Leading companies like 麻豆原创 have an obligation as responsible businesses to empower and build capacity for these establishments by offering different market strategic approaches to help them grow and best meet business objectives.

The 2020-2021 global engagement cohort for the program comprises a group of experts with dynamic skills and expertise who are ready to support nonprofits and social enterprises run at their best. Selected 麻豆原创 employees will be placed in highly diverse teams and will dedicate their skills to solving concrete business challenges for the nonprofits selected for the assignment.

麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical is an award-winning pro bono volunteering program designed to utilize and develop 麻豆原创 talent while helping nonprofit organizations and social enterprises that focus on digital inclusion run at their best.聽Since its inception, 麻豆原创 has made an in-kind contribution of 鈧�18.8M toward the program, upskilling operational capacity of more than 414 nonprofit organizations and social enterprises globally.

Jordan-based Tech Tribes, a nonprofit supporting youth-led organizations in shaping the digital economy, is one of the beneficiaries of the program. Through design thinking sessions with 麻豆原创 experts, the organization managed to successfully launch an Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) program aimed at bridging the digital divide to enhance livelihoods, create jobs, and support digital social innovations 鈥� a mission that seemed impossible prior the pro bono engagement launch.

In addition to helping organizations run better, 麻豆原创 employees who have previously participated in the program acknowledge the importance of leadership development within social and nonprofit sectors and how it stays pivotal in advancing the state of the world today, especially for young people. Mike Cieri, vice president of North America Sales Learning at 麻豆原创, shared his experience while working with nonprofit , which provides academic support, mentoring, and scholarships to disadvantaged youth. 鈥溌槎乖� Social Sabbatical鈥痑llowed me to reflect and think about how there are so many things we can do if we take a step back, go back to the basics, and utilize everything we have in front of us to the fullest,鈥� Cieri said.

Pro Bono Volunteering and Economic Equity

In recent months, the world has witnessed an incredibly fluid and challenging global crisis unfold with COVID-19, a situation that has been further complicated by social and systemic racial injustices in the U.S. As a result, 麻豆原创 has expanded pro bono volunteer programing, leveraging its talent and technology expertise to foster .

Through an economic equity program, 麻豆原创 and aim to support Black-owned businesses and social enterprises by leveraging corporate talent to help them to build capacity and address systemic and business challenges.

鈥淲e are investing in new programming to ensure greater opportunities for the Black community [in the United States],鈥� said Hemang Desai, global program director for 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical. 鈥淭he goal of this program is to leverage our employees鈥� skills and business expertise to solve critical challenges for under-represented businesses. Based on 10 years of experience in pro bono consulting, we are confident that this approach will accelerate growth for these businesses and deliver on our promise of economic equity.鈥�

While the program accelerates nonprofits and social enterprises as part of its strategy, experiences like this reiterate how 麻豆原创 employees are benefiting from the program as much as the organizations do.

To learn more about how the 麻豆原创 continues to create sustainable impact and build resilient communities alongside PYXERA Global, .

Busang Maruping is a fellow with Global CSR Communications and Marketing at 麻豆原创.

On July 15, the United Nations celebrates , and this year recognizes the importance of building 鈥渟kills for a resilient youth in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.鈥� The day underscores the importance of helping young people remain committed to their education.

To the dedicated women and men of 麻豆原创, it offers an opportunity to reflect on our commitment to . Global challenges require global response, which is why the 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility (麻豆原创 CSR) organization is doubling down on this mission ensuring that under-served young people, communities, and nations have access to the skills needed to succeed in today鈥檚 pandemic-stricken world.

In 2019, 麻豆原创 programs reached more than 4.5 million youth and 56,000 teachers across 105 countries. Although 2020 has been impacted by illness, natural disasters, and social unrest, it is more important than ever to continue delivering on this purpose-driven promise.

How do we ensure that young people continue to have access to quality education and the skill-building opportunities necessary to prepare them for the future? How do we help young people to be more resilient in the face of disruption? How can companies like 麻豆原创 continue to bring solutions to the table? These are not questions we can solve alone. We must listen and learn from the very people we are looking to serve: the world鈥檚 young people.

