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We believe in nurturing our community and the wider world, and in that vein we throw our support to local organizations that are nurturing local human communities & wild places.

In 2024 we launched our Monthly Giving Program. Each month, we give 1% of Blue Skies Bakery gross sales to a non-profit organization that is doing work that inspires us. We also highlight their work on our website and social media platforms.

Organizations we support include:

At Forge & Spark, giving back is woven into our agency’s DNA. We’re delighted to share what the Forge & Spark Give Back Program made possible this year!

For every new client partnership and course student, our team donates $50 to a variety of charities aligned with our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This isn’t just part of our business, it’s how we stay connected to the bigger picture, living our values and doing our part to move the needle on causes that matter.

This year, our client-powered donations made a difference for four wonderful local organizations: Vancouver Food Bank, Dress for Success Vancouver, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and Mamas for Mamas. By keeping our approach simple we make giving back a regular habit.

Every single client project turns into tangible, local impact. And every team member and partner knows they’re part of something purposeful, not just business as usual. We believe small, consistent efforts build a more generous and joyful community.

Thank you for inviting us to celebrate and share our impact. The 1% Pledge helps us keep the spirit (and habit) of generosity front and centre, today and every day.

In the summer of 2023 I learned about Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue (SCWR) from my wife who read a news story about three black bear cubs who were relocated from Lake Tahoe, California. These were the kids of Hank the Tank who had been captured and relocated to Colorado after multiple home break-ins and extensive property damage. SCWR was to rehabilitate the cubs so they can discontinue the negative behaviors they learned from mom and be returned to the wild! This was how I first learned about SCWR and the amazing work they do for wildlife not just in Sonoma County, where I live, but for animals from all over California. That fall I signed up as a volunteer and have worked there for four hours a week ever since.

This also coincided with a major career change for me. After nearly a decade at Salesforce, where I learned all about Pledge 1% through the Salesforce 1-1-1 program, I decided I needed to do something different. In early 2024 I formed a start-up with a former Salesforce colleague to build a tool to help transform facilities operations and make it available on the Salesforce AppExchange. From day one we knew we would sign on to Pledge 1% and carry forward our community giving which was such a rewarding part of our Salesforce careers.

While we were still going through our final stages of product development and Salesforce AppExchange approval I started talking to the SCWR Executive Director, Doris Duncan, about how I thought sonpito could help the organization. Doris was incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about the idea and thought this would help propel the organization into the next phase of their incredible growth. SCWR had recently been gifted another huge property and were in the final stages of completing the build out of the largest Apex Predator Enclosure (APE) in California. If ever there was a time to modernize and utilize technology it was now!

We helped the team apply for Salesforce Non-Profit Cloud which we would install sonpito on as well as elevate their Fundraising, Program Management, Volunteer Management and Marketing & Engagement. In October 2025 sonpito was listed on the Salesforce AppExchange and our very first customer is Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue! We have begun setting up sonpito with the SCWR team and early impressions are very promising. The team is excited to be able to optimize their facilities operations with sonpito and are looking forward to the getting the full benefit of Salesforce Non-profit could early next year.

We are honored to partner with SCWR who play such an important role in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife; the promotion, understanding, appreciation, protection and conservation of wildlife through both their Educational Outreach Programs and advocacy efforts. It has been wonderful to get to know so many other volunteers from every walk of life who share my passion for wildlife.

While these past two years have been the most challenging of my professional career, it is also really important to me to keep giving back. Taking time away from launching a start up to work hard and laugh with other volunteers has been cathartic – I know that whatever is happening at work, on Wednesday mornings, I will be out in the open air, come rain or shine, feeding precious animals which brings joy to my heart. What can you do in your community to release some of the pent up stress? What is your pressure release valve? We all need time away from the grind and I encourage anyone reading this to find something you care about, where you can contribute and just maybe get some relief.

Through a generous 200% match on employee contributions made to the nonprofits that matter most to the 1,500 employees of EQT Corporation last year EQT employees and the EQT Foundation together contributed more than $1.7 million to nonprofits across the country.

While employees can donate and receive matching funds throughout the year, EQT proudly embraces the spirit of radical generosity on Giving Tuesday—amplifying our commitment to giving back and showcasing the Heart we share with our communities.

rZilient, Inc.  aims to grow/build the world’s first hybrid purpose-driven “Camel>Unicorn” thar offers “merit-based” opportunities to rZilients: marketers, developers, entrepreneurs storytelling artists (all genres including chefs!) and filmmakers who have overcome/overcoming mental health PTSD journeys (like me) and want to work and contribute as the creative, ambitious, capable people we are without STIGMA.  I hope to first unite Toronto  and San Francisco to unite build the platform and then share it with the world. I first learned about social impact in 2019 when I found out about Pledge 1% and became a member (https://www.pledge1percent.org/like-really-proud-and-grateful/) United.cool “failed” but I kept going and here I am with rZilient gifting my art to The Shoebox Project in Canada – in 2024. As when I was homeless in Toronto after returning from San Francisco in 2018 – I was given one of their gift boxes, so giving back and volunteering is very important to me. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6wpatzJCV3/ 

rZilient, Inc.  is the culmination of 25 years of entrepreneurial failure and it brings together all of my companies, ideas and passions under one umbrella. By March 2025 – I was ready to give up, and I met a true “somebody” and when introduced to him, I said, “I am just a nobody” while I was crying! Well, this person looked at me sternly, and said, “You should never say that. Everybody can contribute. Never give up!” – And here I am today, submitting my 2nd Pledge 1% Story for Giving Tuesday in 2025!    

