Salesforce employees across Australia and New Zealand have achieved more than 450,000 volunteer hours in 21 years. These volunteer hours have supported community initiatives including environmental conservation, digital inclusion, and STEM education.
Globally, Salesforce employees have just reached 10 million hours of volunteering for 43,000 not-for-profits across 48 countries, supporting Salesforce’s commitment to using business as a platform for change. Along the way, the company’s 1-1-1 philanthropic model has inspired over 19,000 other companies to join the Pledge 1% movement.
Some of the organisations employees in Australia and New Zealand have supported in recent years include Foodbank, Solar Buddy, Auckland City Mission, and Ronald McDonald House NZ.
“Volunteering has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I’m so thankful for Salesforce’s support, especially its commitment to education,” said Kim Davies, VP, Delivery Leader for Salesforce ANZ, who has volunteered for more than ten years with education nonprofit Schools Plus.
“One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that while we’re in a privileged position at Salesforce, it can be hard to know where to begin.
“My experience has shown me that the key is to team up with leaders in our community. Our job is to use our resources to amplify their impact and make their vision a reality.
Volunteering For Impact
“Success in volunteering isn’t just about the hours you commit. It’s about the people you can help, and the NFPs that you’re supporting that can now have a greater impact in their local communities due to your support,” says Luigerr Ramos, APAC Employee Impact Manager, Salesforce.
“That’s why we try to make it accessible for all of your team to participate, be it virtual, in-office or out in the community, to engage in sustained volunteering, empowering our team to continue to provide ongoing support, building long term relationships with organisations like Schools Plus and seeing their impact firsthand. ”
“Kim and the Salesforce team are a stand-out example in corporate volunteering. The partnership between Schools Plus and Salesforce has created STEM learning opportunities for tens of thousands of students across Australia, as the volunteers have helped teach children how to code, design, build and program Lego robots,” said Sherrill Nixon, CEO, Schools Plus.
The data from Salesforce’s volunteer program highlights the dual benefits of such initiatives. For Salesforce employees, 77% say they feel more connected to the company culture, and 88% report a deeper sense of meaning and purpose, leading to enhanced employee engagement and satisfaction while driving tangible social change.
For example, the company’s AI skilling initiatives have helped close gaps in education and their efforts to empower teachers with STEM resources have had a lasting impact on students’ futures.
More information:
- Catch up on the stories from the global 10 million hours milestone here
- Read more about volunteering at Salesforce
- Discover the Pledge 1% commitment.
- Find out more about Salesforce’s future investment in Australia
