Originally published on Salesforce Ventures.
Cloud 100 companies are creative about the many ways in which they give back.
One of the ways companies do so is through joining Pledge 1% — a commitment to donate 1% of their profits, product, equity and/or time to charity. In fact, nearly one-third of the companies in Cloud 100 have taken the pledge. Others choose to support specific causes through financial donations via corporate-sponsored foundations, while others donate sweat equity to improve the lives of those around them.
Each year, at the Cloud 100, we award The Pledge 1% Impact Award to a company that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to giving back by not only taking the pledge but by delivering programs that make a measurable positive impact and working to empower other companies to do the same.
This year, the committee has selected Snyk as the 2022 Pledge 1% Impact Award winner based on Snyk's consistent dedication to giving back and social responsibility. In addition to their donations as an organization, they’ve launched 1:1 matching grants up to USD $500 per year for eligible employee donations, and a Volunteer Time Off benefit for employees. Last year, they launched Snyk Impact to mobilize Snyk’s technology, resources and community to enable a more secure, inclusive and sustainable sector.
Career Opportunity Platform, Guild Education, offers all employees five paid days off to volunteer with causes or organizations within their communities. Guilders have used their volunteer days to engage in the civic process and serve as election judges, support those in need by making and delivering fresh meals, and improve their environment by restoring trails.
Collaboration software maker Front donates 1% of its equity and 1% of its products to various nonprofits and gives employees three paid days off per year to volunteer. Workers can choose to give their time to causes they care about or participate in group activities organized by the company, such as helping the homeless, domestic violence victims, and at-risk groups in the San Francisco Bay Area and Paris, France.
In 2018 the company launched The Front Foundation. Mathilde Collin, CEO, and Co-Founder of Front, was inspired by a book called Doing Good Better and felt Front had scaled to a point where the impact of having a foundation would be meaningful without being distracting. “Fronteers” from disparate geographies and teams are empowered to decide what charities they want to support.
“It contributes meaningfully to our culture because it helps people understand that life is greater than the product we build and the customer we serve,” says Collin. “It contributes to having a low-ego culture, keeps us grounded in reality, and contributes to our culture and retention.”
Read the full length feature and to hear more from Cloud 100 CEOs here.