The rZilient PledgELEVEN 11%  Promise:  

San Francisco inspired me to GIVE and I learned about social entrepreneurship through Pledge 1%. I was so fortunate that Stephen Payne ( formerly with Pledge 1%) invited me to the Tides Foundation office where I brought a gift and the visit turned out to be the biggest gift of all! It was then that I decided I would come back home to Canada and one day launch my company that would PledgEleven 11% through Pledge 1% in gratitude ONE DAY – and that day will start on May 21, 2026 when rZilient Inc launches, small but mighty – a baby camel – so resilient that it is “turbo charged” with a Capital Z!  

rZilient PURPOSE:  is to co-creAIte a rZilient: JobHub, incubAitor, VC Fund + Film Studio in partnership with impact investors, partnering nonprofits and global government to boost local/global economies and  cut social spending by creating opportunities for those struggling with mental health to be given the opportunity to share their talents and work – as equals – without stigma.  

rZilient,  MISSION:  is to do for  Entrepreneurs what the Paralympics does for Athletes.  

Our GOAL: is to grow our “baby camel of a start-up” into a global, giving Unicorn by 2036. 

Who is “OUR” – full disclosure, just a one-person (+ inner child) MVP for now!  

My name is Gloria Maxx and I have suffered from cPTSD all my life and for the past 25 years I have tried to launch social impact start ups and failed each time.  I reached  a rock bottom so low last year that I finally  accepted to be on disability although I fought it for years! Right now, my “boss” is the Toronto, Ontario, Canadian tax payer and I want to create opportunities not just for me, but others like me who can work, and want to work to be able to contribute, thrive and succeed and support themselves – but we need an opportunity to be trusted that we can produce and perform! This is how I became rZilient – and  I am scared but resolute to become my own “MVP”.  

As an entrepreneur, storyteller and  artist who openly co-creates with “Gloriutza” my inner-child. I have finally begun to truly overcome my cPTSD  caused by childhood trauma which began as the child of a Romanian refugee who fled his country to make a better life for his family in Canada.  

GIVING BACK my rZilient  talent to prove myself first!  

As a ‘failed’ entrepreneur and someone who openly shared my mental health journey,  so many doors closed to me. I started off my doing pro bono work, lots of volunteering over the years to prove myself and it worked! My first pro-bono rZilient job was www.theanthem.ca where I created the website from scratch on Weebly ( the only program I know and love) for Professor George Elliott Clarke ( former Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate and Toronto  Poet Laureate) because I believe in their cause of promoting his family’s Afro-Metis struggles and triumphs.  See: www.theanthem.ca  

rZilient networks and makes a yummy community day December 2024: 

I also “pitched” my non-profit  building to allow me to do rZilient  community events where I would get community partners to donate the food and entertainment. On December 2024. our Merry Happy Christmukkah event where I was able toto partner with Loblaw’s Head Office Store (Canada’s largest grocery store by market share) which supported all 7 of my events to date – even pre rZilient!  Here are a few pics!   

When we named our company “Grafted Strategies,” it wasn’t just branding—it was a commitment.

In horticulture, grafting means permanently joining two plants so they grow as one. The grafted branch doesn’t just sit on top; it becomes an inseparable part of the host plant, sharing nutrients, responding to the same conditions, and growing together toward the same sun.

That’s exactly how we approach consulting. We don’t parachute in, deliver a solution, and disappear. We become a grafted part of our clients’ teams—attending their weekly sales meetings, participating in quarterly strategy sessions, and proactively solving problems before they’re asked. We grow when they grow. We succeed when they succeed.

But here’s what we’ve learned over the past few years: many of our clients aren’t just businesses—they’re mission-driven organizations working to improve their communities.

We’ve partnered with associations like the National Association of Wholesalers, helping them achieve operational efficiency gains so they can better serve their members. We’ve worked with immigration law firms helping families navigate complex legal processes. We’ve supported healthcare organizations coordinating care for military veterans with brain trauma.

These clients taught us something profound: technology transformation isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about multiplying impact. When we help an association streamline their operations, they can focus more energy on advocacy. When we automate a law firm’s compliance tracking, attorneys can spend more time on cases that change lives. When we connect disparate healthcare systems, care coordinators can serve more veterans more effectively.

We’ve been grafted into organizations that exist to serve others. And from the beginning, we realized we needed to extend that same philosophy beyond our paying clients.

That’s why we joined Pledge 1%.

Since 2018, Grafted Strategies has committed to giving and sharing our resources of time, expertise, and product offerings, to mission-driven organizations that align with our areas of specialization. Specifically, we’ll provide 2-3 deeply discounted or pro-bono Salesforce implementations annually for nonprofits and associations working in healthcare, immigration services, community advocacy, etc. to help them optimize their efforts and impact.

