This story was submitted by Chime.
Chime pledges 1% of equity to fund higher education opportunities for everyday Americans.
A message from Chris Britt, Chime CEO and co-founder
We started Chime to improve financial services for everyday people. Our idea was simple. If we could reduce stress around money, our members would have a better chance to thrive and live better lives.
Today, we’re taking another step to help unlock financial progress with the launch of the Chime Scholars Foundation (CSF). CSF will fund college and other post-secondary programs for those with a passion to pursue a brighter future through higher education. Our scholarships are designed to lend a hand to ambitious, everyday people so they can pursue careers without the heavy debt burden facing so many graduates.
Accessing Education – My Story
I grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, a working-class city that bordered the Bronx. With divorced parents struggling to provide for me and my siblings, it was our neighbor in the apartment below us, a WWII veteran named Joe, who stepped in to help. While my mom worked a variety of jobs, it was often Joe who made sure I got to practice, ate dinner, and did my homework, while still finding time for us to watch the Yankees highlights at the end of the day.
As a Little League player, I remember winning my team’s “Heart and Hustle” award. While I initially saw it as a consolation prize, Joe was thrilled and insisted it was the highest honor to earn on a team. I didn’t get it at the time – but I do now. Joe was everything to me – my surrogate grandfather and my best friend.
Life was tough in my neighborhood sometimes. Our schools weren’t great and when they got worse, my mother, a former elementary school teacher, decided to apply to a private school. Even with a scholarship, my family couldn’t afford to send me. Fortunately, Joe realized this and generously offered to pay the difference. Later, when I received a partial scholarship for college, once again Joe stepped up and paid the balance of my tuition. Thanks to this incredible man, I was able to get a great college education and kick off my professional career without the stress of student debt.
To say Joe was a blessing is an understatement. He taught me the importance of loving your family unconditionally, staying positive, working hard, and giving back when you can. It was his generosity and support that helped inspire the approach to CSF.
Chime Scholars Foundation
Higher education is one of the most powerful engines for economic mobility. With CSF, we aim to expand access so that others have the same opportunity I did. After all, we live in a country with a shrinking middle class and with more than half of American households living paycheck to paycheck. We also know that people with higher education or training earn nearly 2x over their lifetime than high school only graduates and are half as likely to be unemployed.
Too often, our post-secondary education system fails us. College tuition costs have far outpaced wage growth and inflation over the past few decades, making it out of reach for many. For those who do pursue a degree, more than half end up with crippling debt for years to come. For others, a four-year program may not be the best path for success, but they too are left with few options.
This is why we created the Chime Scholars Foundation. Operating as a non-profit, CSF awards annual, renewable scholarships for students pursuing education after high school. There are two attributes that make CSF unique.
First, CSF is designed for any type of post-secondary education, including four-year university, community college, or even vocational training like nursing programs and other apprenticeships.
Second, we didn’t design CSF grants just for the star students with 4.0 GPAs and a long list of extracurricular activities. These kids often have opportunities for grants and scholarships from the schools they attend. CSF is specifically for everyday kids like me who have responsibilities at home, work hard, hustle, and yearn for something more in life. Many of these students just need a little financial support to jump-start opportunities.
While we are formally announcing the Chime Scholars Foundation today, I’m proud to report that CSF has already awarded more than 350 scholarships in our pilot program. Going into 2024, we plan on expanding the program by welcoming over 100 new scholars.
Our ambitions for CSF are high, and my co-founder Ryan and I are enormously proud and grateful to our board of directors, investors, and leadership team for pledging 1% of Chime Financial equity to fund CSF going forward. With this funding and our unique approach, I’m confident that the Chime Scholars Foundation will be a positive force in our communities for generations to come. To learn more or to apply please visit the Chime Scholars Foundation website.
If only Joe could see us now!
Chris
This story was submitted by Wilco Source, a CitiusTech Company
Throughout 2023 and into 2024, Wilco Source, now a part of CitiusTech, continues its commitment to the Salesforce 1% Pledge. We applaud Salesforce and all other organizations participating in this philanthropic endeavor.