In 2019, 麻豆原创 soft-launched a program for young leaders alongside the We Are Family Foundation, bringing innovators like Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph and James Okina into leadership positions at 麻豆原创, as strategic short- and long-term consultants for its CSR department. Their fresh perspective, global expertise, and boundless energy are transforming the future outside of 麻豆原创, while also helping the company deliver more resilient social impact programs. In addition to this, 麻豆原创 provides professional expertise to these young leaders, helping them to accelerate their ventures and progress their careers as social entrepreneurs.

鈥淭he importance of the ideas and perspectives of young people cannot be overemphasized, yet we see that only a few organizations deeply reflect this belief by ensuring the participation of young people in organizational decision-making processes,” shares Ekezie-Joseph, co-founder of . 鈥淲orking with 麻豆原创 has allowed me to directly contribute my thoughts and voice to the overall CSR strategy and program implementation. As a young entrepreneur who has previously worked as a professional at two multinationals and now leading my own organization, I have grown so much through this experience. Every day, I am being strengthened to unite the lessons I have learned from working with 麻豆原创, and I now use them to support my organization and team.鈥�

Alexandra van der Ploeg, global head of 麻豆原创 CSR is extremely excited about the future of this program and the profound impact young leaders like Ekezie and Okina bring to 麻豆原创 and the communities the organization serves: 鈥淎s the world continues to evolve, we believe that young leaders help us in our journey to continue to evaluate, innovate, and act in ways that help our programs run at their best. When you bring in young leaders as key decision-makers, you are affirming that youth are not the leaders of tomorrow 鈥� they are already leading today.鈥�

麻豆原创 programs are led in part by strong young leaders working alongside seasoned CSR professionals. They teach us new things every day. On World Youth Skills Day, we want to share five key takeaways聽 that might inspire thinking differently about who you bring to the decision-making table:

• There is no dearth of passion and ideas in today鈥檚 youth; the only thing lacking at times is equal opportunity and guidance. Role-modeling can have a tremendous impact on young minds. Acting as a mentor, or sharing professional skills and knowledge can be a real catalyst for sustainable change among youth.
• Youth provide innovative and creative viewpoints, as well as constructive — sometimes even tough — feedback, to help build and evolve the CSR strategy and programs at 麻豆原创. They keep us committed to our promise to deliver triple impact, supporting our business, our community, and our program participants.
• Young people make work fun and more interactive. In working with numerous innovative nonprofits and social enterprises, we continue to be inspired by young leaders who work at the intersection of their purpose and talent. They infuse our programs with positive energy, making work more enjoyable and fulfilling.
• Project-based learning is the way forward to build a strong pipeline of diverse, future talent. Having students learn through projects and bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics to life through real world challenges engages them and makes it relevant.
• Next-generation leaders make sure that we are keeping ideas fresh and forward-thinking. We are an innovation company. The cornerstone of innovation is diversity of thought and inclusion of a broad spectrum of ideas. You never know the potential of an idea until you have tested it with people who do not think like you.

Working with young people like the youth advisory team of the We Are Family Foundation has improved the efficacy of 麻豆原创 CSR programs and partnerships and in turn, 麻豆原创’s ability to deliver on our purpose and promise to power opportunity for all people through digital inclusion. Imagine the potential of bringing them to the table across all lines of business.

What can you do to bring youth to the front? As Nile Rodgers, legendary musician/producer and co-founder of We Are Family Foundation recently shared as part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 COVID-19 response, 鈥淭he world needs leadership, and new ideas and thinking during this unprecedented moment in time, and our global youth are at the forefront of new solutions. We Are Family Foundation is grateful for our strong partnership with 麻豆原创, which will allow us to innovate and think differently together about how we scale our reach and expand support of young leaders across the globe.鈥�

Think about how you can incorporate some of the feedback above, or more importantly, diverse leaders that include young people, as part of your strategic programs. We invite you to get to know our partner, We Are Family Foundation and its incredible , as well as check out its new .

麻豆原创 knows that together we can help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives 鈥� and that young leaders are the key to making it happen.

Busang Maruping is a fellow with Global CSR Marketing and Communications at 麻豆原创.
Jennifer Beason is global program director for Accelerating Nonprofits & Social Enterprises at 麻豆原创.

Jordan-based nonprofit Tech Tribes is on a mission to empower young Arab innovators and entrepreneurs to become champions of sustainability. The organization provides skills and technical know-how to compete in the digital economy, improve local governance, and launch scalable digital innovations.

