This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

Empower your employees to give back at the individual level by downloading our new Virtual Volunteering Playbook, which includes ideas and best practices on how to excite and inspire individual giving.

DataColada is extremely proud of our team’s commitment to #Pledge1 in 2020. Despite the slowdowns that the pandemic presented the world with, our small team has continued to support new and familiar charity partners. Just under half of our team members volunteered for a variety of not-for-profits, including a range of activities such as providing on-site and remote pro bono technology support, packaging up goods for Australians in COVID-19 lockdowns, and restoring forest areas destroyed by the 2019 bushfires. In addition to individual volunteering, our team also implemented or supported three technology Go-Lives completely for free, and donated company dollars to worthy causes.  DataColada is honored to work with these charities and looks forward to witnessing their impact this GivingTuesday.

 

At DataColada, we are a values based business with a focus on the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit. We work with fundraisers, healthcare providers and educators, many of whom are registered not for profits. This focus allows us to attract individuals whose personal ambitions include contributing to social good with sustainable solutions in addition to monetary rewards. We see our role in helping organizations succeed in their mission by delivering innovative solutions that add economic and social value in sustainable ways.

 

This goal of creating social benefit is also part of our formal company culture, the “DataColada DNA”, and is represented by our participation in the Pledge 1%. DataColada has pledged to give 1% of our equity, time, profit and product back to the community. We usually significantly over-deliver against these goals. One example of how we implement this pledge is our Time component – each of our staff are encouraged to spend up to five days per year outside of work helping the charity of their choice without incurring any cost against their vacation time.

 

2020 has brought about unprecedented challenges, on both a local and global scale. Yet we remain inspired by the creative and impactful ways our Pledge 1% members around the world are stepping up to support those in need.

We’ve seen more and more companies join the Pledge 1% movement and use our new tools and resources to launch impact programs that safely engage employees, activate their products, and donate their profits and/or equity. Today, in the spirit of the global day of giving GivingTuesday, we are thrilled to recognize our members and celebrate the now 12,000 companies who have joined Pledge 1%.  

As we navigate this new world, we have been forced to pause, learn, and create new tools to help companies safely and effectively have an impact. With the help of our Builders and our Covid Coalition, we’ve created a number of tools to help companies of all sizes and stages stop the spread. From our covid-19 resource page to our new Virtual Volunteering Playbook, we are working in partnership with our members to share ideas, brainstorm solutions, and publish free tools to help other companies safely engage their teams during this pandemic. For example, Twilio, in partnership with Pledge 1%, Okta, and Zoom, recently launched WePledge, a new program that empowers individuals and company employees to build positive change around the world by contributing 1% of their personal time or resources to do good.

We’ve also seen a new trend in companies pledging equity on the road to IPO. Setting aside equity for social impact allows companies to demonstrate their long-term commitment, differentiate themselves from competitors, and sustainably fund their social impact work for years to come. In the last 3 years alone, top companies who set aside equity for social impact have ignited over $500 million in new philanthropy via their IPOs. You can learn more about how to pledge equity by downloading our Equity Playbook today.

With all of the challenges and changes we’ve faced this past year, we are constantly reminded of the innovation and generosity from our community. To recognize all that they’ve done and continue to do, we’re highlighting how our members around the world are giving back this GivingTuesday with our #Pledge1Gives series. On our blog and social media we will be posting a story every hour throughout the day. Whether you have an established giving program or are looking to implement one, we hope these stories will provide you with inspiration and hope.

 

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

 

We make it our business to do good. From tile donations to community funds to paid volunteer days, we believe our business has the power to change the world. We’ve had the privilege of donating our products to schools, community centers, and more to help create safe and beautiful spaces that help change lives.

 

A project that is especially close to our hearts is Detroit Prep. Established in 2016, Detroit Prep’s mission is to, “provide a world-class, equitable education that will give all students a foundation of academic excellence and character development while fostering a love of learning and passion for exploring and fulfilling their extraordinary potential as learners, leaders, and world-changers.” Which is a mission we can definitely get behind.

