Pro Bono Perspectives: Recent Episodes
Common Impact
Pro Bono Perspectives is currently on hiatus. Visit our website to stay up to date with Common Impact: https://commonimpact.org.
Pro Bono Perspectives shines a light on the power of a purpose-driven career. Hear how everyday leaders from across sectors use their skills to create positive change in their communities!
Brought to you by Common Impact, a national nonprofit championing equity through skills-based volunteer programs that align business and social purpose to build the capacity of the nonprofit sector.
Introduction music by George Miata, By George! Audio
2021 was a year of transformation, defined by society’s continued reckoning with racism, the pandemic, climate change, and the Great Resignation. These issues underscored how pervasive inequity is and why centering the voices of those impacted by social challenges unlocks the most effective, sustainable solutions. In the Season 3 finale of Pro Bono Perspectives, host Danielle Holly highlights three ways you can be a force for good in the new year.
Episode mentions:
“The Existential Crisis we Need” with Vu Le, NonprofitAF
“Holding Companies Accountable on Racial Equity” with Yusuf George, JUST Capital
“Practicing Equitable Philanthropy” with Dr. Rahsaan Harris, Citizens Committee for New York City (CitizensNYC)
“Leadership in Times of Crisis & Recovery” with Stephanie Royal, Robin Hood Foundation
“The True Purpose of Business” with Judy Samuelson, The Aspen Institute
“Slowing Down and Finding Fulfillment” with Grace Bonney, Design*Sponge
“Decolonizing Wealth: Equity in Philanthropy and Beyond” with Edgar Villanueva
Pro Bono Perspectives is brought to you by Common Impact, a nonprofit that leverages skills-based volunteering and innovative, cross-sector partnerships to create more equitable communities. Visit commonimpact.org/companies for information on how we help companies deliver on their social impact, talent development, and employee engagement goals and commonimpact.org/nonprofits for insights into our capacity-building programs address social sector challenges. Keep up with the latest news, events, and stories of impact at commonimpact.org/blog.
Get an inside look at the tactics top companies are using to build more inclusive, equitable culture and support the fight against racism in their communities. Find out how your organization can move from transactional to transformative change and strengthen employee and customer loyalty in the process. Plus, as we approach the end of year giving season, learn what equity-minded philanthropy and service look like and how they drive stronger results for nonprofits and their causes.
Guests Teresa Pelletier, Vice President of Community Relations at Fidelity Investments, and Wendy Matheny, Vice President & Principal with Ichor Strategies, a national social impact and community engagement consultancy, cover these topics, their racial equity listening tour, community-first partnerships, and more.
Fidelity Investments helps over 40 million people feel more confident in their most important financial goals, manages employee benefit programs for over 22,000 businesses, and supports more than 13,500 financial institutions with innovative investment and technology solutions to grow their businesses. Fidelity’s diverse businesses and independence gives it insight into the entire market and the stability needed to think and act for the long term as it delivers value to its customers. The company is also deeply committed to communities.
Ichor Strategies is a Black-owned advisory and research firm that specializes in connecting businesses to the communities they operate within, so that they can understand different perspectives, build authentic relationships, and foster mutual success. Ichor Strategies partners with engagement specialists across the country known as community relationship advisors (CRAs) who have powerful local roots and long-standing ties to their communities, helping businesses further connect with key audiences.
Pro Bono Perspectives is brought to you by Common Impact, a nonprofit that leverages skills-based volunteering and innovative, cross-sector partnerships to create more equitable communities. Visit commonimpact.org/companies for information on how we help companies deliver on their social impact, talent development, and employee engagement goals and commonimpact.org/nonprofits for insights into our capacity-building programs address social sector challenges. Keep up with the latest news, events, and stories of impact at commonimpact.org/blog.
Learn how relationships with people from different cultures and ways of life can have a profound impact on your values, happiness, and success as bestselling author Grace Bonney takes you through her new book, Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women Over 50, where she interviewed over 100 trailblazing women on their purpose, careers, activism, and community work. Hear Grace and host Danielle Holly discuss some of the biggest takeaways from the book, including the power of slowing down and the unique fulfillment of intergenerational relationships.
Grace Bonney is the author of the bestselling books In the Company of Women and DesignSponge at Home, and her brand-new title, Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women Over 50. She is the founder of DesignSponge, a blog dedicated to the creative community, which reached nearly 2 million readers per day for 15 years; Good Company, a print magazine and podcast about creative entrepreneurs; and the After the Jump podcast. Grace is passionate about equity, inclusivity, and supporting all members of the creative community.
Pro Bono Perspectives is brought to you by Common Impact, a nonprofit that leverages skills-based volunteering and innovative, cross-sector partnerships to create more equitable communities. Visit commonimpact.org/companies for information on how we help companies deliver on their social impact, talent development, and employee engagement goals and commonimpact.org/nonprofits for insights into our capacity-building programs address social sector challenges. Keep up with the latest news, events, and stories of impact at commonimpact.org/blog.
Last week, Tech Goes Home Co-CEO Dan Noyes joined host Danielle Holly at Common Impact’s Skills for Cities for a Community Conversation on the role cross-sector partnerships can play in addressing the digital divide and advancing racial equity. Shortly after, they sat down for this conversation to take a deeper dive into the root causes of the digital divide, the fundamental changes we must make to create a digital world that is accessible to all, and why this is both a social and economic imperative.
Tech Goes Home is a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the digital inequities that pose a significant barrier to opportunity and success for students, workers, and families across Greater Boston. Visit techgoeshome.org to learn more and techgoeshome.org/get-involved for meaningful ways you can contribute toward digital inclusion and equity.