Due to regional political and financial instability, the organization developed a framework that brings together a network of more than 500 startups and SMEs, over 1,700 innovators, and more than 350 nonprofits to help scale and achieve financial growth while promoting sustainability. The network facilitates this through the provision of business development skills and resources, including training, market access, and strategy.

A strong programmatic capacity has enabled the organization to establish partnerships and achieve global reach, but formalizing its social innovation mission in the Arab world had been a challenge. Leveraging Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) 鈥� an initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide 鈥� to enhance livelihoods, create jobs, and support digital social innovations proved to be a difficult mission to achieve.

Bringing signature programs to market was also a challenge, especially branding, fundraising, and communication strategy. To deal with these challenges, the organization engaged 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical, a pro bono volunteering program with a mandate to help nonprofits and social entrepreneurs solve their strategic business challenges for sustained growth and impact.

麻豆原创 brought in a team of experts in business development to offer support. What began as an experiential lesson in leadership and social impact transformed an organization and a community.

The team introduced several exercises, such as technology mapping, fundraising, and marketing, to help the organization meet its challenges best unfold its core offerings. It became clear that work on rethinking and reshaping Tech Tribes’ identity, voice, and brand were key priorities. The initial scope of defining a “growth strategy” took a different — creative and highly visual — route. The team worked side-by-side with the content and design teams and provided vital input that would impact the organization as it is known today

“Thanks to 麻豆原创 expertise, the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program helped give our organization a new voice and a clear offering,鈥� Khaled Hijab, founder and executive director at Tech Tribes, shared. 鈥淲e now talk and pitch with much more confidence. The exercise helped us reflect on our strongest assets and measure our social impact beyond mere numbers.”

Tech Tribes Continues the Fight for Digital Literacy

Today, Tech Tribes reaps the fruits of hard work as it continues to fight for everyone’s right to digital inclusion and literacy. The organization planning a June 2020 launch to offer the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) community a unique e-learning platform to amplify and make digital literacy and entrepreneurship education more accessible. The platform is envisioned to act as a new revenue stream to support content development on digital skills for personal and professional growth.

“The idea with the new e-learning platform is to open it to non-governmental organizations, donors, and trainers looking to digitize their content and publish e-courses in an Arabic platform without having to develop their own and worry about technical maintenance,鈥� Hijab said. 鈥淭hey’ll be paying an annual fee to publish a certain number of courses and open classes for their learners with a dedicated dashboard. So far, we have reached out to 12 content partners who showed interest and are willing to pay the proposed annual fee. That’s a great successful first pilot.”

“Many good things have happened since the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical team left Jordan,鈥� he added. 鈥淟ast year, Jordan hosted the first Digital Impact Summit, bringing together more than 300 attendees and resulting in significant media attention. Tech Tribes has also been exploring some very promising partnerships with companies like Google and Cisco, and is hoping to launch some exciting new programs this summer. The programs will focus on digital skills for personal and business growth, which perfectly fits with our digital literacy component.”

鈥淩esilience has never been more important, especially for social sector organizations like Tech Tribes,鈥� Hemang Desai, 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program director at 麻豆原创, said. 鈥淲e can all learn from the steps taken by Khaled and his team over the past couple of years to establish a strong foundation for success, no matter the challenges presented. Their leadership demonstrates why an investment in digital transformation matters, and how it can further amplify your reach. Their new e-learning platform will be instrumental to innovators driving change in the MENA region.鈥�

Building solid grounds for regional expansion and franchising was a key聽discussion between the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical and Tech聽Tribes teams. Pilot testing new approaches that would help achieve that regional growth was also a key recommendation from 麻豆原创. The聽organization quickly embraced it and put it to work.

“We are now in the process of recruiting new master trainers from across the MENA region to give our new partnerships a bigger impact and help introduce our free virtual programs to more vulnerable communities,” Hijab said.

In Jordan, people ask, “What’s a creative process without falafel and hummus?” There was聽no shortage of that 鈥� branding and marketing discussions were intense, shaping dialogues over lunch, traditional breakfasts, and even during fun hiking and tourist trips. As a result of the 麻豆原创 team’s recommendations, new initiatives and projects were initiated to help strengthen Tech Tribes’ reach and amplify its voice.

麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical is an award-winning global pro bono volunteering portfolio, a signature initiative of the 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team. The program is designed to both utilize and develop talent at 麻豆原创 while helping nonprofits and social enterprises focused on digital inclusion to run at their best.

To learn more, visit the .