 

With help from our Non-Slip Tiles, Detroit Prep students can now safely enjoy their brand new building as they set out to change the world. When Detroit Prep’s brand new building safely opened its doors this fall, students and staff were greeted with colorful tiles that work as hard as they do. We had the tremendous honor of helping Detroit Prep turn a 100-year-old building into a safe and beautiful place to learn through our Fireclay Gives initiative.

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

Rock.org was founded in 2019 with the mission of sharing knowledge to accelerate social transformation and turn Rock Content into a corporate social responsibility leader.

Via educational actions and support for non-governmental organizations, the project also aims to inspire other companies to invest in impact initiatives.

More than 400 rockers have already volunteered their time towards the actions carried out by Rock.org, which now have international reach.

With the expansion of Rock Content’s operations between 2019 and 2020, the project gained volunteer employees from Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

In 2020, the project’s highlight was Volunteer Week, a remote global event that helped raise donations to NGOs supporting women, LGBTI+ community, black community, and people with disabilities.

Keep reading to know all the details of this action, its results, and the lessons we learned:

• About Volunteer Week: a new reality and great challenges


• The mission: proposals and objectives of the action


• Contexts and projects: reality faced head on


• The event: bringing people together and creating opportunities


• Results and achievements: the impact generated by Volunteer Week


• Learning: lessons we learned from the first event in this format

About Volunteer Week: a new reality and great challenges

Volunteer Week took place between the 5th and 9th of October, 2020, and was the first global action focused on volunteering promoted by Rock Content and carried out remotely.

The initiative mobilized 200 rockers scattered among Rock Content’s offices worldwide and raised more than R$ 14,000 (approximately US$ 2.650) for NGOs in Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

The first edition of the event was Volunteer Day, an entire day dedicated to volunteering.

During this first event, the company’s employees participated in a competition where the prize for the winning team was the opportunity to choose a Third Sector institution (NGOs, foundations, community associations, philanthropic entities, and other non-profit organizations) to receive a donation.

In 2020, the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic represented a new challenge for the project, but the desire to make a difference was stronger than ever.

The event needed to gain a new format, this time, 100% online and with volunteer employees participating from their own homes.

In addition, the action also needed to reflect the new global reality of Rock Content that, in the last year, had established its operations outside of Brazil with the acquisition of the American ScribbleLive. The answer to all of these challenges was Volunteer Week, a week-long event dedicated to volunteering with actions of international impact.

The mission: ideas and goals of the action

Rock.org’s idea is very simple: dedicate 1% of all rockers’ time for education and employability actions for minority groups.

Therefore, one of its pillars is to create volunteering opportunities, promoting experiences that benefit the community, strengthen involvement, and contribute to the personal growth of each employee.

To meet these propositions, Volunteer Week presented the following objectives:

• expand efforts for gender equality, inclusion of people with disabilities, racial equality, and LGBTI+ rights beyond Rock Content offices;


• generate growth opportunities for minority groups, both in terms of education and in terms of employability;


• promote integration among the entire community of rockers, especially between teams located in different geographic areas.

Contexts and projects: reality seen as it really is

The fight for a social cause, regardless of which cause, starts with understanding a certain group’s reality, often ignored by a large portion of the population.

With regards to discrimination and inequality — topics that set the agenda of the event in 2020 — the following data should be highlighted:

• 61% of LGBTI+ Brazilians need to hide their sexual orientation from the companies where they work for fear of losing their jobs (Center for Talent Innovation, 2016);


• 17% of Mexican women (about 4.6 million people) are unemployed in Mexico (INEGI – Encuesta Nacional de Ocupación y Empleo, 2020);


• 54% of working-age disabled people in Canada are looking for a job (Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017);


• as of July 2020, 14.6% of non-white people in the United States (about 4.6 million individuals) were unemployed (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020).

Inspired by Rock Content’s commitment to inclusion and equality, Volunteer Week embraced causes of enormous relevance to society.

Support organizations for women, the LGBTI+ community, the non-white community, and people with intellectual disabilities in four countries were the ones to receive our support this time.

Get to know each one of them in the following topics!

TODXS (Brazil)

TODXS is a Brazilian non-profit startup that fights for civil rights and inclusion of LGBTI+ people.

