ELC Celebrates the International Day of the Girl

As a company founded by a woman, for women, our commitment to supporting girls and young women around the globe is an integral part of our DNA.

The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation, known as The ELC Foundation, has supported programs in 22 countries through grants to 10 non-profits focused on education, with a special focus on girls, since its launch in 2016. Additionally, our employees have gotten involved in supporting girls and young women in their own communities through the ELC Good Works program, which provides volunteer opportunities and organizations employees can donate to, with the potential for company matching. Through our brands, our enterprise, our Foundation and the amazing volunteer work of our employees, we come together in working towards better education and health for girls and young women globally.

The Nature Conservancy’s LEAF program

One non-profit that The ELC Foundation supports is The Nature Conservancy’s LEAF program, which provides paid internships for young men and women living in large cities to engage in conservation activities. Through this program, interns receive the opportunity to work with mentors and scientists in career development and hands-on environmental activities. This program not only strengthens young women, but also develops their interest in STEM and provides a meaningful way to give back to protect and promote the environment.

Our Partnership with Nature Research

Another way we have supported girls and young women in STEM is through our partnership with Nature Research. This year, Nature Research and The Estée Lauder Companies have launched two global awards that celebrate the achievements of women in STEM.  One of these awards is the Award for Innovating Science, which honors an individual or organization who has driven initiatives to encourage girls and young women to engage with STEM subjects. The winner, to be announced at the end of this month, will receive a grant of $10,000 to use toward their initiative, in addition to other award prizes. We are proud to partner with organizations such as Nature on supporting women in science around the world.

EMpower and the Bright Promise Awards

EMpower is a global non-profit that invests in local organizations to provide the tools and resources youth need to reach their potential and become healthy, educated, and productive adults. Earlier this year, EMpower announced a new awards initiative, the Bright Promise Awards, funded by The ELC Foundation, that incentivizes organizations working in girls’ education to develop new, creative and innovative solutions to problems affecting adolescent girls. The Bright Promise Awards funded six organizations in Mexico, South Africa, India, and Indonesia working to address issues such as gender-based violence, reproductive health, gender equality and self-esteem.

We have always aimed to help girls and young women reach their fullest potential, and that is the most beautiful thing we could be committed to.