Originally posted on airteam.com.
The Environmental Defenders Office apply legal expertise to defend Australia’s wildlife, people and places. They have a solid track record for taking landmark environmental cases to the courts, and winning.
In 2021, representing survivors of the 2019-2020 bushfires, EDO successfully prosecuted the case that the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a duty of care to take serious action on emissions and climate change.
It was the first time that an Australian Court had ordered any government to take meaningful action on climate change.
As an accredited community legal service, in addition to public interest litigation, their work also includes designing and advocating for stronger state and federal environmental laws; providing legal and scientific advice, workshops, factsheets and other legal tools to help Australians participate in the legal process.
We are very proud to be able to support EDO by pledging 1% of Airteam’s annual profits to help fund their important work.
Originally posted on edisonbio.com
EDISON BIO is proud to announce that it is joining the Pledge 1% movement, promising to commit 1% of employee working time, company equity, and product toward achieving positive change in both our local and global communities. Alongside the thousands of other partners of Pledge 1%, EDISON BIO will contribute to the half a billion dollars given to charitable efforts around the world each year.
Our Mission
As a company dedicated to expanding the potential health and well-being of others, EDISON BIO is passionate about investing in social good and giving back to those in need.
While our goal is to shape the future of healthcare to empower individuals to take control of their own longevity and performance, we recognize that not everyone has the same opportunity to invest in their health. Because of this, EDISON BIO is committed to helping those who lack the resources to take care of their physical and mental health.
Our Partnerships
Every year, almost six million children die around the world from preventable diseases before they reach the age of five. In an effort to help prevent these unnecessary tragedies, EDISON BIO has aligned itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal #3, Good Health and Well-Being.
This goal is intended to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all people through funding health systems, improving sanitation, and expanding access to physicians. To help achieve this goal, EDISON BIO supports the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life program—a grassroots advocacy campaign that provides children in need with life saving vaccinations—with every new Member that joins our company. EDISON BIO is committed to expanding the health potential of all people and we will continue to align ourselves with organizations who share in this mission.
1% Pledge
EDISON BIO is excited to expand its efforts of helping those in need through its 1% Pledge. We are proud to be joining more than 10,000 corporations who are actively leveraging their resources to inspire, educate, and empower others all across the globe. More information about the incredible impacts that are being accomplished through Pledge 1% can be found at https://pledge1percent.org.
About EDISON BIO
Most of us worry about our health. EDISON BIO advanced, comprehensive, and convenient health screening uncovers hidden disease and health challenges early. You’ll be confident about your health and primed to perform at your highest potential.
You’re invited to join the next APAC timezone-friendly Pledge 1% Member Event being delivered in partnership with Atlassian
You’ve Pledged 1% — now how do you know you’re making a difference?
In this workshop, the team from Centre for Evidence and Implementation will help you prepare to take the next step in your pledge by showcasing how donors can use evidence to accelerate their learning and make the most impact. You’ll learn about evidence, theories of change and monitoring and evaluation.
Speakers
- Maryanna Abdo, Managing Director, CEI
- Vanessa Rose, PhD, Director, CEI
View Event Page: https://demystifyingevidence.splashthat.com/
Article originally posted by Melanie Marten, Forbes Councils Member on Forbes.com here.
The role of public relations in 2022 is to foster the authenticity that so many crave in an economy that appears to operate at surface level.
“Purpose” is a term that has been widely used in the last year when communications professionals want to advise their clients that they need to stand for something bigger than profit. 2021 marked the first step in stressing the importance of the values of brands, companies and entrepreneurs. Brands understand that their audiences are looking behind the scenes and rightly demanding an inclusive and diverse team environment. It’s time to act.
Responsibility
To remain relevant in 2022, brands, companies and entrepreneurs must go beyond what is right and provide real service to humanity, society, communities and the environment. Public relations efforts will truly include all stakeholders, and the term “stakeholder” must lose its strong association with investors only.
PR strategists in 2022 engage with the artisans and communities the brand works with, telling their stories and how the brand impacts their lives, livelihoods and mental health. To make those stories stand out, brands will have to go above and beyond to live up to the responsibility they have.
In my work as a public and investor relations consultant, I see investors increasingly seeking out business owners who focus on community building and working toward a true change instead of putting their resources into creating presentable PDFs and campaigns designed for investors. Guess what? Reputable investors go above and beyond to support this drive. From my experience, investors make up a large part of the audience that seeks authenticity.
