1. What was the challenge the community was seeing due to COVID-19?
Like communities everywhere around the globe, here in the Phoenix-metro area, individuals who were deemed high-risk of contracting the novel coronavirus were afraid to leave their homes for even basic necessities. As a result, many of our community’s seniors didn’t have a way to get things like groceries or household supplies.
2. How does your solution solve this challenge or help? What tools did you use?
Our team came together to launch a platform for these vulnerable citizens in which they could request groceries and household supplies. The requests were then dispatched to our team members and whoever was available or in closest proximity to the individual who made the request would go pick up the items and drop them off at their doorstep. We’ve since had to shift to using Instacart and store delivery to fulfill orders since our statewide stay-at-home order was issued. But the program is still going strong, and our team has logged more than 300 volunteer hours with this effort.
It was truly amazing to see our team rally around this and bring it from idea to launch within 24 hours using Salesforce ServiceCloud, Communities and Chatter to facilitate it all.
3. Share an approved customer story.
We had so many heartwarming messages come in from people throughout the community. From a woman who was afraid to go out to stores to pick up basic supplies as she is the primary caregiver for her 81-year-old, gravely ill husband and her 91-year-old sister. From a 76-year-old couple who were in the “vulnerable” category. And from a 61-year-old woman who was battling breast cancer and diabetes, and simply needed bottled water and apple juice. Some families greeted us with a welcome party (while practicing distance of course!).
While these messages and reactions filled our hearts with joy, they were unexpected. For us, it about being of service to people who needed us most during this time.
4. What impact has your solution had so far?
Our founder, Thiru Thangarathinam committed $10,000 towards the purchase of needed items with each family able to spend up to $50. So far we’ve been able to serve 200 households with that fund, and we’re still going! Early on, the project caught the attention of one of our local business publications and TV news stations, and we saw a significant spike in requests, which is what we were hoping for. The local community has also been instrumental in getting information about this project to those who could benefit from it. It’s truly been amazing to see how many people have rallied around this effort.
At MST Solutions, we’ve taken the “Pledge 1%” but we are also committed to delivering impact in three core areas: community, colleagues and customers, which we refer to as our “3 Cs”. While this project had a direct impact on the community, it had an unanticipated ancillary impact on our colleagues. By redirecting our focus and coming together to support something bigger during a time of crisis, with so much uncertainty and unease, it left little room for grief. It brought us all closer together and reminded us what we’re capable of when we work together to solve complex situations.
Written by Christina Franz. Originally published on twilio.com.
Just as COVID-19 has accelerated digital engagement, the pandemic has accelerated our responsibility to help others as companies and individuals. From helping a neighbor who is sick, to calling someone who is lonely, to giving what we can toward social causes, the pandemic has highlighted the many ways we depend on each other, both within our companies and across the communities we call home.
Twilio founded WePledge last year to support employees in making a positive impact. Through WePledge, Twilions give 1 percent of their time and resources to do good, and we support them by providing volunteer time off, accessible volunteer opportunities, and matching gifts. It’s a model that has proven to drive impact at scale. Over 1,000 Twilions have donated $1 million dollars and contributed 6,000 hours of service to social good.
A new global partnership for social impact
Now, we’re calling on you to join us. Starting today, WePledge is open to everyone—individuals and companies. We’re thrilled to announce that our inaugural company partners Atlassian, Okta, and Zoom are launching WePledge at their companies to enable 13,000 more employees to take action for social good. The social impact nonprofit, Pledge 1%, is also bringing WePledge to its global community of impact-led organizations. And finally, we’ve opened WePledge to every individual who wants to pledge to do good, even if you don’t work at one of these companies.
WePledge for individuals
We know many of you are volunteering and donating to social causes already. We want to help accelerate your impact by inviting you to join the WePledge movement. When you take the pledge, we’ll share easy ways to learn more about causes you care about and volunteer virtually.
