Friday, November 21, 2008

Tech Citizenship

IBM’s community outreach history extends to 119 years

By Mass High Tech Staff

With a history of giving back that extends from 1889 and founder Thomas J. Watson Sr., IBM Corp. has some big standards to live up to.

That legacy is well-recognized by IBM’s latest leader — chairman, president and CEO Sam Palmisano — according to corporate community relations manager Maura Banta.

“Innovation — joining invention and insight to produce important, new value — is at the heart of what we are as a company,” Banta said. “The idea of giving back to your community is a long-standing value for IBM and IBM employees.”

Under Palmisano’s direction, over the last several years IBM has refocused its community involvement efforts to reflect the modern Digital Age and IBM’s role in it. That led to the creation of the On Demand Community, which puts together the strengths and skills of more than 125,000 IBM employee and retiree volunteers with access to new IBM technology, resources, training, and support.

Through the site, IBM can promote company-sponsored initiatives, and individual employees can also post information about their own community activities in order to recruit more volunteers, Banta said.

Another way IBM leverages its expertise for the global community is through its Corporate Services Corps, which is modeled on a certain well-known federal program: “It’s like a corporate version of the Peace Corps,” Banta said. “The program is designed for high-potential IBM employees to develop leadership skills while addressing socioeconomic challenges in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.”
 

Citizenship Facts

IBM Corp.

Total cash contributions in New England in 2007: $1,628,283

Number of volunteer hours in New England in 2007: 50,335

In-kind contributions of equipment and services in New england in 2007: $2,651,519

Principal recipients of charitable activities in 2007: United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley; Citizen Schools; Year Up; The Action Center for Educational Services and Scholarships (ACCESS); and Boston Latin Academy.

Interesting philanthropic activities: IBM’s Corporate Service Corp: IBM sends 600 professionals from around the globe to emerging countries.Six IBM employees in New England are participating in this program.

IBM and Littleton: In 2007, IBM donated eight KidSmart computers (market value $17,192) for all of the preschool and kindergarten classrooms at the Shaker School.