Corporate social responsibility has long been at the core of Citrix culture. Even before our first Global Day of Impact campaign in 2010, we encouraged and supported volunteer efforts by our team members around the world.
Giving back is part of our who we are year-round, but we’ve made a special push this April in recognition of National Volunteer Month in the U.S. (and our own 28th birthday as a company!) I’ve been thrilled and humbled to see the tremendous response by employees around the world, as they’ve put their hearts into projects and donations to make change happen in the communities where we live and work.
Citrix Global Day of Impact 2017 is still underway, because, you see it’s not really just a day. I see how that could sound deceiving but we have a good reason. Since we’re the company that makes flexible working a reality (anytime, anywhere!), we empower teams to choose what works best for them. We give all employees two extra days off a year to dedicate to the service projects of their choosing. Throughout the month of April, we encourage they take advantage of these days away from the office to partner with their colleagues to participate in organized events to better the communities in which we operate. As of today, we’re well on our way to a goal of 5,000 hours of service for this month alone, and donations have already passed $200,000. We’ve also been hearing inspiring reports from the field—to mention just a few:
- Feeding South Florida – Citrix volunteers helped provide 31,000+ meals to those in need of food assistance.
- Greater Boston Food Bank – Volunteers in our Burlington, Massachusetts office sorted and packed 4,176 lbs. of food, which translates to 3,480 meals to those in need.
- Cradles to Crayons – Citrix team members made outfits for 76 children and participated in activities benefitting 355 total children in need.
- Mentoring – Students at Miami Senior High School were offered a listening ear, insights to consider and encouragement for the next steps in their lives in one-on-one sessions with Citrix mentors.
- Launch Code – Members of the workforce seeking new opportunities in the tech sector received valuable guidance from Citrix employees—as well as a tour of mobile work styles in action at our Ft. Lauderdale HQ.
And Citrix employees won’t stop giving back when April ends. Over the course of a full year, our efforts reach even further. To give you an idea, during 2016 more than 3,700 employees worldwide participated in corporate social responsibility activities, including 2,700 who volunteered a total of 25,425 hours, and 1,400 who made financial donations totaling $543,803. In all, we helped 1,295 charities in 26 countries and invested $1,427,464 in our communities.
During 2016 more than 3,700 employees worldwide participated in corporate social responsibility activities, including 2,700 who volunteered a total of 25,425 hours, and 1,400 who made financial donations totaling $543,803. In all, we helped 1,295 charities in 26 countries and invested $1,427,464 in our communities.
The spirit of service is something our people bring into the organization every day—but we do all we can to support and facilitate it. In addition to our Global Day of Impact and volunteer days off, our corporate social responsibility programs include:
- Matching funds from Citrix to double all employee donations up to $1,000 to qualifying nonprofits
- Cause Cards that employees can earn by volunteering on their personal time to donate to their favorite nonprofits through the Dollars for Doers program
- Various celebrations throughout the year to raise awareness and support for people in need, the environment and special causes.
Citrix didn’t invent corporate social responsibility, of course, and I’m glad to say that we’re far from alone in fostering a culture of service. Companies from Allstate to Starbucks put their corporate values to work in similar ways. You’ll also hear a lot about the business benefits that can result—everything from a stronger brand to the opportunity for employees to develop new expertise. Social corporate responsibility programs can have a big impact on employee recruitment and engagement as well; in fact, a Net Impact What Workers Want report found that a majority of workers say that helping “make a better world” and making a “contribution to society” are essential for their ideal job.
We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do. As I joined colleagues last week to help out at Kids in Distress — a vital organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and treating children in distress — the corporate bottom line was the furthest thing from my mind. I know I speak for my fellow Citrix employees everywhere when I say that, in this ever-more-complex and interconnected world, we must always seek opportunities to help those in need, make change for the better and improve the quality of life for all those with whom we share this small planet. It’s what it means to live our values. It’s what makes Citrix a great place to be a part of.
