Fastly Launches Worldwide Virtual Volunteering Initiative, Joins the Pledge 1% Movement
Fastly, announced today that it has joined Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement dedicated to making the community a key stakeholder in every business. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Fastly’s commitment to corporate giving, Fastly is kicking off the new year with its inaugural Global Week of Service, running from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24, empowering its worldwide workforce to volunteer virtually and safely. This event will kick off a greater focus in 2021 on expanding corporate philanthropy and volunteerism efforts.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate volunteer hours declined by 58% from the same time period in 2019. Fastly has set a goal of 2,000 employee volunteer hours during the Global Week of Service. The week will be an opportunity for the global Fastly workforce to come together and serve our employees’ respective communities during a once-a-century public health and economic crisis. To encourage employees to volunteer safely and abide by the health and safety guidelines in their area, the Fastly team has shared a variety of virtual volunteer opportunities with their team, including The Peace Crane Project, Amnesty Decoders, and Be My Eyes.
“In 2021, we’re working to make sure our corporate giving program is as impactful as possible,” said Doniel Sutton, Chief People Officer of Fastly. “We believe that volunteering is one of the best ways to deliver real impact to communities. There is a powerful multiplier effect that takes place when people are united in service to something greater than themselves, and that’s what this week will ignite. Plus, we know that volunteering will have a positive impact on our Fastly community as well. Although virtual, the social contact aspect of helping and working with others can have a profound effect on our team’s well-being, and relieve stress through meaningful connection with other people. Feeling intentionally engaged in social good is proven to have an appreciable positive impact on employees. This year will build the foundation for us to explore more sustainable employee volunteer programs and activities. Through the ongoing efforts of volunteers, remarkable change can occur.”
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As part of the Pledge 1% movement, Fastly is joining an impressive network of entrepreneurs and companies across the globe that have committed to philanthropic efforts such as Salesforce, Atlassian, and Rally. Though this year marks Fastly’s first Global Week of Service, Fastly has long demonstrated a commitment to philanthropic leadership through its Open Source and Nonprofit Program. Through the program, Fastly supports a wide range of organizations: internationally-recognized nonprofits focusing on causes such as human rights and journalistic freedom, open-source foundations, and open-source projects at various maturity levels. As the COVID-19 pandemic surged globally and the world turned to the internet to stay connected, the Open Source and Nonprofit Program doubled its free services donations, increasing the value of free services from $25M to $50M. Fastly provides free services to organizations like Khan Academy, Doctors Without Borders, and Tech for Good.
“Fastly has an excellent nonprofit program,” said Srivishnu Piratla, CEO of Tech for Good, a nonprofit that provides technology solutions to underrepresented communities. “One of our main projects at Tech for Good is working to bring internet connectivity to rural areas all over the world, starting with India. Cost is a primary concern with this project, so we are building a network that will offload all daytime requests into nighttime hours when satellite internet is at its cheapest. We are using Fastly to do that, getting as close to the edge of the network and our users as possible. Through their Open Source and Nonprofit Program, those services are free.”
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