Pro Bono Perspectives is brought to you by Common Impact, a nonprofit that leverages skills-based volunteering and innovative, cross-sector partnerships to create more equitable communities. Visit commonimpact.org/companies for information on how we help companies deliver on their social impact, talent development, and employee engagement goals and commonimpact.org/nonprofits for insights into our capacity-building programs address social sector challenges. Keep up with the latest news, events, and stories of impact at commonimpact.org/blog.
Nearly two-thirds of workers are considering leaving their jobs. As the Great Resignation continues with no signs of slowing down, we explore the challenges and opportunities it brings for the nonprofit sector, which was already under significant capacity constraints exacerbated by the pandemic, especially in HR and talent development.
Host Danielle Holly speaks with Melissa Madzel, Managing Director, Equity Initiatives, at Koya Partners about nonprofit turnover and retention, disruptions to the way we work, and how the growing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is changing hiring practices and the way individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds search for new roles.
Koya Partners is a mission-driven executive search and strategic advising firm that connects exceptionally talented people with high-impact organizations. Visit koyapartners.com to learn about their services and read Melissa’s article “Nonprofit Job Hunting as a Person of Color” at koyapartners.com/blog/nonprofit-job-hunting-as-a-person-of-color.
Pro Bono Perspectives is brought to you by Common Impact, a nonprofit that leverages skills-based volunteering and innovative, cross-sector partnerships to create more equitable communities. Visit commonimpact.org/companies for information on how we help companies deliver on their social impact, talent development, and employee engagement goals and commonimpact.org/nonprofits for insights into our capacity-building programs address social sector challenges. Keep up with the latest news, events, and stories of impact at commonimpact.org/blog.
Unless companies take immediate action on climate change, we will quickly surpass the 1.5 degree Celsius global temperature increase that will have catastrophic implications not only on the environment and severity of natural disasters, but on human health, livelihoods, and security. But there is cause for optimism: more than ever, the private sector – which accounts for the vast majority of carbon emissions – is listening and stepping up sustainability commitments.
In this episode, Ceres Senior Director of Climate and Energy Steven Clarke shares how his organization is helping companies strategically navigate changing business realities and thrive in the accelerated transition to a more equitable, just, and sustainable economy. Learn more at ceres.org.
Corporate mandates have changed. Customers, employees, and even investors are increasingly pushing companies to move from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism. What does this look like across companies and sectors? Are companies moving fast enough when it comes to making good on their commitments to social change? Carolyn Berkowitz, President & CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP), shares her insights, plus the importance of diversity and inclusion within CSR departments.
Visit accp.org to learn more.
This week, as we reflect on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, host Danielle Holly and New York Cares Executive Director Gary Bagley have a conversation on how era defining moments from the 9/11 attacks to the current pandemic and racial reckoning bring on new waves of service and activism. They also talk about New York Cares’ increased focus on food insecurity, taking meaningful action on DEI, and why companies actually benefit more from designing service programs around nonprofit and community needs rather than their own business results.
Visit newyorkcares.org to learn more about how you can serve NYC or support the organization.
CSR and social impact expert Susan McPherson talks about her new book, “The Lost Art of Connecting,” and signature “gather, ask, do,” method for meaningful networking and lasting business relationships. She and host Danielle Holly discuss the Great Resignation and how employees having more power will democratize companies’ approaches to CSR. Plus, Susan explains why even though companies are not moving as quickly as they need to on social and environmental issues, we should be encouraging – not disparaging – those that are making efforts to deliver on their goals.
For more on Susan’s work, visit mcpstrategies.com.
One of the biggest takeaways from the past year and a half has been that the “old normal” wasn’t working – like the digital divide. In this episode, host Danielle Holly welcomes Lina Klebanov, Head of CSR at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting & business solutions, to share some of the solutions for digital equity and inclusion from TCS’s brand new report in partnership with the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation: “Digital Empowers: Technology as a Catalyst for Empowering Communities.” Learn how the current digital revolution is transforming education, employment, and access to basic needs, plus hear about TCS’s proven programs and partnerships to increase access to technology for all.
Find the Digital Empowers report at https://on.tcs.com/Catalyst(available August 11, 2021) and visit https://www.tcs.com/corporate-sustainability to learn more about TCS’s CSR and ESG initiatives to bring STEM education to under-resourced and underrepresented groups.
Dr. Stephanie Royal, Chief People Officer at The Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s largest poverty fighting organization, talks about community-driven philanthropy, leading with compassion, and how the K-shaped recovery from COVID-19 is further disadvantaging under-resourced communities and the nonprofit sector. Hear Stephanie’s takes on nonprofit talent management in the COVID-19 era, including new challenges with employee retention, the importance of investing in staff, building a culture of DEI, and supporting mental health and wellness. Visit robinhood.org to learn more.
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Rahsaan Harris, CEO of Citizens Committee for NYC (CitizensNYC), a micro-funding organization that provides support to community leaders on the front lines of change in their own neighborhoods. Hear what it was like for Rahsaan to assume his position as CEO in March 2020 right as New York went into lockdown, how he drove meaningful change during the pandemic, and why he believes many elements of pandemic era philanthropy and work culture should remain in place.
Visit citizensnyc.org to learn more about Dr. Rahsaan Harris and micro-grants for neighborhoods, nonprofits, and small businesses.
Hear from Yusuf George of JUST Capital, the only independent nonprofit that tracks, analyzes, and engages with large corporations and their investors on how they perform on the issues Americans care about most.
Yusuf recaps findings from JUST Capital’s Corporate Racial Equity Tracker and recommendations for how corporate leaders can act on DEI commitments as outlined in the CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity. One of the most crucial steps companies can take toward racial equity is tracking and reporting on the state of pay equity within their organizations, says Yusuf, who believes measurement, transparency, and accountability are all key to achieving meaningful change.
