Tag: 3BL

Originally published on Built From Scratch

When Melissa Coronado was 19, her goal was to build a career in the criminal justice field. After realizing that it wasn’t an ideal fit, she searched for a career where she could help people, be financially stable and be a part of a big company. She took a role at The Home Depot as a phone operator in Anaheim, California. To Melissa’s surprise, she’s still proudly wearing an orange apron 31 years later.

“I came to Home Depot looking for a job and not a career,” she says. “Little did I know that I would find everything I wanted here.”

Today, Melissa is a store manager in Orange, California. Throughout her career, she’s taken roles in various parts of the store to expand her expertise. She has worked as a bookkeeper, associate support department supervisor, merchandising department head and assistant store manager.

Another special part of Melissa’s story is that she is a proud military spouse. During her husband’s career, The Home Depot ensured Melissa had a position wherever the Navy took them. They’ve been stationed in many places, from Washington State to Hawaii.

Melissa isn’t the only one celebrating a big career milestone. “My husband joined The Home Depot team after 20 years of military service,” she says. “He recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with this great company.”

For Melissa, the company’s culture and benefits are a big reason why she has chosen to build a career here. “The Home Depot has supported me in every aspect of my life,” she says. “They’ve been there every step of the way through career moves, purchasing my first home at 28, getting my bachelor’s degree with the help of the company’s tuition reimbursement program, to relocation orders from the military.”

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Have you invested the time to understand and learn about the lived experiences of people who are different from you? At Cisco, through the Proximity Initiative, we’ve spent the last three years on a journey to do just that.

When getting proximate there is the fear of saying something inappropriate and/or offending someone. No one fully understands the lived experiences of another person. The truth is we must have the courage and willingness to be passionately curious in these conversations.

I’ve personally experienced this same trepidation during many of my proximity conversations. I vividly remember a particular conversation where my proximity partner and I discovered that we had different sexual orientations. My partner shared that she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Candidly, I was frightened to inquire about her sexuality; however, in that moment, I thought to myself this is my opportunity to listen, learn, seek to understand while being respectful and honoring her identity. I hesitated, spoke softly, and in a self-doubting, insecure manner asked my questions, which were met with gratitude because she was confident I wanted to genuinely educate myself and learn about her truths. She shared with me how she views her sexuality and about how her experiences, as a bisexual woman, have shaped and impacted her perspectives. This conversation convinced me, as a heterosexual man, it’s my responsibility to learn and grow from the insights she shared. This proximity conversation and many others have helped me to become more aware of my own power and privilege.

At its core, the Proximity Initiative is a one-on-one conversation between a Cisco Executive and an employee, specifically those from our Inclusive Communities (Employee Resource Organizations/Groups), with the intention to have a conversation across differences. It is not a career conversation nor mentorship, but simply a conversation to share, listen, and learn about our lived experiences.

In this blog, we’re going to go behind the scenes to find out “what’s really going on” and share the tangible impact and the intrinsic learning opportunity of the Cisco Proximity Initiative.

Here are three areas of insights we’ve uncovered over the last three years:

Getting Proximate can be uncomfortable at first 

Since 2019, there have been over 1,700 Proximity meetings inclusive of each of Cisco’s global regions and functional business units. Through feedback from participants and leaders, we have learned to get truly proximate. It is important to understand some of the common barriers to these kinds of conversations. Creating an environment of mutual sharing and learning requires:

Understanding how Proximity is different: Proximity is not about advancing one’s career. It is not a mentorship or sponsorship program. It is an intentional, inclusive action leaders and participants take in the spirit of creating a conscious culture. We view this as an opportunity to make a self-less contribution towards our transformation by sharing our lived experiences, empathically seeking to understand, and self-reflection for personal development.Proximity requires intention: Some leaders believe that casually meeting with people and having a general conversation is getting proximate, but it requires so much more. Leaders must be intentional about holding space, staying open and a willingness to lean into curiosity and empathy. To honor the experiences of those sharing stories, leaders must move past a “check the box” meeting and invest in authentic conversations.Proximity crosses the full spectrum of diversity: It extends beyond race and gender and it’s inclusive of all aspects of identity. Our focus is underrepresented and underserved communities. The idea is to have a conversation to understand how we all experience culture differently.Vulnerability: Proximity meetings are deep and intimate conversations focused on sharing our life experiences. To make meaningful Proximity connections, leaders need to lean into the discomfort of being vulnerable and be curious with an ambition to learn. Leaders must be transparent regarding the intentions of the meetings and take responsibility for creating an atmosphere of safety and trust for inclusive community participants. Leaders and participants need to be open about their own experiences and how those experiences have shaped their perspectives.

