Since the inception of WICC in 1996, with the help of the entire insurance industry and its supporters, over $10 million has been raised in support of cancer research and education. Fundraising has been achieved through a variety of WICC functions, sponsored events and the purchase of branded products.

In April 2014, WICC launched a new website designed and delivered by AppCentrica. The new site is based on a WordPress platform with third-party plug-ins providing critical functionality for Event Management, Payment Gateway Services and a Shopping Cart.  The new website provides an easy-to-use and secure environment to:

• update the website content, tailoring it to suit each provincial chapter,


• manage events, including registration, payments and participant email messaging


• receive and administer online donations, and


• sell merchandise

Alexis Heatherington, Executive Administrator for WICC Ontario, commented, “The AppCentrica team were very easy to work with; they were professional, responsive and patient. They understood our needs and delivered a tailored solution that fit our budget. We’re so much more efficient now and can manage multiple events simultaneously with no issues.”

When AppCentrica was brought in to assist, the creation of a new website had been underway for almost two years, but getting all the different components and functionality working together had been a real challenge. Our team worked with the WICC staff to outline the scope and requirements quickly and then execute. Within three months the site was complete, including new functionality that allows each provincial chapter to be more self-sufficient in managing their content and mail lists. In addition, the site became bilingual, allowing the Quebec WICC Chapter to use it as its main communication channel. This website was delivered free of charge.

Rhonda English, a VP for CAA and the WICC Board Chair of Communications, was enthusiastic about the project, “It seemed to happen overnight! AppCentrica was able to give us technical and creative options, provide expert advice and then, depending on our direction, deliver a product in a very short timeframe. We’re thrilled with the result and the impact it’s having on our ability to achieve our organization’s mission.”

As the years passed by, the site needed some upgrades. AppCentrica revamped the website early 2018 to ensure it stayed up-to-date with current technologies. AppCentrica is committed to Pledge 1% and has donated all the time and resources spent back to WICC. AppCentrica plans to continue our support to WICC and their website.

Have you heard of the butterfly effect? This phenomenon suggests a butterfly fluttering in Rio de Janeiro could change the weather in Chicago. What if we applied that theory to the effects of volunteering? Imagine that something you do for others in your community could affect change in the world.

The founders of KMS Technology, CEO Vu Lam and President Josh Lieberman, began with a mission in 2009 to help companies improve their software development and testing. Making a difference for their clients led them to wonder how they could make a difference in their community.

You may wonder why a successful business would want to focus on giving their time to others? Lieberman believes “our society can grow if we give people the opportunity.” Everyone has the ability to learn, but not everyone is given the chance. “I have the skills and resources to give back to help others grow, which in turn is good for the world.”

Volunteering is not just lip service at KMS. To make sure volunteering became a part of the company’s DNA, KMS partnered with the Pledge 1% movement. This campaign was started by Salesforce, Atlassian, and Rally in 2014 and has become a global effort. “We really respect these companies and the culture they built, and we want to emulate that,” said Lieberman. “Volunteering has always been a big part of my life and I wanted to make sure our company and our employees have values that align. When your team shares the same values as you, the company can paddle in the same direction and move forward together.”

When KMS helps the community, they’re not just lending a helping hand. They’re encouraging community involvement with their employees. Since joining Pledge 1%, employees are more engaged, motivated and proud to work at KMS. Giving back to the community can align with your values and passions. Lieberman points out that “we have several people who volunteer with their neighbors, religious establishments, shelters, wherever their passions lie.”

KMS is in a unique position to give. Headquartered in a fast-growing tech city like Atlanta, there are many opportunities to “offer specific skills to advance others,” said Lieberman. “It’s why we’ve partnered with great nonprofits like Per Scholas and 48in48.”

Most recently, KMS volunteered at the 48in48 event in Atlanta to assist with building 48 websites for 48 local nonprofits in 48 hours. Using their testing expertise, KMS was specially recognized by the event coordinators. “Thanks to the team of volunteers from KMS Technology, our volunteers for 48in48 Atlanta have been able to develop websites of quality with attention to detail for their nonprofit organizations,” said Jenny Bradley, City Project Manager Chair.

