2017-Nov-22

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A Recipe for Giving Back




We’re great at helping out in our local communities. And our Be the Bridge Annual Giving Campaign is a yearly reminder that Cisco offers you $10,000 a year in matching gifts. Not sure who to give to? Get inspired by your fellow employees.

Cisco Technology Meets Charitable Giving

Willa Black helped found the Connected North program at Cisco Canada to put Cisco TelePesence into Indigenous schools throughout Canada. Due to the early success of Connected North, the program was migrated out of Cisco to charity partner TakingITGlobal in 2016 and today reaches over 5,000 students with content on-demand.

“Every year I give generously to the Connected North program by donating to TakingITGlobal. I used to just write them a check—but the fact that Cisco will now match up to $10,000 is simply amazing,” said Willa.

To honor Canada’s founding and support Connected North, they launched the Next 150 campaign. Employees, customers, and partners were engaged across Canada to raise $300,000 to help add more schools to the TelePresence network across the Arctic and get students the resources they need.

Canadian students learning using our technology
Canadian students learning using our technology

Cisco Canada offices are running events in support of the campaign. The Public Sector team is running book drives and bake sales for the schools. And the GSP team is holding a hockey tournament with NHL alumni. All proceeds go to the Connected North program, and donations can be matched by Cisco.

Learn more about Willa and the program.

World’s Biggest … What?

We brought Cisco Meraki technology to the World’s Biggest Garage Sale (WBGS) charity event in Brisbane, Australia. As a partner, we helped track attendee data for the event, where they smashed their attendance record with over 17,000 people walking through the doors. It didn’t stop there—more than 50 Cisco volunteers attended and helped sort donations. WBGS raised over $150,000 to benefit children in Queensland.

We Went All in for Global Service Month

Need some inspiration for your next giving project? Offices around the world participated in September’s Global Service Month, with over 6,400 employees in 240 offices giving to their communities.

Employees in Krakow participate in a map-a-thon for Missing Maps
In Japan, employees participated in events with Second Harvest Japan
Lisbon celebrated Red Nose Day by organizing a warehouse
Employees in China worked with students to make bug repellent
Science experiments being put together by Bangalore employees

In Portugal, employees volunteered 230 hours in support of Missing Maps and our global virtual map-a-thons, as well as walking dogs, and organizing a warehouse for Nariz Vermelho. Employees in Italy logged 152 volunteer hours with Fondazione AVSI, helping with development projects. In Israel, Cisco volunteers donated and delivered holiday ornaments and goods for Sukkot and Rosh Hashanah. And over 30 employees in Spain volunteered at Abrazo Animal, a local animal shelter.

In Japan, around 80 employees participated in events such as Second Harvest food sorting and meal prep, and Green Bird Akasaka cleaning. Employees in Shanghai visited the Hongmei Homes for Elders, where they talked to, comforted, and played games with patients. Employees in China also volunteered with Sunshine House, hosting students with disabilities to help make mosquito and bug repellent.

Employees in Brazil volunteered with Prato Cheio Institution, benefiting 92 children. In San Jose, 250 care kits were assembled for Bay Area patients and families through Lucile Packard Children’s Foundation. The volunteering didn’t end there. Many more employees helped throughout the month—see the results.

GSE employees volunteer with Rise Against Hunger in RTP
GSE employees volunteer with Rise Against Hunger in RTP

Teams That Give Together…

Global Support Experience (GSE) employees around the world held giving events throughout the month of September. In Krakow, 45 people volunteered at the virtual map-a-thon. In San Jose, 18 volunteers put together craft kits for elementary school students at the local Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT). In RTP, 15 volunteers assembled packages of food for Rise Against Hunger. And in Bangalore, 43 volunteers made science experiment models for Children’s LoveCastles Trust, which increases children’s exposure to STEM fields.

Outside of Global Service Month, GSE teams around the world organize a giving back project every quarter, making service a priority. Whether it’s cutting and painting raw plywood for Habitat for Humanity, raising funds for almost 2,000 organizations worldwide in a 5K run/walk, or even setting up a relax zone for Cisco employees and the local community, GSE shows its support for communities worldwide. GSE volunteers connect to the community, inspiring innovation in future generations and benefit those in need.

Be the Bridge Now

While our Be the Bridge Annual Giving Campaign officially ends on December 15, anytime is a great time to give and volunteer. Our employees are a great example of that.

Petra Van der Eecken is an ambassador for Habbekrats, an NGO that hosts children after school when they have nowhere else to go. She said during Cisco Belgium-Luxemburg’s Giving Back Week:

“If you return unchanged, it is without meaning… now that more and more colleagues are joining in the giving back activity, they understand better. It gives an enormous satisfaction to be able to bring this dimension of my personality to work as well.”

Our Belgium-Luxemburg offices hold Giving Back Weeks twice a year, with the next one occurring the week of November 27.

Donate to an organization mentioned above and receive a Cisco Foundation match.

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