As we cross the 2026 midpoint, I find myself reflecting on a concept that regularly surfaces in my everyday life: the value of a support system. Not a product. Not a transaction. A system – built together – that carries people when the weight of life becomes hard to shoulder alone. Support systems have been relevant in my life, and it’s likely you’ve benefited from them, too.
Every grant awarded through our Emergency Financial Relief programs is more than financial assistance; it is a part of the support system our clients have created for their employees. It represents stability and dignity. It is organization leaders making a clear statement: Our people will not face life’s hardest moments alone. At its best, a support system does something simple and profound: It allows people to move through difficult moments without losing their footing, whether at work or in their personal lives.
I invite you to join us in building that system within your organization.
We are proud to partner with our clients in strengthening it, ensuring it continues to show up – consistently and inclusively. This is our 25th year doing this work. That milestone is not a finish line. It is a foundation and a commitment grounded in the belief that this specific support conduit is far more significant than many of us realize. It has the power to prevent individual crises and restore a person's ability to thrive.
Individual well-being results continue to underperform, driven in large part by increased financial fragility and decreased resilience. Among the most prevalent stressors is financial shock: an unexpected expense or income disruption that creates difficulty meeting basic obligations. As most of us have personally experienced in our life, it is at that precise moment when access to a support system is critical, and the value of its existence compounds quickly. When financial shocks go unaddressed, a person's ability to be fully present in their life and work suffers, and everything else – including productivity, retention, well-being and loyalty – is the inevitable ripple effect of that breakdown.
The Federal Reserve's May 2026 Survey on Household Economics and Decision Making found that 67% of households supporting children experienced a financial shock in the past year, compared to 59% across all households. Even more sobering is the fact that 41% of those households were unable to afford basic needs as a result. A recent PwC study confirmed that financial stress remains the top stressor reported by employees and The Conference Board's CEO survey named mental health and well-being as the top workforce concern.
But statistics only tell part of the story.
Every data point represents an employee trying to stay focused at work while managing something difficult at home. And in those moments, the question is not whether support should exist— it’s whether it’s accessible, immediate and real.
That is the role of Emergency Financial Relief programs.
We are seeing increased need and increased impact.
We’ve covered significant ground in the first half of 2026 and continued advancing the operational, relational and technological dimensions of what it takes to deliver employee financial relief swiftly to individuals around the world.
We have awarded $23 million in grants through the first half of the year, impacting more than 22,000 individuals globally
Our five regional client summits (conducted throughout the country) connected more than 40 programs to share insight, strengthen community and elevate best practices
Our team has made continued improvements to the applicant experience, making the path to support clearer, more consistent and more human
Ongoing work to expand language accessibility to 95% of the connected world, ensuring that, with an employee financial assistance program, your global workforce would be able to engage with confidence and clarity
We continue to see more organization leaders choosing comprehensive – disaster and hardship – programs, as hardships are not seasonal. This reflects a fundamental shift in how those leaders are defining employee support. In fact, 80% of new programs launched this year were comprehensive programs, so our clients' reach is broadening. Likewise, we are deepening our investment in their value, which we see with every grantee testimonial.
We will launch client surveys to ensure our client leaders' voices shape how we pioneer the next era of Emergency Financial Relief, along with client focus groups designed to surface what enhanced reporting capabilities and global program design need to accomplish for their teams.
Our investment in data and insights is part of the foundation we continue to build. With dedicated data analyst and product teams in place, and continued development of our ImpactStack® analytics tool, we endeavor to unlock richer program intelligence. That means the most effective programs are not just delivering support, they are learning from it, using insight to refine, strengthen and adapt.
A strong support system is never just one thing or one provider. It is an ecosystem. It is joining your organization with ours. It is partners across global philanthropy and financial well-being. Together, we can build a community of support so your people can thrive, no matter the moment.
We welcome the opportunity to partner with you in strengthening that community so it continues to show up, consistently and inclusively, when your people are in need.
With appreciation,
Matt Pierce
CEO