Beginning in 2023, wireless network operator T-Mobile designated the month of April as its Magenta Giving Month — a time for employees to
Throughout April, T-Mobile workers across the nation raised $2.6 million for various nonprofits and logged more than 20,000
By arranging for employees to take part in a valuable cause like blood donation on-site, there is a
"Oftentimes, people donate where it's most convenient, so it allows people in the workforce the opportunity to give back to their community, to give to someone who's in need of a blood transfusion, [from a workplace] where they spend a lot of their time," says Hollimon.
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The Red Cross works with T-Mobile's leadership to identify employees at their facilities to serve as blood program leaders and as advocates on the importance of blood donation for their local teams, Hollimon explains. To meet the annual demand for blood and platelets, successful drives like T-Mobile's are invaluable, he says.
"Every two seconds, someone needs blood, so we need approximately 4.5 million blood donations and more than 1 million platelet donations every year," Hollimon says. "We need volunteer blood donors to make that happen. We're counting on organizations like T-Mobile to ensure that we have blood on the shelf whenever someone may need it."
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Along with encouraging employees to give time to causes during and outside of work, T-Mobile's private foundation offers dollar-for-dollar donation matching and $10 per hour volunteered up to $2,000 per employee each year. It also provides grants through its Volun-T program, allowing employees to seek financial support for any work they are doing to better their communities, the environment, or other areas they are passionate about. Information about volunteer opportunities, success stories and approved grants are shared through multiple company channels by an internal communications team, and there is a dedicated Slack channel for volunteer and donation news.
"We want to show up as a brand or as a company, but really put that power back into our employees, because we know they're engaged in these communities, we know they're diverse, and we know they're great representatives not only of the company, but also of the community," says Janea Roberts, senior manager of philanthropic programs and social impact at T-Mobile. "So we want to be able to support that by creating these grant opportunities for them."
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Sixty-five percent of companies offer some level of paid time for volunteering, according to matching gifts database platform Double the Donation, and the payoff for both businesses and employees is visible in recent research.
In a Deloitte survey on corporate volunteerism, 91% of respondents said the chance to volunteer can have a positive impact on their work experience and connection with their company. Over half said these opportunities increased their sense of purpose, strengthened their connection to their community and made them proud to work for their employer.
"For us, there's the impact that we're having on our communities, but also the impact that we're having on our employees and getting them engaged in philanthropy and giving back," says Roberts. "I'm excited to see these programs continue to grow, and hopefully others will be inspired at other companies as well by the work that we're doing. We're proud to be part of the movement."
