Pledge 1% is a movement that encourages organizations to use one percent of their resources to help others. It can be done in multiple ways and by different types of companies. You do not have to run a big enterprise to be able to take the pledge. There are various types of pledges and you can read more about them in our previous article.
This time we would like to share with you some of the Pledge 1% community’s success stories that have inspired us, and might also inspire you!
1% for safe housing
SeaFreight Labs is a small organization offering consulting and crowdsolving services for the seafreight community. They took the pledge about two years ago. As a small organization, they were uncertain if joining the 1% Pledge movement is a good choice. They were worried that their organization did not have enough resources to bring actual help in the community. Nevertheless, they have decided to try.
SeaFreight Labs partnered with Habitat for Humanity, and they used their combined forces to implement innovations in India, Kenya and Mexico. They also committed their time and effort to the problem of poorly constructed housing in the Philippines. There are around 1,6 millions of such houses in the Philippines, built cheaply and unprotected from natural disasters. Should an earthquake or a typhoon come, such houses would be swept away completely. To prevent people from losing their houses, Habitat for Humanity, with help from SeaFreight Labs, took the challenge of strengthening houses’ construction for less than $300.
Organizations managed to create 81 potential solutions to the housing problem, out of which 3 plans were chosen, implemented and tested. The prototype of a low-budget housing that is proved to be resistant to natural disasters is hoped to change the lives of many people.
Despite being a small organization with limited resources, SeaFreight Labs’ commitment of 1% of time resulted in a great collaboration and a solution that is important to many.
1% for double changes
Atlassian is known for its contributions to charitable projects. Being a big, successful and globally-recognized company, they use their influence and resources to help people around the world.
Engage4Good was a program for volunteers, and its aim was to complete 50 projects chosen out of participating organizations’ requests. Eventually, there were 60 projects chosen and successfully completed by 290 volunteers. The nature of these projects varied. Many organizations voiced their problems and needs, to receive help from volunteers. One of the projects involved collaboration with Black Duck Foods that deals with national distribution of grain across Australia. The Atlassian team helped in implementing Trello in this company.
According to the Atlassian Foundation, Engage4Good brought two times more effects than previous achievements that had been reached in the same time. In this case it was not only 1% of employee time, the time was doubled!
1% for wildlife
Airteam Environmental Defenders Office is an organization that deals with constituting laws that would protect the environment and people in Australia. It offers guidance on legal and scientific procedures, and organizes workshops educating Australian people on these matters.
The company has pledged 1% of their annual revenue to support the Environmental Defenders Office in their mission of legal protection over Australia’s wildlife, people and places.
1% for seniors’ empowerment
CloudKettle is a company that offers strategic advice to various enterprises. It also supports non-profit organizations, such as We Are Young, a foundation focused on taking care of seniors and their needs.
Offering the 1% of their time and skills, CloudKettle team helped the We Are Young foundation in implementing and configuring tools that will increase its effectiveness, and support data migrations and transformations. CloudKettle has also engaged in fundraising events, such as charitable softball and golf matches.
1% for the cause of choice
Alteryx is a company dedicated to analytics automation. Their business philosophy includes an obligation to help others. To align with that premise, the company has created a special program called Alteryx for Good. Every employee can use 20 paid hours a year on a voluntary work of their choice. It gives employees space and an opportunity to engage in a good cause that they believe in.
The company has also established a special team that offers support to other organizations quarterly. This great initiative not only is helpful, but also gives employees a chance to integrate with each other and learn to work more effectively together.
One of the projects is called The Ecology Center, where employees, including the C-level executives, are learning more about how organic food is obtained and how to create better systems for food management.
1 percent of kindness, 1000 ways to change the world
In this article we have described only a tiny fraction of the whole 1% Pledge community’s work. This great initiative helps people realize how with a small input of labor or resources, we can create a whole new reality that is based on selflessness and sharing.
We hope that these stories inspired you just as much as they have inspired us! If you would like to join the movement, you can pledge here.
Sources
SeaFreight Labs Joins Pledge 1% Movement
Engage4Good – Skilled Volunteering Program
Airteam Environmental Defenders Office
CloudKettle and We Are Young
Beyond Volunteering – Driving Sustainable Impact at Alteryx