We’re not doing this because we’ve “made it” or because we have resources to spare. We’re a small, growing team. Every project matters. Every hour counts.

We’re doing it because being truly “grafted” means we don’t just grow alongside our clients—we grow alongside our communities. The same principles that guide our client partnerships should guide how we show up in the world.

We believe even small but strategically aligned Salesforce implementations can create outsized impact for the right organizations. A unified CRM can help a small nonprofit stop losing donor data. Automated workflows can free up staff to focus on mission rather than administration. Integrated systems including one-time as well as recurring donation capture can help a community organization scale their services without scaling their overhead, and we offer these Salesforce integrated payment solutions via a partner that does not attempt to fleece the ones they are claiming to help. We put more dollars into the hands of the ones making the impact

Our commitment is simple: We’ll use our expertise to help mission-driven organizations achieve the same transformational results we deliver for our commercial clients. Because impact shouldn’t be reserved for those who can afford enterprise consulting rates.

If you’re a nonprofit, association, or mission-driven organization working in healthcare, immigration services, or community advocacy—and you’re struggling with fragmented systems, manual processes, or technology that’s holding you back from your mission—we’d love to hear from you.

After all, that’s what being “grafted” means: growing together, toward the same sun.

Alton Aviation has proudly participated in the Pledge 1% global movement for corporate impact, electing to donate 1% of annual revenue to charity and dedicating 1% of employee time to volunteer work. In 2025, Alton’s total charitable contributions will have exceeded the $1 million mark.

Rapid-response humanitarian organization Airlink is Alton’s largest charitable partner, working to connect vetted non-governmental organizations (NGO) with airlines and aviation partners delivering critical aid. Alton’s long-standing contributions have helped Airlink respond to natural disasters, public health emergencies, and humanitarian crises across the globe.

Most recently, Alton supported Airlink as it worked around the clock to support NGOs delivering water, sanitation and hygiene resources, food and nutritional aid, medical assistance and emergency shelter to those affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean. To help bolster immediate needs and sustain the charity’s long-term mission, Alton matched every donation – individual or corporate – on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $100,000, doubling the impact of each gift and supporting communities in need.

Alton regularly supports non-profit initiatives through volunteer work as part of Pledge 1%. For example, its New York City office has partnered with local charities such as West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) to ensure vulnerable New Yorkers have access to essential food and support. Alton’s Singapore office helps inspire hundreds of young women looking to learn more about careers in aviation, partnering with Women in Aviation Singapore Chapter to sponsor and volunteer during its Girls in Aviation Day events.

“Reaching this milestone reflects more than financial investment — it reflects who we are as a firm,” said Adam Cowburn and John Mowry, Managing Directors at Alton Aviation Consultancy. “Our team’s commitment to Pledge 1% and to our nonprofit partners represents the collective belief of our team that each of us has a unique ability to connect communities and deliver help where it’s needed most.”

Small businesses often feel like every penny counts, and giving anything would set them back. Our business proves otherwise, and giving has helped us grow.

Hi, I’m Eleda, and I have run a niche hobby shop for model horse collectors and LEGO fans since 2012 in rural Maine. In 2016, we were approached by our area animal shelter to ask if we could try selling some old model horses that had been donated to them. To our delight, when we posted them on our website, they sold immediately! One was even donated back to be sold again!

Working with the animal shelter, we created an ongoing program for them, where folks could send model horses to us to be sold, with proceeds going to Harvest Hills Animal Shelter, our regional shelter which helps animals from nineteen towns. Since that beginning in 2016, people have donated a steady stream of models from all over the US, and we’ve been able to send quarterly checks to the shelter without fail.

As of autumn of 2025, we have raised over $20,000 for the animal shelter. People donate the models, we donate our time taking their photos and posting them to our site for sale. That’s very little “cost” to our small business, and the impact it has made on the animals going through the shelter is immense. We also donate 1% of total sales to charity using an automated program provided by Pledgling, which makes it a smooth, labor-free process for us. Advertising these two programs has helped us grow every year, with customers often mentioning these programs when they review our business.

You don’t have to be big to make an impact, you just have to do something.

At Impactful Ninja, we wanted to reimagine a beloved holiday tradition and make it truly meaningful. That’s how The Most Impactful Advent Calendar was born.

Instead of chocolate or trinkets that are featured in mainstream commercial Advent calendars, each of the 24 days supports a different nonprofit or social enterprise, turning the countdown to Christmas into 24 days of global good. From reforesting ecosystems to empowering women entrepreneurs, and protecting children’s rights—every day funds a tangible positive action.

We donate 75% of all proceeds directly to these 24 partner organizations and fully transparently share how each contribution creates impact.

What started as a small project quickly grew into a collaborative movement, bringing together individuals and purpose-driven brands who want to give back during the holidays. We’ve already partnered with dozens of organizations and received wonderful feedback from customers, partners, and affiliates who love celebrating December in a way that aligns with their values.

As Pledge 1% members, we share the same belief: small, consistent contributions can add up to big change.

Ready to get involved?
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