By Chris Kohlhardt, Founder and Chairman of the Board, Gliffy

We took the Pledge 1% because I want to be able to give something back to the San Francisco community I have called home for over 22 years. We worked very hard to build Gliffy into a strong company. Myself and the company have been fortunate, given many opportunities and touched by luck. We are humbled to be in a position to take a portion of our success and reinvest it, hopefully sending a little luck and opportunity in the lives of community members who need it most.

Gliffy started our philanthropy by matching employee gifts to organizations that were personally important to them. We joined Pledge 1% in the early stage of our company’s development to ensure it was part of our company’s DNA. As the Gliffy Charitable Fund grew, we realized we were in a position to make larger investments. We have been inspired by the philanthropic efforts of large companies such as Salesforce, Atlassian and Google, but as a company with less than 40 staff we also believe we have a role to play in being active citizens.

Like many San Franciscans we struggle with homelessness in our city. Myself and others on our team have expressed a sense of helplessness faced with men, women and families living on the streets. We chose this as the area we wanted to support believing that taking some sort of action is the only way to reduce the feeling of being helpless.

We recognized we are a software company without any in-house expertise on non-profits or philanthropy. We hired an advisor to help us identify a project that was designed by local experts, aligned with our values and in need of funding. We were inspired by the work of Jeff Kositsky and the leadership at San Francisco’s newly created Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. We chose to invest in their expanded “problem-solving” strategy to help minimize the pipeline of people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

We built out an additional level of opportunities for our staff to learn about the issue and other organizations working on homelessness. We have created a year of programming for Gliffy staff including activities like volunteering with Downtown Streets Team to help us understand the individual experiences with homelessness. We are also bringing in local experts like Enterprise Community Partners to help us understand the larger policy work that exacerbates Bay Area housing costs across income levels. Importantly, we are including smaller financial contributions for each organization to go along with each of these activities.

At Gliffy we haven’t forgotten about our business goals and objectives, but we are working to expand our place in the community and to do our part to give back. We hope to inspire other smaller companies to incorporate a philanthropy program into their work. We are eager to help. Contact me at pledge-advice@gliffy.com. Chris Kohlhardt is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Gliffy, a San Francisco-based software company that specializes in visual tools that power and help teams work better together. Gliffy is also a member of Pledge 1%, which encourages and challenges individuals and companies to commit 1% of equity, profit, product, and/or employee time for their communities.

Originally published on the Box blog by BRYAN BRECKENRIDGE

Millions of people are suffering unimaginable circumstances around the world, even in the places members of the Box ecosystem live and work. The global social impact sector, especially nonprofits, are more overwhelmed than ever.

For the past four years, Box.org has provided these organizations with the capacity-building resources they need to innovate and fulfill their mission. In addition to offering donated or discounted access to our cloud content management platform, we build nonprofit capacity through employee-led volunteering and giving programs. For example, Thinkof-Us, Year Up, and International Rescue Committee innovate using Box technology, host Box volunteers and partner with Box to elevate their work and garner more support from the expansive Box ecosystem and beyond.

As Box.org has evolved we’ve realized the importance of focusing the bi-directional exchange of value between the Box ecosystem and the social impact sector in a narrower set of social impact areas. In addition to enabling success for all nonprofits leveraging the Box cloud content platform in their work, we’ll now focus more on addressing the needs of organizations working to scale youth well-being, tech sector inclusion and humanitarian aid delivery.

We’ve partnered with over 6,000 social impact [nonprofit] organizations to date and anticipate we’ll serve hundreds of thousands more. Because of these bold aspirations, we feel it’s now time to expand Box.org in three critical ways:

1. Creation of the Box.org Fund and a unique funding mechanism supported by philanthropic partner Tides


2. A policy offering Box employees (Boxers) 3 paid Box.org Impact Days to build social impact org capacity


3. Launch of the Box.org Coaching Corps which will enable Boxers to mentor nonprofits on Box tech

Our expansion of Box.org will empower Boxers, Box tech and the entire Box ecosystem to empower more social impact [nonprofit] organizations and their vital missions. A scaling Box.org means more innovation and mission fulfillment for social impact organizations world-wide, especially organizations focused on youth well-being, tech sector inclusion and humanitarian aid.

Box.org Fund

The Box.org Fund is a donor advised fund housed at Tides Foundation along with Google, Patagonia, Okta, Twilio’s and many other leading organization’s funds. Tides will help Box as we evolve our integrated scalable impact model.

Box will initially fund the Box.org Fund with a transfer of equity and cash, but will also deposit a percentage of the (heavily discounted) services cost that social impact organizations [nonprofits] pay Box on a quarterly basis. All funds re-directed to the Box.org Fund will support grant-making and nonprofit capacity building programs and eventually support Box.org’s social impact investing aspirations. Our approach will be to team closely with Tides to make Box.org grants as unrestricted as possible.

We’re excited to announce this fund and the social intraprise model that fuels it, a model that assures that the more nonprofits succeed with Box cloud content management and invest in it the more resources Box.org can mobilize for nonprofit capacity building. We call this scalable virtuous cycle Biznevolence, the business of scalable well being. We’re excited to see lots of our peers in tech adopt similar corporate social impact models that maximize outcomes for all stakeholders involved.

