IBM didn’t get to be one of the world’s biggest companies (and most-recognized brands) by doing things in a small way. Take the company’s innovative On Demand Community program, for example. In just five years, IBM employees and retirees participating in the program have racked up more than 10 million hours of volunteer work.
The company announced the milestone achievement as part of its 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report, which it released last week.
These volunteer hours aren’t simple things like helping sick puppies (although that’s always nice, of course). Instead, IBMers (as they call themselves) use their unique skills and knowledge base to benefit nonprofit community organizations and schools. Not just any employee can participate: they first have to take a series of online assessments to make sure they have the skills necessary to benefit the organizations reaching out to IBM for help.
“IBM employees around the world are making an impact in their local communities by sharing the same expertise and talent they provide to business clients to their schools and not-for-profits,” said Stanley Litow, vice president of IBM Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs in a prepared statement. “We believe in long, sustained and engaged partnerships with communities that not only make a concrete contribution, but create long term positive change.”
IBMers and needy groups connect through an online database. For example, a class could need someone to visit her school or mentor a student. Or a school or local charity could need help using technology to improve its services. To cite a specific example, IBM employee Tom Zimmerman worked with the National Hispanic University to create the Extreme Science Program, which uses extreme sports to teach science to low-income minority high school students. His efforts led IBM to name him one of the company’s volunteers of the month for April 2010.
IBM employees can connect with these needs, then use online resources in the On Demand Community to help complete these goals. They also use the community to find the volunteer opportunities that match their interests, and then track their volunteer hours.
So far, more than 150,000 IBMers have contributed more service hours in more than 70 countries. IBM says this time is worth about $25 an hour, translating to a quarter of a billion dollars worth of volunteer efforts.
IBM’s long-standing nick-name is “Big Blue.” It’s nice to see them taking social responsibility in a big manner, too.
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Photo courtesy of IBM.