Skills for Cities Boston will unite corporate volunteers, local leaders and community nonprofits to help achieve the UN SDGs
BOSTON, MA September 13, 2018 — Common Impact, a nonprofit recognized as a national leader in skills-based volunteerism, Social Venture Partners Boston, an organization focused on engaged philanthropy, and Impact 2030, a collaborative initiative that seeks to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through corporate volunteerism are launching a new model for citywide impact through a day of skilled service. Skills for Cities Boston will take place on Tuesday, September 25 at The Boston Fed and will be the first event of its kind to engage local leaders from the business and nonprofit sectors in skilled volunteerism projects that will deliver measurable community impact. Boston will be the first city to host this new model of cross-sector collaboration and volunteerism, which will be scaled to support skilled service in cities throughout the U.S.
Skills-based volunteerism is a growing trend for organizations seeking to engage employees, develop capacity for the social sector and deliver on community impact goals. Recent research from CECP indicates that more than 54% of companies now host a formal skills-based volunteer program as a way to engage and develop an increasing number of employees who want to connect social impact to their daily work. Despite the rise in interest, most organizations are still learning how to best engage in skilled volunteer service. Skills for Cities Boston is the first citywide, cross-company and cross-sector event to activate skills-based volunteers to deliver social impact through a day of service and spark partnerships that will continue to support civic innovation for the Boston community. The event is designed to lower perceived barriers to participation in skills-based volunteerism and educate companies on how to best use employee talents as a force for good in their communities.
“The large scale challenges Boston faces in education, economic mobility, and resiliency require a coordinated, collaborative approach that unites the perspectives and resources of the nonprofit, business and government sector,” said Danielle Holly, CEO of Common Impact. “We know that the talents and skill of corporate employees can be an incredible force for good if harnessed effectively, and are excited to bring our proven cross-sector model to scale in Boston and beyond.”
More than 100 volunteers from corporate participants Berkshire Bank, BNY Mellon, Fidelity Investments, State Street and more will join more than 15 impactful local nonprofits to support capacity-building efforts at these organizations. Participating nonprofits were selected for their innovative programs and approaches to tackling persistent community challenges ranging from reducing poverty and developing healthy communities to supporting economic mobility and quality education.
“We are thrilled to connect new skills and perspectives to our network of promising nonprofits,” said Jessie Cronan, Executive Director of SVP Boston. “We know that lasting community change needs more than just funding to work and we are excited to engage more volunteers in this new model of philanthropy.”
In addition to tackling priorities for the city, the event will also help Boston achieve its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which were developed as a blueprint to address global challenges such as poverty, prosperity and inequality.
“If we expect to end hunger, ensure quality education, decent work and economic growth in Boston and across the globe, businesses of all sizes must come together with more than just financial resources.” said Gary Levante, Vice President of CSR at Berkshire Bank and the Regional Voice Lead for IMPACT 2030, an organization that unites corporate volunteers to achieve the UN global goals. “At any business, our most important asset is our people and we are eager to put their considerable skills to work to address challenges in our own backyard.”
Skills for Cities Boston will start at 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 25 and will be held at The Boston Fed on 600 Atlantic Avenue. Details on the nonprofits, corporate partners and the community challenges that will be part of Skills for Cities Boston are available at www.commonimpact.org/events/boston.
About Common Impact
Common Impact is a national nonprofit that works to build a society in which individuals and businesses invest their unique talents towards a shared purpose: strengthening the local communities in which we live and work. Founded in 2000, Common Impact has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of the country’s leading nonprofit organizations to create this transformational change through skills-based volunteering. Learn more about Common Impact’s services, impact, and clients.
About SVP Boston
Social Venture Partners Boston is a diverse community of leaders investing time and money in nonprofits working to close the opportunity gap in the Greater Boston community. By combining expertise and giving, Social Venture Partners’ engaged philanthropy model has a transformative impact on the nonprofits with whom we partner, setting them on a path to grow at four times the rate of their peers.
About Impact 2030
Impact 2030 is a private sector-led initiative, in collaboration with the United Nations, social and public sectors, and academia, with the unique mission to activate human capital investments through employee volunteer programs to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).