Local action, global results: Employees volunteer around the world

Service is part of ServiceNow’s DNA. Each year, the company encourages employees to make a difference in their communities through volunteering and philanthropy.

In October, designated our Month of Service, employees volunteered 7,800 hours. They also raised $894,000 for charities, taking advantage of ServiceNow’s 2-to-1 donation match and double rewards for service.

Through our partnership with Rise Against Hunger, we packed 350,000 meals for community members in need in October. Additionally, employees initiated at least 50 volunteer events for an array of causes around the world.

Multiple studies show that giving back has a measurable, positive impact on our well-being. Let’s explore how volunteering nourishes the spirits of five ServiceNow employees and gives them a sense of belonging.

Moving for mental health

Jason C., senior regional partner manager at ServiceNow, started raising money with his colleagues for a mental health-focused charity, Beyond Blue, during the height of pandemic restrictions in Australia.

“It’s a big issue here,” he says. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 8.6 million Australians have experienced a mental disorder sometime in their life.

This year, Jason grew his fundraising effort to include 12 teams totaling 212 people across Australia and New Zealand. Together, they raised AU$76,776 for Beyond Blue and a New Zealand-based charity, I AM HOPE.

“We used a special app that tracks your movement and lets you virtually go on a journey, like hiking the Appalachian Trail,” he says. “We had team members virtually walk the ring around Iceland, Route 66, and other interesting trails. In all, we walked, ran, cycled, or swam 34,000 kilometers, which happens to be the coastline of Australia.”

Two teams got together in person to make a difference: Digital sales took a long walk along the beach to improve its fundraising goal. The marketing team held a bake sale at a ServiceNow company meeting and raised $1,500 from that, Jason adds.

To him, the whole experience embodied one of our company values: Win as a team. “We couldn’t have done it without all the work from the fundraising team leaders helping to get people set up with their app, their fundraising pages, and providing motivation along the way,” he says.

Helping underserved youth learn

Riya K., associate product manager at ServiceNow, saw volunteering as an opportunity to meet other remote workers across northern India. She chose to partner with an organization that provides tutoring to underserved youth and arranged a service event for fully remote workers like her.

After garnering interest from 15 colleagues, Riya rode the train three hours to get to the ServiceNow office in Delhi, which she says was definitely worth it.

“I’m early in my career, and I was so excited to be able to do this,” she shares. “My prior employer had nothing like this. I was so inspired by how everyone got up early and worked together with enthusiasm. Not only did we make several study guides for the youth, but we also got a chance to bond in person as a team. The nonprofit, Youth for Seva, provided all the supplies we needed, and they were very appreciative of the work we did.”

Cooking meals for families of hospitalized kids

Volunteering and giving back have always been important to Ciara E., head of executive engagement for EMEA sales at ServiceNow. “My parents actually met volunteering, and I grew up being involved in different charities around Ireland,” she explains.

Ciara and her colleagues organized 36 employees to cook meals at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides accommodations for families that have children at a nearby hospital.

“The families were so thankful to have a home-cooked meal,” she says. “Some would stay and eat, but some would have to take the meals back to the hospital, where they were staying by their children’s side.”

ServiceNow employees enjoyed being able to meet in person for a good cause. Some engaged in educational cultural exchanges too. “We have many nationalities in our Ireland office who aren’t as familiar with our local foods, so it was great to show them how to make things like ragu and apple crumble,” Ciara says.

Even some members of the ServiceNow leadership team pitched in. “Volunteering is an equalizer,” Ciara adds, “There is a shift in dynamics where sometimes it’s people in leadership learning from more junior employees, and they work hand in hand. It was a great opportunity to see different strengths come out in people.”

Making strides for people without housing

Lane G., a regional alliance director at ServiceNow, joined his wife on the planning committee for a local walk/run fundraiser for Canopy Housing Foundation, which supports people experiencing homelessness and housing challenges in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area.

For our Month of Service, he encouraged ServiceNow employees to get involved. “We had 25 people come out and walk or run,” he says. “We also had many colleagues donate. In the end, we were the winning fundraising team.”

Like other ServiceNow volunteers around the world, Lane appreciated the opportunity to network and bond with his colleagues. “After the run, it was a great opportunity to hang out and meet people from across the organization at every level. I connected with employees I had never met before,” he says.

“I’ve worked for large, Fortune 500 companies that do charitable giving, but with ServiceNow, it feels more personal. You get to see and feel the impact.”

Delivering nourishment with a smile

In the little free time Advisory Solution Consultant Dany M. has, she volunteers to mentor underserved learners to become expert users of the Now Platform. She’s also the co-lead of the charitable giving committee for Canada.

This year, Dany helped organize three food security-related events that took place in Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto.

At the Toronto event, Dany’s team of 16 ServiceNow employees helped the Ask Foundation package hot meals from restaurants and deliver them to people in need throughout the city. Her goal was for Canadian employees to log 800 volunteer hours in October. They exceeded 900.

“We ran out of meals in the first 10 minutes,” Dany says. “It was sad at times, but also a very heartwarming and fulfilling experience. I even had two colleagues reach out and say they went back to volunteer again with their families.”

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