H&R Block makes meaningful progress towards 1 million volunteer hours, supporting 500,000 small business owners and 500 communities in second corporate responsibility report

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) today released its second annual demonstrating its commitment to supporting small businesses, increasing diversity and inclusion, and connecting communities across the country. The company is now more than halfway toward achieving its goals of helping 500 communities in all 50 states and supporting 500,000 small-business owners.

“We’re proud of the progress we made this year toward our 2025 goals of demonstrating our Purpose in both the communities in which H&R Block lives and serves and our own workplace,” said Jeff Jones, president and CEO of H&R Block. “We know our associates thrive when they can bring their authentic self to work and communities thrive when neighbors are connected and small business owners are supported.”

New Ways of Supporting Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

In addition to its existing partnerships with the Kauffman Foundation and KC Rise Fund, the company expanded its efforts to support small businesses and entrepreneurship.

• Through a , Block Advisors are providing free, personalized coaching to Black-owned businesses, with a goal of increasing financial confidence and ultimately access to financial capital.
• H&R Block worked with Brit + Co. to co-sponsor a 10-week virtual start-up school for female entrepreneuers, and provided 400 scholarships for women to attend the course for free. The scholarships prioritized women of color, women from underserved and underrepresented communities, and women in need of support to help them trailblaze.
• H&R Block will be launching a new program aimed at helping the next generation of entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life, as an affiliate of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac program.
  
  

Increasing Diversity and Inclusion

H&R Block continues to foster a culture of belonging and a place where all associates can cultivate connections.

• Women and people of color hold more than 50% of the independent board seats, compared to 38.3% on average within the Fortune 500.
• H&R Block received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2021 Corporate Equality Index for the , earning a spot on their list of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
• H&R Block is just one of eight companies in Kansas City and 21 in Missouri to receive a 100% on the Corporate Equality Index, which is the leading benchmarking tool for measuring U.S.-based companies’ LGBTQ-related corporate policies, practices, and benefits.
• H&R Block reviewed its current minority-owned supplier spend and took a leadership role to increase diversity among suppliers, including a CEO pledge to sustain the improvement.
• A Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) centered “Actions We Take Committee” was established to help address any potential systemic racism at H&R Block, through recommendations and collaboration across the enterprise. 
• H&R Block is consistently recognized as a Forbes’ Best Employer for new grads, women, by state, and for diversity. The company was also recognized for its workplace with ™.

Connecting Communities Where H&R Block Lives and Serves

• With community partner Nextdoor, H&R Block called on people across the country to nominate a new slate of projects in their neighborhoods that will uplift, improve and better connect communities. In June, H&R Block that will come to life through October 2021, bringing the total number of projects over the past two years to 20.
• H&R Block is also shaping by building the first new home in 20 years in the historic Lykins neighborhood, as part of the partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
• In total, H&R Block associates have volunteered more than 200,000 hours over the past two years, furthering the company’s goal of reaching 1 million volunteer hours by 2025 through its community impact platform Make Every Block Better.
  
  

“Being a responsible corporate citizen that cares about our people, our communities, and our planet has been a part of our culture and aspirations from the very beginning,” said Jones. “This is continues to be true now, more than ever.”

For more information and to see the full report, visit: .

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global , , and . The company blends digital innovation with the human expertise and care of its associates and franchisees as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and better manage and access their money year-round. Through  and , the company helps small-business owners thrive with innovative products like Wave Money, a small-business banking and bookkeeping solution, and the only business bank account to manage bookkeeping automatically. For more information, visit  or follow  on Twitter.

For Further Information

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at