Yusuf and host Danielle Holly discuss other trends in CSR including shareholder versus stakeholder capitalism, the need to shed short-termism in DEI work, and why leaders must push past discomfort in order to make real progress on racial equity.
Visit justcapital.com to learn more.
- Corporate Racial Equity Tracker: justcapital.com/reports/corporate-racial-equity-tracker
- CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity: fsg.org/sites/default/files/A%20CEO%20Blueprint%20for%20Racial%20Equity.pdf
This Pride Month, we welcome Lena Ballantine, COO of The Trevor Project, which does life-saving work in mental health and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, and Jen Carter, Head of Technology & Volunteering at Google.org and founder of the Google.org Fellowship Program, a pro bono program that matches Google employees with social impact organizations full-time for up to six months.
Since the beginning of COVID-19, the volume of youth reaching out to The Trevor Project has increased significantly, at times as much as doubling. The recent political climate and racial injustices have also contributed to a mental health emergency where 42% of LGBTQ+ youth have “seriously considered” suicide.
In this context, Lena and Jen recap The Trevor Project and Google.org Fellowship Program’s work on the Crisis Contact Simulator, which leveraged cutting-edge AI technology to better equip volunteer counselors to support LGBTQ+ youth during a mental health crisis. Hear about the impact of this project and best practices for ensuring pro bono partnerships are set up for success.
Visit thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQ+ mental health resources and google.org to learn about the Fellowship Program and Google’s other philanthropic works.
Volunteer with The Trevor Project: thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/volunteer
The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021: thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021
Chef, cookbook author, and activist Julia Turshen operates at the intersection of food and social justice. Her highly acclaimed cookbooks share deeply personal and meaningful narratives on LGBTQIA+ representation, racial equity, body positivity, and more. Here, Julia talks about food insecurity and how the pandemic put the spotlight on systems that were already broken, plus what each of us can do to promote social justice and equity from our kitchens.
Learn more about Julia and her latest cookbook, Simply Julia, at juliaturshen.com and visit equityatthetable.com, her easy-to-navigate directory of women and gender non-conforming individuals in the food industry, focusing primarily on members of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities.
Controversy over the tech sector’s role in society, democracy, and philanthropy has been making headlines for years. Recently, some tech companies have leaned into these areas even further while others have made statements that they are specifically staying out of political and social issues. In this episode, get a frontline perspective from Platypus Advisors Founder Caroline Barlerin, a leader in CSR and skills-based volunteering with experience at companies like Twitter, Eventbrite, and HP.
Caroline and host Danielle Holly discuss the changing nature of tech CSR through the lens of systemic inequity, diversity, and evolving approaches to philanthropy, especially amongst billionaires. Hear their thoughts on how skills-based volunteering and “platypus professionals,” those who span both business and social impact, will be some of the biggest drivers of meaningful social change in the years to come.
Visit platypusadvisors.com to learn more about Caroline and her work.
Dr. Mai Nguyen talks about the power of design thinking and how it’s being applied to financial institutions like credit unions to advance economic empowerment and social justice. Director of the Design Lab at UCSD and a Filene Research Institute Fellow, Mai has dedicated her career to addressing systemic discrimination and policies that create inequities in access to capital, housing, and more.
Currently, she is focusing on the study and expansion of credit unions as a catalyst for community transformation. Listen for a fascinating take on the social responsibility of credit unions, the significant community investments they’ve made in recent years, and how design thinking can transform them into a true force for equity.
To learn more about Mai’s work, visit mai.web.unc.edu, designlab.ucsd.edu, and filene.org.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week and the anniversary of Californians for All, Director Dave Smith shares about the founding of this California Volunteers initiative at the beginning of the pandemic as a way to mobilize volunteers to support food banks and other overburdened nonprofits. A year later, it has achieved over 1 million volunteer hours logged and 600,000 meals served.
Learn more at californiavolunteers.ca.gov/get-involved/covid-19.
Joining us this Global Volunteer Month is Judy Samuelson, Vice President at The Aspen Institute and Executive Director of its Business and Society Program.
,Judy and host Danielle Holly discuss the state of CSR and its future post-pandemic, CEO pay and income inequity, employees as a force for good, and Judy's new book, “The Six New Rules of Business: Creating Real Value in a Changing World."
Visit aspeninstitute.org and judysamuelson.com to learn more.
NYC Chief Service Officer Anusha Venkataraman leads NYC Service, a division of the Mayor’s Office that builds nonprofit and corporate partnerships to advance lifelong civic engagement through volunteer and service programs. Anusha encourages us to adopt a broader view of service and shares about the City’s racial inclusion and equity work.
Visit nycservice.org to learn more about initiatives including the NYC Civic Engagement Survey, NYC Volunteers Count, and the NYC Corporate Volunteer Council.
Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Sally Holmes gives us a peek behind the scenes at the iconic brand, including insights into new topics they’re taking on and a closer look at powerful women making headlines.
Sally shares her take on Marie Claire’s role in progressing diversity and equity as well as her commitment to engaging and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Visit marieclaire.com for the latest stories on everything from fashion and culture to politics and activism.
Jerome Tennille, Manager of Social Impact & Volunteerism at Marriott International, joins host Danielle Holly for a dynamic conversation on the state of volunteering and employee engagement. Jerome shares how Marriott has reimagined service for the current moment by going online, but why the future of volunteering isn't virtual. He also makes a powerful call for greater diversity and equity in the nonprofit sector. Learn more at marriott.com/marriott/aboutmarriott.mi and jerometennille.com.
