When we joined Pledge 1% a few years ago, we didn’t know what our giving would look like. Would we donate our time, money or product or a little of each? As a creative agency, our only real ‘product’ is our human capital, so where do you start?

At first, donating money to local nonprofits seemed like the easiest way to get started, and in 2019, we were lucky to be able to go beyond the 1% minimum and donate 7% of our profits. But as time went on, we wanted to get more involved and find ways to physically show up for our community. And we did that through volunteering, internships, and mentoring.

We put in a couple of volunteer shifts at the SF Marin Foodbank. We joined the Marin Humane Advocacy Committee and became a board member of the animal sanctuary When Pigs Fly Ranch. We partnered with our client Pivotal and hosted their foster youth as interns the last two summers. And we became a sponsor of Griot, a Marin City theater company that amplifies brown and black culture through the arts.

Next up, we’re doing a group volunteer shift with our client Habitat for Humanity at a community garden in Bayview Hunters Point in San Francisco. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, but Covid put the kibosh on that. So we’re stoked to regroup as a team to give back and get some dirt under our fingernails while doing it.

If you’re thinking about how you can help this Giving Tuesday, don’t be afraid to reach out to the people around you who could use your help, even if you don’t know exactly what it looks like. One thing can lead to another, but you’ll never know if you don’t strike up the conversation. We hope our own experiences inspire some interesting ideas, but we’re always happy to lend support and offer advice, so feel free to comment here!

As a part of Prolifiq’s Pledge 1%, we continue to emphasize the importance of giving back to our communities in Portland and Chicago, whether it is volunteering at local food banks, book banks or food depositories. outside of the dedicated team model, we encourage individuals to use their VTO to support local causes they are passionate about.

“Giving back is one of our core values, we are passionate about supporting our local charities and prioritize time for our employees to participate in volunteering efforts.”

-Eddie Hanson, President

When your dreams come true, it’s only right that you help make that happen for others, too. As a lifelong horse lover and collector of model horses, I have been blessed to be able to turn my hobby into a successful business, selling models to horse and animal lovers around the world. This year we were honored to be chosen as “Down East” magazine’s Best of Maine Toy Store.

In 2016, we were asked by our regional animal shelter if we would sell some models that had been donated to them. The response from our customers was exciting – We even sold one model twice (he was bought then donated back to be sold again)! With the success of this one-time project, we made the program permanent, and since then, we’ve raised over $10,000 for Harvest Hills Animal Shelter through donated model sales. Collectors donate models from all over the US for our program and the shelter sends each a receipt and thank-you card. We are grateful to be able to positively impact the lives of animals in need, as Harvest Hills serves animals from nineteen towns in our area.

Additionally, we also give 1% of all sales to charity using Plegling, which automatically takes the money from our sales and routes it to our chosen charity. We change recipients of our 1% based on current need, with past recipients including such organizations as The Red Cross, One Tree Planted, and No Child Hungry.

We believe every business should be a force for good in the world! We’re all in this together, big and small, from family-owned businesses like ours to large corporations. Imagine the world we could build if we all designate 1% of our sale dollars to helping a cause that improves the world and helps make other dreams come true!

Generous financial support and event volunteering will always be foundational ways for companies to support local community and non-profit organizations. But at Horizon, we’ve added a progressive new way to build these relationships, engage employees in our giving activities and meet Pledge 1% priorities: enabling employees to be non-profit board members.

Since inception, Horizon has worked to embed Corporate Social Responsibility into our business and make it part of who we are and how we operate. Donations to non-profit organizations began when the company was six years old and has continued to expand beyond the financial into partnerships that have made a difference

Over time, Horizon discovered a gap between nonprofits and their need for board members and a gap for employees who hope to volunteer as board members. Employees had the desire to donate their time and expertise but were not certain how to get involved at that level. So, in 2020, Horizon developed Boards+, a program to facilitate nonprofit board services for employees while supporting nonprofits. This progressive initiative allows employees to donate their time and expertise and helps nonprofits with new thinking and energy to meet their goals. We know success often comes down to people and nonprofits rely on individuals dedicated to and passionate about their mission to succeed.

This innovative initiative educates employees on becoming successful board members, builds a community of Horizon employees serving on boards, and assists nonprofits in finding new and diverse individuals to serve on their board. Most importantly, it creates an opportunity for employees to increase their impact on meaningful nonprofit boards in their personal time.

With this unique need for board members, Horizon asked employees to participate in a company wide survey that gathered personal interest and desire to serve on a board. Survey data and existing board vacancies were identified, then Horizon matched nonprofit boards in need of members with employees.

