High-Impact Volunteerism: Putting your Current Team’s Skills to use in Reaching and Impacting Underserved Students and Communities

High-impact volunteerism is an essential force for positive change in today's world, as it leverages the skills, resources, and expertise of volunteers to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underserved communities. Many Fortune 1000 companies have embraced this approach, recognizing that a skilled workforce has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of those who need it most and are embracing new partnerships to implement long term, high-impact volunteering opportunities.

What is High-Impact Volunteerism?

High-impact volunteerism is a strategic approach to volunteering that focuses on using an individual or a team's skills and resources to create a measurable, lasting impact on the lives of those they serve. This approach aims to address systemic issues such as poverty, inequality, and limited access to education, by offering targeted solutions that leverage the strengths of volunteers. By focusing on long-term outcomes and sustainability, high-impact volunteerism goes beyond traditional charitable acts and creates a more significant change in the lives of those in need.

Examples of Fortune 1000 Companies Engaging in High-Impact Volunteerism

Google: Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, is committed to creating a more equitable world by using technology and innovation to address pressing societal issues. Google.org supports numerous high-impact volunteerism initiatives, such as the GoogleServe program, which encourages employees to use their skills to benefit local communities. In addition to providing grants to nonprofit organizations, Google employees have volunteered over 1 million hours of their time to help underserved students and communities. One notable project is their collaboration with Khan Academy, where Google engineers volunteered their expertise to improve the platform's accessibility and reach.

IBM: IBM's Corporate Service Corps (CSC) is an innovative volunteer program that leverages the company's skilled workforce to address social and environmental challenges around the world. CSC participants are selected through a competitive process and deployed in teams to work with local governments, nonprofits, and social enterprises in developing nations. These teams collaborate with community stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions, such as improving access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for underserved populations.

Microsoft: Microsoft Philanthropies is committed to empowering every person and organization to achieve more through technology. Through its Employee Giving Program, Microsoft matches employee donations and volunteer hours to nonprofit organizations. This initiative encourages high-impact volunteerism by focusing on digital inclusion and ensuring that underserved students and communities have access to technology and digital skills. One such project is Microsoft's partnership with TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools), which pairs skilled tech professionals with high school teachers to co-teach computer science courses in underserved schools.

There's a new way to access high-impact volunteering opportunities for your organization.

Paragon One is an innovative platform that offers remote, flexible externships that connect students with companies to work on real-world projects. This unique program presents an opportunity for Fortune 1000 companies to engage in high-impact volunteering by collaborating with students and providing them with valuable experience and mentorship. By partnering with Paragon One, companies can further their commitment to social responsibility and create meaningful change in the lives of underserved students.

How Paragon One's Externship Program Supports High-Impact Volunteering

Skill development:

Through Paragon One externships, students gain hands-on experience in various fields, such as marketing, finance, data analysis, and product development. By working on real projects, students can develop essential skills that will help them succeed in their future careers. Fortune 1000 companies can support high-impact volunteering by sharing their expertise and offering mentorship to students from underserved communities, thus helping bridge the opportunity gap.

Networking and mentorship:

Students participating in Paragon One externships benefit from networking opportunities and mentorship provided by professionals at Fortune 1000 companies. This access to industry experts can be invaluable for students from underserved communities, who may lack the resources and connections needed to break into competitive industries.

Access to resources and tools:

By participating in Paragon One externships, students gain access to resources and tools that may not be readily available in their communities. Fortune 1000 companies can contribute to high-impact volunteering by providing students with the necessary resources to complete their projects, such as software licenses, e-learning platforms, and access to professional development webinars. This support can help bridge the digital divide and empower students to pursue careers in technology and other in-demand fields.‍

Diverse perspectives and inclusive environments:‍

Fortune 1000 companies can foster high-impact volunteering by promoting diverse and inclusive environments. Companies also get access to a long term, diverse pipeline of talent. By actively seeking out and engaging students from various backgrounds, companies can benefit from a wealth of diverse perspectives that can lead to innovative solutions and increased creativity in problem-solving. For example, a Fortune 1000 company could partner with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or organizations that support underrepresented students in STEM fields, such as the Society of Women Engineers or the National Society of Black Engineers. By promoting diversity and inclusion within their externship programs, companies not only support high-impact volunteering but also contribute to a more equitable and just society.

These examples demonstrate the power of high-impact volunteerism and serve as an inspiration for other companies and individuals seeking to create a more equitable world. By prioritizing skill-based volunteer initiatives and investing in sustainable solutions, companies and their employees can become powerful agents for change, transforming the lives of those who need it most.

Explore the how High-Impact Volunteering can Transform Your Team
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To discuss how your high-impact volunteering initiatives could be transformed through the Paragon One externship, take a free call with Omotunde.

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My parents: They are volunteers and leaders of social projects that target underserved and underprivileged populations. At a very early age, my parents made sure to engage me in the social projects they were part of.

I was born and raised in Colombia. A developing country, with a population of 51.52 M people. In 2019, around 2.5 M people lived on less than $1.90 per day. In 2021, Colombia was the most unequal country in Latin America based on the degree of inequality.

A few years ago, I enrolled in Social Enterprise courses. It was a great opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with others who are passionate about working on projects that had a social purpose.

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A few years ago, I enrolled in Social Enterprise courses. It was a great opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with others who are passionate about working on projects that had a social purpose.

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My parents: They are volunteers and leaders of social projects that target underserved and underprivileged populations. At a very early age, my parents made sure to engage me in the social projects they were part of.
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providing jobs and economic growth through well run businesses

In short, corporations that aren’t participating in CSR based initiatives are being left behind.

What’s a Rich Text element?

Static and dynamic content editing

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

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My parents: They are volunteers and leaders of social projects that target underserved and underprivileged populations. At a very early age, my parents made sure to engage me in the social projects they were part of.
My parents: They are volunteers and leaders of social projects that target underserved and underprivileged populations. At a very early age, my parents made sure to engage me in the social projects they were part of.
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