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Posted: April 13, 2007
Common Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping other nonprofits succeed by pairing teams of skilled corporate volunteers from leading companies with local nonprofits that need assistance in IT, Marketing or Human Resources, is pleased to announce the achievement of a major milestone: 100 nonprofits served. The Boston Society of Vulcans was recently selected through a competitive application process to be the 100th client. Working closely with Common Impact's internal consultants and a team of corporate volunteers, the Vulcans will receive an estimated $35,000 worth of professional marketing assistance for a fee of less than $500.
Based in Dorchester, MA, the Boston Society of Vulcans is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has provided education and support in the area of fire & public safety, prevention and employment in the fire service for over 30 years. The primary beneficiaries of its programs are young adults between the ages of 18-32 who are interested in becoming firefighters, children, the elderly, low-income families and firefighters of color.
Karen Miller, Executive Director of the Boston Society of Vulcans, expects that her collaboration with Common Impact will significantly improve the organization's marketing capabilities. "We want our community to know what value we bring, what we do and what services we offer. When people think of the Vulcan Society they think of Mr. Spock. When people hear the name we'd like them to think of firefighters and the Boston Society of Vulcans."
The organization's origin and name frequently spark curiosity, Miller admits. "We were founded in the 1960's when five black applicants were applying to [be firefighters] and despite receiving perfect scores on their entrance exams, they were not admitted to be firefighters. These individuals learned of a group in New York, the New York Society of Vulcans, and the Boston chapter learned from them how to advocate for firefighters of color. As a result of their work, the number of people of color who are firefighters increased from 18 in 1969 to 520 in 2006.
As a Common Impact marketing client, the Boston Society of Vulcans will receive a rich set of services including the following:
"Common Impact provides the services we need to take our organizational marketing to the next level, to make it professional and polished. Plus, we can learn new skills along the way," Miller explained.
"It's a great feeling to reach this milestone," said Theresa Ellis, CEO of Common Impact. "When I started out in 2001, Common Impact consisted of me, my laptop, and the $9,000 I had in my bank account. To know that we have helped 100 high-potential nonprofits in Boston become stronger organizations and reach more people in need is incredibly gratifying."
Common Impact is a nonprofit organization that connects skilled professionals from global companies to high-potential local nonprofits. Our employee engagement programs match employee-volunteers with nonprofits that need help overcoming key business challenges. This innovative approach to corporate community service enables companies to realize a positive return on their social investment while building stronger teams and developing employee skills. At the same time, this access to private sector talent enables nonprofits to amplify their impact on the constituents they serve. Ultimately, our work helps foster stronger communities wherever those companies operate. Further information can be found at http://www.commonimpact.org/.
For more information, please contact Lesley Edwards, Vice President of Partnerships, Common Impact (e-mail: ledwards@commonimpact.org, phone: 617-868-1014).