Associate-Centered CSR: Spreading Holiday Cheer throughout Blackbaud Communities

Giving back continues to spur on the Blackbaud team, and this past holiday season was no exception.

For the 15th year, our Charleston-based site participated in Trident United Way’s Day of Caring.  More than 500 employees volunteered for 35 projects at 22 nonprofits across the Lowcountry of South Carolina.  Annual participation continues to grow — through more volunteers, projects, and partner organizations — showing just how much service is central to our values.

Shannon Emery, community manager, spent the day at Lowcountry Orphan Relief, leaving her with a better understanding of how the organization turns mission into action.   “It’s not always glamorous, and sometimes it will break your heart, but each and everything that is done is done with reason – to make the world a better place.”  Service is a great way for our people to see, up close, what nonprofits face every day, bringing that knowledge back into the office and into their world.

Meanwhile, the Blackbaud team in Austin partnered with Austin Ridge Riders, Keep Walnut Creek Wild and Keep Austin Beautiful for its Fall Service Day.  “The team spent the entire day cleaning up trails, removing invasive species, planting native species, and improving conditions at Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. It was a memorable event that allowed team members to connect with one another in ways that can’t be experienced in the office. We partnered with these organizations to educate our colleagues and expand their network of nonprofit organizations in the Austin area,” said Justin Womack, one of our internal volunteerism leads.

Volunteering isn’t just reserved for our employees at Blackbaud’s “bricks and mortar” locations.  Our CSR team actively works with our remote employees to connect them with colleagues in their communities through service.  Pallavi Paranjape, a remote employee from Raleigh, NC, hosted a volunteer day for fellow Blackbaud employees in that community. “Not only did we get to hang out and get to know each other better, we also got an opportunity to give back to an amazing organization, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Together, our group sorted 8,250 lbs of donated food into 11 pallets that will provide 6,947 meals to food insecure households. Our little group of remote Blackbaud employees will be making this a recurring event!”

At another location, in Cambridge, MA, the team partnered with Victims’ Rights Law Center for the 11th year to make the holidays brighter for a family in need.  They assisted a family of asylees from Central America with donations of toys, a gaming system, and household essentials.   Our colleague, Kirk Tretheway, who managed the campaign, had this to say, “Every year, coordinating our Season of Giving project reminds me that there is a wonderful spirit of generosity, empathy, kindness, and support in our company and beyond, and I am glad to have the opportunity to be a part of it!”