In our first episode of Black History Month 2021, host Danielle Holly speaks with Delores Morton, CEO of Step Up, a mentorship nonprofit that supports girls in fulfilling their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women. About half of girls who start the program are not on track to graduate high school, but with Step Up’s mentorship, over 98% do.
United Way Worldwide Senior Director of Volunteer & Employee Engagement Mei Cobb reveals how her organization is pivoting amidst COVID-19’s significant disruptions to volunteering and the first responder organizations that provide vital services. She also reflects on the future of volunteerism and how the pandemic has given us an opportunity to build back better with an increased focus on equity, inclusion, and unity.
To learn more about United Way Worldwide, visit unitedway.org.
Vu Le of NonprofitAF and formerly Rainer Valley Corps joins host Danielle Holly the day after the violent insurrection on the Capitol to discuss how we can and must be bolder in responding to injustices like this. It's time for an existential crisis in philanthropy, Vu declares. Time to reject purpose washing, harmful funding practices, and flawed approaches to capacity building. Time to release power so underrepresented and marginalized groups can lead.
For more from Vu, visit his blog, NonprofitAF.com.
In our Season 2 finale, host Danielle Holly reflects on the challenging moments we lived through this year, from COVID-19 to a divisive election to the brutal murders of Black Americans and racial justice reckoning that followed. Danielle highlights some of the most moving experiences and advice our guests shared in 2020 and why she is optimistic for the new year, one that we hope sees more resilient, equitable, and connected communities than ever before.
Tom Crohan, Vice President & Counsel, Corporate Responsibility & Government Relations at John Hancock, joins host Danielle Holly to talk co-hosting this year's Skills for Cities day of skills-based volunteering to support racial justice and BIPOC-led nonprofits, as well as John Hancock’s response to COVID-19, racial injustice, and social inequity.
To learn more about John Hancock’s services, CSR initiatives, and community engagement programs, visit johnhancock.com/index.html.
Shalu Umapathy, Managing Director of New Ventures at IDEO.org, shares how her organization creates a more just and inclusive world through people-centered design. IDEO.org partners with organizations to pioneer new ways of working and builds tools that help millions of people learn and practice human-centered design.
Shalu explores what innovation means in the context of COVID-19, how to make it stick, and how it can serve as a path toward diversity, equity & inclusion.
Visit IDEO.org to learn more.
Edgar Villanueva is a SVP at the Schott Foundation and author of Decolonizing Wealth, a bestselling book offering hopeful and compelling alternatives to the dynamics of colonization in philanthropy and social finance.
In this episode, Edgar unpacks the concept of “decolonizing wealth,” addresses several important critiques of philanthropy, and shares how his return to his Indigenous values now guides his career.
To learn more about Edgar’s work, visit schottfoundation.org and decolonizingwealth.
Chris Tyson, President & CEO of Build Baton Rouge, joins host Danielle Holly to share about the redevelopment authority’s mission to bring together people and resources to promote equitable investment, innovative development, and thriving communities across Baton Rouge.
Chris explains why a lens of equity and a deep understanding of the community are essential for overcoming the racial and spatial stratification resulting from decades of discriminatory policy.
To learn more, visit buildbatonrouge.or
Wendy John, the new Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Fidelity Investments, joins host Danielle Holly to discuss the rapid growth in corporate DEI positions in the past several years and the added urgency these programs have taken on in 2020.
To learn more about Fidelity, its DEI work, and Impact Week, visit fidelity.com.
Custom Collaborative Executive Director Ngozi Okaro joins Danielle Holly to discuss nonprofit management during times of crisis. Earlier this year when COVID-19 first hit New York, Custom Collaborative, a nonprofit that prepares women from immigrant and low-income communities for careers in fashion, partnered with Common Impact and S&P Global for a skilled volunteering project. Ngozi shares this story and how her organization successfully pivoted to virtual.
To learn more, visit customcollaborative.org.
Dana Castro, HP’s Worldwide Education Manager, and Justin van Fleet, Executive Director of GBC-Education, join us as we continue our exploration of the digital divide and education equity.
Hear Dana and Justin share how HP and GBC-Education are combining their talents and resources to ensure all children have access to quality education, plus how other organizations can be part of the movement to close the digital divide.
Visit hp.com/us/en and gbc-education.org to learn more.
Gregg Betheil is President of PENCIL, a NYC-based education nonprofit that brings together business partners and educators to develop strategies that disrupt current college and career readiness outcomes and help public school students succeed.
Gregg joins host Danielle Holly for a conversation on back-to-school amidst the continuing pandemic, virtual education, and the deepening digital divide that is preventing millions of students from continuing their schooling.
Visit pencil.org to learn more.
Ami Dar is the Founder & Executive Director of Idealist.org, the top resource for finding jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities with nonprofit organizations. In this episode, Ami joins host Danielle Holly for a conversation on how COVID-19 has impacted the private and social sectors – and why not everything should go back to the way it was.
Visit idealist.org for nonprofit job openings, volunteer opportunities, and more ways to do good in your community.
Host Danielle Holly is joined by Balaji Ganapathy, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Social Responsibility Officer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Balaji shares how TCS's volunteering and mentoring programs are helping people of all backgrounds build careers in technology, especially women and girls, minorities and other underrepresented groups. He and Danielle also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on women in the workforce and the future of CSR.
To learn more, visit tcs.com.
Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), joins host Danielle Holly to discuss the fundamental improvements that need to be made to how money is given and used in the social sector, how NFF is guiding nonprofits through COVID-19 and how improved access to capital and credit can help overcome the systemic financial challenges nonprofits face, which disproportionately affect communities of color.
To learn more about the Nonprofit Finance Fund's work, visit nff.org.