Values
Relevant public relations in 2022 is communicating values, and companies will need to do their homework in defining their values. We first saw an increase in value communication when the run on talent emerged. Employer branding became part of a company’s PR when simple paychecks wouldn’t get the best employees anymore. These nurturing assets must now be extended outside of talent acquisition, to the communities with which the company comes in contact, and to the environment.
The new value definition goes beyond the reference to a one-pager on a company’s website to a Corporate Social Responsibility setup. It needs to be tangible to be believable. To put it bluntly, it is not enough to point out that your company donates a portion of its profits each year, as this demonstrates not much more value other than a convenient tax benefit from donations.
What we can learn from The Great Resignation in 2021 is that employee satisfaction may not have been a true intrinsic value of many companies. With the number of people switching to freelancing careers exploding, a large number of them are only taking on projects that align with their values, a WeTransfer Ideas Report 2021 states. The report also indicates that Gen Z is experiencing mental health issues, feelings of isolation and financial troubles. They want brands to take the lead in fighting for a more sustainable future.
When we talk about values in 2022, business owners are advised to dig deep in their hearts to find a cause they truly care for so they can commit to it long term.
Action
In 2022, public relations will need to provide answers about what action is being taken on climate, racial issues and social justice. Entrepreneurs, wake up! The “me, me, me” perspective is over.
In my work as an agency owner, clients have still too often completely ignored the fact that they have a social responsibility, and that public interest is generated when they offer real added value to society at large. Many clients believe that their product or service alone provides the value to claim top-tier media coverage. The effectiveness of billboard ads is highly decreasing and, instead, business owners are demanding media publicity as their “new age” billboard ad. This approach does not lead to the desired (fast) results on the clients’ side.
Public relations will be the key business development tool in 2022 for those who understand its core value. Communications (PR for short) as a discipline must aim to create an environment of transparency and build open and honest relationships. PR strategies provide an opportunity to reflect on and improve one’s actions and grow positive impact.
No matter how big or small, old or young your business is, there needs to be a commitment to integrate giving back into the DNA of your business. Pledge 1% is a good example; a movement that tech companies join to support each other in the mindset of giving that aligns with their values and larger business goals.
Once entrepreneurs devote their willpower to doing good, public relations will leverage that drive to reach maximum success.
Follow Melanie Marten on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out her website.
Article originally posted on Brinkwire
The Duke of Sussex has issued a new rallying cry, stating that quitting should be ‘celebrated.’ The fact that more people are deciding to put their mental health and happiness first by leaving jobs that don’t make them happy should be “celebrated,” according to Prince Harry.
In a new interview, Prince Harry discussed how certain job resignations can benefit one’s mental health.
For the first time, the Duke of Sussex discussed his role as chief impact officer at BetterUp, a coaching and mental health firm founded in California eight years ago. Harry touched on job resignations and burnout as one of the topics he discussed.
These issues, according to the Duke, were “brewing for quite some time” before Covid brought them to the forefront of people’s minds. People are “finally paying attention” to the importance of mental fitness in the workplace, according to Harry, who believes we are in the midst of a “mental health awakening.” “I’ve actually discovered recently, courtesy of a chat with [BetterUp science board member] Adam Grant, that a lot of the job resignations you mention aren’t all bad,” he told Fast Company. “In fact, it’s a sign that self-awareness necessitates change.” “Many people all over the world have been stuck in jobs that don’t make them happy, and now they’re prioritizing their mental health and happiness.” “This is a cause for celebration.”
In March, Harry became a member of BetterUp, a company that provides mental health services and coaching to individuals and businesses. The Duke, who has long been an advocate for mental health and has spoken openly about his own struggles, has a wide range of responsibilities as chief impact officer, including public advocacy on mental health, philanthropy, product strategy, and advising the company on how to use capital raised through its commitment to Pledge 1 % – an initiative that encourages companies to donate 1% of staff time, profit, or equity to charitable causes.
During the interview, Harry also revealed that BetterUp worked with his former patronage, the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, “earlier this year.” In 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were named President and Vice President of this organization, which supports young leaders throughout the Commonwealth. They resigned in February after informing Her Majesty that they would not be returning to their full-time positions as senior members of the Firm.
Join Atlassian and other APAC Pledge 1% members to hear about what “Hot Topics” you’d like to learn more about, or collaborate on in 2022. As we look ahead to the new year, help us set a calendar of APAC timezone-friendly catch-ups where we’ll discuss issues that are important to you.
Atlassian Program Manager Mauli Ryan will lead the workshop helping us to decide what topics we should explore together in 2022.