As a result, Horizon has successfully placed 62 individuals on boards aligned with their personal interest while also supporting the nonprofit with a genuinely dedicated and motivated board member. “Thanks to Horizon’s Boards+ program I was connected to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance whose mission is to save lives through awareness and prevention of colorectal cancer. My wife and I are extremely passionate about this cause given the loss of my brother-in-law, Ryan, to this disease. Thanks to Horizon’s support I am now a member of their board of directors. You can find more information about the organization here” said Joe Whalen, senior vice president, M&A and alliances, Horizon. This one-of-a-kind program is one that Horizon developed to better their community, nonprofits, and employee growth.

Coveo, a market-leading AI-powered relevance platform, announced today that it has joined Pledge 1%, a global movement to inspire, educate, and empower all companies to leverage their assets for good. By pledging 1% of its workforce’s time, 1% of profits, 1% of products, and 1% of equity, Coveo is demonstrating its commitment to philanthropic leadership.

“At Coveo, we believe we have a responsibility to make a lasting social impact in our communities. Together with our team, our board of directors, and our shareholders, we are proud to announce that we joined the Pledge 1% movement, committing 1% of our time, 1% of our products, 1% of our profits, and yes, 1% of our equity.” said Louis Têtu, Chairman and CEO at Coveo. “Our pledge is substantive, and I hope other companies will see what we’re doing and join us.” 

“Equal, accessible, and unconstrained access to knowledge and education is a key lever for human wellness, to combat poverty, and to reduce inequalities,” said Sheila Morin, SVP Corporate Marketing and Brand at Coveo.  “Whether it is democratizing AI and digital content access to make a non-profit more effective, using educational and employment opportunities as tactics for combating inequality, or making knowledge available to all, we aim to make the democratization of relevance a force for good locally and globally. With the structure of our pledge, we will be able to contribute our time, our technology, our money and our equity to help.  And we will seek to engage our partners in the journey.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Coveo to the Pledge 1% movement. As a company focused on creating relevant, personalized experiences at scale, Coveo has the potential for transformational impact on nonprofits and the stakeholders they serve,” said Amy Lesnick, Chief Executive and President of Pledge 1%. “By committing 1% of their equity to sustainably fuel long term social impact efforts and pairing these funds with other meaningful assets, Coveo serves as a terrific role model not only for other Canadian companies but for businesses across the globe.” 

Coveo will be working with its partners including Benevity Inc, a leading provider of global corporate purpose software that provides charitable donation-management and grant-management, as Coveo takes the next steps to re-democratize business. 

Over the last year we’ve seen an alarming rise in xenophobic and racist hate crimes against Asian Americans. Yelp stands in solidarity and is committed to supporting the AAPI community. Specifically, how we address anti-Asian hate, support Asian-owned businesses, and work to be progressive allies.

TEACH YOURSELF ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PROPAGANDA AND HATE

To begin combating irrational, fear-based bigotry, start with education. Learning the historical basis for Asian hate is an essential first step.

An op-ed published in 1854 by Horace Greeley spurred the creation of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. His xenophobic, racist hate was foisted onto any Asian immigrant coming to the U.S. regardless of their actual ethnicity, and persisted through WWII and Japanese Internment, to the murder of Vincent Chin, and recently, the murder of six Asian women in Atlanta.

But, even “positive” Asian stereotypes—like the model minority myth—are just as dangerous. Our team created an allyship guide explaining the history Asian communities in the U.S.

Additionally, we recommend these works by AAPI writers:

• Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong


• The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston


• Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans by  Ronald Takaki


• Asian American Dreams by Helen Zia


• Immigrant Acts by Lisa Lowe

RECOGNIZE THAT ASIAN REPRESENTATION AT ALL LEVELS OF ORGANIZATIONS IS IMPORTANT

The success of Crazy Rich Asians proved that diversity in Hollywood was economically viable. So, what changed? According to Andrew Chow, “Over the past decade, Asian Americans have become showrunners, studio executives, lead agents, and producers; they have formed tight-knit groups to champion one another.”

This framework has been used in politics via the founding of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) alongside Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

While we’ve seen an increase in representation in Washington, it does not extend to the corporate C-suite. In an article for the Harvard Business Review, authors stated that Asian American white-collar professionals are the least likely group to be promoted into management because they’re seen as an extremely successful demographic, and not underrepresented.

SUPPORT AAPI-OWNED BUSINESSES AND AAPI-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS

According to Yelp’s Economic Impact Report on diverse businesses, the rate of searches on Yelp for Asian-owned businesses in the U.S. increased by 3,404% in February 2021 compared to the previous year.