Among its various educational, research, awareness, and security projects, TODXS Escola stands out.

Their main goal is to avoid school eviction by transgender and transvestite students; and TODXS Impacto, a social business accelerator focused on diversity and inclusion.

CREA: Empreendedoras Sociales (Mexico)

CREA is a Mexican NGO working for more than 12 years to promote female empowerment and qualify women entrepreneurs in socio-economically marginalized areas.

In addition to providing support, the organization offers educational programs to develop professional skills and small businesses.

Community Living Toronto (Canada)

Founded in 1948, Community Living Toronto helps people with intellectual disabilities and their families in Toronto, Canada.

The organization’s goals are to promote employment and educational programs and also to help their members to become more self-confident and independent, so that they can have a better social life.

Beyond 12 (USA)

Beyond 12 is a non-profit organization from the United States whose mission is to increase the number of low-income, first-generation students from historically underrepresented groups graduating from US colleges.

The NGO’s work is based on a digital platform that connects students and professionals who want to help them study and succeed in academic life.

The event: bringing people together and creating opportunities

The use of game dynamics and mechanics outside their original context is a technique known as gamification.

This is a way to increase engagement, facilitate problem-solving, and improve learning — benefits that are especially relevant in an event that involves a large number of people.

In order to achieve all the goals set for Volunteer Week, we created a competition.

Four teams, which we called “communities”, were challenged to raise donations for participating NGOs, each being responsible for one of the recipient organizations:

• Rosa Parks (Beyond 12);


• João Nery (TODXS);


• Frida Kahlo (CREA);


• Terry Fox (Community Living Toronto).

Each community formed four squads, and each participant received their mission.

Each achievement was awarded a value in Rock Social Coin’s (R$C) — fictitious currency created for the event that was eventually converted into actual figures for donation.

This was the event’s schedule:

• Day 1. Prepare donation plans and get to know the NGOs: initially, the communities got to know the work of the NGOs and defined how they would raise funds and arrange public communication;


• Day 2. Find influencers for crowdfunding campaigns: in the second stage, the squads had to unite and get support from digital influencers. Each community received rewards according to the number of followers of each participating influencer;


• Day 3. Posts on the Rock.org profile: on the third day of the Volunteer Week, the participants published posts on the official Instagram profile of the project to increase donations;


• Day 4. Elevate the strategy: on the fourth day, the teams’ communication strategy was enhanced to raise more donations for all communities;


• Day 5. Closure: on the last day, a closing ceremony was held with a presentation of the results.

The Volunteer Week was announced to the participants at an all-hands meeting (general meeting with everyone involved), and emails were sent one month before the event. Slack messaging channels were also created, and an official informative online page was developed using the Ion tool.

In addition, an Instagram account was created with videos and photos for dissemination.

Results and achievements: the impact generated by Volunteer Week

After four intense days, Frida Kahlo community, which represented the NGO “CREA: Empreendedoras Sociales” took the lead with R$C 9,090 raised.

Then, there were João Nery (TODXS), Rosa Parks (Beyond 12), and Terry Fox (Community Living Toronto). Check out the community ranking!

The action mobilized hundreds of Rock employees and was supported by prestigious digital influencers. The event was also mentioned in one of the most longstanding newspapers in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and raised more than R$ 14,000 (approximately US$ 2,600) in donations. See the official figures below:

• 11 influencers posted about the campaign on their social media profiles;


• a story about the action was published in “O Tempo” newspaper.

In addition to all these achievements, it is worth mentioning the creation of a webinar by one of the event’s teams, in which donors had access to exclusive content produced by Rock professionals.

The gamification strategy, therefore, not only strengthened the fundraising campaigns, but also allowed the general public to benefit from the event.

Lessons: what we learned while hosting an event in this format for the first time

Carrying out work of this magnitude in such a troubled year is a huge challenge, but everything is possible when you have commitment and the right strategic orientation.

Volunteer Week brought valuable lessons that apply to any type of event and demonstrate the importance of good planning. Among the lessons we have learned in practice, some are worth mentioning.

