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

Originally published on Mandeaux.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Volunteer Time

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Product

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

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

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

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

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

Profit

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

Being a Pathfinder Means Giving Back

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

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

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


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

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

By Hannah Thompson, Marketing Communications, Cyber Group

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

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

Giving Back to the Community Panel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Millie Anderson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Candoris began Nate Kirby Day in 2016 as an opportunity to honor a friend and colleague and bring the team together as community volunteers. Experience our fifth annual day of service and see how our pledge of giving time and profit to serving others is part of a larger movement of companies giving back.

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

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

This Thanksgiving, the Pacific Point Hawaii team worked in tandem with their client, St. Francis Healthcare System, to deliver meals to those in need. Each person loaded up their car with meals from their designated restaurant and completed much anticipated deliveries on their assigned route throughout Oahu.

Very early in the COVID-19 crisis, Pacific Point worked with St. Francis to design and implement a solution for St. Francis’ meal delivery program based on Salesforce Health Cloud and Field Service Lightning. With Stay-at-Home orders in place, it was clear that seniors were not only at a higher risk of the virus, but also at a higher risk of not being able to meet their nutritional needs since maintaining social distancing was critical to their health and safety. The tech-based meal delivery solution allowed St. Francis to streamline meal request intake and manage food deliveries in real time from each driver’s mobile device, helping to ensure meals would reach those who needed them.

By volunteering their time with St. Francis on Thanksgiving Day, the Pacific Point team got to experience the meal delivery solution in action. In addition, team members experienced how the work they do has a positive impact on their community; in this case, helping seniors receive healthy and delicious meals while staying safe.

“This was a wonderful program to participate in, and especially meaningful for us on Thanksgiving as we reflect on all we have to be grateful for,” said Pacific Point CEO, Deena Tearney.

There are many reasons for charitable giving and many ways to give. Pacific Point is a firm believer in giving back through non-profits and educational programs in all the cities they have offices, which is why Pacific Point has been giving back since their inception and officially joined the Pledge 1% movement last year.

It has been harder in 2020 to find ways to donate time since many go-to outlets for volunteerism involve in-person contact that just doesn’t work during a pandemic. But giving back has never been so important. Pacific Point was thrilled to find a way to give back while keeping both their team-members and the people they helped safe. The fact that in the process the team also got a chance to feel great about the good that can come from their work was the icing on the cake…. or rather the whipped cream on the pumpkin pie.

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

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

From day one, when Litify’s workforce was in the single digits, our company has been a proud Pledge 1% member. Giving back—through our time, profits, and product—has been at the forefront of our company culture. In fact, it’s so embedded in our culture that we established Litify.org, the dedicated charitable arm of our company.

Though the workforce became fully remote amid the coronavirus pandemic, it by no means put an end to charitable giving and volunteerism. When stay-at-home orders were first announced, we worked with our partners and employees to find creative ways to give back throughout the year. 

With each socially-distanced volunteer event and fundraiser, we found that employees felt more connected with each other and the company. Giving back has also helped foster a culture of service and kindness that spills over into our everyday interactions at work.

Here are the creative ways we’ve exercised our company values and have kept employees engaged while we’ve been away from the office.

1. Daily Giving Through Good Today

Good Today sends a slack message highlighting an important cause every morning to each of our 120 employees. Our employees can select the relevant charity that they would like to support, and Litify donates $.25. While seemingly small, it totals $90 dollars per employee on a yearly basis and creates a daily habit of giving back.

2. Virtual Conversations

Like many other companies, Litify had to temporarily postpone our in-person conferences. Traditionally, each of our conferences highlighted and supported a local charity. As part of the Gag the Swag initiative, Litify.org donates the money normally spent on branded merchandise to the local charity of choice and invites them to share their story with our audience. 

Since we couldn’t meet in-person, we decided to launch a monthly webcast, “Conversations for Change.” Each conversation features a social justice nonprofit or advocate who guides us in a thought-provoking discussion on some of the most important issues affecting our society today. Episodes have featured the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Colibri Center for Human Rights, and most recently, The Wounded Warrior Project.

In a similar vein, Litify’s CRO Terry Dohrmann joined Good Today’s Joe Teplow in a recent LinkedIn Live conversation on generosity and empathy in the workplace.