To amplify the WePledge community’s impact, Twilio is donating $1 million USD from our donor advised fund toward organizations selected by WePledge members. The first 10,000 eligible individuals* who join WePledge by the end of 2020 can designate 1 of 10 nonprofit organizations to receive a $100 USD donation from Twilio’s donor advised fund when they sign up.
Learn more about joining WePledge as an individual.
WePledge for companies
WePledge is a proven framework to activate employees in social impact, whether your company is new to social impact initiatives or is already engaging employees. Mark Reading, Head of the Atlassian Foundation, explains, “WePledge is a great framework for extending the Pledge 1% movement to employees of both Pledge 1% members and companies that aren’t (yet) part of the Pledge 1% movement.”
In addition to doing good, research shows that when companies build cultures of giving, they also realize greater success. According to a study by the Babson Social Innovation Lab, a well-designed corporate social responsibility program can increase employee productivity by 13 percent, reduce employee turnover by 50 percent, and increase revenue by as much as 20 percent.
When you join WePledge as a company partner, we’ll provide resources and support to help you launch WePledge at your company. You’ll receive a program guidebook, tools to help motivate and inspire your employees, and more. Our goal is to equip you to level up your company’s impact by using proven tactics that scale. As Kelly Steckleberg, CFO of Zoom, describes, “By adopting the WePledge program we are able to support our employees’ commitments to give back, and make it easy to make an impact both individually and as a company.”
Learn more about launching WePledge at your company.
This October, let’s support good health and wellbeing
Each month, we’re providing giving and volunteering opportunities aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address global challenges including poverty, hunger, well-being, climate change, justice, and education. As the UN explains, the SDGs are “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.”
World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10th and is a key initiative to achieving the third Sustainable Development Goal, Good Health and Wellbeing. One in four people will experience mental illness in their lifetimes, making mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health worldwide (WHO).
You can live your pledge by supporting the following mental health organizations. These global nonprofits provide crisis lines and behavioral health services, and are experiencing increased demand during the pandemic. By carrying out your pledge, you can change someone’s life.
- Centro de Valorização da Vida (Brazil) – Learn More
- Crisis Text Line (US, UK, Ireland) – Learn more / Volunteer US, UK, Ireland
- Lifeline (Australia) – Learn more / Volunteer
- ObjectiveZero (US Service members and veterans) – Learn more / Volunteer
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (US) – Learn more / Volunteer
- Trans Lifeline (Trans individuals in the US and Canada) – Learn more / Volunteer
- Trevor Project (US LGBTQ Youth) – Learn more / Volunteer
- Turn2Me (Europe) – Learn more / Volunteer
- Vibrant Emotional Health (US) – Learn more
If you or someone you know is struggling, here is a list of global crisis lines.
You can learn more about supporting these organizations by visiting the WePledge FAQ, and if you have other giving or volunteer ideas in support of mental health, drop us a note at wepledge1@twilio.com.
Take the Pledge Today
Are you ready to join the movement? Visit wepledge.org to sign up or text PLEDGE to 44663 (US phone numbers only). The first 10,000 eligible individuals* to sign up will have an opportunity to designate $100 to an organization helping to change the world for good.
We can’t wait to see the impact you build.
*Individuals must be 13 years or older to sign up. Residents of any country that is subject to an embargo of the United States government may sign up but will not be eligible to designate an organization to receive a $100 USD donation. Void where prohibited.
Written by Elan Schwartz. Originally published on boma.global.
Boma Global announced today that it has joined Pledge 1%, a global movement to create a new normal for companies of all sizes and stages to have a positive social impact through their business. Boma is joining thousands of companies around the world who have committed to Pledge 1% of either their product, profit, equity, and/or staff time to a charity of their choosing.
