Over the past month we’ve had a tremendous effort from ZEOs around the world coming together and giving back to their communities. While 2020 has presented us with numerous challenges, our ZEOs have consistently given back throughout the year, and this holiday season our ZEOs desire to continue this goodwill was as strong as ever.
Throughout December our global Z-Philanthropy teams were busy creating virtual opportunities to volunteer – both recreating past programs in a new virtual format, as well as testing creative new concepts for ZEOs to have a bit of fun while raising money for good.
We kicked off this giving season on Giving Tuesday with our annual donation matching campaign. And while many ZEOs have reached into their pockets quite a bit this year, we were able to donate and match over $7,780 – more than any other year. With non-profits around the world taxed with higher demand for services and constraints on virtual delivery, it’s no doubt this money will be put to very good use.
On the heels of Giving Tuesday many of our offices rolled out their annual holiday gift drives, but this year went entirely virtual. Our offices in Atlanta and Boston partnered with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, our Bay Area offices with The Family Giving Tree, and our Chennai ZEO’s partnered with Kalaiselvi Karunalaya to provide essential provisions for the elderly and children in local orphanages. We’re happy to say that all of our secret Santa gift tags were fulfilled which we hope will provide a bit of extra holiday cheer for kids in the US. And our Chennai team raised over ₹22,000, more than enough to cover the cost of all provisions needed by Kalaiselvi Karunalaya.
In an effort to try something new, our Z-Philanthropy team hosted our first ever Zuorathon – a day to virtually come together to have a bit of fun and raise money for some great causes. Throughout the day our ZEOs stepped away from their inboxes and hopped onto Zoom to decorate gingerbread, share stories of gratitude, and compete in a crowd favorite: our annual ugly sweater contest.
The day was not only fun, but a successful fundraiser for Action Against Hunger, Direct Relief and World Vision, organizations that are going above and beyond to help those in need this year. In all, our ZEOs were able to raise $6,900 and the team is already thinking about how they can go even bigger next year.
As we near the end of the year, many of us are taking some time to rest, recharge, and reflect on the things that we’re grateful for this year. We hope you’re able to do the same, and from our ZEO family to yours, we wish you a very safe and healthy new year.