Box.org Impact Days

For Box, our teaming with nonprofits both local and abroad is a reflection of who we are as company: we habitually give back, and it is a value system that is core to our company culture. Three paid Box.org Impact Days will allow Boxers to do that simply by being a part of Box. These are three days for Boxers to dedicate to social impact work that speaks most to them personally. The Box.org team cant wait to see the programs and capacity-building skilled volunteering and social impact organization support and advocacy these days generate.

Box.org Coaching Corps

We know that the vast majority of social impact organizations doing incredible work don’t have the dedicated IT capacity to maximize the value of the solutions they use. Though Box is extremely easy for nonprofits to deploy and use Box without expert support, we know nonprofits can get more value from the platform with brief coaching sessions with Box experts. Box.org Coaching Corps will help us scale up the number of nonprofits a scaling community of Box expert coaches can serve.

We’re excited to announce that incredible executives will join Box.org’s advisory board. Dylan Smith, CFO and Co-founder of Box Inc. and Erik Arnold, CTO of Microsoft Philanthropies- Tech for Social Impact. Both are passionate about developing scalable capacity-building models. We look forward to their continued thought partnership.

Box.org works hard every day to maximize the way the social impact sector and tech sector maximize positive social impact together. We’re grateful to everyone who has contributed to the expansion of Box.org and the organizations we serve. We look forward to working with all members of our ecosystem to evolve our model. Please learn more about our work at Box.org, start using Box technology in your work and contact us if so inspired.

Finally, we are supporting #GirlScoutsInTech, an effort to prepare more girl leaders for careers in tech. More info here. Please help us support the program here. See the support Box is generating for Girl Scouts here.

Originally published on the Optoro blog.

Optoro is proud to announce that we have joined Pledge 1%, a global movement creating a new normal where companies of all sizes integrate giving back into their culture and values. Pledge 1% empowers companies to donate 1% of product, employee time, equity, or profit to causes of their choice.

In our initial year, Optoro has committed to donating 1% of our product and 1% of employee time to causes close to our communities, both in Washington, D.C. and Mt. Juliet, TN. By effectively donating goods to those in need and offering paid Volunteer Time Off to all employees, we pledge to continue ingraining giving back into our business. We are excited to stand alongside Pledge 1%’s participating companies, including Salesforce, Atlassian, and numerous others, in this mission to make philanthropy an integral part of our company.

Originally posted by the DeFrame team on Medium.

Today, we are pleased to announce that DeFrame has joined the Boston chapter of Pledge 1%, a global philanthropic movement creating new normal where companies of all sizes integrate giving back into their culture and values. Pledge 1% empowers companies to donate 1% of their product, 1% of equity, 1% of profit or 1% of employee time to good causes of their choice. Over 1,500 companies in 40 countries have taken the Pledge and committed to communities around the world.

DeFrame is excited to join Pledge 1%’s network of founders, entrepreneurs and companies around the globe that have committed to giving back. We have committed to pledging 1% of DeFrame’s upcoming software/platform to local Art Galleries and Independent Artists.

At DeFrame we believe in the importance of art culturally, and socially. Our mission of Connecting Museums, Art, and People art goes beyond just sharing your thoughts and feelings about a painting; it is about making art both accessible and interactive to everyone, from art experts to kids who are visiting their first museum.

Also, by utilizing technology, we want to empower everyone’s art experience, creating a user-friendly experience that promotes a collaborative community that shares their perspectives and interpretations of art. We aim to create a more interactive approach to the process of appreciating and learning about art, its beauty, and importance to the world.

We believe in the importance of art culturally, and socially. We want to bring new ways of financial sustainability by keeping Museums and Art Galleries relevant to younger generations.

Lastly, we want to bring new ways of financial sustainability by keeping Museums and Art Galleries relevant to younger generations. Our team at DeFrame want to put their own mark in reaching that goal. Technology will eventually change the way we behave and interact with art; we are aiming to be one of the catalysts that will push this industry to a prosperous financial future by working hand-in-hand with advances in tech and the Art world.

We are proud to be a Pledge 1% member. For more information about Pledge 1%, visit www.pledge1percent.org.

Originally published on Medium by Conor Nolan.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I attempted to do the impossible — Explain Blockchain.

So I described it through football, a medium we both understood, using a cool analogy I recently came across. During a game, everyone playing and watching knows the score; how much time is left; how many players are on the pitch; and this cannot be changed without a good reason for doing so and the referee’s confirmation. Blockchain is essentially the referee, putting the power in the hands of everyone there. So each ‘block’ in a blockchain-based peer-to-peer ‘chain’ is agreed and verified by everyone watching, ensuring the legitimacy of every element of the game.

Taking a step back from football and applying that to real world scenarios, the opportunities are endless.

 

Money is a good example, and most people have heard of the almighty Bitcoin. The rules are simple. Are the funds in the sender’s account? Are both the sender and the receiver reputable? Is the request legitimate? Global, human to human, fast and frictionless.

