By: Louis Maldonado

As members of the ever-growing Salesforce ecosystem, we at Silverline spend a lot of time thinking about the future—of technology, customers, team members, and the world as a whole. As problem solvers, we turn that thinking into action, impacting the future for the better.

One way we seek to improve the future for our customers and team members is through our Silverline Academy, a rigorous and challenging program designed to provide its alumni with the necessary skills, both soft and technical, to deliver quality innovative solutions to clients. Now in its seventh class, the Academy continues to mold enthusiastic minds into top notch Solution Architects, Client Services Managers, and Developers that will stand out in projects for all the right reasons.

Beyond creating a pipeline of talented team members, the Silverline Academy also cultivates a future where doing great work is about more than the bottom line. This is accomplished through onboarding new recruits through the lens of consulting with purpose, which is why Silverline aligns the Academy with its dedication to the Pledge 1% movement, providing opportunities for hands-on skill-building through projects that give back to the community.

One recent example of this was our work with Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization headquartered in NYC. Project Sunshine partners with medical facilities across the United States and in four international locations to meet the psychosocial and developmental needs of pediatric patients. Project Sunshine’s programming supports these critical needs by providing increased opportunities for play and authentic engagement in the medical environment—restoring a crucial sense of normalcy for patients and their families.

With a long history of delivering innovative Salesforce solutions in the Healthcare space, Silverline selected Project Sunshine as a pro bono project because we knew we could use our expertise to help them increase their donor base, which in turn would allow them to give back to the community that much more. The solution we delivered leveraged the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack and other applications like Classy to help Project Sunshine create a volunteer and donor platform that allowed them to see the full picture of all the donation and grant amounts, providing a 360-degree view of their donor lifecycle.

Being part of projects like this is so important because it reminds us to take a step back, connect human-to-human and be grateful for all that we have. As a general practice, Silverline encourages all of its employees to give back whenever possible by hosting different Silverline Cares philanthropic activities such as assembling care packages or building toys for children. Not only that but, Silverline is proud to have an official Volunteer Time Off Policy which encourages employees to donate their time toward 501c3 charities.

By making giving back the norm within the Silverline culture, together, we can make the future extraordinary.

Originally posted: November 27, 2018

By Michael Quinn, Director of MediaMath.org.

On #GivingTuesday, there is a 24-hour period in which there is a temporary shift in our society from a focus on consumption to generosity as we hear about the amazing charity work that individuals, companies, foundations and philanthropists are funding around the world.

As the person who runs MediaMath.org, a relatively small philanthropy department with a big vision, I am privileged daily to decide which causes we support. In a sea of worthy causes and charities, what elevates one over another? What criteria are people in my situation using and how do they make decisions? Some are choosing to support extreme poverty, others their local theater and others universities that have more resources than many countries. What gives?  Giving is personal, but coming from a highly data-driven company, I feel that we need a more organized and methodological approach to our giving. How can we enable our resources to have the largest impact?

Here is an idea, using three simple steps:

1. List all the causes/problems in the world, then rank them objectively by priority and scale of problem.


2. Next list all the nonprofits that work in each cause area, then rank them by effectiveness* in solving these problems. (*Not efficiency; that’s a separate thing.)


3. Finally, overlay how much funding each charity gets from various sources.

What we end up with could look something like the below image, before layering on the funding amounts. Of course, it is an oversimplified idea, but even thinking through Step 1 would be valuable for many donors.  Getting to Step 3, you could easily see which areas are over and underfunded, and where your resources might make the greatest difference. Where would homelessness in San Francisco be on the scale compared to malaria, which still kills 1,000 children under age 5 every day, and how much funding are both getting from donors?

This simple framework could help us be more informed about our donations, instead of giving randomly, which is always based on good intention, but often not as impactful as we would like.  

So, this Giving Tuesday, I’m challenging us all to “Do Good, Better”- whether you’re a corporate philanthropist deciding where to gift millions or an individual with $100 to donate.

Below are examples of how MediaMath has leveraged our 1% Pledge to “Do Good, Better” by seeking out high-priority problems, and the effective charities with proven solutions to these problems, making maximum impact with our resources, using our heart and head. We suggest The Life You Can Save, whose mission it is to “raise annual donations to highly impactful nonprofits that reduce suffering and premature death for people living in extreme poverty,” as a great place to start.

We hope you can join us not only on this #GivingTuesday, but as you consider your philanthropic efforts throughout 2019, in doing good, better. 

Originally posted: November 27, 2018

GiveFirst is a core value for all of us at Techstars – a way for us to continually improve the world around us.

We want to ensure that the cycle of giving continues indefinitely and we believe that we, as the tech industry, through a cultural evolution, can fundamentally shift corporate and individual philanthropy. It’s why we’ve partnered with Pledge 1% and created the Techstars Foundation.