Derrick Feldmann, Managing Director of Ad Council Edge and INFLUENCE|SG, has devoted his career to unpacking why and how young people choose to engage with social issues, as well as how the topics they care about influence companies’ CSR and marketing strategies. Listen as he and host Danielle Holly discuss what’s in store for brand engagement in social issues in the context of COVID-19 and how to tell when a company is authentically supporting a cause versus what’s just “good marketing.”
Google.org Director of Global Employee Programs Lacy Caruthers joins Danielle Holly to share how her organization leverages funding, technology, products and expertise to support under-served communities and solve humanity's biggest challenges. Google.org has recently stepped up its already impressive philanthropy work, committing tens of millions of dollars in additional funding to racial justice organizations and COVID-19 aid, as well as 50,000 pro bono hours. To learn more, visit Google.org.
Points of Light President & CEO Natalye Paquin joins host Danielle Holly for a conversation on the importance of civic engagement and volunteerism in improving our communities, especially in crises like COVID-19. Natalye also talks about the decision to make this year’s Points of Light Conference complimentary and what it’s like to lead in this time of mass protests against racial injustice and systemic inequality.
To learn more about Points of Light, visit pointsoflight.org.
Danielle Holly is joined by Jim Alvey, Director of Partnerships at Good360, for a conversation on disaster relief during COVID-19 and storm season, which begins this month. Good360 is a nonprofit “matchmaker” of in-kind products that connects companies with unused or excess products to nonprofits that need them in order to respond to disasters in their communities.
To learn about Good360’s disaster relief work and COVID-19 response, visit good360.org.
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Chris Ide, Vice President of Corporate & Community Partnerships at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation, joins Danielle Holly for a candid conversation on mental health during COVID-19. CAMH recently created a free mental health resource hub and partnered with Cisco to significantly increase its telehealth offerings.
To learn more about CAMH and the Foundation, including services, COVID-19 resources and research, visit camh.ca.
In early March, before COVID-19 transformed daily life here in the U.S., host Danielle Holly sat down with Nick Savarese, Executive Director of the Flutie Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving quality of life for individuals and families affected by autism, to discuss autism, nonprofit leadership, cross-sector partnerships, talent retention and purpose, all of which are still very much relevant today.
To learn more about the Flutie Foundation and autism, visit flutiefoundation.org.
In recognition of World Malaria Day on April 25th, host Danielle Holly speaks with Margaret McDonnell, Executive Director of the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign, the world’s largest and most powerful community of supporters and advocates committed to defeating malaria. Nothing But Nets' bed nets and other crucial malaria interventions have drastically reduced fatalities since the early 2000s.
To learn more about Nothing But Nets and the fight against malaria, visit nothingbutnets.net.
This special episode explores the impact COVID-19 has had on nonprofits, CSR programming and volunteerism. Host Danielle Holly interviews social impact leaders across sectors for a comprehensive look at what nonprofits and companies are experiencing as they respond to the pandemic. Hear from Michelle Jackson, Human Services Council; Amy Sample Ward, NTEN; and Lucy Darragh, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. For nonprofit and corporate COVID-19 resources, visit commonimpact.org/initiatives/covid19.
Cheryl Timoney, Salesforce.org’s Senior Director of Tech for Social Impact, joins host Danielle Holly to discuss Salesforce.org’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including ongoing pro bono support for nonprofit and education partners. Cheryl reflects on how this moment in time has made clear the power of virtual volunteering, both as a disaster response tool and a democratic way to engage employees for good.
To learn more about Salesforce.org, visit salesforce.org/volunteers/probono.
Host Danielle Holly is joined by Janelle Woods-McNish, Director of Service and Giving at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Janelle leads employee giving and service initiatives with an impressive volunteer participation rate of 96%. She and Danielle reflect on skills-based volunteering events they’ve lead together and how saying “no” allows Janelle to focus on the things she values most.
To learn more about Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, visit harvardpilgrim.org/public/our-foundation
Cecily Joseph, Chair of the Board of Directors at Net Impact, is a CSR powerhouse who has pioneered numerous programs to promote DEI in technology and the workforce at large. Cecily was formerly Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Symantec where she oversaw ESG program development and implemented initiatives to bring underrepresented groups - including women and people of color - into the technology sector.
To learn more about Net Impact and Cecily’s work on the board, visit netimpact.org.
PwC has been recognized time and again for its responsible business practices and its organizational culture. Host Danielle Holly interviews PwC Responsible Business Leader Jeff Senne, a key leader in PwC’s shift from corporate responsibility to responsible business leadership who speaks to PwC’s business imperative to create a more equitable society.
To learn more about Responsible Business Leadership at PwC, visit pwc.com/us/en/about-us/corporate-responsibility.html.
Danielle Holly sits down with acclaimed radio personality and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rita Houston in celebration of National Radio Day on February 13th. Host of The Whole Wide World with Rita Houston and Program Director of WFUV in New York, Rita uses her platform and visibility to promote awareness of causes, local nonprofits and volunteer opportunities.
To learn more about Rita and WFUV’s cause work, visit wfuv.org/strikeachord.
Danielle Holly interviews fellow social impact champion Bea Boccalandro, President & Founder of VeraWorks. Bea coined the term “job purposing,” the concept of unlocking opportunities for employees to do societal good through their everyday jobs. She shares powerful stories of individuals finding purpose in their careers and tips on how to bring greater meaning to your workplace.
To learn more about job purposing, visit veraworks.com and beaboccalandro.com/blog.
In this uplifting episode celebrating National Mentoring Month, host Danielle Holly interviews MENTOR CEO David Shapiro about the compounding effects of mentoring. MENTOR promotes high-quality mentoring and provides an activation point for volunteers seeking to get involved.