When having vulnerable and courageous conversations, it requires a new capability — a mindset of being humble, transparent, and willing to learn in those moments of discomfort. We are working to build this capability with each leader in the organization. At Cisco, we believe that listening and learning with empathy is a leadership superpower, and over the last three years, it has become a leadership expectation.

Engaging in Proximity drives connection

Our original intention for Proximity was to have in-person meetings, but the pandemic forced us to quickly change how we get proximate. We found that meeting virtually levelled our ability to connect, as we were no longer bound by physical location barriers. We estimate over 90% of Proximity meetings are now completed through Webex.

One of the main design principles of the Proximity Initiative is to design programs in collaboration with underrepresented groups and not for them. Hence why we ask participants to opt-in to participate in the program and invite them to provide feedback.

In addition, our leaders will attend Proximity coaching on an annual basis. Leaders participate in a Proximity debrief session, where we facilitate discussions around what leaders have learned, how the conversations have impacted them, and develop a team action plan based on the insights from the conversations.

Proximity is business critical

Based on a recent survey, 84% of Cisco employees who have participated in the Proximity Initiative have found incredible value in these discussions. A Proximity participant wrote “having a Vice President reach out and want to speak to me, I’m bolder and more authentic than before. I’m all in; that sense of belonging is there, knowing I have folks who support everything about me…I’m able to bring up and advocate in my team for things that I wouldn’t have before.”

Another participant shared “…the impact on me was outstanding. Having the conversation with my leader made me feel heard and that my experiences were valid. She made me feel comfortable to tell my stories and acknowledged that things in our company need to change — it made me feel hope for the future.”

Ninety-seven percent (97%) of participating leaders have also found immense value in these discussions. Ninety-five percent (95%) of leaders indicated they now lead differently as a result of their Proximity conversations. Eric Knipp, Cisco’s Vice President of Systems Engineering for the Americas Theatre (geographical market), shared, “With the insights I have gained through proximity I have learned how things as simple as arranging a golf outing can be exclusive. This insight has helped me understand how negative experiences can be created and subsequently avoided, by simply being more aware.”

As Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has taught us, “Learning is an action.” We believe Proximity meetings are an extremely powerful inclusive action. Our leaders, with power and privilege, have an obligation to use that knowledge to change the narrative. To me, changing the narrative is deeper than just a change in mindset. It is a conviction that leaders must shift the paradigm. This conviction leads us to commit to the hard work ahead and to be willing to move through the discomfort as we drive transformation.

My request to everyone, everywhere in the world, is to get proximate to people who are different from you and to understand their lived experiences. In these conversations, share your identity, be transparent about your intention to learn, and approach the discussion with humility and compassion. I think you will find that getting proximate allows us all to begin to live our purpose of an inclusive future…today.

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Today, the idea that business can be a force for good is mainstream…but it wasn’t always that way. The early pioneers, including host Carol Cone, invested and contributed to the creation of Business for Social Responsibility, a sustainable business network and consultancy focused on creating a world in which all people can thrive on a healthy planet, in 1992. Fourteen years later, three college friends launched a new movement: one that would transform the global economy through a standards and certification process designed to benefit all stakeholders.

This was the launch of B Lab, the nonprofit organization that sets the standards for and certifies businesses driving an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. These businesses make up the B Corporation movement – distinguished by their special “B” logo.

We invited Eleanor Allen, B Lab’s new Lead Executive, who has taken the reins from its original founders to speak to the present and future of both B Lab and B Corps.