Boma has pledged to donate at least 1% of its product to the Boma Community. Specifically, any Boma event that is open to the public will have at least 10% of its tickets reserved at a significant discount (50% or more) for people who otherwise would not be able to attend (youth, entrepreneurs, non-profits, creative community, etc) with at least an additional 2% of its tickets available through a full scholarship. Boma is also donating at least 1% of its leadership curriculum and training programs to the Boma Circles community. Boma Circles are composed of passionate volunteers around the world who want to drive change in their local community by identifying sustainable innovation, hosting complex debates and experimenting with new social action formats.
Lara Stein, Co-Founder and CEO of Boma Global, states: “The change required in our systems is, fundamentally, one of values. We must rethink the concepts of business success as it pertains to a company’s impact on the community and world. Profit should not only refer to the financial aspects of our endeavors. Profit should include the morale, quality of life, inclusive workplace, the health of workers, and environmental impact. It should be this “ethical profit” we strive to accumulate and boast about in boardrooms.”
Boma is proud to join the Pledge 1% community and encourages other companies to take the pledge and leverage their business as a force for good.
To learn more about Boma Global’s executive programs and community programs, visit https://boma.global/ and http://bomacircles.org/
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About Boma Global
Boma is a global network of local partners offering transformational learning experiences (events, executive programs, workshops, etc.) for leaders and changemakers of today and tomorrow. In a world of dramatic and continuous change, we believe a positive future requires intentional and intelligent action today.
About Pledge 1%
Pledge 1% is a global movement that inspires, educates, and empowers every entrepreneur, company, and employee to be a force for good. Over 10,000 members in 100 countries have used Pledge 1%’s flexible framework to ignite half a billion dollars in new philanthropy. To learn more about Pledge 1% and to take the pledge visit www.pledge1percent.org.
Written by Jaclyn McCall
Rackers are valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission. This was never clearer than during this unique and uncertain time around the world. In March, after 99.5% of our workforce moved to remote work, Rackers could see the strain and impact the pandemic was taking on their local communities. We launched our first Rackspace Cares Employee Donation Matching Program that was jump started with a $50,000 donation from the company to several COVID-19 relief organizations. We then matched, $1 for $1, of each Racker’s donation to any organization of their choice. We raised nearly $200,000 that spanned over 300 non-profit organizations around the world.
Rackers also wanted to continue to use their volunteer time off hours to support organizations that were in vital need of support. Over 15 global virtual volunteer programs were shared with Rackers, with more added each day. From writing cards to frontline workers to helping individuals and non-profit organizations understand new technology they needed to implement to stay connected – Rackers volunteered their time and expertise and showed up to support!
Up next, and celebrating its 15th year, Rackers at our Global Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas will soon be able to participate in a community holiday meal distribution event with the local food bank. Over 1,000 families are given an entire holiday meal (from whole turkey to over 20 non-perishables items) free of charge through a safe and socially distance mobile pick-up event.
Rackers are committed to a Fanatical Experience™ for our customers, each other, and our communities. We’re proud to serve our local communities around the world.
For the past four years, Pledge 1% has partnered with Bessemer Venture Partners, Forbes and Salesforce Ventures on the annual Cloud 100 event, which honors the top 100 private cloud companies in the world. Cloud 100 Pledge 1% members have had incredible impact; they’ve donated their time, product, and profits to their communities and together have unlocked over $500M in new philanthropy via their IPOs. To recognize this, we formally launched the Pledge 1% Impact Award to recognize one company who is doing an incredible job at leveraging their time, talent, money, and resources to make a difference. We are thrilled to share that this year’s Pledge 1% Impact Award winner is Canva.
Canva recently joined the Pledge 1% movement on a mission to do the most good they possibly can. They created a gift matching program to boost financial donations to Canva Foundation projects and have consistently given away a free version of their product to nonprofits and schools. Canva team members also receive 3 days of volunteer leave every year. This is in addition to time set aside to help with nonprofit and Foundation-related projects, like Design for Change Week.