This special form of volunteering is a great way to act on your values, David says, and you’re much more valuable as a mentor than you probably think!
To learn more about MENTOR and how you can get involved, visit mentoring.org.
Danielle Holly kicks off season 2 with a call to turn our aspirations into plans and impact. She introduces the first guest of the season, MENTOR CEO David Shapiro, and other upcoming guests who are changing lives for the better, including PwC Responsible Business Leader Jeff Senne and VeraWorks President & Founder and job purposing pioneer Bea Boccalandro.
In the season 1 finale of Pro Bono Perspectives, host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly looks back on more than a year of social impact conversations with inspiring change leaders across sectors and industries. A few key trends emerged, including the expanding definition of philanthropy, new approaches to disaster resiliency and the increase in corporate activism. Listen for clips from some of our favorite episodes, a recap of season 1 and the topics we look forward to exploring further next year!
Happy Giving Tuesday! In honor of this exciting day of charity, we're returning to host Danielle Holly's conversation with Tim Smith, Senior Director of The Boston Foundation and Head of Pledge 1% Boston. The two discuss the importance of strategic cross-sector partnerships and how philanthropy includes much more than just donating money, like volunteering and giving resources or expertise.
Visit tbf.org to learn more about The Boston Foundation and pledge1boston.org for the Boston chapter of Pledge 1%.
In celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday this week, we're revisiting Danielle Holly's conversation with Robert Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a national nonprofit that tackles the intertwined issues of food waste and hunger. Operating in 16 cities, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine provides services such as food waste consulting, excess food delivery, co-branding services and tax credit assistance.
To learn more about Rescuing Leftover Cusine, visit rescuingleftovercuisine.org.
Host Danielle Holly talks citizen engagement with Myung Lee, Executive Director of Cities of Service, a nonprofit that helps mayors build stronger cities by changing the way local government and citizens work together.
Cities of Service activates dormant civic engagement by helping local governments to partner with the community and get better at facilitating opportunities for citizens to get involved.
Learn more about Cities of Service programs and how you can get involved, visit citiesofservice.
We're closing out Domestic Violence Awareness Month by putting the spotlight on host Danielle Holly's past conversation with Sarah Beaulieu, Founder of The Uncomfortable Conversation, a nonprofit that engages men in conversations about sexual harassment and violence. Sarah shares her experience as a survivor of sexual abuse and the process of sharing her story publicly, as well as commentary on the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh hearing.
Learn more at theuncomfortableconversation.org.
This Pro Bono Week bonus episode returns to Danielle Holly's conversation with Berkshire Bank's Gary Levante, now Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility & Culture. Gary leads community engagement and sustainability for Berkshire Bank and is one of the collaborators behind the Skills for Cities citywide day of skilled service model.
To learn more about Berkshire Bank and its social impact work, visit berkshirebank.com/About.
In this Pro Bono Week bonus episode, we revisit Danielle Holly's interview with TOMS Chief Giving Officer Amy Smith, which focuses on the brand's decision to take a stand on gun safety following the tragic Thousand Oaks shooting.
To learn more about TOMS’s gun violence prevention work, giving programs and other CSR initiatives, visit https://stories.toms.com.
In celebration of bbcon 2019, Pro Bono Perspectives is revisiting host Danielle Holly's conversation with Blackbaud Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy Rachel Hutchisson. Rachel is driven by the idea that "good is for everyone," a philosophy she brings to life through her work leading Blackbaud's global CSR efforts.
To learn more about Blackbaud and its philanthropic initiatives, visit https://www.blackbaud.com/company/build-a-better-world.
To mark the end of Disaster Preparedness Month, we're revisiting Danielle Holly's conversation with Erica Tavares of the International Medical Corps (IMC) on the importance of cross-sector collaboration in responding to natural disasters. Common Impact recently released a Disaster Resiliency skills-based volunteering report featuring a case study on IMC’s partnership with JPMorgan Chase.
To learn more about IMC, visit internationalmedicalcorps.org.
In recognition of National Disaster Preparedness Month and the launch of Common Impact’s Disaster Resiliency skills-based volunteering portfolio, CEO Danielle Holly sits down with TOMS Chief Giving Office Amy Smith to discuss how the company became a significant figure in gun violence prevention.
To learn more about TOMS’s gun violence prevention work, giving programs and other activism initiatives, visit https://stories.toms.com.
In recognition of National Disaster Preparedness Month, Pro Bono Perspectives is revisiting Danielle Holly’s conversation with Facebook Director of Global Impact Partnerships Marcy Scott Lynn. In a world that is increasingly isolating, Marcy reflects, Facebook is uniquely positioned to bring people together in times of crisis and fortify communities against disasters.
To learn more about Facebook’s CSR and social impact work, visit newsroom.fb.com/company-info.
Host Danielle Holly speaks with fellow local change-maker Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares, an organization that provides New Yorkers opportunities to give back to the community by supporting local schools and nonprofits. New York Cares works to break down barriers to volunteerism by providing a wide variety of projects encompassing different service types, geographic areas, languages and time commitments.
To learn more about New York Cares, visit https://www.newyorkcares.org.
In honor of International Youth Day on August 12th, we’re revisiting a past episode with Kathleen LaValle, President & CEO of Dallas CASA, a nonprofit dedicated to recruiting, training and supervising community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children and help ensure they have safe, permanent homes where they can thrive.
To learn more about Dallas CASA, visit https://www.dallascasa.org.
Martin Cominsky, President & CEO of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, joins host Danielle Holly to share his organization’s messages of volunteerism, community building and respect for other faiths. Interfaith Ministries is known for bringing together members of different faiths in intimate settings as a means to overcome misunderstandings and generalizations and unite the community.