Listen for insights on:

What B Corp certification is and why your company should pursue itThe future for B Corp certification standardsWhy large, publicly traded companies are becoming B CorpsHow B Lab’s tools can help companies evaluate their ESG performance without applying for certification

To listen to this episode and others, visit Purpose 360 Podcast.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 14, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Duke Energy has announced it will build a first-of-its-kind performance center that will model and accelerate the development, testing and deployment of zero-emissions light-, medium- and heavy-duty commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets. The site will be located at Duke Energy’s Mount Holly Technology and Innovation Center and will incorporate microgrid integration.

“Electric fleet commitments are increasing as companies with ambitious sustainability goals work to decarbonize business operations,” said Harry Sideris, executive vice president of customer experience, solutions and services for Duke Energy. “We are helping speed commercial fleet electrification across the Duke Energy footprint through innovations like this, while we electrify our own fleet.”

Modeling an electric future

The fleet electrification center at Duke Energy’s Mount Holly Microgrid Center will provide a commercial-grade charging experience for fleet customers evaluating or launching electrification strategies – reinforcing reliability, clean power and optimization by integrating with solar, storage and microgrid controls software applications. By the end of 2023, fleet operators will be able to experience a best-in-class, commercial-grade fleet depot, integrated with energy storage, solar and optimization software, showcasing a model for reliable fleet electrification.

The center will be able to be connected either to the Duke Energy grid, charging from the bulk electric system, or powered by 100% carbon-free resources through the microgrid located at Mount Holly. The project is the first electric fleet depot to offer a microgrid charging option.

“Moving to zero-emission vehicles in this sector will allow North Carolina to seize the enormous economic potential this transition presents, generating billions in net benefits for our state. Projects like this are key for North Carolina fleet owners to take advantage of the cost savings in transitioning to electric vehicles,” said Will Scott, director of southeast climate and energy, Environmental Defense Fund.

On this effort, Duke Energy is teaming with Electrada, an electric fuel solutions company, as part of a larger fleet electrification collaboration. Electrada invests all required capital “behind the meter” on behalf of fleet owners and delivers reliable charging to fleet electric vehicles through a performance contract, eliminating the complexity and risk that fleets face in transitioning to this new source of fuel.

The Electrada model provides secure and seamless conversion for fleets that ensures grid integrity and removes electric fleet charging price volatility. Electrada’s investment on the depot side allows Duke Energy to focus on distribution system performance to support the predictable addition of electric load over time.

“Reducing long-term energy cost and performance risk creates a smoother transition for fleets, increases confidence in electrification, and enables the technology to become more mainstream,” said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada.

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and leading producer of battery-electric trucks, will join Duke Energy and Electrada as a founding participant in the fleet EV charging program at the Duke Energy Emerging Technology and Innovation Center. One of DTNA’s largest East Coast manufacturing facilities is located directly adjacent to the center; this proximity creates an ideal opportunity to utilize the chargers at the site and also demonstrate charging technologies to customers visiting the plant in the future.

“This first-of-its-kind, microgrid-enabled fleet depot will be critical to advancing fleet electrification and building confidence with fleet owners. We look forward to collaborating with Duke Energy and Electrada on this important effort,” said Jeff Allen, senior vice president of operations and specialty vehicles at DTNA.

Carbon-neutral freight transportation driven by innovation

In addition to fleet charging, the site will also function as an innovation hub, allowing Duke Energy to study charger use, performance, management and energy integration.

Identifying EV charging technologies and how they may be used to power any type of fleet with vehicles ranging from class 1 (pickups) to class 8 (over-the-road haulers) will help develop a model that shows the industry a clear, integrated and cost-effective path to fleet electrification. Testing various models of charging scenarios will enable energy load shaping, which can be used to ensure proper grid or microgrid distribution.

The Duke Energy fleet depot will demonstrate that utilities, emerging fleet charging infrastructure solutions, and vehicles may be planned, deployed and operated in a reliable, efficient and interoperable manner, inclusive of the integration of distributed power resources, such as solar and stationary battery storage.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. 

Daimler Trucks North America

Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. It manufactures, sells, and services commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit, and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company.