To make it easier to find Asian-owned businesses, Yelp collaborated with Gold House, to introduce a new way for businesses to self-identify.

Additionally, the following AAPI-serving organizations are fighting to elevate experiences and stop Asian hate.

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice


• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund


• Asian Pacific Environmental Network


• Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum


• Chinese for Affirmative Action


• National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum


• National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance


• Stop AAPI Hate

In addition to education and advocacy, donations to AAPI-serving organizations, companies can reflect on product features that provide consumers with ways to support, and pathways to encourage representation of AAPI people at all levels of leadership.

In March 2021, Olo joined the Pledge 1% movement and created Olo For Good, committing one percent of Olo’s time, product and equity to Olo for Good initiatives to foster sustainable contributions to the communities in which we live, work, and serve by integrating social responsibility and impact into our business.

Olo for Good is leveraging our people, technology, and equity to support organizations that are aligned with our mission and values including those focused on:

• Advancing all aspects of racial, ethnic and gender diversity, equity, and inclusion;


• Providing relief and support for the restaurant industry and its front-line workers;


• Ending childhood hunger and increasing access to food; and


• Protecting natural resources and reducing waste and emissions.

As part of Olo’s equity commitment, we are so excited to share the names of the following organizations who will receive a combined $4.9M donation from Olo’s Donor Advised Fund:

• Black Girls Code


• Clean Air Task Force


• Emma’s Torch


• Feeding America


• FoodCorps


• Girls Who Code


• Giving Kitchen


• Let’s Empower Employment Initiative


• Natural Resources Defense Council

These incredible organizations are leading the charge in their respective fields, supporting restaurant workers, championing diversity in tech, fighting hunger and leading incredible environmental initiatives. We are thrilled to finally announce this and are committed to working closely with each organization to ensure continued success. Organizations will receive funding in early November!

Cheers to doing good while doing well,

Nithya, Jackie & the Olo For Good Committee

Nithya B. Das, Chief Legal Officer

Jackie Berg, SVP of Marketing

Many of us feel lucky to find one charity that we connect deeply with. Jo Chilton, Splunk Customer Success Manager, has found two in the course of her volunteer journey, and since starting to volunteer in 2015, she hasn’t looked back.

Working to ensure no one need go hungry

Jo first volunteered with Hackney Foodbank, drawn to an opportunity she could do outside of working hours. She began by volunteering at donation drives, heading to supermarkets like Tesco to collect food and cash donations from shoppers. 

Soon she started volunteering in the warehouse. Hackney Foodbank receives donations not only from supermarket drives, but also businesses, neighborhood associations and walk-ins to the warehouse. Along with her fellow volunteers, Jo weighs and sorts the donations, which will later go into crates for deliveries to clients.

“There are a variety of reasons for using a food bank,” explains Jo. “You may be recovering from homelessness or have unstable employment conditions. Unexpected life events such as an injury might leave you unable to work, leaving you with the choice of feeding your family or heating your home in winter. For many people, just one unexpected bill can lead to food insecurity.”

The pandemic only amplified the problem. “As Splunkers, we weathered the storm from a position of fortune and gratitude,” says Jo. “But for many others in the community, the need for donated food has been more critical than ever.”

While Jo enjoys volunteering with the foodbank and has made friends by giving back, she looks forward to a day where her volunteer service is no longer required – and food is easily available to all.

Giving comfort during the holidays

Along with Hackney Foodbank, Jo volunteers with Crisis, a charity that works with homeless and formerly homeless Britons. In addition to year-round services, it offers Crisis at Christmas, when shelters open throughout the holiday week. 

“The holidays can be a difficult time for many people, whether they are homeless or simply lonely,” says Jo. “During Crisis at Christmas, the guests are our VIPs. They can enjoy three meals a day, along with access to services most of us take for granted, like an optician or hairdresser.”

Perhaps most important, Crisis at Christmas offers companionship and a listening ear for people at their most vulnerable, alongside services to help with challenges they may be facing, such as addiction.

“When we share a meal or a cup of tea, I have the opportunity to learn about another person’s experience,” says Jo. “You really learn a lot about life and people’s resilience in those moments, and while the conversations can be challenging, they also bring me joy.” 

As a returning volunteer, Jo has made many friends. But what she values most is how volunteering has connected her to the dignity of every life.

“For so many homeless people, the worst thing isn’t the cold or hunger, but the loneliness,” says Jo. “People won’t look you in the eye, even as they give you food and drink. If you just take thirty seconds to introduce yourself and ask their name, you’ve created a moment of connection.”