At Wilco Source, a leader in providing tailored Salesforce solutions for Healthcare and Life Sciences organizations, we are dedicated to positively impacting the world around us. Our acquisition by CitiusTech, a significant milestone in our journey, has enabled us to expand our resources and amplify our corporate philanthropy and environmental sustainability efforts.
A Pledge for a Better Tomorrow
In alignment with our commitment to Pledge 1%, this acquisition represents more than a business milestone; it’s a gateway to greater societal contributions. We believe in leveraging a portion of our resources to support those in need and initiate meaningful change. Empowered by our new partnership, we’re poised to make a more substantial impact.
In 2023, the employees of CitiusTech and its subsidiaries, including Wilco Source, volunteered countless hours in various community service projects. These efforts reflect our commitment to social responsibility and embody the culture of our family of organizations, where giving back is integral to our identity.
Other initiatives include:
Environmental Stewardship: Our union with CitiusTech brings a shared vision for environmental care.
- Energy-Efficient Infrastructure: Enhancing eco-friendliness in our workplaces.
- Sustainable Practices: Emphasizing our commitment to the environment through authorized e-waste recycling and employee-driven initiatives.
Enhancing Social Impact: The acquisition has also expanded our ability to contribute to CitiusTech/Wilco Source social initiatives. Efforts include:
- Salesforce Career Nurturing Program (SCNP): Annually, we aim to fill 20-30% of our positions through our SCNP. This program onboards individuals seeking Salesforce opportunities, offering them a 3-6 month mentorship. Historically, over 90% of SCNP enrollees have joined Wilco Source.
- Combating Hunger and Poverty: Supporting hundreds of children in Mumbai through various initiatives. Additionally, we would like to give a special mention to Sundeep Neravetla, who volunteered 60 hours for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
A Journey Towards Positive Change
As part of CitiusTech, Wilco Source stands at the forefront of corporate responsibility, embracing the synergy of business success and social impact. We are excited to continue this journey, leveraging our expanded resources to make a lasting difference in the world.
Join us in our pledge to contribute more, care more, and create a better future for all.
This story was submitted by Digitools Consulting, LLC.
Today is an exciting time for us at Digitools Consulting! As a proud member of Pledge 1% we donate 1% of our time, revenue, and product discounts to non-profits. I’m very happy to show the start of our journey to do good in the communities we serve. We donated $150.00 to Elevate Branson.
Pictured left to right. Bryan Stallings, CEO of Elevate Branson – Nathan Bunting, CEO of Digitools Consulting – and Katie Sandage, Director of Elevate Rides.
This story was submitted by KnowledgeOwl.
As part of KnowledgeOwl’s commitment to being a business for good, we started a “2% for People and Planet program” in June 2020. Through this program, we donate 1% of profits to people and 1% of sales to the planet.
KnowledgeOwl has been a Pledge 1% member since August 2021. Each month a different team member chooses a charity, non-profit, or organization with the goal of helping people and the planet. To date, KnowledgeOwl has donated over $20,000 USD.
More info about our “2% for People and Planet program” here.
This story was submitted by Good Stuff Partners.
We’ve helped launch a new public awareness campaign to tackle the fentanyl crisis called ‘Hey Marin, WTF?’
Fentanyl is an opioid about 100 times more potent than morphine and can be found in counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other substances. It can also be found in every city and town across the county.
Marin residents are shocked to learn that fentanyl is so prevalent here and often see it as a problem that exists over the bridge. But every five or six days, we lose a person to an accidental overdose, which is more than twice the rate of five years ago.
The Marin Community Foundation asked us to join forces with OD Free Marin (Marin Public Health Dept), the Marin Independent Journal, and the County of Marin to develop a provocative campaign. It’s fact-based and hard-hitting and should instigate uncomfortable conversations with family, friends, and colleagues. We want to raise awareness, increase access to Narcan (the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose) and remove barriers to substance use treatment.
