UK Team Makes Giving Back a (Fun) Habit
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:
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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!)
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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.
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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.