Whether you work for a technology company or other industries, there are many ways to get involved with your community. Although no one is obligated to volunteer, it’s certainly in everyone’s best interests. “I believe volunteering and giving back can be better for your business, your employees and the community around you,” said Lieberman.

In general, it seems like people only give during the holidays when they feel the spirit of giving. KMS is different. Volunteering year-round is something they are proud to accomplish. Whether you help at food kitchens, read to children at the library, or plant trees, there is always something that can be done throughout the year. Flap your wings, butterfly, and be the change the world needs to become a better place for us all.

Check out KMS Gives for more information.

When Viv started earlier this year, its management team knew the company’s disruptive technology and customer-focused energy savings platform would help the company begin to break into a largely established industry. Beyond that, the company’s CEO knew her passion for helping underprivileged communities around the world could be more than a feel-good mission. It could be part of a holistic and sustainable business strategy. That’s why Viv committed, from Day 1, to help communities thrive. Through their One At A Time initiatives, the company contributes a minimum of 1% of all revenue toward projects that provide access to energy, water, health, education, sustainability and economic development to make life better for children and families around the world. 

“There is tremendous need all over the world, and today’s business leaders are poised, more than most, to step up to the challenge and be catalysts for change,” said Viv CEO Cami Boehme. “We believe that giving often leads to getting – in meaningful and long-lasting ways. Building on that, we empower business leaders, entrepreneurs and individuals alike to join us in our life-changing journeys to expand the efforts of non-profits worldwide through hands-on service and cultural immersion.”

In October 2018, Viv completed its first global One At A Time service trip in Guatemala. The project was a joint effort with Guatemalan-based non-profit Long Way Home, an organization that is educating the next generation to overcome poverty through innovative solutions to local challenges. Two dozen Viv Life Consultants spent a week in the community of Xiquin Sanahi, working inside homes to build clean cookstoves for 36 families who previously cooked over open fires with little to no ventilation.

Designed to improve respiratory health for families that have previously lacked the resources, this project helped people in the region transition to cleaner burning stoves. Traditional methods of cooking, including open fires and inefficient cookstoves, cause a variety of harmful impacts. Clean cookstoves can reduce illness related to smoke inhalation, lessen pollution and reduce negative environmental impact. They also burn lower and slower, reducing the cost of firewood and improving economic conditions for hard-working families.

Viv Life Consultants spent a week in the community of Xiquin Sanahi, working inside homes to build clean cookstoves for 36 families.

The best part of incorporating this type of giving strategy into your business? You get far more than you give. Viv has found that while the people they serve are certainly empowered by the change and service they bring, the more meaningful change for their business happens with those who attend a service journey. Whether a company is looking to attract, engage or retain key talent, incentivize growth, demonstrate its values to customers or a number of other powerful business drivers, Viv believes its One At A Time service journeys can help businesses achieve these and many other goals.

CEO Cami Boehme works alongside two Viv Life Consultants to install a clean cookstove for a family of 13.

“As we strive to help communities like Xiquin Sanahi thrive, one project and family at a time, each of us grow as people,” said Hannah Wells, Director of Impact and Engagement for Viv. “We’re brought closer together as we experience how billions of people are living without the very things we take for granted every day like clean air, water and adequate sanitation.”

Viv’s products offer convenience, savings and peace of mind, and an entrepreneurial opportunity with heart. The company’s Better Life Platform offers savings and simplicity on energy, healthcare, travel and home security for consumers. And Viv’s Life Consultants can pursue a dynamic side gig offering products and services that change lives.

“We give people a way to live their life better – our customers, our consultants and our communities,” Boehme said. “Every time our customer base grows, our capacity to give grows, and together with our customers and consultants, we are committed to helping make life better for millions around the world.”

The company has two additional One At A Time initiatives in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic scheduled for March and June 2019. Be part of one of their next One At A Time journeys.

Coleman Insights is a media research company that specializes in building strong brands and developing great content for radio stations and media brands around the world.

Coleman Insights President Warren Kurtzman learned about the Pledge 1% initiative while attending Dreamforce in San Francisco, and began thinking about how he could implement it within the DNA of his organization. In early 2018, he shared with the team that Coleman Insights would pledge 1% of its profits, 1% of product services, and 1% of employee time to charitable causes.

