs and services to people at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Aveda is supporting The Salon & Spa Relief Fund to help care for the heart of the Aveda community: its artists, salons and spas. As a part of this initiative, Aveda has donated $600,000 to help the salons get ready to reopen following recent mandated closures. In addition, Aveda is donating products to local communities all over the world. To date, Aveda has donated over 125,000 bottles of shampoo, lotion and other Aveda products to organisations and nonprofits helping those on the frontlines.
• Clinique is donating 50,000 skin care products as a thank you to the doctors and nurses in New York City's hospitals.

ELC Cares Employee Relief Fund

The Estée Lauder Companies announced the creation of the ELC Cares Employee Relief Fund (ELC Cares Fund), which is made possible thanks to contributions from the Company, the Lauder family and ELC employees. The fund is dedicated to supporting eligible ELC employees worldwide who have been impacted by catastrophic disasters (including COVID-19), personal disasters and personal hardships.The establishment of the ELC Cares Fund is also a testament to the generosity of spirit of ELC’s employees.

To support an increasing desire to help one another in times of difficulty, eligible employees globally can donate to the ELC Cares Fund. Additionally, employees in select markets are eligible to receive a 2x company match through ELC Good Works. 

Hand Sanitiser Production

The Estée Lauder Companies is also contributing to the broader COVID-19 relief efforts by producing hand sanitiser for high-need groups and populations, including front-line medical staff, at our Melville, New York, Oevel, Belgium and Lachen, Switzerland manufacturing facilities. In addition, our UK-based Whitman manufacturing facility also produced Jo Malone London-branded and Estée Lauder-branded hand sanitiser, to be donated to front-line workers and employees.

As the COVID-19 crisis evolves, ELC will continue to align its philanthropic resources based on emerging needs, prioritising food, medical and emergency assistance.

About The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation:
Fuelled by the values of The Estée Lauder Companies and the passions of their employees, the mission of the ELCCF is to improve the well-being of our global communities, with an emphasis on women and girls. ELCCF focuses its efforts on three pillars: health, education and the environment and make annual grants to organisations around the world that align with these pillars.

Updated on 26 October 2021. Originally published on 23 March 2020.