Page 22 - Bain Capital Double Impact - 2020 Year in Review

Case Study: Arosa
Arosa Grant Circle -
Employee Relief Fund In conversation with Ari Medoff, CEO of Arosa
Why did Arosa launch the Canary Employee Relief Fund as a response to COVID-19?
Small grants delivered at times of acute need make a big difference in our teammates’ lives. I felt very strongly about our commitment to help one another through the toughest situations; a couple hundred or a thousand dollars can meaningfully change the emotional and physical wellbeing of our employees and their families.
When Arosa was just starting, I would receive requests that detailed the hardships that employees were facing. These struggles would cause tremendous stress and instability for our employees and their families. As we work tirelessly towards a future with greater economic stability for all of our teammates, we recognized the need to help now. Helping one another through emergencies is a powerful statement about the culture we are building.
Know the signs that someone is going through
a hard time by building relationships with your employees. Offer a fund like the Grant Circle
that they won’t have to pay back. Be a beacon of support for your employees, not just financially, but emotionally as well.
Cynthia Glotzbach
Director of Talent Development Arosa
For years, I mapped the landscape of employee relief fund providers, urgently trying to find a partner of appropriate size, scale, and unit economics to serve the needs of Arosa’s employees.
In March 2020, when COVID-19 shut down operations, we fast tracked our launch with the Canary team.
It came together quickly through a combination of timing, access and efficiency.
The Canary Employee Relief Fund is efficient and transparent in distribution of funds, but most importantly, they work with compassion and dignity.
Although we recognize the greater underlying and systemic problem faced by millions of Americans, we do hope that this small gesture on behalf of Arosa signals and conveys the gratitude to our workforce that we know our patients share.
What is it and how does it work?
Through the Arosa Grant Circle, employees, management, investors, clients and others can donate to the grant fund. In times of need, Arosa staff can apply for emergency funds. The grants are available to workers who are experiencing unexpected events that make it difficult to cover basic expenses, whether that is a result of COVID-19, a death in the family, damage to their home or other causes. These funds do not need to be repaid; rather, they are a donation that shines a light towards a brighter day. The money solves an immediate problem while letting our teammate know that their Arosa teammates care deeply about them.
22 Bain Capital Double Impact Year in Review – 2020