Nobody in Marin is immune. Fentanyl doesn’t care how old you are or how much money you have. We’re all susceptible. This campaign aims to alarm everyone in Marin, so they understand the risks of fentanyl and how to find and use Narcan to save lives.
The ‘Hey Marin, WTF’ campaign will run for the next year and across the county in print, social media, bus shelters, and posters and will be shared widely with anyone who wants to help spread the word.
We’ve helped launch a new public awareness campaign to tackle the fentanyl crisis called ‘Hey Marin, WTF?’ For the past few months, we’ve dedicated at least 100 hours of our strategy and design to crafting a powerful new public awareness campaign.
Fentanyl is an opioid about 100 times more potent than morphine and can be found in counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other substances. It can also be found in every city and town across the county.
Marin residents are shocked to learn that fentanyl is so prevalent here and often see it as a problem that exists over the bridge. But every five or six days, we lose a person to an accidental overdose, which is more than twice the rate of five years ago.
The Marin Community Foundation asked us to join forces with OD Free Marin (Marin Public Health Department), the Marin Independent Journal, and the County of Marin to develop a provocative campaign. It’s fact-based and hard-hitting and should instigate uncomfortable conversations with family, friends, and colleagues. We want to raise awareness, increase access to Narcan (the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose) and remove barriers to substance use treatment.
Nobody in Marin is immune. Fentanyl doesn’t care how old you are or how much money you have. We’re all susceptible. This campaign aims to alarm everyone in Marin, so they understand the risks of fentanyl and how to find and use Narcan to save lives.
The ‘Hey Marin, WTF’ campaign will run for the next year and across the county in print, social media, bus shelters, and posters and will be shared widely with anyone who wants to help spread the word.
So far, the campaign has gotten 325,000 digital ad impressions with a CTR (click-through rate) that’s more than double the national average. On social media, the campaign has reached over 1,000 accounts and received double the predicted engagement. Seeing these impacts, we were motivated to make this an open-source campaign for anyone to use. If you know any organizations, cities, counties, or states that need these assets, please go here to access the free toolkit. By working together and spreading the message, we can help save lives.
This story was submitted by Cadence Design Systems.
Volunteering and giving back is at the core of Cadence culture. It’s one reason why Cadence is consistently recognized on Fortune’s Great Place To Work (#9 in 2023) with 94% of employees stating that, “they feel good about the ways we contribute to the community.” This year, we celebrate our 8th annual Season of Giving, unifying our efforts across the globe to volunteer all quarter-long. Each year, Cadence employees around the world come together to participate in Season of Giving, our largest annual volunteer campaign. Over 60 Cadence employee volunteer leads have planned and executed 60 volunteer projects in 37 cities across the world engaging 1,900 employees (that’s nearly 20% of the company). Altogether, Cadence donated more than $250,000 in charitable contributions and 5,700 hours of employee volunteer time to complete these projects.
This year’s volunteer projects cover a wide range of areas that are employees are most passionate about including sorting, packing, and distributing meals, coastal cleanups, tree planting, public space and playground restoration, working in animal shelters, supporting kids and adults with learning disabilities or complex needs, distributing warm winter clothing, providing access to quality healthcare and medical treatments, working in women’s shelters, supporting mental health and wellness, and wetland ecosystem restoration.
In Pune, India, 40 Cadence employees spent a full day volunteering at Punarutthan Samarsata Gurukulam, a local school that supports the welfare of the tribal community, and social upliftment of Nomadic Tribes and communities by providing a residential facility, daily meals, and education to over 300 students. Cadence employees engaged students in different activities like wall painting, candle making, bag making, and pottery. Volunteers also got their hands dirty feeding and caring for cows and other animals at the “Gaushala” (cow barn). Cadence employees also donated to construct a compound wall by the river to keep the school and students safe from floods.