The first order of business was the formation of a Coleman Insights Pledge 1% committee. The mission of this employee-led committee is to find and learn more about organizations in the company’s local community of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Once per month, the committee invites a non-profit organization to present its mission and needs to the group. These presentations inspire employees to volunteer and donate. At the end of the year, the committee will decide which organization will be the recipient of a financial gift from Coleman Insights.  Organizations that have presented in 2018 include The Justice Theatre Project, Lung Transplant Foundation, Donate Life NC, and the Exchange Family Center of Durham.

To help us keep track of our volunteer goal, we have implemented a visual aid: an empty fish tank that we drop ping pong balls into. One ping pong ball represents 1 hour of volunteer work. Our goal is to fill the fish tank to the top with ping pong balls.  Coleman Insights employees have been filling up the fish tank with volunteer hours served at a large number of charitable organizations within the Research Triangle area.

Team members raised money by playing in the Exchange Family Center’s Pinwheels Mini-Golf tournament.  The Exchange Family Center makes children’s lives better by strengthening their families, teachers, and communities through proven counseling, coaching, and training.

Team members regularly volunteer at the Urban Ministries of Wake County food pantry to help restock shelves and bring in donations. Coleman Insights maintains an ongoing food drive for employees to donate food to the food pantry.  Since 1981, Urban Ministries of Wake County has responded to our neighbors in crisis by providing basic needs – food, medicine and shelter.

Coleman Insights Vice President of Business Operations Eileen Genna worked the registration table for the Lung Transplant Foundation golf tournament. The Lung Transplant Foundation’s mission is to provide confidential, compassionate, one-on-one support for lung transplant recipients and their caregivers at all stages of transplantation and is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.

Team Coleman also volunteered with the Raleigh Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources to clean up and mulch Nash Square in downtown Raleigh.

For Thanksgiving this year, team member Jennifer Donnelly helped to organize donations for Southport Business Parks Adopt-a-Turkey campaign. This campaign collects Thanksgiving Dinner fixins to benefit the families of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle so they could have Thanksgiving dinner.

Kurtzman has also been very passionate about spreading the word of Pledge 1 %, and sent an email to all clients encouraging them to make the pledge. We’re looking forward to another exciting year proudly participating in Pledge 1%!

We’re wrapping-up our first year as participants in Pledge 1%, and we’re amazed to see  how transformational this pledge has been for our team. Our company, Debug Pest Control is just as the name would suggest: a pest control company. People don’t really expect a pest control company to be socially engaged or visibly active in their communities. But we changed that expectation this year; we definitely raised the bar, and people have noticed.

This year, we made a year-long commitment to one of our core values: We Care. Pledge 1% gave us the framework to make that commitment possible. As a team, Debug employees participated in food drives, walks and runs to benefit various causes, but our largest and most enduring project has been our Pollinator Garden.

As pest control professionals, we see first-hand the plight of honeybees. For years, we have done our best to educate our consumers about saving bees. Whenever we encounter honeybees in a residence or business, we do everything we can to save the bees and relocate them to an area farm where they can thrive. This year, though, we wanted to showcase our commitment to helping pollinators and other beneficial insects.

We adopted a busy traffic rotary in the center of town and selected plants specific to pollinators. Our team prepped the soil, planted, spread mulch, weeded, and watered this space all summer. We created signage to educate passers-by about our garden and its important mission.

We think we’re a good example of how a small company can make a big impression on their community.

Debug Pest Control was acknowledged for our commitment to caring in Providence Business News. 

Our State’s Highway Department contacted us about using our Pollinator Garden as the model for all adopted traffic islands throughout the State.

You can read more about our commitment to saving honeybees here.

See here for more photos of the Debug Team in action.

With Pledge 1% we inspire our employees to give back to our community. We convert part of our business success into support for nonprofits. Within Gen25, there are various options to start as a volunteer and giving to others.  Volunteering can be done individual or as a group and helps to strengthen the effect of teamwork. The feeling of a deeper connection to communities and to others can be realized by engagement. By giving 1% of our time we believe that this is a positive impact for our community which we embrace.