Electrada

Electrada is a Cincinnati-based developer, owner, and operator of electric vehicle infrastructure and related energy assets, serving multiple transportation segments using its unique 360 Charging-as-a-Service solution. Electrada partners with fleets to expertly design and build a 100% tailored EV charging solution, covering all the investment required to deliver an electric fuel solution to fleets for a decade or longer. Electrada’s 360 Charging-as-a-Service delivers an electric-fueled cost per mile lower than liquid fuel from day one. Electrada clients just pay for their electric fuel needs – with no disruption to their operations. Electrada, founded in 2020 by energy, mobility, and utility experts, is a BlackRock Climate Infrastructure portfolio company established to build and support high-performance EV infrastructure across North America.

Contact: Logan Kureczka 
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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NEW YORK, March 14, 2023 /3BL Media/ – NBCUniversal announced a new partnership with The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture that builds on the company’s commitment to expand career pathways and promote apprenticeship for underrepresented communities in the creative industry.

The Alliance will receive a $119,000 grant from NBCUniversal to provide training and development for participants in the company’s Creative Impact Lab. The Lab is NBCUniversal’s social impact initiative that commissions diverse apprentices from creative nonprofit agencies to develop marketing assets for the company’s nonprofit partner organizations, with guidance and mentoring from NBCUniversal volunteers. These assets receive exposure on the networks and platforms of Comcast and NBCUniversal.

The grant will also support the Alliance’s workforce development program, Arts2Work, the first federally registered national apprenticeship program in the media arts and creative sector, as well as the Arts2Work Accelerator Fund, which promotes entrepreneurship, equitable workplace policies and professional development for diverse creatives.

“The creative industry needs more paid apprenticeship programs that provide career development for underrepresented communities. Media companies like ours can help meet this challenge by extending the learning experience beyond the college classroom to on-the-job training,” said Hilary Smith, Executive Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, NBCUniversal.

“We are pleased to partner with the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture to help make the Creative Impact Lab a place where diverse apprentices can learn best-in-class storytelling techniques — and, at the same time, help shine a light on the incredible social impact work of our nonprofit partners.”
HILARY SMITH

>As part of the partnership, the Alliance will provide training to the Lab’s NBCUniversal employee volunteers on how to effectively mentor creative apprentices. The Alliance will also share best practices with the nonprofit creative agencies on how to tell powerful short stories about community impact. The nonprofit agency participants in the Lab who will be offered this training include organizations such as Reel Works, RE:IMAGINE, PhillyCAM, Spy Hop, and Youth FX — all of which receive grants from NBCUniversal and are additionally Alliance partners.

“The Media Alliance for Arts + Culture is proud to launch this new partnership with NBCUniversal that strengthens our commitment to paid apprenticeships and building equitable career pathways for creative workers. Support from NBCUniversal will help the Alliance build a national network of community media centers, encourage employers to hire and mentor a new generation of apprentices, and ensure that those often left out of the creative sector have access to the training and professional experience they need to succeed,” said Alliance Executive Director Wendy Levy.

The Creative Impact Lab was launched in September 2022 and is supported by Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to help advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

MetLife

NEW YORK, /3BL Media/ – MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today announced that it has been named one of America’s 100 Most JUST Companies for the third year in a row by JUST Capital. MetLife earned the top spot in the insurance sector. The “JUST 100” is a comprehensive ranking that recognizes companies doing right by all their stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, and shareholders.

“We’re pleased to be recognized for how we deploy the strength of our people, products, services and investments in support of our sustainability commitments,” said MetLife Chief Sustainability Officer Jon Richter. “To be recognized with the top spot in our industry reinforces the impact we can make as we help all of our stakeholders build a more confident future.”

Through vigorous analysis, JUST Capital, in partnership with CNBC, evaluates U.S. corporations on how they perform on the issues that matter most to Americans today, including: creating jobs in the U.S.; paying a fair, living wage; acting with integrity at the leadership level; supporting workforce retention and training; protecting worker health and safety; providing benefits and work-life balance; protecting customer privacy; and minimizing pollution.