In response to COVID-19, Canva went even further and created a range of free, easy-to-read, informative templates for individuals and organizations to download and use for free. To address systemic racism, they updated their media library to include more diverse images and representation of the Black community, and asked designers to create more inclusive content.
Canva is joining past Pledge 1% Impact Award winners DocuSign, Twilio, Slack, and Procore, and are one of many companies recognized at the Cloud 100. We congratulate Automattic, Culture Amp, DigitalOcean, Front, Gainsight, LaunchDarkly, Lookout, Procore, Rubrik, Samsara and all of the other companies for making this year’s list. You can learn more and view the full list here.
Written by Suprita Makh. Originally published on Twilio.com
COVID-19 and its effects have disproportionately impacted those experiencing acute crisis, and in response, countless nonprofit organizations have stepped up to provide the life-saving support people need as the pandemic has worn on.
In fact, nonprofit organizations across 60 countries sent proposals in response to a grant round Twilio announced in May, seeking to leverage communications technology to help with crises from physical and mental health to lack of access to housing and food.
Twenty incredible organizations reaching 1.9 million people in 34 countries will receive $2.5 million as part of the grant round, and their efforts offer powerful insight into the ways organizations can support those in need as the pandemic continues.
Our grant recipients offer three distinct areas of support to communities:
- addressing systemic health and safety inequities;
- meeting a surging demand for crisis support;
- and addressing humanitarian crises compounded by COVID-19.
Health and safety inequities due to systemic racism
The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on the impact of systemic racism on widespread health inequities in the US. Federal data shows Black and Latinx people have been three times as likely to get infected and twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as white people.
The disproportionately high burden of COVID-19 in Black and Latinx communities, compounded by the loss of income, health insurance, and even housing, has exacerbated the disparities in mental and physical health of Black and Latinx mothers. Even prior to COVID-19, Black women were three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy-related complications in the US.
In response, grantee Jacaranda Health launched the COVID Moms Helpline, a crisis line for pregnant and postpartum people. The helpline provides support and security to expecting parents, with a focus on moms and pregnant parents in underserved communities that have unequal access to healthcare and might be struggling to navigate care during COVID. Perinatal educators and doulas on the line answer urgent questions and provide connection to local social, clinical, and mental health resources.
“Pregnancy can be isolating and stressful these days, and expecting parents are struggling to navigate care,” said Jacaranda Executive Director Nick Pearson. “We want to make sure that everyone feels they have someone to reach out to and receive holistic, empathetic support.”
Grant funds will support Jacaranda Health’s expansion of the COVID Moms Helpline to New York City and three additional geographies across the US.
Inequities due to systemic racism are not limited to healthcare. The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and too many others have sparked a necessary reckoning of systemic racism in the US.
During protests in June, more than 2,000 people were arrested over a five-day period in New York City. Through grantee Good Call’s crisis line, anyone who has been arrested can alert their loved ones and connect with free legal services 24/7. Low-income communities experience higher rates of arrest most of which are for low-level misdemeanors. Good Call aims to provide legal help to prevent damaging events that can have lifelong consequences.
Grant funds will support Good Call’s plans to reach new communities and expand their services by improving the stability and reliability of their hotline; growing the number of lawyers on their platform; and raising awareness of their services.
Surging demand for crisis support
Millions of people are experiencing many forms of escalating acute crises simultaneously due to COVID-19. Many face reduced access to basic needs such as food, shelter, and job security due to shelter-in-place ordinances and a rapid economic shutdown. These stressors have also compounded mental health crises. Demand for crisis line services has surged in this time of unprecedented need, creating new operational challenges.
RAINN, a national sexual assault hotline, reported a record 60,000 survivors of sexual assault and violence accessed their crisis line in May and June. For the first time, half of the victims receiving help from RAINN’s crisis line were minors, 67 percent of whom identified their perpetrator as a family member and 79 percent of whom said they were living with their perpetrator.