Discover your own path

“Charities offer such a breadth of opportunities, with something for nearly everyone,” says Jo. “You might not find your niche right away, so be persistent. Whatever your personality and talents, you can make such a difference for others.”

Giving Back as a Team

IT Engineering brings fun, innovation, and friendly competition to their volunteer events

For Abeetha Bala and the Splunk IT Engineering team, volunteering isn’t just an occasional activity. It’s an important part of their culture.

Most recently, they volunteered with CareerVillage.org – a nonprofit that works to democratize access to career information and advice for underrepresented youth. Together, the CareerVillage team and the Splunkers organized an online Q&A to answer questions about technology careers.

Friendly competition for a great cause

During the big day, the volunteers were split into teams. The young people asked their questions, and the Splunker teams competed to answer as many as possible. 

With an audience ranging from 4th graders to high schoolers and highly technical subject matter, they had their work cut out for them. “We had to put ourselves in the shoes of the students and keep the explanations simple,” says Abeetha. 

Together, the Splunkers answered 59 questions in 1 hour – each one offering young people a window into a technology career. Through the fast-paced event, all of the Splunkers got involved – in fact, the beauty of the event is that it appealed to extroverts and introverts alike.

“It was refreshing to interact with the students,” says Abeetha. “It brought us a new perspective on the work we do every day.” The team that answered the most questions not only won bragging rights, but was also honored during a department All Hands.

Creating fun and meaningful experiences

The IT Engineering Social Committee spearheads the team’s volunteer projects. Gathering inspiration from Benevity and the Social Impact team, they gather a list of ideas. To make sure everyone has a voice, they survey their colleagues, and the option with the most votes wins. 

Every quarter brings a different cause. “We want to keep our team excited and make sure the experience is meaningful,” says Abeetha. “Since our team is around the world, we look for activities that work across time zones, and we’re always sure to add our personal Splunk touch.” In recent quarters, IT Engineering volunteered with Missing Maps to map areas of India vulnerable to typhoons and held a virtual charity for a 5K run.

While the Social Committee drives the projects, it’s a collaborative effort. “We rely on managers to talk up the events to their teams, and whenever possible, we love to see managers join us,” says Abeetha. “By participating, they send a clear signal that we value volunteering and want everyone to use their VTO.”

Their efforts are paying off. Each quarter, 30-35% of IT Engineering takes part, and the team has already logged 40 volunteer hours this fiscal year. “At our events, I have a chance to interact with colleagues I don’t usually work with,” says Abeetha. “Volunteering helps new colleagues get to know our culture, and it creates a powerful sense of belonging.”

“I’m proud to work at Splunk,” she adds. “I believe in our product, and I value our VTO program. I have the privilege of giving the gift of time to support great causes.”

Working in the technology sector, squarely in the heart of Silicon Valley, it’s sometimes easy to take for granted our collective basic human needs of healthy food, clean water and secure housing. At LeanData, we’ve elected to change that, and have committed ourselves to not only raising awareness, but to affecting positive change.

In partnership with its employee-led Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) committee, LeanData is a proud supporter of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a hunger-free community by distributing nutritious food to nearly every neighborhood in Silicon Valley. Second Harvest currently serves 450,000 people every month, an 80% increase over pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels!

In 2020, deep within the throes of the pandemic, LeanData organized a virtual poker night with its team members across the country. Using the tournament buy-in and other related contributions, and working with Second Harvest, LeanData was able to donate 7,317 meals to our local northern California community.

This year, we have upped the ante, so to speak. In early November, the DEI committee kicked off this year’s 2021 fundraising event, with a goal of providing 8,000 meals. Again, the centerpiece of the effort is the virtual poker tournament, complete with the year-long bragging rights associated with it. Employees who choose to participate do so with their buy-in donation. But, it’s so much more than that, as employees are encouraged to create Second Harvest fundraising pages and solicit much-needed donations from their personal and professional networks.

With day-to-day work becoming more virtually-based over the past two years, some in the workforce have struggled with feelings of isolation and an overall loss of esprit de corps. LeanData has found community-giving efforts to be one way to bring its team together, bounding over collective efforts that benefit the communities where we live and work.

In 2021, LeanData and its employees participated in programs to increase physical and mental well being, supported 1T.org’s mission to plant one trillion trees by 2030, and continued our communities’ efforts to eradicate hunger in Silicon Valley. Our efforts have brought us closer together with one another – teammates, fellow LeanData employees and even our valued partners, customers and vendors. And, along the way, we take pride in helping our neighbors as we can.

As a collective group, LeanData is excited to build upon our growing community effort next year and beyond!