The saying "money isn't everything" rings true in so many ways—even when it comes to corporate citizenship. That's why NetSuite.org(opens in new tab) was created in 2008—to put our product and our people to work on behalf of charities and social enterprises(opens in new tab). For four years, we have matched worthy nonprofit organizations with talented NetSuite employees willing to provide pro bono assistance. These skills based volunteer projects have made a tremendous difference, not only in helping organizations meet their operational needs but also in helping our employees grow their skills while giving back. Recently, NetSuite joined A Billion + Change(opens in new tab), a national campaign that believes as we do—that skilled volunteerism is one of the most effective and beneficial ways to create long-lasting social change.
A Billion + Change is powered by Deloitte, HP the Case Foundation and IBM—some of the strongest corporate voices for pro bono, and we are thrilled to be joining them. As I write this, A Billion + Change is nearing its latest goal of attracting $2 billion worth of donated services, drawn from a growing roster of more than 200 companies. The campaign has set a new goal of 500 companies and we want to encourage our peers to join us in committing to the importance of pro bono volunteerism.
Last month we took part in a White House forum which brought together top executives from member companies, members of the Obama Administration and leading minds in pro bono activism for a series of once-in-a-lifetime discussions.
Jean Case, CEO of The Case Foundation and one of the nation's leading minds in pro bono service work, led a brisk C-level executive discussion which made clear that the brightest lights in pro bono treat their service commitments with the same level of dedication and focus as any client project. I know I speak for the audience when I say it was particularly moving to hear IBM International Foundation President Stanley Litow reveal that they have had 100 percent retention of employees who had been involved in their pro bono program the “IBM Service Corps”. This was a real testament to the strong connection pro bono creates between employees and their employers.
The summit ended far too quickly, but the conversations we were able to be a part of continue, sparking ideas and inspirations for all of us. We know that this is only the beginning of the pro bono service movement, and there is plenty of work to be done. We’re excited to take these ideas and apply them to NetSuite’s pro bono program, building off of our sturdy foundation to engage more employees globally in deeper levels of service for our nonprofit grantees.
For more information on the Campaign, follow @ABillionPlus(opens in new tab) and #billionplus on Twitter, or Like these efforts on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BillionPlusChange(opens in new tab). Have a great idea you want to discuss directly? I tweet from @NetSuiteOrg(opens in new tab), and would love to hear from you!