 

At Blocknubie, we want to give great teams and great ideas that take advantage of this technology, the best possible chance of success. Our emerging, open source platform acts as a bridge between off-chain organisations, startups and the blockchain ecosystem, something we’ve explained in other blogs.

 

Blockchain and Social Entrepreneurship

There are already some incredible ideas with ambitious goals to create a massive social change, but current practices and methods are ineffective. This is where blockchain can be a catalyst for positive impact.

According to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, 30% of foreign aid never reaches its destination due to corruption, or failure of accountability and transparency. So UNICEF are hiring blockchain developers to explore applications of blockchain to help distribute and deploy foreign aid.

A blockchain powered Foreign Aid system could enable transparency and accountability in the operation – distributing financial aid safely, securely and directly to the people and organisations they were meant for.

This is only one example. Think identity, think security, think financial empowerment. The potential is immense.

So what has Blocknubie got to do with Pledge 1%?

I have personally have been involved in Social Entrepreneurship for a number of years and a company’s corporate social responsibility is something I believe to be of vital importance. From donating to charitable organisations to assisting start-up ventures with a purpose to ‘do-good’.

At Blocknubie, giving back and promoting social entrepreneurship has been a core element of the company since it’s inception, and the 1% Pledge aligns strongly with the values of our team. We will be:

• Allocating 1% of NUB Tokens raised in our ICO to the 1% Pledge


• Guaranteeing at least one Social Venture will be part of the Blocknubie Accelerator Fund per cycle.


• Giving full access to the platform and integrated DApps for Social Ventures

Blockchain technology has been around for a while, it’s mass adoption is still quite premature. New applications for this potentially revolutionary enabler will continue to emerge as more and more people are educated, and the team at Blocknubie hope to help as many ideas prosper as possible.

It is a no-brainer for socially-focused organisations to at least consider blockchain, and we expect our partnership with 1% Pledge breaks down any barriers to entry for those considering it.

Originally published by CAF America.

The China Overseas NGO Management Law, officially the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Administration of Activities of Overseas Nongovernmental Organizations in the Mainland of China” went into effect January 1, 2017. The law requires that foreign NGOs coordinate their efforts with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and provides the framework within which they can continue their activities in the country through two ways: opening a representative office in China or applying for a temporary activity license.

When the law first came into effect there was a lack of detailed guidance on how to comply with the requirements of the law. This led to confusion amongst international philanthropists and grantmakers about how the new regulation would affect their charitable efforts within China. While the government has not yet officially clarified all details regarding implementation, over the past several months it has become clearer how NGOs can become compliant either by opening a representative office in China or applying for a temporary activity license. These two compliance measures enable foreign NGOs to plan their strategy for continuing their work in China. To date, some estimates from The Diplomat and The China NGO Project say that 90 to 250 foreign NGOs have successfully registered their offices in China. The number of temporary activity licenses that have been released is unclear, The China NGO Project estimates there have been less than 150 to date.

What is clear, however, is that donors from the United States can continue to support registered Chinese NGOs through intermediary organizations or through direct grantmaking if that is what they would prefer. Intermediary organizations may choose either option to fund charitable efforts in China, i.e. opening a representative office in the country or working with a “Chinese Partner Unit” and obtaining a temporary activity license. Both avenues are complicated and burdensome on the intermediary, however, a temporary license provides more flexibility for the donor.

When giving to an organization that has a representative office registered in China, the law requires that the registered office submit its entire activity plan by December 31 for the following year. This means that donors to this organization must know what exactly they want to fund a full year in advance and must provide this information to the registered office in due time.

The alternative, providing funding to an organization that works through temporary activity licenses, does not require this level of planning. The donor is therefore able to give at any time during the year, without the burden of 12 months of advance planning. Instead, while obtaining temporary activity licenses requires significant amount of resources (the prescribed documentation is extensive and requires close coordination with the “Chinese Partner Unit”), the temporary license allows for far more flexibility for both the Chinese Partner Unit and the donor.

The following steps should be taken by grantmakers and others applying for a temporary activity license. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and it may differ based on region of China. Requirements may also change over time. Thus, it is important that you engage with your Chinese Partner Unit directly to ask them what is needed in order to apply before you begin this process.

• The funder should first obtain the following documents
  
  
  
  • 501(c)(3) Determination Letter – English and Chinese Translation (may need an original copy from the IRS)
  
  
  • Articles of Incorporation – English and Chinese Translation (these must be originals from your state of incorporation and require an apostille)
  
  
  • A document certifying the source of and purpose of funds
  
  
  • The grant agreement with the intended Chinese Partner Unit
  
  
  
  


• All of these documents, including an application for notarization, must be submitted to the Chinese Embassy for certification in-person. However, the Chinese Embassy will not certify the documents unless they have already been certified by the U.S. Department of State Authentications office.


• After approximately 10 days, the funder must return to pick up their notarized documents from the Embassy and proceed to coordinate with the Chinese Partner Unit to complete the license application process.

Given that each grant must go through a process similar to that described above, financial and staff costs are burdensome but not prohibitive.

Want more? Listen to our podcast to learn more about the China Overseas NGO Management Law