The world of startups and entrepreneurship is largely lacking in diversity, yet from our decades of experience, we know that diversity improves outcomes and increases innovation. The Techstars Foundation’s mission is to foster diversity and inclusion throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem by breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship worldwide. The foundation collaborates with nonprofit organizations, corporations, and individuals throughout the world by providing grants, educational resources, and increasing engagement with the Techstars Network in order to increase diversity in entrepreneurship.

Through our network of thousands of companies and startup programs worldwide, we have a massive opportunity to alter the trajectory of entrepreneurship on a global basis. We believe that it is vital to promote diversity and inclusion early in the life of a startup as the company culture is being cultivated and to weave it into the fabric of company identity. We encourage each founder to be a leader who actively seeks to include people without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability.

A study of 500 U.S. businesses found that companies with diverse teams outperform their less diverse competitors—generating higher sales revenue, more customers, greater market share, and greater profits. Another study found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to perform above the mean in their industry and those in the top quartile for race/ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to outperform others in their industry.

That’s why Techstars is working to improve opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities throughout the global ecosystem and to be a leader in inclusive entrepreneurship. We know that diversity not only brings diverse perspectives and a wealth of innovative ideas but the potential to outperform less diverse companies.

We are committed to actively breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship. After all, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. #GiveFirst #GivingTuesday

Originally posted: November 27, 2018

By: Suzanne DiBianca, EVP Corporate Relations & Chief Philanthropy Officer

At Salesforce we operate with a set of core values and after nearly 20 years, our values and commitment to equality and improving the state of the world have not wavered. We strive to create a world that fosters acceptance and equality.

Taking the Pledge is recognition that a company is more than their products and services. Companies play a key role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow and together we are creating a movement of businesses that integrate social impact into their company DNA. Committing 1% time, 1% product, 1% profit, and/or 1% equity is not an incredible amount for the company, but can add up to create life-changing opportunities for the communities they service.

For almost 20 years, Salesforce and our philanthropic entities have given more than $240 million in grants, Salesforce employees have volunteered more than 3.9 million hours worldwide, and more than 39,000 non-profit and higher education institutions use Salesforce to run their organizations.

And we know we can’t change what the future looks like alone which is why we work with all of our stakeholders — employees, customers, partners, shareholders, the communities where we live and work, and the environment that sustains us. Now more than ever we see the urgency and growing demand for companies to take initiative and tackle challenges in their community and across the world. More than 6,700 companies have followed our lead and signed up to Pledge 1% to make the community a key stakeholder in their businesses.

I am proud of the work Salesforce is doing, but our work is never done. The earlier this commitment gets baked into a company’s DNA, the more likely it is to take root and integrate into the company’s culture. That’s why this Giving Tuesday, I hope you consider joining us — no matter what stage you are at in your philanthropy journey — and Pledge 1%.

Originally posted: November 27, 2018

Why Vidyard Joined Pledge 1%

A little over a year ago, we at Vidyard, an online video platform for business to increase leads, accelerate pipeline and delight customers, signed up to be part of Pledge 1%. While we were already doing many things internally to help give back to our community through various grassroots initiatives, we wanted to take the next step and become members of Pledge 1%.

One of the amazing things about Pledge 1% is that there is no prescribed list of how to and when to implement formal giving-back programs. Pledge 1% encourages businesses to start where they are at today and then works to encourage you to think about what you can do for the future.

When we think about businesses giving back, we often picture enormous (and expensive) cheque presentations being given to charities. But there is so much more that can be done today to give back. Initiatives that goes far beyond financial donations, and look to cement businesses as pillars of community betterment.

We have put together a list of 10 simple ways that organizations can begin to give back to their communities, regardless of your budget.  

10 simple ways to give back to your community

Start Volunteering

Volunteering is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to give back to your local community. This is a great opportunity to showcase corporate values through the simple act of giving your time. Volunteering is also a great way to introduce and educate your employees about local charities, not-for-profit organizations, and volunteer opportunities in your own backyard. We found that simply spreading the word on who needs help encouraged our staff to get out and volunteer on their own time.

Try Grassroots Initiatives

Don’t get stuck thinking you need to have a large, comprehensive CSR plan already in place to make an impact. At Vidyard, we have a group of over 100 employees who keep connected with one another through Slack, an internal communication tool. We call this group #ChangeYard, and we use the space to motivate, encourage, and promote giving back across our organization. For example, we’ve organized monthly blood donations, shared upcoming charity events in town, and circulated sign-up sheets to call for volunteers to help with local groups. 

Choose an Internal Champion

To get traction and to secure company buy-in across your organization, it helps to have an internal champion to advocate for company involvement in community initiatives. Choosing an internal champion will help your CSR strategy fit within your business strategy and get the attention it deserves. At Vidyard, we’re fortunate enough to have our co-founder and CEO, Michael Litt, share the same passion for his community that our group shares, and it’s been this way for him since day one. You can read more about his thoughts here.