1. The quality of communication is vital (especially for a remote global event)

Having cohesive communication is essential in any context, but an event involving many people from different geographic locations collaborating remotely deserves special attention.

You need to create an attractive communication strategy capable of engaging the participants.

It is also necessary to start the communications in advance (at least one month prior to the event), adopt clear language, present the information in detail and create different channels and ways of accessing the information.

During Volunteer Week, we learned a lot about the importance of communication, and we understood that videos, moments of conversation, and meetings are essential.

2. Testing is key to success

An event of this magnitude cannot be carried out blindly. It is vital to put your plan to the test to prove the effectiveness of the communication, tools, and dynamics that will be executed.

Thus, it is an interesting choice to invite a group of people who were not involved in planning to validate strategies and gather feedback. This is also a way to experience new things in a safe and controlled way.

3. Pay attention to cultural diversity

One of the biggest challenges when running a global event is to deal with cultural differences in a productive way.

This involves the language that will be used, the time zone, local habits, traditions, and the economic and social reality of each country.

Several aspects must be taken into account, and your job is to ensure that the action contemplates this diversity and allows everyone involved, especially those from different regions, to share in an integrated experience.

This means that we must act globally, but we must not forget local actions.

4. Your schedule should enable full participation by all

Likewise, the event schedule should be defined so that the differences in time and activity in each country are respected.

Also, by stipulating a fixed period for action, participants can engage in activities carried out with greater dedication.

The new format adopted by Rock was fundamental in enabling the realization of a global event with the participation of rockers from the four countries where it is present.

Although it was the first event of this scale developed by the company, the results were extremely positive.

Volunteer Week was rich in both lessons and achievements. We hope to inspire people and organizations of all kinds to also develop initiatives to support society. Real social transformation depends on all of us.

Discover all the actions promoted by Rock Content’s social impact project at Rock.org!

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

Originally published on Mandeaux.com.

Did you know, on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide?

Did you know, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner?

They’re staggering facts, but they’re very real and come directly from the The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) fact sheet.

As a proud Pledge 1% member, Mandeaux is extremely honored to be the first men’s shoe line to partner with Heels on the Move To Heal. The non-profit organization in Dallas, Texas strives to bring awareness to domestic abuse & sexual assault while empowering and supporting survivors. For the past 3 years, the organization has held a shoe fashion show.  This year, Mandeaux is proudly donating thousands of dollars worth of handcrafted dress shoes to lend a helping “heel.”

On December 6, 2020, Mandeaux’s luxury shoe line will strut down the runway, with each step representing our shared commitment to helping bring awareness to domestic violence. We are grateful to be a part of such a worthy cause, and hope it inspires others to do the same.

Click here to learn more about Heels on the Move To Heal and connect with them on Facebook. This years shoe fashion show is virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic, but you can rest assured, the Mandeaux Team will be tuned in to show support.

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

Empower your employees to give back at the individual level by downloading our new Virtual Volunteering Playbook, which includes ideas and best practices on how to excite and inspire individual giving.

At Passageways, we are committed to weaving a collaborative, philanthropic spirit into the very fabric of our daily lives. Ever since we joined the Pledge 1% movement, we’ve made giving back standard operating procedure through the donation of our time, product, and profit to charitable causes and communities across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired us to double down on this even further.

We are honored to be a part of #GivingTuesday, and wanted to highlight a few ways that Passageways employees (aka “Pathfinders”) demonstrated the spirit of the Pledge 1% movement in 2020.

Volunteer Time

We give back 1% of our time to volunteer in our communities and help local nonprofits. Not only is volunteer time off built directly into our culture, but it’s also even written into our employee handbook!

Throughout 2020, individuals and teams of Pathfinders answered the call to help those in need. Here are some of their stories.

• One of our company’s core values is “Be a Genuine Partner.” That includes our local communities. In March, 11 Pathfinders successfully packaged over 2,700 lbs. of grapefruit in two hours at Lafayette-based Food Finders Food Bank for distribution to 16 counties across Indiana where people are in need.When asked why she donated her time at Food Finders as part of Pledge 1%, OnSemble Product and Education Manager Sarah Steele replied, “Food is not just nourishment. Food is love, and it’s a noble, worthy cause.”