We’ve already started the conversation, in the Pledge 1% Member Community. If you can take a moment to contribute – we’ll be using the responses in the workshop. Even if you can’t make the workshop, please add your thoughts to the blog and we’ll be sure to discuss them.
View Event Page: https://apachottopicsinphilanthropy.splashthat.com/
Less than 8% of people in low-income countries have been vaccinated compared to more than 60% in high-income countries. That means 1 in every 13 people in a low-income country has received their first vaccine compared to 1 in every 2 people in high-income countries which continue to stockpile more vaccines while others continue to wait. With the risk of mutations and a ripple effect on the global economy, vaccine inequity and rising COVID-19 rates impact us all.
By donating $5 to Go Give One, you can fund one COVID-19 vaccine for someone most in need and help end the pandemic. We’re all on the same team in the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic. What gift could be better?
https://gogiveone.org/coalition/
https://gogiveone.org/coalition/
Interested in engaging your employees and external partners in this campaign? Check out our Marketing Resources for the Go Give One Donation Giving Season Communications Toolkit . Make sure to subscribe to the Marketing Resources for updates on toolkits and collective action!
Now—more than ever—our 1% matters, and we are excited to announce that we are joining 15,000+ Pledge 1% members around the world in rallying our teams and partners to give back.
Our profit donation went to SOS Children’s’ Village (SOS Dječje selo, part of the largest international NGOs SOS-Kinderdorf International.) which is a nonprofit helping children who can’t live with their families anymore, as well as children whose parents are about to lose custody. They provide a warm home and quality care with professional support. Their work also focuses on strengthening families in order to prevent child abandonment and child neglect.
“We are excited to hold a Pledge 1% badge as a multiple pledger, as we’re dedicated to giving away our time, our product and our profit to co-create a better future for everyone. By participating in GivingTuesday, we’re further spreading the idea of giving back as well as aligning Maven Mule with Pledge 1% values of making the world a better place – one community at a time.”
-CEO, Dragan Vujnović
In today’s digital economy, seconds matter. For mission-driven organizations, seconds can be a matter of life and death, and service reliability can make or break access to suicide and safety hotlines, disaster relief, time-critical health care, food assistance, and more. That’s where real-time digital operations comes in. At PagerDuty, we’re also helping nonprofit organizations achieve their missions by maximizing uptime at critical times like GivingTuesday, the largest annual global day of giving.
To maximize this critical fundraising opportunity, it is important to ensure your organization has the tools to manage your digital operations most efficiently. Improving incident response and maximizing uptime boosts the overall experience for donors. Furthermore, with a reliable incident management plan and tools in place, you can minimize the need to pull team members away from family gatherings and celebrations throughout the holiday season. Because uptime is money, PagerDuty is proud to support the global generosity initiative #GivingTuesday with digital operations tips and through the efforts of PagerDuty.org.
What Is GivingTuesday?
Nearly a decade ago, people started to look at the holiday shopping season in a different way. Black Friday represented a major shopping opportunity for retailers. The growth of GivingTuesday (which takes place on the Tuesday following Black Friday) from $10 million in nonprofit donations in 2012 to more than $2 billion in 2020 shows that many people in the U.S. and other countries are looking for an alternative to the consumerism of Black Friday shopping.
Today, GivingTuesday’s focus to encourage a day of radical generosity has spread to more than 70 countries. In 2020, GivingTuesday saw 34 million donors give over $2.4 billion to nonprofits and charities, according to Charity Navigator. More than 3,000 organizations rely on this event to raise critical funds that power their direct services to communities and the environment.
On GivingTuesday, your website will likely attract traffic from far more potential donors than any other time of the year. Keeping your digital operations up and running is crucial. More uptime means more donations on this critical day, as well as the ability to focus on delivering great digital experiences as opposed to remediating outages.
Giving platforms Global Giving, Kiva, and DonorsChoose leverage PagerDuty to maximize uptime of their systems to reliably connect donors to projects or causes they care about.
To make the most of GivingTuesday’s fundraising potential, taking the time to prepare your organization is essential.
Getting Ready for GivingTuesday Fundamentals
Site traffic for Charity Navigator, the world’s leading independent evaluator of nonprofits, increased 27% from 2019 to 2020. With significant increases in traffic and donor activity, you’ll want to be sure your website and digital operations are ready for the load.
From a technical point of view, there are a few fundamental ways to achieve high uptime. Start by reviewing your alert management program and services. PagerDuty reduces the noise of less critical alerts so your team can solve real problems fast. Once you filter the noise in your alerts, consider adding automation to your alert management using Event Intelligence.