3. Virtual Letter-Writing Campaign 

When stay-at-home orders were first issued, Litify teamed up with Letters of Love to send handwritten letters to seniors who have been isolated from loved ones this year. The company mailed stationary and pre-stamped envelopes to each employee and organized a Zoom letter-writing party. 

4. Virtual Fundraising Drives

Throughout the year, Litify has held numerous fundraising drives and matches employee contributions. One fundraiser supported our charity partner Caps for Kids, which provides signed ball caps from famous celebrities to kids battling cancer. 

Another supported the important work of our client, The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which supports victims of civil rights abuses and hate crimes. Litify matched all employee donations to SPLC up to $10,000. 

5. Pink Selfies for Breast Cancer Awareness:  

On October 16, we marked Breast Cancer Awareness month by encouraging staff to post selfies wearing pink. Our slack was filled with pictures of employees, family members, and pets wearing pink to mark the occasion. For each picture posted, the company donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

6. Halloween Pumpkin Surprise: 

In collaboration with our partner Vonage, Litify kept the Halloween spirit alive by surprising a 4th-grade class at St Therese School in Succasunna, NJ with all of the pumpkins and supplies needed for a pumpkin decorating party. The class was in particular need of some holiday fun as one of their classmates was battling a rare brain tumor.

7. Powering the Polls on Election Day: 

Litify partnered with customer Pond Lehocky to ensure local polls were properly staffed and could support a fair and safe election this year. Employees could use VTO hours to work their local polls if they were comfortable doing so, or could use the time to volunteer remotely by working with nonprofits to text or call voters with local voting resources to ensure everyone could vote safely.

8. Thanksgiving Turkey Drive:

In collaboration with client Daniel Stark Law Offices and BCS Together, Litify distributed turkeys for families in need in the Bryan, Texas area. Over 200 turkeys were distributed on November 21. 

9. GivingTuesday Food Insecurity Campaign:

To mark Giving Tuesday, Litify will partner with our customer, Pond Lehocky, to help families and individuals who are food insecure this holiday season.

To learn more about what Litify is doing in our community through Litify.org, please follow us on social media (@LitifyHQ on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), or contact Laura Dohrmann, Litify Corporate Affairs (laura@litify.com).

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

By John Mowry, Managing Director for Alton Aviation Consultancy in New York

Alton Aviation Consultancy was proud to be the first aviation and aerospace company to join Pledge 1%. We did so to reinforce our commitment to giving back, and to demonstrate how social responsibility remains core to our business values. 

Fast forward to 2020, and there has never been a more important time for donations of 1% equity, product, or employee time to the communities we serve. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our world, creating an acute need for financial and humanitarian support. 

For the aviation industry, ongoing measures to combat the spread of the virus have led to global restrictions and lockdowns, with passenger travel almost grounding to a complete halt in the early months of this year. 

Throughout these unprecedented times, we’ve been proud to watch how commercial aviation stakeholders have  come together to support passengers, keeping them safe during their flight, but also in the much wider mission of keeping the world moving throughout the pandemic. 

Transporting medical supplies and cargo has been crucial in the COVID-19 response, which is why at Alton Aviation Consultancy, we’re proud to support Airlink, the rapid-response humanitarian relief organization.

For the last three years, the charity has been the largest beneficiary of our Pledge 1% commitment, and this year we’ve watched closely as Airlink has significantly supported numerous pandemic-related relief efforts, delivering nearly eight million pieces of Personal Protective Equipment across three continents. At the same time, Airlink has launched responses to 19 different emergencies worldwide, helping Non-Governmental Organizations to transport 487,490 lbs. of cargo and fly 522 aid workers and volunteers to disasters and crises such as the Beirut port explosion, and Hurricanes Eta, Laura, and Sally.  

On this Giving Tuesday, we‘ll be thinking about the valuable work of our charity partners, and also looking at future ways that we can continue to donate 1% of our time to the communities around our offices in New York, Dublin, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing. 

For our company, the ethos behind Pledge 1% runs through everything we do and we encourage other aviation companies to consider the movement. It serves as a reminder that in this global world, we are all truly connected, and that even small acts can make a big difference. Learn more on our website.