• Ross Moore works in IT as our Cyber Security Support Analyst and volunteered at Wheeler Mission, a non-denominational, Christian, social services organization that helps the homeless. Ross helped prepare Food for lunches distributed to various locations but sadly had to stop in mid-April when the organization paused all onsite volunteering due to the pandemic.

When asked why Pledge 1% is essential, Ross answered, “There are people out there with various needs, and it’s important for those who have to help those who don’t have. I’m glad that I can help out of my abundance; I shouldn’t withhold from someone when it’s in my ability to give.”

• Twelve Pathfinders from our Customer Success team volunteered at the WZPL Make-A-Wish Request-A-Thon on behalf of Make-a-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana. The team answered phones and collected donations to grant wishes of Indiana kids with life-threatening diseases/conditions.

This was especially personal for Tim Vire, our Manager, OnBoard Customer Success: “One of my kids is a cancer survivor who received a Wish when he was diagnosed at 5-years-old with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Our family was granted his ‘Wish’ with an opportunity to spend a week at Disney World and the Give the Kids the World Village in Florida.”  

• Business Development Representative Autumn Wall used one of her volunteer time off days to help paint an 8,000 square foot warehouse in a low-income community in Indianapolis. The facility is being converted into a multi-purpose community space: ESL and GED classes during the week, a free healthcare clinic on Saturdays, and a church on Sundays.

When asked why she felt Pledge 1% was an important initiative for Passageways to support, Autumn answered, “Pledge 1% is such a great way for our company to support our local community. Not just in name or by giving financially, but by BEING the hands and feet that they need. I’m really excited to be  a part of a company that truly cares.”

Product

Last year, we donated our OnBoard board management software to worthy nonprofits driving change in their communities. This year, we took our support for organizations in need to the next level when COVID-19 forced them to switch to remote workforces and virtual meetings.

With quarantines and stay-at-home orders going into effect, we immediately responded by offering our OnBoard and OnSemble products for free to the organizations that were disrupted the most: healthcare organizations, higher education, nonprofits, and local government bodies. This was not free with an asterisk; this was complete, unrestricted access for up to five months (nearly half a year) with no questions asked and no credit card needed.

The program was a fantastic success, and we have followed up by offering 90 days completely free to all new organizations that sign up by December 31. The policy is once again simple and straightforward: no questions, no credit card, no restrictions.

An enthusiastic advocate for the Pledge 1% movement, Passageways Co-Founder and CEO Paroon Chadha is unequivocal in his support for using our products to help organizations in need.

“While the COVID-19 crisis touched each of our lives, our friends in nonprofits, governments, higher education, and healthcare have been especially vulnerable,” Paroon says. “Now more than ever, these frontline organizations are making thoughtful, far-reaching governance decisions. That’s why we launched these programs; our products can help organizations stay efficient and secure in these unprecedented times. Because we’re in this together.”

Profit

While we donate 1% of our profits to local charities and nonprofits making an impact, we’ve chosen not to simply write a check. Instead, we’re committed to investing in our community and fostering civic-minded leaders. We invest both time and money in organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Transverse Myelitis Association, and Purdue University’s Women in Management Scholarship. Ultimately, we aim to amplify the voices of the underserved and create a culture of philanthropy that extends generations.

Being a Pathfinder Means Giving Back

Believe it or not, all of the stories shared does not begin to scratch the surface. There are still plenty more stories, and they all share the same truth: we enthusiastically support the Pledge 1% movement! Our goal is to make giving back the new standard through cooperative community outreach and demonstrating a commitment beyond ourselves. Because that is what it means to be a Pathfinder.

In a year of social distancing, masks, and working from home, Pledge 1% has had a significant impact.

• Customer Success Manager Stephanie Taylor, who volunteered with Natalie’s Second Chance no-kill dog shelter with her son, was reflective when she thought about her Pledge 1% experience. “I love being able to help people. We must always remain grateful and humble, and giving to others makes us count our blessings. Life can get challenging, but we need to help others whose lives may be more challenging than ours!”