To learn more about Interfaith Ministries, visit https://www.imgh.org.
Host Danielle Holly is joined by May Malik, Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, to talk about how the city, local nonprofits and dedicated volunteers are working to promote the wellbeing of immigrant New Yorkers through programs such as IDNYC, We Speak NYC, ActionNYC and the Know Your Rights forums.
To learn more about the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/immigrants/index.page.
In this episode, we turn back the clock to October 2018 when the world was recovering from several major natural disasters, including Hurricane Florence in the U.S. and the September earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. Host Danielle Holly and International Medical Corps (IMC) Sr. Director of Institutional Advancement Erica Tavares take this opportunity to explore cross-sector partnerships focused on disaster relief.
To learn more about International Medical Corps, visit internationalmedicalcorps.org.
Host Danielle Holly is joined by Marcy Scott Lynn, Facebook’s Director of Global Impact Partnerships. Marcy scales Facebook’s social impact efforts through CSR projects such as the rollout of the Safety Check feature, the underlying intention of which was to find ways to bring people together and leverage human connection to build resiliency. Danielle and Marcy also discuss unlikely partnerships and what it truly means to “think global, act local.”
Visit newsroom.fb.com/company-info to learn more
Host Danielle Holly speaks with Susan Portugal, SVP and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Director at Bank of America. Susan reflects on the challenges and excitement of integrating social purpose into existing business structures, making ESG sustainable and showing employees what’s in it for them in terms of their own work and priorities. To learn more about Bank of America and its social impact work, visit bankofamerica.com/about.
Pro Bono Perspectives host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly is joined by Two Sigma Data Clinic Director Rachael Weiss Riley to discuss the role of data in skills-based corporate philanthropy and how organizations can take small steps to create a data-driven strategy that they can build on over time.
To learn more about how Two Sigma Data Clinic leverages research, models and metrics to bring people together to overcome societal challenges, visit twosigma.com/about/data-clinic.
Host Danielle Holly talks social impact measurement with True Impact Founder & CEO Farron Levy, who provides actionable strategies for tackling measurement challenges. Farron also explains why it’s essential to move past surface-level data to focus on meaningful markers of success. “Measurement is a means to an end, and the end is either proving value or improving value," Farron says.
Pro Bono Perspectives host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly is joined by Colleen Olphert, Director of Membership and Member Services at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship (BCCCC) to discuss how corporate citizenship and CSR initiatives are filling gaps left by an overextended public sector.
In this episode of Pro Bono Perspectives, Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly and VolunteerMatch CEO Greg Baldwin reflect on the advantages and challenges of living in an age of unprecedented volunteer opportunities. Greg reveals how VolunteerMatch is taking strategic risks in order to stay competitive in the digital age and elevate the value of the experience, both for volunteers and the organizations being served.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, Pro Bono Perspectives host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly teams up with Syretta Hill, Executive Director of StepUp Durham, to reflect on workplace power dynamics and how women are leading differently. StepUp Durham enables adults and children to transform their lives through employment and life skills training, offering free employment readiness training, personalized job coaching, employer referrals, and supportive services.
Pro Bono Perspectives host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly talks to Sarah Beaulieu, the founder of The Uncomfortable Conversation, a nonprofit that produces short-form videos that normalize conversations about consent, healthy relationships, and advocacy. Sarah is an expert at engaging men in conversations about sexual harassment and violence, and shares more about her work to support survivors of sexual violence.
In this episode of Pro Bono Perspectives, Leigh Phillips, CEO of EARN, shares more about her work using technology to empower low-income Americans to take charge of their financial lives. Leigh discusses the importance of bridging the savings divide and her career to date tackling issues of wealth inequality.
As National Mentoring Month (January) comes to a close, we are excited to share the incredible cross-sector career of Daniel Horgan, Senior Director, Corporate Engagement at MENTOR, and his work to develop unique and impactful business/nonprofit partnerships that engage corporate volunteers as mentors and champions of the mentorship movement.
Whitney Hampton, Senior Manager at Gap Foundation, joins Pro Bono Perspectives to share her cross-sector journey! In her day-to-day role, Whitney manages Gap Inc's employee engagement programs. Whitney has a career that spans the nonprofit, public and private sectors starting her career at the nonprofit organization, KaBoom! Whitney brings a unique cross-sector perspective to this conversation and is particularly excited about ways in which businesses and nonprofits can work together to create social change.
Join Common Impact's CEO, Danielle Holly and Associate Director of Field Building, Molly Weinstein as they honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy by sharing new initiatives to make an even deeper impact in our communities.
There is a fundamental paradigm shift on the horizon in a company's role in society. Last year started with what has become a rallying cry from Larry Fink of BlackRock who stated that the firm would be looking at both its financial and societal performance when making investment decisions. And already in 2019, this idea of a fundamental shift in the way of doing business has moved from the headlines of the social sector press to mainstream publications.
We've been actively exploring this shift, and in particular, asking ourselves about the role of employees and their power in driving and shaping this paradigm change. From that, a few key themes have emerged that we're excited to headline in our kickoff episode today, but will also drive this upcoming year of Pro Bono Perspectives podcast episodes where you'll be hearing from cross-sector leaders who are at the forefront of this change.
Krista Canellakis is the Chief Innovation Officer for the City and County of San Francisco. Krista joins Pro Bono Perspectives to share her passion for creating an impact in her community. In her role, she connects creative people to projects that make cities more livable, inclusive and responsive. One of her office's signature programs is Civic Bridge, a program that puts pro bono talent from private sector professionals to work in solving critical city issues - you can see why we are excited to learn more!