Other recent examples of MetLife’s recognition include:

Newsweek magazine’s 2023 list of America’s “Most Responsible Companies”The 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability Index – North AmericaFortune magazine’s 2022 list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies”

To learn more about what MetLife does to make a positive impact for all stakeholders, visit MetLife.com/Sustainability. To view the 2023 “JUST 100” list, visit justcapital.com/rankings.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

Contact:

MetLife

For Media: Brian Blaser 
(212) 578-2415 
bblaser@metlife.com

Kimberly-Clark was recognized by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Kimberly-Clark has received this recognition for five consecutive years, honoring Kimberly-Clark’s commitment to business integrity through best-in-class ethics, compliance, and governance practices.

“Kimberly-Clark is proud to receive this award from Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row,” said Jeff Melucci, Chief Legal Officer at Kimberly-Clark. “It is a testament to the deep commitment of our teams around the world to lead with integrity and our values. We live our purpose every day, to provide ‘Better Care for a Better World’ with a focus on our people, our communities, the people we serve, and all of our stakeholders.”

“Ethics matter. Organizations that commit to business integrity through robust programs and practices not only elevate standards and expectations for all, but also have better long-term performance,” said Ethisphere CEO, Erica Salmon Byrne. “We continue to be inspired by the World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to making real impact for their stakeholders and displaying exemplary values-based leadership. Congratulations to Kimberly-Clark for earning a place in the World’s Most Ethical Companies community.”

Kimberly-Clark is one of only four honorees in the consumer products industry. In 2023, 135 honorees spanning 19 countries and 46 industries were recognized.

Methodology & Scoring

Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives that support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe.

To view the full list of this year’s honorees, please visit the World’s Most Ethical Companies website.

AMD is ranked again as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek. Moving up in the 2023 ranking, the company is now listed in 20th place overall, including a 94 out of 100 score in environmental concerns.

Newsweek and Statista partnered again this year to honor America’s Most Responsible Companies. The annual ranking is based on a holistic view of corporate responsibility that considers all three pillars of ESG: Environment, Social and Corporate Governance. It also included an independent survey to evaluate companies’ reputations by asking more than 13,000 U.S. residents about their perception of company ESG activities. This year the list includes 500 of the United States’ largest public corporations.

“Together with our employees, customers and partners, AMD advances innovation in computing to help create solutions to the world’s most important challenges. Corporate responsibility and ESG are core to our company’s values, approach and purpose,” said Justin Murrill, Director of Corporate Responsibility at AMD. “We are honored to be included in the America’s Most Responsible Companies 2023, among these leading institutions that are contributing to society.”

The full list of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2023 can be found here. For more information on Corporate Responsibility at AMD, visit: www.amd.com/en/corporate-responsibility.

Applied Materials is humbled to receive recognition from Corporate Knights and As You Sow  for making their 2023 Clean200™ list. The Clean200 utilizes a database which tracks the percent of revenue companies earn from sustainable economy themes including energy efficiency. Their methodology also considers Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies that are leading the way on transforming the way we do things through telecommunication technologies. Applied is dedicated to supporting a sustainable economy to Make Possible® a Better Future. In 2022, Applied reached their goal of 100% renewable electricity in the United States and is on a path to invest in 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030.  Read more on the Clean200 here.

People are looking for a sense of purpose at work — and volunteering is a great way to find it. A volunteer program builds connections between employees, their communities and the causes they care about. It’s proven to increase employee engagement and studies show that volunteers experience benefits to their physical and mental health.

Here are 25 volunteering ideas that will inspire your employees to participate and help to build a purpose-driven company culture people want to be part of.

Spreading Love

1. Support Acts of Goodness. Encourage your people to track volunteer time for random acts of kindness — like picking up groceries for a neighbour or buying coffee for someone experiencing homelessness.
2. Pen a letter to an elder. Many seniors suffer from loneliness. You can be the reason they smile by sending a kind note or letter through an organization like Love for Our Elders.
3. Prepare care packages for seniors in a nursing home. Not every senior has loved ones close by. Make them feel seen and special. Check out organizations like DOROT or Seniors Secret Service.
4. Write letters to children at your local hospital. Hospitalized children need a healthy dose of hope. Send them inspiring messages to brighten their days.
5. Send cards to refugees. Many refugees are faced with hardships as they struggle to rebuild their lives. Show them that people are thinking of them. Check out CARE or Any Refugee  to get started.

