This Season, Progressers Give Back Locally and Globally

With the end of the year on the horizon, Progressers are focusing on local and global volunteer and fundraising efforts.

’Tis the season of giving, and Progressers are participating in charitable activities to make an impact in their own communities and around the world.

To kick off this season’s humanitarian efforts, Progressers chose to donate $5,000 to Save the Children in honor of Giving Tuesday. Our Charitable Giving Program also recently chose to sponsor four organizations nominated by Progressers in the U.S.: Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake, LGTBQ Center of Raleigh, School Supply Drive for Riverwood Elementary School and the Community Foundation for Financial Literacy.

Because so many deserving organizations were nominated by Progressers, we decided to make four separate donations of $500 USD to additional organizations that weren’t originally selected: Calvin's Paws, Dress for Success, Capucine Montessori, and St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital.

In addition to these fundraising activities, Progress has partnered with U.S.-based nonprofit Cradles to Crayons for a virtual gift drive. Donations will provide children in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive at home, at school and at play.

Outside the U.S., Progressers are participating in the season of giving as well. People in Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the U.K. were able to buy gifts for their families and friends and support local charities, including UNICEF, the Social Market and the British Red Cross Gift Shop, to name just a few.

Progress has also partnered with Family House Daniel den Hoed, an organization in the Netherlands that hosts the families of cancer patients and allows them to be close to their loved ones in these trying times.

These acts of community service are just a sampling of recent corporate social responsibility (CSR) work coming out of the Progress for Tomorrow program. Other recent highlights include donating to Guide Dogs, an EMEA organization committed to helping the visually impaired; expanding our women in STEM scholarship series to include India; and donating to dog shelters in Bulgaria.

All the activity stemming from Progress for Tomorrow has led to multiple accolades worldwide, including a 2021 International CSR Excellence Award, a MassTLC Tech Top 50 honor in the Tech for Good: Social Responsibility category, and a National Feather award in India for “Best Use of CSR Practices in the IT Industry.”

Progress’ employee resource groups (ERGs) have gotten into the spirit of giving as well. Each of our ERGs donated $1,500 to organizations that support their respective missions:

• Plus: GLAS, Bulgaria
• Veterans@Progress, Fisher House, U.S.
• Progress for Her: Girls Who Code, U.S
• Unidos: Hispanic Heritage Foundation, U.S.
• ASPIRE: Samarthanam, India
• Blacks @ Progress: Blacks in Technology Foundation, U.S.

Outside of our ERGs, each of these organizations received $3,000 donations: Earthjustice, Sphoorti Foundation and Children in Need. Girls Who Code, Guide Dogs, and Samarthanam also received $10,000 donations apart from our ERG donations.

These recent volunteer and fundraising efforts, combined with Progress’ ongoing commitment to the community, social and environmental causes, demonstrate Progressers’ enthusiasm and drive to make the world a brighter, better place.

"Progressers are incredibly passionate about CSR-related activities,” said Lauren Walters, people experience partner in the U.S. “I love that we're able to support their passions in both our local and global communities.”

As the year comes to a close, Progressers around the world are working to give back to their communities. It’s important to remember the good that charitable giving can do—not just around the holidays, but all year round.