• Sr. Customer Success Manager Cameron Campbell became a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Lafayette after seeing a presentation by his fellow Pathfinders. He is a passionate advocate for Pledge 1%: “It’s not just about getting a day off. To companies considering joining Pledge 1%: giving three days to employees benefits the community and helps you in the long run because you’ll have more engaged, inspired employees. I’ve learned I can make a real difference and gained more than I can even put into words.”

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

By Hannah Thompson, Marketing Communications, Cyber Group

In September, Cyber Group was involved in two panel events relating to community impact. We hosted a discussion on the importance of “Giving Back to the Community,” and we led a session during DFW*ATW’s Executive Leadership Forum asking young people, “What about a Career in STEM?”. We also matched donations made to DFW*ATW.

Cyber Group has given me the opportunity to be involved with so many initiatives to give back to the Dallas community and marvel at how our India team gives back to their community. 

Giving Back to the Community Panel

Our “Giving Back to the Community” panel featured Sarah Beeks Humphrey from Communities Foundation of Texas, Erica Yaeger from North Texas Food Bank, and Marilyn Kibler-Colon from DFW*ATW and was moderated by Cyber Group’s John Humphrey. We discussed the importance of giving back, and it was a great discussion overall. In hearing our panelists speak and then reviewing the recording from this event, I’ve been continuously inspired by our panelists. Some of my favorite quotes that I compiled for our key insights summary were the ones where our panelists of three different backgrounds, representing three various nonprofits, just outright praised each other’s work.

Erica from North Texas Food Bank pointed out how Marilyn and the DFW*ATW team’s work comes back to help other nonprofits. She explained how creating avenues for more women to get excited about STEM and pursue a thriving career path in those industries not only keeps them from being food insecure and needing to lean on the food bank’s services, but it also helps their future families become financially stable and in a position where they can help others someday. That really struck me. There are so many awesome nonprofits tackling important issues, and many of these causes are intertwined in one way or another. A win for one is often a win for all when it comes to bettering our community.

Another part of the discussion that really stuck with me was the conversation around the benefits that companies see when they commit to a formal social responsibility program. In this time, our panelists continuously came back to the benefit of increased employee engagement.

There have been several studies on the link between volunteerism and employees’ perceptions of positive corporate culture – especially in the millennial workforce. Deloitte’s study on this matter found that ”Millennials who frequently participate in their company’s volunteer activities are twice as likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive.”

Giving is so important, but so is building that foundation of community awareness and giving the community a platform to hear the stories behind nonprofits that may not be as well known. 

Our Giving Back to the Community event was indeed one of my favorites; there’s something for everyone to learn from these inspiring leaders. We are so excited to be matching donations to DFW*ATW and spreading awareness about the importance of giving back.

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

With a focus on solving family homelessness, Solutions for Change (SFC) creates access to permanent solutions using a hybrid model that includes supporting the parents through working, paying rent, and attending onsite workshops and classes. The model blends affordable housing, educational opportunities, employment training, and health-related solutions all within one cohesive strategic partnership.

As part of Cultivate, Atrium’s new social good program exclusively dedicated to donating time and expertise to nonprofit customers and charitable organizations, Atrium worked with SFC to develop an Analytics Roadmap focused on defining key metrics and designing a “To Be” architecture to support and facilitate ongoing measurement of those KPIs to help manage and scale the growth of their program. Atrium covered 50% of the fees for SFC’s Analytics Roadmap engagement, the efforts of which will help SFC shape the vision for a repeatable model to be rolled out to other metropolitan areas.

Tania Azar, VP of Strategic Advancement at SFC, said, “It’s been an exceptional experience working with the Atrium team. Our implementation team has been very responsive, creative and meeting our analytics and data needs.”

In addition to creating Cultivate, Atrium has partnered with Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement dedicated to making the community a key stakeholder in every business. Since the company was founded in 2018, Atrium has made AI and machine learning for a greater good a cornerstone of their ideology and practice through their involvement with organizations and movements such as Salesforce.org, the social impact center of Salesforce focused on partnering with the global community of changemakers. The Cultivate program, established in 2020, solidifies their continued commitment to providing support to NGOs with analytics solutions.