RAINN will use their grant funds to build and implement an upgraded version of their national hotline, with omnichannel solutions including chat and queue resiliency features to enable hotline staff to meet the needs of their callers remotely—and give people in the same home as the perpetrator a discreet way to reach out.
The Partnership to End Addiction has reported a nearly 50 percent increase in connections to help families overcome addiction. They’ll use grant funding to expand their current opioid use programming to include other substance abuse, and provide comprehensive support for people struggling with any substance—not to mention support families when their loved ones are undergoing treatment and early recovery at home.
Since shelter-in-place ordinances were implemented in March in various parts of the US, Trans Lifeline, the only hotline created for and run by trans people, has seen a 360 percent increase in calls about domestic violence and 250 percent increase in calls about intimate partner violence.
Their team will use grant funding to expand their programming and depth of care for trans people experiencing domestic and intimate partner violence, which will help support 20 percent more callers.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW ORGANIZATIONS ARE INNOVATING TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES DIGITALLY
Humanitarian crises compounded by COVID-19
For the nearly 80 million people around the world that have been forcibly displaced due to violence and persecution, the pandemic has amplified uncertainty and fear.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (USA for UNHCR) are building and scaling crisis lines to provide live-saving information and resources to refugee communities in the U.S., Europe, South America, Asia, Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.
Humanitarian support has traditionally been provided in a face-to-face format. Global travel restrictions, shelter-in-place ordinances, and safety measures such as social distancing have hindered humanitarian organizations trying to provide their usual depth of support in healthcare, education, housing, legal support, counseling, food, and employment resources.
In response, organizations are pivoting to more digital services to continue to provide resources and services to the communities they serve.
NRC will use grant funding to set up digital service centers to ensure continuity of existing services like legal advice and continued education, as well as add new services such as COVID awareness and monitoring.
IRC will use grant funding to expand Signpost, its two-way messaging system, to Greece and Italy, as well as roll out a two-way communications and case management platform for refugees and asylees in the US.
USA for UNHCR is building an omnichannel hotline for refugees and asylees in Argentina, connecting them with healthcare, employment opportunities, and legal support.
In addition to the organizations mentioned above, Twilio.org is supporting Child Helpline International, Fast Forward, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Polaris, Tarjimly, Tech Matters, The Trevor Project, Trek Medics International, United Ways of California, and Vibrant Emotional Health in this grant round.
At Twilio.org, we believe communication has the power to change lives. Technology plays a critical role in how we can support people in need. Each one of our grantees is pushing forward and amplifying their impact with a tech-first approach. We are incredibly honored to support and learn from this inspiring cohort of crisis line organizations.
If you’re a nonprofit organization, volunteer group, or social enterprise looking to scale your communications, visit our Impact Access Program to learn how Twilio.org can help.
Excited by the work of our grantees? Click through the links above to find donation or volunteer opportunities with each organization.
[July 29, 2020] We are entering a new era of corporate giving. Now, more than ever before, top talent and customers want to work for and with companies whose values are aligned with their own. Companies that have implemented one or more of the Pledge 1% commitments (donating 1% of employee time, product, equity or profit) are at the forefront of this growing trend and are creating a new normal for businesses to leverage their impact for good.
With today’s unprecedented social, health, and economic challenges, it’s clear that companies have an important and essential role to play in being part of the solution. One way companies of all sizes and stages are securing their social impact work for years to come is by pledging equity. By setting aside equity for social impact, companies can demonstrate their long-term commitment to these values, differentiate their company from competitors, and sustainably fund their social impact work for years to come. In the last 3 years alone, top companies that set aside equity for social impact have ignited over $250 million in new philanthropy via their IPOs.
Pledging equity is especially valuable for startups that are interested in giving back, but have yet to see profit. It is also increasingly becoming the norm for top late-stage companies. In fact, many of today’s most successful companies, including Docusign, PagerDuty, Pluralsight, Sendgrid, Slack, Twilio, Upwork, and Zuora have pledged equity on the road to IPO.
