Newsletters
Common Connection
Volume 4, Number 3: October 7, 2009
"I felt that I made a real difference and offered an outside opinion. Rather than just being a body, I was able to offer concrete thoughts and advice that will hopefully help in the organization's growing vision."
--Common Impact Volunteer from State Street Corporation
This issue of Common Connection is dedicated to our corporate volunteers. By committing just an hour or two a week of their time, our volunteers have been busy building databases, creating marketing collateral and designing websites -- making a tremendous impact on the nonprofits they serve and the community at large. Let's give them a big round of applause!
Matching Gifts: Did you know that many companies offer a matching gifts program for either dollars, hours or both as part of their employee benefits package? Double your gift to support Common Impact! For inquiries, contact Sameen Saeed at or 617-868-0150.
Telling Totals
Volunteering with Common Impact is on the rise! Our most recent volunteer recruiting round saw more than
double the number of volunteers from our corporate partners interested in participating in projects with nonprofits. Since 2001, over
450 volunteers have provided more critical IT, marketing, HR, finance and operations solutions to over
250 high-potential nonprofit organizations in Greater Boston, New York City and Richmond, VA.
Local Heroes!
We have been out visiting our corporate volunteers lately, and had the good fortune of bumping into
Abbey Puchacz, Senior Graphic Designer at Fidelity Investments’ Investment Analysis Group.
Karen Horwitz, VP, Thought Leadership recently asked Abbey about her volunteering experience with the Boston City Singers.
Q&A with Abbey Puchacz, Senior Graphic Designer, Investment Analysis Group
Karen: Hi Abbey, can you inform our readers of the role the Investment Analysis Group plays in the Fidelity Investments family?
Abbey: The Investment Analysis Group (IAG) plays an integral role in the asset management division of Fidelity (FMRCo) by supporting portfolio managers, investment staff, and the broader Fidelity organization.
Karen: What has intrigued you about the nonprofit sector? What drew you to the idea of volunteering your professional skills through Common Impact?
Abbey: I believe that nonprofit work and volunteerism are invaluable to the enrichment and development of our local communities. Since my full-time job doesn't fall under the nonprofit umbrella, I was looking to strike a balance by volunteering. Common Impact provided the perfect opportunity for me to use my professional knowledge and skills to encourage the growth of a nonprofit organization.
Karen: Please tell our readers a little about your project with the Boston City Singers.
Abbey: I worked closely with Common Impact and Boston City Singers to develop a branding guide and design a logo that evokes the personality of the organization while maintaining a level of professionalism to assist in winning foundation grants, procuring new donors and unifying participants in the growing inner-city youth chorus. Run by Jane Money, the group is an exceptional choral program with an underlying youth development plan. It was a unique and wonderful experience to be part of something that has such a positive and widespread impact on the children, families, and communities involved.
Karen: Were you surprised by anything you learned through the Boston City Singers about working in the nonprofit sector?
Abbey: I have worked in/with nonprofits for years, so I wasn't surprised about anything new. However, I sometimes forget how difficult it is to obtain funding and resources that are vital to not only the health, but the survival of nonprofit organizations.
Karen: How has your experience affected you on a professional level?
Abbey: My experience helped me realize the impact professional level volunteerism can have in your local community. I know many people who give their time to wonderful causes, but very few who use their professional skills in these efforts. I think that professional level volunteerism is an important path to building stronger and deeper communities and networks.
Karen: What would you advise to colleagues who are considering volunteering their skills?
Abbey: Go for it! Just make sure that the project is something you believe in. Each project is extremely important to the person or group you are volunteering for and should be approached with the mindfulness, consideration and dedication it deserves.
Karen: Now for the toughest question...if you and Common Impact could go on a field trip, what fun, fall activity would you want to do with us?
Abbey: I would plan a trip to a Fall Harvest Festival! It's a great way to get back to nature, enjoy the year's final harvest, celebrate, and support your local farmers!
New and Newsworthy
David Shapiro, President and CEO of Mass Mentoring Partnership and also a Common Impact Board member, has been named by the Boston Business Journal to its 12th annual "40 Under 40" list, which recognizes the 40 "best and brightest" who have established themselves as leaders in corporate and civic life and are under 40 years old. We congratulate David for this high honor!
Common Impact is Seeking Clients for Winter Projects
Common Impact invites you to apply for current project openings in technology, marketing, human resources, or financial management. Examples of past projects include the development of: databases, websites, organizational brochures, performance evaluation processes, personnel policies, or financial models to assess the cost of new or existing programs. For a full list of our project types, please read the Project Execution document in your area(s) of interest at:
http://www.commonimpact.org/nonprofits/practice-areas/. If your organization is interested in working with Common Impact or if you have any questions, please contact Karen Horwitz at .
Fresh Additions and Fond Farewells
Welcome Anne, Jenne, Joanne and Krishnan
We are pleased to welcome these exceptional additions to Common Impact's team.
Anne Marcus--Board Member
Anne has long been a supporter of Common Impact and is active in the philanthropic community. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Park School, serves on the Advocacy and Government Relations Committee of the Autism Consortium and is a member of Dana Farber's Women Cancers' Visiting Committee.
Jenne Griffin--Consultant
Jenne joined the Common Impact team in July as a consultant managing skills-based volunteering projects and research with corporate partners in the Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC regions.
Joanne Sanders--Director of Finance
Joanne just had her first day at Common Impact in her new position managing the organization's financial systems and cash flow.
Krishnan Badrinarayanan--IT Consultant
Krishnan joined Common Impact in September as an IT Consultant. He will manage dual responsibilities for IT system creation and performance, both within Common Impact and on behalf of its nonprofit partners.
You can read more in our
press release for more background information about this talented group.
Good luck, Katie
Thanks for all your hard work in promoting the mission of Common Impact over the past year. Best of luck with your full-time gig at The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality!
Best of luck, Shannon
Many thanks for your fantastic work during your internship with us. Congratulations on your new position at Boston College. Come visit us with your new puppy soon!
Job Postings
Common Impact Is Hiring
We are seeking a part-time (20-25 hours/week) Office Manager/Special Projects Intern. The Office Assistant/Special Projects internship offers a broad view into an entrepreneurial organization, and opportunities to collaborate with every member of our team. The successful candidate will demonstrate a compelling interest in our mission and a highly professional, well-organized work ethic. The intern position is onsite at our offices in Kendall Square, and will be compensated at $10/hour. The minimum commitment we ask for is six months; longer commitments are welcomed. A full job description will be posted to the website very soon. To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to .
Viewpoints
The Harvard Business Review
blog recently had a post about the benefits of corporate employee engagement, including feeling rejuvenated and healthy and the opportunity to develop professional skills while doing good in the community.
Theresa Ellis, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Common Impact, was recently featured in the
Learning Executives Briefing, a newsletter published by the American Association of Training and Development. You can read the article on Common Impact's Web site at:
http://www.commonimpact.org/publications/articles/csr-a-national-mandate/
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The Small Print
Thank you for reading the quarterly newsletter of Common Impact! We welcome your comments and contributions. Please send all inquiries to:
Common Impact
The Athenaeum Building
215 First Street, Suite 25
Cambridge, MA 02142-1236
Phone: (617) 492-3105
E-Mail: info@commonimpact.org
