AmerisourceBergen employees volunteering in support of one of Eluna’s camp programs.

Interview with Mary K. FitzGerald, CEO, Eluna (previously called The Moyer Foundation)

Years at organization: 5

The Partners: 
AmerisourceBergen and Eluna

Partners since: 2015

What ways have you partnered with AmerisourceBergen in the realm of employee engagement?
We are grateful for the passionate support of AmerisourceBergen Company (ABC) employees who have participated with Eluna campers in art and sports activities, supported us through employee giving campaigns and served as event volunteers.

All of Eluna’s programs — Camp Erin, the largest network of grief camps for kids ages 6-17; Camp Mariposa, a national addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth impacted by the substance use disorder of a family member and the Eluna Resource Center, which offers personalized confidential support — are available to Amerisource employees and their families.

We are excited to be planning some virtual employee engagement activities for ABC families and young professionals to stay engaged with our addiction prevention and mentoring program by making thank you cards for camp volunteers and participating in virtual camp sessions. We also look forward to re-engaging AmerisourceBergen team members to volunteer at and experience the magic of in person camp, once it’s safe to do so.

Eluna Board of Trustees. Gina Clark, AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s President, is third from the right. Mary k. FitzGerald, CEO, Eluna, is second from the right.

How has your partnership with Amerisource Bergen impacted your own board?
We are honored to have Executive Vice President and Chief Communications and Administrative Officer Gina Clark –who also serves as AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s President — serve on Eluna’s Board of Trustees. She has been an impactful and knowledgeable leader and is a great source of insight, especially when we launched a rebrand in 2018.

What skills do board members from the corporate sector have that benefit Eluna most? 
I believe it’s more about personal traits – making a passionate commitment to the organization and possessing a willingness to be a fierce advocate.  Like many nonprofits, we certainly seek out expertise in legal, accounting, communications, fundraising and other key areas, however, I have found the best board members are the ones who have a personal connection to the mission and make a longstanding commitment to support, even when personal and professional demands may at times prevent them from being as actively engaged as they would like.

We are playing the long game trying to break the cycle of addiction and ensuring each child we serve feels supported, so making the team is all about being dedicated to put your skills to use working together to make children’s futures brighter.

What benefits do corporate/nonprofit partnerships bring to our community?
Good things happen in Philadelphia, and the nonprofit-corporate partnership is one of the best things, in my opinion. Being home to Fortune 100 companies like AmerisourceBergen, Comcast and several others whose employees and leadership have broken out of the traditional corporate social responsibility framework is  a great start. These companies have built a proactive and impactful corporate citizenship strategy that centers around openness, advocacy, volunteerism and community connection and have definitely benefited the Greater Philadelphia community.

Whether it is as transformational as funding new initiatives to proactively address community issues, other important resources such as providing meeting space, transportation and supplies, or connecting nonprofits to other organizations and leaders, these partnerships help enrich our great city  by connecting all of us together and creating a culture of support and understanding we all need to work together to best address the needs of our community members. The more diverse and dedicated the team is, the more impactful the results will be in our community.

I especially love the fact that these partnerships provide the opportunity to learn from each other and offer each of us a role in making Philadelphia the best it can be.

Where would you like to see employee volunteerism/board service evolve and focus on in the future?
I would most like the future of board service and volunteerism to include corporations prioritizing the focus on aligned nonprofit and community engagement as part of their corporate missions, goals, investment strategies, bylaws, job descriptions and performance evaluations.  It is refreshing to see several companies forging this path. With the express support of shareholders and leadership, the benefit to all parties would be impactful.