The next step is to review the key systems likely to face significant strain on GivingTuesday.
- Donor-facing websites
It is essential to review your organization’s website and any third parties you might rely on, like Charity Navigator. For example, ask about their capacity to handle a sudden increase in traffic. If there are no plans in place, investigate if you need to add additional short-term capacity before, during and after GivingTuesday.
- Back-end systems
Your back-end systems also need high uptime to track performance, issue receipts and send thank-you messages. For this analysis, focus on back-end systems directly impacted by donor activity, like Classy, Click & Pledge or Give Lively.
- Uptime of payment processing systems
A sudden increase in payment activity may alarm some payment processors. To avoid surprises, reach out to your payment processing providers early and tell them about your GivingTuesday goals. If you anticipate unusually high payment volumes, set up a secondary payment processing provider.
4 Ways for IT to Prepare and Plan for GivingTuesday
Evaluating critical systems is an excellent first step because it will help you identify vulnerabilities and weak points in your operations. Once you understand those weak points, here are some additional steps to consider.
1. Define your “hypercare” model
Before asking your IT staff to work extra hours around GivingTuesday, have an open discussion with your team about your concerns. You might be worried that downtime will make the organization look bad and cause a critical year-end fundraising goal to fail. Acknowledging these concerns in an authentic way can help ground your proposal to launch a hypercare support model. Use this checklist to help your team prepare.
Meet with IT staff in advance and ask them to be ready for the demands of the holidays. For example, you might temporarily increase your incident response standards to maximize uptime and donations during this crunch period. This might include asking people to expand their on-call responsibilities or work longer hours than usual for a short period of time.
Once GivingTuesday is over, look for ways to reward IT for their extraordinary contribution. At a minimum, offset the heavy demands of hypercare by easing IT workload in the days following GivingTuesday or offering additional time off during the holiday season.
2. Reduce alert fatigue before the holidays
Reducing alert fatigue before the holidays is important because it means your teams can take time off without being interrupted. Specifically, consolidate your alerts and events into a single platform so staff can easily respond. With PagerDuty, you can leverage machine learning and your organization’s business rules to quickly identify which alerts require action and which are noise.
3. Practice makes perfect
Scheduling dry runs and simulations is helpful to prepare your team for the stresses of GivingTuesday. For example, you might simulate a crisis event like your primary payment system failing at 10:00 a.m. on GivingTuesday. Tailor the scenarios you practice based on your organization’s specific technology and weak points. Reviewing past incident reports can give you clues about where to focus your efforts.
To further inform your efforts, read our post: Uptimes During the Holiday Shopping Season.
4. Plan a continuous improvement session
After your organization finishes GivingTuesday, don’t lose the opportunity to improve. Start by reviewing your uptime results and incident response information. Next, reach out to your key stakeholders to ask them how GivingTuesday unfolded. This type of informal feedback is essential because it may reveal technical problems that didn’t rise to the level of a formal incident.
Delivering hypercare and high uptime is much easier when your organization has the right tools. That’s why PagerDuty offers special support for nonprofits.
How PagerDuty Helps Nonprofits
PagerDuty’s commitment to nonprofits goes deep. Through PagerDuty.org, we donate 1% each of company equity, employee working time, and product to accelerate change in our local and global communities. In 2020, PagerDuty gave over $1.1 million to more than 400 organizations and provided discounted product to 255 nonprofit and social enterprise customers.
In addition to grants, matching employee donations, and paid employee volunteer time, PagerDuty also helps nonprofits by making its products available through Impact Pricing. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) organizations and B Corporations. For additional information, see the Eligibility Guidelines.
Global Giving, a nonprofit organization that connects donors and nonprofits, uses PagerDuty to ensure its digital services are accessible in communities all over the world. The organization has already achieved impressive results: raising over $500 million for over 25,000 projects worldwide. Kevin Conroy, Chief Product Officer at Global Giving, recently shared the impact of PagerDuty:
“GivingTuesday kicks off the giving season for many nonprofits where they raise 30% or more of their total annual donations. It’s vital to make sure that your donation processor is ready to accept every generous gift from your supporters and that teams find out about any problems when they are only warnings and not waiting until critical failures. PagerDuty helps GlobalGiving stay ahead of the curve so that we can celebrate how much our project partners have raised on ‘Thank You Thursday.’”
How To Work With PagerDuty as a Nonprofit
Make the most of GivingTuesday and the holiday season by maximizing your organization’s uptime. Learn more about PagerDuty for nonprofits and apply for PagerDuty’s Impact Pricing so you can keep your digital operations up and running all year round.