#TogetherTuesday: How employee volunteering in education fuels Salesforce culture

On TogetherTuesday, communities worldwide mobilize around a shared commitment to generosity, turning collective energy into powerful everyday action. At Salesforce, this is a concept we live by every single day — and this year, we are channeling that power to support our schools, educators, and youth. 

Through our employee volunteering and giving programs, we create a space where our teams can step out of the office and into the classroom to support the students and educators who shape our future. We don’t just focus on the bottom line, we focus on building a brighter future for the next generation. Because when you do good for the world, doing well as a business naturally follows.

We’ll explore:

• Why volunteering is good for people and business
• Salesforce’s commitment to education
• Building a brighter future, together

Why volunteering is good for people and business

Volunteering does more than just support our communities; it actively fuels our enterprise success, benefiting performance, retention, and workplace culture.

Internally, we see the profound impact that giving back has on our workforce:

• 94% of our pro bono volunteers grew their skills in AI and Agentforce.
• 77% of Salesforce employees say participation in Employee Impact programs makes them feel more connected to the company culture.
• 88% of Salesforce employees say volunteering gives them a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.

Industry research echoes exactly what we see across our employees. When companies prioritize purpose, everybody wins:

• 52% lower turnover rate for employees who participate in corporate purpose programs.
• 79% of volunteers are more satisfied with their overall jobs.
• Volunteering is the only workplace intervention proven to improve wellbeing at an individual level.

We are seeing these data points come to life in real-time today at our AI for Impact Summit in Chicago, taking place concurrently with TogetherTuesday. The summit brings together nonprofit trailblazers and changemakers to explore how AI can safely and responsibly supercharge the social sector.

Salesforce customers, grantees, and partners were in attendance, including participants from the Salesforce Accelerator — Agents for Impact. The Accelerator provides technology, funding, and pro-bono expertise to help nonprofits build and customize AI agents with Agentforce. This is a huge win-win for both the pro bono volunteers and nonprofits they support, equipping employees with AI skills while also enabling nonprofits to improve efficiency and scale impact through AI-powered solutions.

Summit attendees also helped build Career Readiness Kits — individually-assembled packages filled with resources, mentorship frameworks, and tools designed to help students bridge the gap between education and careers of the future. 

Salesforce’s commitment to education

We are incredibly proud of our longstanding commitment to education, working in partnership with public schools and education nonprofits. Over the years, we’ve proven that true impact happens when financial resources and human power work together.

Since 2013, Salesforce has given more than $163 million across public school districts in San Francisco, Oakland, New York City, Chicago, and Indianapolis. By pairing this capital with over 1.6 million employee volunteer hours dedicated to education, we turn corporate funding into deep, localized student success.

The impact of these partnerships recently came to life at our Future Forward: Bay Area Principal Summit, which brought together local middle school leaders to collaborate, share innovative strategies, and explore the future of education in the AI era.

Rolling up our sleeves: Salesforce leaders in action

Our executives are leading by example on the ground, too. Robin Washington, Salesforce President and Chief Operating and Financial Officer, was recently joined by more than 80 Salesforce volunteers across 29 departments at Elmhurst United Middle School in Oakland. The group rolled up their sleeves to help teachers and staff close out the school year — tidying classrooms, getting the property ready for summer break, and showing deep gratitude to the educators.

Parker Harris, Salesforce Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Slack, volunteered at Visitacion Valley Middle School, where Salesforce employees assisted teachers and staff in closing out the school year with an assortment of classroom and campus tasks. Having worked with the Visitacion Valley Middle School for over 10 years, Parker’s visit underscored a decade-long commitment to supporting educators and youth in the Bay Area. 

Building a brighter future, together

Employee volunteerism isn’t just a corporate social responsibility program at Salesforce; it’s a core identity. It reminds us that our work goes beyond software — it’s about building a better future for the next generation.

We encourage you to look at your own community. How can you show up for a local school, a teacher, or a student today? Whether it’s tutoring, painting a campus, or offering pro-bono digital skills, every single hour counts.