In San Jose, California where Cadence is headquartered, employees volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank packing 720 boxes of produce, equivalent to 9 tons of food. These produce boxes will feed 2,880 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
Cadence’s Season of Giving is a testament to our company’s ongoing commitment to volunteering and impacting our community, and we are proud to see our employees making a difference as One Cadence, One Team.
This story was submitted by cred.
Here at cred, our team is committed to Pledge 1%—giving our time and products to benefit non-profit organizations and underserved communities. Through programs like credVoices (our pro bono initiative) and credService (our internal philanthropy team), cred has continued to prioritize finding philanthropic opportunities and educational resources for employees to get involved in. We look forward to continuing to build on our efforts to have a greater impact on the communities we operate in while building a stronger company culture centered on service. So far in 2023, our small but mighty team of 25 has raised over $1,000 to be donated and dedicated 30 hours towards these initiatives.
cred started the year by honoring Women’s History Month in March and supported the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center located in Berkeley. The center has provided over 30 years of service and serves an average of 150 unhoused women and children per month. Our team raised over $500 to go towards basic necessities such as hygiene items, baby wipes/diapers, and more. During Q2 of 2023, our company supported Juneteenth by creating a resource guide for our remote team to make donations, learn more about the holiday, and support Black-owned businesses within their own community.
In September, we celebrated National Food Bank Day and gathered over $500 in donations for the Alameda County Community Food Bank located in Oakland, which has been around for over 35 years and distributes millions of meals every year. We look forward to rounding out the year with a final service initiative supporting Hamilton Families, whose mission is to is to end family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area, by sponsoring families through their Holiday Gift Drive.
Bringing kindness and service into the workplace has made a transformative impact on our employees, company culture, and overall success. As the saying goes, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Let us cultivate a culture of service in our workplaces and witness the remarkable impact it can have on everyone involved.
This story was submitted by Candor Threads.
After the devastating August 2023 Maui fires, communities were left grappling with the destruction and loss that the natural disaster had brought upon their lives. Among the countless stories of resilience and hope, one in particular stood out.
We received an email from Miguel Solice, the head of Maui Preparatory Academy. He had a simple request – custom Hawaiian shirts for his school’s teachers and staff to lift their spirits after the chaos and sadness of the Lahaina fires. His words painted a vivid picture of the challenges faced by their community. Miguel shared, “We’re the only school fully functioning on the west side. On the night of the fires in Lahaina, our school became a shelter. It’s hard to grasp what we’re dealing with here, and I think much of the world doesn’t really understand what’s happening.”
Miguel’s aim was to bring back a sense of normalcy for his students and families. Without a second thought, we knew we had to help. The next day, we contacted Miguel to let him know we’d be happy to donate the shirts. His response was overwhelming: “Wow! I cannot state how wonderful this is for our school. We will all love them so much. I’m sending a great deal of love and Aloha from my school to yours.” Miguel was ecstatic, and so were we!
Within 24 hours, our team created designs using their school colors and logo. Miguel approved designs and we headed right into production. Eight weeks later, the shirts arrived at the school, ready to serve as symbols of hope, togetherness, and resilience.
Recently, we received a heartfelt email from Miguel expressing his gratitude. He told us the shirts were a huge hit! The teachers and staff proudly wore them for re-enrollment and the parents and students loved them. It was a special day for sure.
Making an impact is at the core of our values. When we do make a difference, there’s no feeling quite like it. As the shirts become a part of the school uniform, we’re certain they’ll serve as a source of joy and unity, reminding everyone that even in the darkest moments, a community’s collective strength can pave the way for a brighter future.
This story was submitted by SOLVD.
We were able to help 51 families and 144 children in our local community whom all live below the poverty line. By giving them gifts for under the tree with necessities like socks, jackets, and clothes as well as some fun toys, then we celebrated together with a warm holiday meal with holiday crafts, decorated cookies, and had some fun giveaways to the families.
Thank you to our sponsors who donated Trove Brands, Clean Simple Eats, Just Ingredients, Inc., Minky Couture Designer Blankets. Thank you if you donated in a monetary way or with your time, we truly appreciate every single one of you.