Creating a Culture of Impact & Innovation

I strongly believe that the business of a business is to improve the world.

Those words by Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s CEO, echo the many leaders who know that philanthropy is good for business. Consumers want to support trustworthy companies. Skilled employees want to work for companies that care. So how do companies attract top talent, and build the philanthropic culture to retain them?

Nearly 100 corporate leaders in the Twin Cities came to find out how Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud can help do just that on March 27 at Greater Twin Cities United Way’s Creating a Culture of Impact event at Wells Fargo East Town in downtown Minneapolis.

Employee Engagement in Action

The event opened with presentations by Stephanie Dexter, president of UPS Northern Plains District and Mike O’Leary, office managing partner in Minneapolis for EY. Both UPS and EY have company values that align directly with the work that United Way does. But these companies share more than values, their employees are driving their own work experiences, leading to a more engaged and passionate workplace.

And that’s a powerful vehicle for change. At UPS, they’ve raised $1.2 billion, and the local EY office is #1 in fundraising for the nation.

Attendees first heard from Stephanie who talked about employee engagement increasing when employees feel valued for their skills and performance. That led UPS to create BRGs, employee business resources groups, which started with just one for women in 2006 and have since grown into 100 worldwide. These groups empower employees to build the company culture they want by connecting with like-minded individuals at work.

Mike then shared the amazing philanthropic culture he inherited from his predecessor at EY. And according to him, the company’s alignment with United Way could not be stronger. “When I think about giving back, nothing is more impactful than United Way,” Mike said.

Mike also touched on the high percentage of young staff he has in his office. These young professionals are looking for business with a purpose and expect to drive that with technology. EY’s Emerging Leaders program, much like UPS’s BRGs, are helping these employees connect with each other and grow in their careers.

Innovation at its Best

Fusing technology with giving back, United Way has partnered with Salesforce.org to create Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud. This unique, interest-driven technology platform combines employee philanthropic passions with corporate sustainability goals. Because business is about more than technology, it’s about employee engagement—and as UPS and EY have shown, that comes with giving back.

According to Tolli Love, VP of investor relations at United Way Worldwide, this one-of-a-kind tool is what happens when Salesforce, named most innovative by Forbes in 2017, joins forces with Fast Company’s recently name most innovative nonprofit, United Way.

Georges Smine, VP of product marketing at Salesforce.org, followed with a background of Salesforce’s commitment to giving back through it’s 1-1-1 model that donates 1% of equity, 1% of time and 1% of product. One of the ways they have done that is through Philanthropy Cloud. Georges walked the audience through a demo of the platform, so they could see Philanthropy Cloud, and its exclusive artificial intelligence engine, in action.

Elevating the Employee Giving Campaign

The event ended with a Q&A with United Way’s first Philanthropy Cloud adopter, Bremer Bank. Erin Dady, CMO, described the company’s regional giving shift to a One Bremer approach and how they have “double-downed on philanthropy.” One of the ways they do this by “taking advantage of every opportunity that United Way gives us,” Erin said.

Those opportunities include participation on United Way’s Board of Directors, as well as professional development training for Bremer employees through United Way’s Leaders United program. Bremer is also a sponsor of the Twin Cities chapter of Women United.

The biggest way Bremer has taken a step forward in their philanthropy is by piloting Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud. Bremer saw a significant increase in the participation rate in last year’s giving campaign after implementing Philanthropy Cloud. The company also plans to expand the platform’s use to an annual philanthropic tool that will continue building on their united, company-wide approach to community involvement.

Get Started Today

Is your company interested in taking your employee engagement to the next level? Greater Twin Cities United Way is now offering special pricing with three-year Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud contracts. Contact Wendy for more details.

A special thanks to Mike Maeser and the team at Wells Fargo for providing the venue for this event, and for their ongoing and generous partnership of United Way, both here in the Twin Cities and throughout the nation. Last year, for the tenth consecutive year, Wells Fargo was named United Way’s largest workplace giving campaign.