One of the ways I give back to the community is by serving on the board of directors of the SC Governor's School for Science and Math (GSSM).
GSSM is important to the state -- and to Blackbaud -- because it invests in the kids who will one day (soon) lead our workforce. The school is a public, residential program for 11th and 12th graders and boasts amazing results. Just this year, the 56 graduating seniors earned more than $10.5 million in scholarship offers and are headed to an array of schools, including Harvard, Yale, Duke, Emory and Vanderbilt.
But the faculty and staff don't just focus on high schoolers. They also do whatever they can to identify middle schoolers with a passion for math and science, cultivating them early on. Last week, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Google (thanks Eric, Jeff and team!), which has a data center in Goose Creek, SC, the school hosted something called iTEAMS -- or Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship Among Middle Schools.
iTeams was a week-long camp attended by 42 Berkeley County middle school students with an interest in math or science. The students were grouped into teams and given challenges to tackle, culminating in presentations to their fellow students, parents and members of the community during the camp's closing ceremonies.
I had the pleasure of serving on a career panel mid-week -- along with representatives from ATD, Dupont and Alcoa -- sharing the Blackbaud story and helping the campers understand how they might head toward a career at a technology company (maybe even right here on Daniel Island). Then I returned on Friday to share in the capstone presentations. They weren't only good. They were relevant and left me inspired to keep making the kind of change in my own life that I believe in but don't always act upon.
When I walked in the door, a team of kids were up front, presenting on how a family could make the move to a greener lifestyle. I happen to know a decent amount about this topic because my own family is heading in that direction. I'd driven to Monck's Corner that day in our new Prius (which replaced a much larger vehicle that, well, wasn't all that good for the world) and am thoroughly enjoying the produce from the share we purchased in a local farm. For my family, I think this is a good start. But start is the operative word here...there's so much more we can and should do.
The campers -- all of them -- did a great job, channeling their energy and enthusism for learning into actionable proposals. In the process, they reminded me how important it is to live what we believe, to invest our minds in helping the world and making sure our actions follow suit.
Thank you, iTEAMS campers, for the reminder. And congratulations on a terrific week. I hope to see some of you on campus at GSSM in a few years.
Fourteen lucky nonprofits in seven cities and two countries each will be receiving a $500 donation in honor of the volunteer service of a Blackbaud employee.
We call this program "Reward Your Passion" because it allows employees to do just that. They give their time to nonprofits they care about, tell us their story, and become eligible to earn a donation to support the cause. It's very cool, especially because it doesn't matter where an employee lives or volunteers. The program includes everyone, regardless of location.
This quarter, we are making donations to the following groups:
Congratulations to these organizations, and thank you to my colleagues who took the time to give back. It paid off, didn't it?!
I love the people I work with.
I know, I've said this before. But it's true. We have great people. Whether they're located at our HQ in Charleston, one of our many offices throughout the US, one of our overseas operations...or out of their homes...they share a passion for nonprofits and giving back. In my job, I connect with Blackbaud's people based on what they're passionate about in terms of service more than what they do for the company. The variety is incredible, and I am always learning about new things people are doing to drive change, build team spirit...and have fun.
We've had an operation in the United Kingdom, first through a reseller and then officially a Blackbaud office, since the late 1980s. In fact, we actually have two, one office in Glasgow, Scotland, and the other in London. At these offices, like all our others, there's a Team Blackbaud group that coordinates philanthropic efforts and champions our value that service to others makes the world a better place. In addition to being a part of the broader Team Blackbaud Global network and participating in company wide initiatives, each location is free to choose how to focus on philanthropy on a local level. Given that our offices are in different countries with different traditions and cultures, this flexibity is essential.
Victoria Waring in our London office was just in touch to share what the team there is doing to give back. They have taken the approach of adopting or selecting a different nonprofit organization each month. Employees who are interested in getting involved help raise awareness and money for the causes they care about. Here are some examples of what our UK colleagues have done over the past few months:
-
Raised almost
£950 for two organizations,
Action For Children and
Prostate Cancer Care. Kudos to Matt Ravenhill for organizing a team for the football event that Prostate for Cancer hosted. I hear our UK colleagues did a good job of showing off their football skills for a good cause. (By the way, that's soccer to my US colleagues...as in
the Premier League, which just lost
Cristiano Ronaldo to
Real Madrid. With
Kaka joining the team, as well, they're going to be fun to watch!)
-
Hosted Caroline Lee Friday from
London Air Ambulance, who came to the office to talk about the work the organization does. I understand she did a great job conveying her passion for the mission and explaining how they rely on fundraising to keep their vital services going.
-
That's just a snapshot of the fun and rewarding activities taking place at our London office. I know there's more to come and that charities will benefit from the spirit of service my UK-based colleagues embody every day.