This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.

Empower your employees to give back at the individual level by downloading our new Virtual Volunteering Playbook, which includes ideas and best practices on how to excite and inspire individual giving.

By Millie Anderson

This past June, the Spreetail for Good Giving Initiative was launched to give team members the opportunity to pitch projects or ideas to help nonprofits. More than fifteen local nonprofits nominated received a portion of a $500,000 donation. The goal of the initiative was for every team member to have a voice in our community efforts, so I immediately began developing my proposal to donate to the Junior Wheelchair Camp and Nebraska Adaptive Sports.

Junior Wheelchair Sports & Recreation Camp and Nebraska Adaptative Sports are two nonprofits that partner together to provide athletic opportunities for disabled children and adults. I have personally witnessed these amazing organizations in action. My little brother was born with Spina Bifida, meaning his spinal cord failed to develop properly in the womb. Joe has limited muscles in his legs and no feeling below his ankles. Growing up, he knew he was different than the other kids. It was my job as his big sister to show the other kids that even though his legs didn’t work, he was still a normal kid like them. He just did things a little differently but that never slowed him down.

Joe started attending Junior Wheelchair Camp when he was 5 years old. He was introduced to many different types of adaptive sports like basketball, tennis, track, fencing, archery, and softball. There are many benefits associated with participating in wheelchair athletics including aerobic and muscle-building activities, helping build self-esteem, creating life-long friendships, traveling around the US to play different teams, and the opportunity to receive college scholarships (according to Nebraska Adaptive Sports website).

I have been volunteering at Junior Wheelchair Camp for 12 years. Over these years, I have seen campers advance in their athletic careers. One camper found her love in fencing and competed in several national competitions. She is now fighting her way to compete in the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris. Many other campers have received scholarships to play wheelchair basketball in college. NAS sponsors a junior wheelchair basketball team, The Red Dawgs, and an adult team in Lincoln called the Madonna Magic. These teams participate in games and tournaments all over the country. These opportunities would not have been possible if these athletes weren’t introduced to these sports at camp. I am continuously amazed by the hard-work and dedication my campers have demonstrated throughout the years showing their passion in adaptive sports. After graduating high school, many campers return to camp to share their passion and inspire young campers to follow their dreams as well.

I nominated Junior Wheelchair Camp and Nebraska Adaptive Sports for the Spreetail for Good Giving Initiative because budgets for camp were getting tighter and tighter each year. The camp is free for the children and relies on sponsorships and donations from the communities. Transportation to the camp is provided at no cost to the families. However, due to the rising cost of fuel and bus rentals, they have had to limit pickup locations which has caused children to miss camp. Over the 12 years of volunteering I noticed a decrease in campers, yet I know there are so many children in this area who would benefit from this opportunity. These two non-profit organizations have made such a huge impact on these children’s lives, I want to continue to see NAS provide athletic opportunities and for Junior Wheelchair Camp to flourish!

I’m excited to share that my Spreetail for Good Giving Initiative nomination was reviewed by an advisory board and $15,000 was donated to Nebraska Adaptive Sports and Junior Wheelchair Camp. These funds will help purchase new sports wheelchairs for athletes, which can cost upwards of $3000 and need replaced on average every 3 years. However, we aren’t stopping there. In October, every Spreetailer has the opportunity to help raise an additional $15,000. By team members logging workouts, Spreetail will donate an additional $10/per hour our employees are active over the next month.

My intention is to bring awareness to these opportunities for disabled children and adults. We are constantly seeking new campers between the ages 5 through high school for Junior Wheelchair Camp. Youth with cerebral palsy, polio, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, and lower leg amputation qualify to attend. We need to spread the word about Junior Wheelchair Sports and Recreation Camp and Nebraska Adaptive Sports to find kids and families who would benefit from these life changing experiences. For opportunity to be a volunteer or attend a Nebraska Adaptive Sports fundraising events check out the links below!

To learn more about the camper qualifications or volunteering opportunities, check out https://nebraskaadaptivesports.org/youth-wheelchair-sports-camp/.

For more information on NAS and their fundraising events, visit https://nebraskaadaptivesports.org/.