‘As a growing company we feel it is important to give back to our community. We’re excited to join Pledge 1% and are committed to pledging 1% of our time to our community. All staff members are given 2 days annually to volunteer for an organization of their choosing.’ Gijs Martens, Founder & CEO of Gen25.

Every summer, several colleagues are involved with several summer camps for children. This blog focuses on Gerbrand and Jérôme’s story, who have volunteered with a 1-week long camp by a volunteering organization called “Humanitas”, for children between 9 and 11 years old who otherwise would not have the possibility to go on holiday. These children come from different backgrounds, with varying reasons to participate. For example, their parents may not have the funds to go away, the children may need to take care of their ill parents, some are refugee children, there may be issues between mother and father, there may be a history of sexual abuse… the list is endless. The general goal of the camp is to allow children to forget their difficult situation for a week, while giving the parents some room to breathe as well.

On camp, the 56 children are grouped into groups of 6 children and 2 adult group leaders such as Jérôme and Gerbrand. During the whole week this group eats together, does the dishes together and undertakes all kinds of activities together. Throughout the week, a general theme is followed, disguised in a game. This year, we were an international spy organization trying to solve a mystery. This mystery hunt leads to a different country each day, which is reflected in the food that is served that day. Pieces of the mystery are solved during the activities that take place over the week. These activities vary from going to the beach, visiting an open-air museum to learn about the past of the Netherlands, following dance and ethical hacking workshops and all sorts of games. A central theme in each activity is that we try to learn the children new things, in a way that is fun for them. At night, they sleep on bunk beds in large sleeping rooms. It is often quite a challenge to get everyone to be quiet and go to sleep on time, which we try to achieve by reading them bedtime stories. Luckily the exhausting day helps a bit as well, in order for everyone to have a good rest for the next day of fun.

Each member of the Appluent team (and our families) have been touched by cancer in some way. We’ve witnessed the physical, psychological, and emotional drain this disease has on those affected as well as their loved ones. For Pete’s Sake has given us a chance to contribute to an organization that gives cancer patients and their caregivers a break from cancer–something we all wish we could do (have done) for our loved ones. That’s why, on April 15th, 2018, we successfully raised $3,970 for Angie Guin (45 years old, diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2017). This allowed the For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation to send her and her family on a respite vacation to Disney World in Florida.

“This was our only family trip in 10 years – and it was the trip of a lifetime! The memories we created replaced the bad memories we have of the cancer journey. For Pete’s Sake helped us push the reset button on life.” – Angie

At MTX Group, social responsibility towards communities is at the core of our values, our culture and/or is a way of living. As much as we are involved in our business, we are equally engaged in giving back to the bottom of the pyramid, through our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in the areas of health, education, and others through the Nobel Foundation, because we believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity in life, and access to their basic human rights. We are committed to empowering lives of the community, both professionally and personally.

MTX being a proud member of Pledge 1% community, resonates its philosophy of committing 1% Profit, Product and Time towards the socioeconomic development of the shun communities.  We are actively involved in numerous initiative in the areas of health, education, livelihoods, displaced communities well-being etc. We had the privilege to help Fundación KiinBeh school in Quintana Roo (Mexico), schools in Fiji Islands and Jaipur (India), Desire society an NGO helping HIV affected children in Hyderabad (India), Rooms to read, Warriors on Wheels founded by a CNN hero Ned Norton in Albany, NY.  We will continue to help more organization in the United States and many other cities across the globe.

With our global philanthropy initiatives, we impacted lives of 500+ people directly and thousands indirectly across various communities, which includes kids, immigrants, disabled, displaced and women.

Apart from our contribution towards the underprivileged, we truly believe in “Charity begins at home”. Our employees are the center of our universe. We value them and their needs as much as we value our business hence, we ensure that we are in their thick and thins. We have been and always will be there for providing any kind support in critical situations of our employee’s life cycle at MTX and beyond. One such effort being the fundraising done within our team for the Lung Transplant surgery for one of our team member’s parent. All the team members displayed solidarity and in alignment to our values we stood together for our team member.