We are also seeing tremendous support from the VC community, as individual investors from top venture capital firms, including Accel, Bain Capital, Benchmark, Bessemer Venture Partners, Foundry Group, Index Ventures, Jackson Square Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Mayfield Fund, Salesforce Ventures, Sequoia Capital, SV Angel, Techstars have supported their portfolio company CEOs in educating other Board members and setting aside equity for social impact.
“There’s never been a more important time for companies to leverage their assets to be a force for good. Setting aside equity now for social impact, ensures that companies will have the resources they need to tackle the most pressing issues in our future,” said Amy Lesnick, Chief Executive of Pledge 1%. “Pledging equity is increasingly becoming the new normal for successful companies who understand that this is not only good for the world, it’s also good for business as employees and customers expect them to do more than simply generate growth and profit.”
The new Pledge 1% CEO Equity Playbook and Companion Guide for CFOs and GCs was designed in collaboration with top CEOs and thought leaders to help companies of all sizes pledge equity. Contents include equity donation models for founders, corporate case studies, and more. The Companion Guide was created for CFOs and GCs to help their companies formalize the equity pledge, and contains legal templates and tools.
Today’s issues will not be resolved by governments and nonprofits alone. The companies who set aside equity for philanthropy pre-liquidity have been able to fund efforts around COVID-19 relief, social justice, economic development, and other global challenges. Download the Playbook to learn how you can pledge equity today for impact tomorrow.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Lynn Wood, Chief Idea Spy at IdeaSpies.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I’m the Founder of IdeaSpies, a global idea-sharing platform. Our purpose is sharing innovation to inspire action.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Deciding to found IdeaSpies after a travel guide said, “Promote what you love rather than bash what you hate”.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
People underestimate me. However, that’s also a benefit.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
My husband is my mentor. He challenges me when I ask for advice, and supports me when I need support. I believe a mentor helps you to see options and supports you when you make decisions.
It’s easy to be confident when you’re well prepared.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Seek independence, both emotionally and financially. My mother trained me to be independent.
What women inspires you the most? Why?
Former Australian PM Hon Julia Gillard- I loved the way she encouraged Australia to stand up to global cigarette companies so we could lead the world in legislating plain paper packaging on cigarettes. More politicians should focus on the public interest. You can learn more about their initiative here.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment?
I’m currently reading about learned optimism in preparation for a webinar. I highly recommend Learned Optimism -How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E.P. Seligman.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Ana Maria Vucinic, Head of Design at Humanitix.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I’m a User Experience and User Interface Designer. My role is to make our product intuitive and easy to use. Through research and feedback from our customer experience team and collaboration with our developers team, I’m trying to come up with the best user experience solutions.
I’m also involved in decision making for our impact program communication.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
I started growing when I decided to ignore my fears of not being experienced enough in some areas of my job. I realized that just starting and trying to do new things was the only way up. I started saying yes to all the big challenges at work. We grow as we go!
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
When I was just starting my career, I had a mentor who helped me in many ways. Mentorship is very valuable. Getting advice from someone with more experience and getting feedback about your work is truly irreplaceable. I plan to find a mentor again. I believe that having a mentor at any stage of your career is like having the wind at your back.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
It is okay if you are not sure that the career you have chosen is right for you. Give yourself some time to figure it out; it is never to late to change your path. Remember to never stop learning.
Try to find a job that has a mission that inspires you, after all you will be spending most of your time at work.
What women inspires you the most? Why?
Lindsey Vonn, a former American alpine skier who has 82 World Cup wins, 3 Olympic Games medals and 8 World Championships medals. She endured many injuries, but every time she came back she would again be at the top.
The Lindsey Vonn Foundation is supporting girls through scholarships, education and athletics.
What is something coming up that excites you?
I’m always very excited to see how much impact we have generated and distributed towards our Educational Projects. That number is growing each day. We’ll soon be celebrating our new milestone– $500,000 donated to our projects!