As we embark on a new year, Pro Bono Perspectives is taking you back to the beginning! Join us this week for a look back on one of our favorite podcast episodes from 2018 with Gary Levante, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Berkshire Bank. Gary joins Common Impact's CEO, Danielle Holly for a conversation around employee volunteerism within small-to-medium sized businesses, achieving the SDGs on a local level and our first-ever city-wide skills-based day of service in Boston this past September.
Kathleen LaValle, President and CEO of Dallas CASA, joins Pro Bono Perspectives for a special #GivingTuesday episode! Dallas CASA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to recruiting, training and supervising community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children under the protective care of the state, so they will have safe, permanent homes where they can thrive. Kathleen moved to Dallas CASA in 2014, after spending 30 years in the legal profession handling commercial litigation and regulatory disputes at Jackson Walker. Among her many contributions at Jackson Walker, Kathleen founded and led the firm’s women’s initiative, jw2 (Jackson Walker Women), which has helped to make Jackson Walker one of the top law firms in the state in promoting women to partnership.
Dallas CASA has partnered with Common Impact and Fidelity Investments on two skills-based volunteering projects since 2016 - to develop an online database to store and access organizational resources and create a vendor assessment for a new expense tracking system. The organization is a great example of how #GivingSkills in addition to dollars this holiday season can make a real difference for the nonprofit sector.
Robert Lee, the Co-Founder and CEO of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, joins us for a special Thanksgiving week episode. Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is a national nonprofit that targets both the prevention of quality food waste and putting an end to hunger. In the United States alone, 40 percent of food gets tossed every year and on average, 1,160 pounds of food are lost to the garbage pail each year by an American family of four. This amounts to $162 billion in waste annually, which could serve over $58 billion in meals using the national average spent on meals of $2.79.
As a child of Korean immigrant parents who once struggled to provide food security, Robert learned the importance of food waste prevention early on in life. Upon graduation from New York University's Stern School of Business, Robert joined J.P. Morgan, while working part-time on launching Rescuing Leftover Cuisine. He left J.P. Morgan in 2014 to run the organization full time, using seed money he and his co-founder won at a venture competition during their senior year at NYU as well as corporate donations from his former employer.
Evan Goldberg is the Founder and Executive Vice President of Development of NetSuite. Before starting NetSuite, Evan worked at Oracle Corporate where he focused on making powerful database technology more accessible to users and launching his first startup, mBED Software, where he developed groundbreaking website technology. After learning from his past experience, Evan started NetSuite, the global business management software company, with Oracle founder Larry Ellison in 1998. The company was then acquired by Oracle itself in 2016. Since NetSuite's inception, Evan has made sure to integrate social impact into the company's DNA and it remains a huge focus on the business, even 20 years later!
Tim Smith is the Senior Director of The Boston Foundation and Head of Pledge 1% Boston chapter. In his day-to-day work, Tim advises individuals and companies on a variety of philanthropic offerings. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2016, Tim spent over a decade in San Francisco, most notably as CEO of The Full Circle Fund. In his spare time, he sits on the board of Tech Goes Home, the Advisory Board of Boston Private Bank, and the Selection Advisory Council of GreenLight Fund.
Rachel Hutchisson is the Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy at Blackbaud. In her day to day role, Rachel is responsible for global corporate social responsibility, leading the company’s 3,300 associates in efforts to serve and give professionally and personally. She is committed to the core philosophy that “good is for everyone,” championing positive change and inspiring individuals to integrate service into their development. Talk about a role model!
Dr. Harriet Harral the Executive Director of Leadership Fort Worth (LFW), a Texas-based nonprofit that is among the oldest community leadership-development programs in the nation. Harriet has acquired expertise in organizational effectiveness and leadership development through her experience working in the nonprofit, public and corporate sectors. Common Impact and LFW having developed a strong partnership over the years, having worked together on 5 skills-based volunteer engagements!
Dave Armon is the Chief Marketing Officer of 3BL Media and Publisher of CR Magazine. Dave is a digital media executive who is known for partnering with progressive brands dedicated to making a positive difference through their environmental, social and governance initiatives. He began his career as a reporter for United Press International and has since enjoyed a 20-year tenure at PR Newswire, where he served as President and COO as the company grew to $300 million in revenue (yes you heard that right!).
Those of you in the nonprofit sector likely know Citizen Schools, a national education nonprofit that works primarily in low-income communities that need additional support and resources. They provide middle-school students with after-school programming that supports academic achievement while building important real-world learning experiences. Emily has been CEO since 2016, though has been there for 13 years. Beyond that, she continues her civic engagement by sitting on several national boards.
Gary leads community engagement and sustainability for Berkshire Bank and under his leadership, Berkshire has earned more than two dozen accolades for its work, recently highlighted by a 100% participation rate in its corporate volunteer program. Now that is a stat we can get behind! In his spare time, Gary serves on the board of America's Charities and IMPACT 2030 and partnered with Common Impact to design the first-ever skills-based citywide day of service in Fall 2018 in his hometown of Boston.
Carol Cone, a name many of you may recognize as she has been called "arguably the most powerful and visible figure in the world of Cause Branding." Carol founded Cone, Inc., led Edelman's Business + Social Purpose practice and most recently founded Carol Cone ON PURPOSE as a return to her entrepreneurial roots and life passion: to educate, inspire and accelerate purpose programs and impact for organizations, nonprofits and individuals around the globe.
Most people we meet want to make a positive impact on their neighborhoods, cities and the issues they care about, but often don't know how or where to start. That's where Common Impact comes in, a national nonprofit focused on creating skills-based volunteer programs that build the capacity of the nonprofit sector. Join CEO, Danielle Holly as she interviews everyday leaders who are using their skills to support their communities and get inspired to use your own talents for good.