Learning

6. Meet a nonprofit. If your company has a relationship with a nonprofit, invite them to host an info session so your people can learn about their work. Tracking this time as volunteering will incentivize your people and might just inspire them to give their time or money directly.
7. Volunteer to learn. More companies are encouraging their people to attend training on important topics like diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by counting the time they invest as volunteer hours. Invite a leader from one of your employee resource groups (ERGs) to host a session.
8. Start with small actions. Micro-actions help your people take small steps that add up to big impact. Tracking these actions as volunteer time encourages your people to make sustainable changes in their everyday lives. Learn how TC Energy rallied their employees to complete 4,000 micro-actions during their holiday campaign.

Coming together

9. Clean up your community. Grab some trash bags, gloves (and your team!) and head over to a local park or beach. During its annual Homecoming reunion, Benevity split hundreds of employees into small clean-up crews who hit the streets of downtown Calgary and filled countless bags with garbage. Organizations like Shoreline Cleanup make it easy to get together and clean up your local area.
10. Host a bingo night at a nursing home or shelter. Now here’s a winning idea! Add a little fun and excitement with a game everyone can play. You can even engage some residents to be Bingo callers.
11. Make birthday bags. Help make someone’s birthday extra special. Assemble a bag full of kids’ birthday supplies: balloons, candles, cake mix and decorations for a local shelter or food bank.
12. Schedule a shift at a local food bank or soup kitchen. Fight hunger on the front lines by prepping and serving up meals to those in need.
13. Make bagged lunches for the unhoused. Gather colleagues to assemble nutritious bagged lunches. They can be dropped off at a shelter or distributed directly to the unhoused residents of your community.
14. Hold a clothing drive. Keep gently used clothing out of landfills by inviting your people to bring in unwanted items from their closets. Donate clothes to your local shelter or an organization like Dress for Success.
15. Join in on community projects. Ask your local government if they need volunteers for projects around the community; it’s a great way to make a difference that’s close to home.
16. Build hygiene kits. Collect unused samples from home or a dollar store to fill kits with soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, combs, etc. Give them to a shelter or donate directly to organizations like Beauty Bus Foundation, which provides beauty services for seriously ill individuals and their caregivers.
17. Help animals. Animal shelters are always looking for volunteers and/or supplies like toys, blankets, pet food, etc. Connect with local shelters or rescue organizations to see how your people can help. Our animals activation kit gives you pre-written content to get started.
18. Organize a food drive. Start by reaching out to your local food bank to see which items they need most. Have employees bring in the requested items and plan a day to drop them off.
19. Sort food at a food bank. Organizing and sorting donations is a big job. Check with your local food bank to organize a time for your people to help. Check out our food banks activation kit for pre-written templates that can help you set this up.
20. Explore skills-based volunteering. Your skills could be incredibly useful to a nonprofit that’s lacking resources. From writing website copy to bookkeeping, lending your skills to longer term projects could make a big impact. Learn how Atlassian’s skills-based volunteering program delivered meaningful impact to 50 cause partners.
21. Become a youth mentor. Everyone needs someone to look up to, and you could be that person for a young adult. To organize a youth mentorship program at your workplace, check out our youth mentorship activation kit.

Volunteering virtually

22. Help the visually impaired. You can help low-vision or blind people lead more independent lives with apps like Be My Eyes.
23. Translate for TED. TED Translators are a global community of volunteers who subtitle TED Talks, enabling inspiring ideas to travel across languages and borders. Consider allowing your people to track their time for this initiative.
24. Help disaster relief workers respond, fast. Humanitarian workers require quick access to vital information during disasters. Volunteering with Humanitarian Data Exchange to collect and input essential information into databases enables rescuers to access the information they need to respond quickly.
25. Join an animal conservation effort. ZSL’s Instant Wild empowers volunteers to take part in vital conservation work by bringing them live images and videos from amazing locations all around the world for identification.

 

Use these ideas to plan campaigns that get your people inspired and energized to give their time this National Volunteer Week — and throughout the year.

If you’re looking for more ideas for National Volunteer Week, check out our National Volunteer Week activation kit, loaded with ready-to-go content and communication templates.