With the DNA of social responsibility within us, we believe that growth is possible and is fruitful only when shared. Hence, we look forward to compassionately and meaningfully contributing our time, resources and product towards building an equitable and sustainable society in years to come.

About MTX:

MTX Group Inc. is a global salesforce services/implementation partner and enterprise cloud consulting company established in 2008. MTX is headquartered in Albany, NY with development operations in India at Jaipur and Hyderabad.

Pledge 1%, a global movement to create a new normal in which giving back is integrated into the DNA of companies of all sizes, is ringing the Nasdaq opening bell today in celebration of its fourth anniversary and to honor the Pledge 1% member companies who unleashed millions of new philanthropic funding this year via their IPOs as well as the thousands of Pledge 1% companies who are having an impact long before their liquidity events.

Pledge 1% encourages and challenges individuals and companies to pledge 1% of any combination of equity, profit, product, and/or employee time to the cause of their choosing. It’s a simple, flexible, and scalable model that helps founders make giving back an integral part of their company culture. With an annual growth rate of 150% since its inception, over 8,500 companies in over 100 countries have joined the movement, helping to ignite over 1 billion dollars in donated volunteer hours, product licenses, pro bono resources and philanthropic funding to drive social impact around the world.

Pledge 1% is celebrating today alongside its Founding Builders, a group of over 20 members standing at the forefront of both economic and social change. These leaders are committed to creating a new business paradigm and to inspiring, empowering, and educating all entrepreneurs and companies to leverage their own unique assets to tackle the toughest social issues of our time.

The Pledge 1% Builders along with Pledge 1% core funders and partners are investing in the future of Pledge 1% by helping to create new tools and content for the broader movement, sharing peer-to-peer best practices, and raising awareness to help other companies take the pledge, and ultimately accelerate their impact.

Pledge 1% core funders include tech leaders like Salesforce and Atlassian, and Pledge 1% Builders include recent IPOs like DocuSign, Pluralsight, and Upwork, hot acquisitions like SendGrid and Weebly, as well as some of today’s fastest growing companies like Addteq, Appfire, Box, Classy, Cloud Co-Op, Contentstack, Crunchbase, Flexport, Gliffy, Hint Inc., MapAnything, MediaMath, Okta, Optimizely, PagerDuty, Postmates, Silicon Valley Bank, Silverline, and Twilio. Influential tech ecosystem partners have also backed the movement, including 500 Startups, Foundry Group, Salesforce Ventures, StartCon, SV Angel, Techstars, TechCrunch, and WebSummit.

“We’re here today on #GivingTuesday to celebrate four years of Pledge 1% and the tremendous growth of the movement around the world,” said Pledge 1% Chief Executive Amy Lesnick. “With over 8,500 members worldwide who have already ignited over $1 billion in new philanthropy via their profits, equity, product, and time, the Pledge 1% movement is inspiring, educating, and empowering companies of all sizes and stages to leverage their own unique assets to make a meaningful impact on our world.

We are especially excited to celebrate today with our founding core funders and Builders who are not only having a direct impact with their own social impact programs, but also committed to building the Pledge 1% movement and propelling thousands of other companies to accelerate social impact globally.”

“Imagine a world where giving back is baked into the DNA of every single business. At Pledge 1%, that’s our goal,” said Scott Farquhar, Pledge 1% Board Member and Co-Founder and CEO of Atlassian.

Pledge 1% encourages all companies – no matter their size or stage – to take the pledge and make their first step towards impactful change. To join or to learn more about how Pledge 1% can help your company, visit pledge1percent.org.

About Pledge 1%

Pledge 1% is a global movement that encourages and empowers companies of all sizes and stages to give 1% of either their profit, equity, staff time, or product to any charity of their choosing.  Over 8,500 companies in over 100 countries have joined the movement.  Pledge 1%’s founding partners include Salesforce, Atlassian, and Rally, three companies that know first-hand how pledging a small portion of future success today can have an enormous impact tomorrow. In 2014, they came together with the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado to accelerate a shared vision of every business around the globe integrating philanthropy into its corporate DNA. In 2016, Pledge 1% became a special initiative of Tides, a leading global philanthropic partner, and non-profit accelerator. To learn more or to take the pledge, please visit www.pledge1percent.org.