Find Creative Ways to Use Your Product (and Share Your Knowledge)

Sometimes it takes a creative mind to figure out how you can incorporate your product or service into your community. At Vidyard, we help local businesses by providing our video management product to charitable organizations. We also realized that donating our product alone wasn’t enough. We shifted our strategy to work with our community to further educate them on video best practices and strategy, too. Today, many people from our organization, from account executives to customer success managers, help plan training activities for these organizations where they teach everything from basic video strategy to video production, and more.

Build Communities

Like many start-ups, we often find that we feel restricted from supporting local charities because we’re unable to give financially. At Vidyard, we knew that we wanted to support local groups, but we needed to think creatively to find a solution that would benefit everyone involved. Aside from volunteering, we decided to create our own non-for-profit organization that would allow us the opportunity to run quarterly fundraising events. We called this group Plugin, and our goal was to bring together young professionals in fun and unconventional ways to connect, build and maintain our community.

Plugin events run quarterly and are open to everyone in the community to attend. We showcase one local charity per event and volunteer our time to create a video to tell their story. These events are an effective way to help introduce a hard to reach demographic to local groups and charities.

Start Early and Start Simple

One of the best ways to get started in giving back is to just get started. Don’t wait until you grow to a certain size or hit certain revenue targets. Your plan can evolve as you scale, and your focus can change along the way. Setting the groundwork helps you to align your strategy into your corporate values at the earliest stages of your business. It gives your company a set of guiding principles and values that show your employees and community what matters most to you as an organization.

Build in community projects into company events

A few years ago when we were preparing for a company-wide event, we were looking for a team building activity that would benefit both our staff and the community. We decided that we’d offer Vidyard employees the opportunity to participate in a half-day, cross-functional team building event to assemble and distribute bikes for regional charities. Vidyard employees got to welcomed children from Big Brothers/Big Sisters into the office to hand deliver the bikes. For many employees, this was truly a touching moment to see a simple, small task that they participated in bring so much joy to children in their community.

Consider the Community as a Stakeholder

When our leadership team worked through defining our stakeholder value chain, they did things a little different than most. Instead of simply considering the customers, staff, and investors, they formally added community into that list. Today, at Vidyard, our stakeholder value chain is 1) Customers, 2) Vidyardians, 3) Community, and 4) Investors. When you list the community as a stakeholder, and especially when you consider the community’s needs to be more important than profit, you then have the opportunity to make decisions for the betterment of the community. You’ll notice that your leadership team will start to look at things a little differently too. You can read more about this here.

Share your Skills

Using your specific skills (services in kind) is one of the best and most impactful ways to give back. At Vidyard, a number of our employees have donated their personal time to help work on videos for charities, marketing materials to spread awareness, and aiding groups with website support. These basic skill sets may seem easy for you, given that it’s your day job, but for many of these organizations you offer unique skills that are specialized in your field.

Celebrate Your Contributions and Impact

It’s important that you take the time to reflect on your team’s contributions throughout the year, especially the volunteer time. In doing so, you encourage and promote even more volunteerism across your team, too. Make this part of your weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly company meetings, and talk about the impact your contributions have made to those around you. Take a look at all the good Vidyard accomplished in 2018 below:

So there you have it, 10 simple ways that you can get started giving back to your community. No matter your organization’s size, budget, or strategy, giving back can and should be weaved into your culture. How are you giving back to your organization? What tips and tricks do you have for others getting ready to start? Sound off in the comments below or reach out to us @Vidyard with your questions!

Originally posted: November 27, 2018

By Elizabeth Tse

The nature of work is evolving rapidly. As the largest freelancing website, my company Upwork is proud to be at the forefront of this change. We know that not everyone is set up to thrive in the new economy but believe that digital platforms like ours can make a difference.

Our vision is to connect businesses with great talent, and our mission is to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. To further that mission, we recently launched The Upwork Foundation Initiative, drawing on our core competencies and resources. The Foundation will foster an inclusive future of learning and opportunity by serving those at risk of being left behind by the Fourth Industrial Revolution as well as supporting other nonprofits and our employees in volunteering.

The program will support four key areas:

• Giving: Through grants and fundraising, financially support high-performing nonprofit organizations that are advancing inclusive learning and opportunity by focusing on skill development in underserved communities.


• Partnerships: Help mobilize organizations that support individuals lacking socioeconomic opportunity due to geographical and/or sociological limitations to grow through Upwork.


• Product: Enable nonprofit organizations to increase their social impact and realize their mission by leveraging top talent on Upwork.


• Volunteering: Give our local communities across the U.S. a boost by supporting employees in volunteering for causes and organizations that matter most to them.

The Upwork Foundation Initiative includes a donor-advised fund created through the Tides Foundation. Proceeds from an equity contribution will be given to select organizations through grants to financially support the initiative’s goals.

In addition to the creation of The Upwork Foundation Initiative, Upwork is proud to have joined Pledge 1%. We were honored to ring the opening bell at NASDAQ this morning and stand beside other companies that encourage and empower businesses to have a positive impact.

The future of work can be an inclusive and positive one, and I’m excited to help make that vision a reality.

Originally posted: November 27, 2018