This story was submitted by Contentstack.
“Give what you can — offer your time, your talents, and your expertise.”
That was one of the best pieces of advice I received early in my career.
Notice that money was nowhere to be found in that list. Yet, when we think of giving with impact, that’s what we often think about. Because what’s more effective?
The answer is… a lot.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m not arguing that companies should stop donating money to worthy causes. I’m simply making the case that leaders can create a culture of giving in their organizations that creates impact far beyond monetary value.
For example, over 2023, we estimate that our Contentstack tribe spent over 2,000 hours volunteering for causes they care about.
Did we donate money as well? Yes – but we also found that the most enthusiastic involvement from our tribe happened when they offered their time, talents, and expertise.
Some of those hours took place during “Contentstack Cares Month,” a homegrown initiative where we each take time off to volunteer for a charity of our choice in March.
We established the initiative in 2018 and quickly discovered that when our tribe got hands-on they became personally invested. That led to more involvement outside of what our leadership “appointed” as volunteer days.
For Contentstack Cares Month 2023, we saw employees donate their time to pack lunches in areas where 90% or more of students qualified for free and reduced lunch programs. Some volunteered at their local Habitat for Humanity organizations, food banks, healthcare facilities, and more. The amount of passion and participation put forth towards various causes was amazing to witness.
But after March ended, we saw even more of our tribe go out of their way to donate their efforts. Employees volunteered to read with children in inner city areas in April, planted trees with their children in September, and bagged produce with extended family in between.
Impact from giving stems from passion, and we’ve tried to infuse that passion into our culture from day one.
I like to think that takes a lot of the pressure off leaders when considering how to start their own programs. Giving is about more than money — it’s about showing up with willing hearts and hands.
