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This archived newsletter is from Harbinger Partners, before it joined forces with the Corporate Volunteer Network to become Common Impact. |
I'm always trying to look for different volunteer opportunities, but with my schedule, it's hard to do something after work. This was perfect -- I could integrate my work skills as well as helping out. I found that it was a great opportunity to leverage my time better.
-- a Corporate Volunteer from Fidelity Investments, after working with the Hattie B. Cooper Community Center
This issue of Views from the Bridge is dedicated to our corporate partners: BEA Systems, Cisco Systems, Fidelity Investments, and State Street Corporation. These companies have shown themselves time and again to be dedicated to their communities and committed to achieving impact with their philanthropic dollars and volunteer hours.
Our corporate partners have delivered over 3,000 hours of volunteer consulting to 83 nonprofit clients in the past five years. In the next year, we will serve our 100th client and clock our 4,000th hour!
Q&A with Dennis Duquette
Dennis Duquette is the Vice President of Communication Services at Fidelity
Investments, a Harbinger Partners corporate partner. He is one of those people
who seem to do everything at once. He sometimes replies to e-mail before we
hit send, even when he is in a meeting, or on an airplane, or in a steel box,
under water, in chains, and running out of air while the quavering crowd gasps
with anticipation. But besides all of that, he is truly committed to working
for a better world, and to defining the corporation's role in creating
social change. He is a pleasure to work with, and we would like to introduce
him to all of our readers.
Lesley Edwards, Director of Strategic Partnerships here at Harbinger Partners,
emailed Dennis a few questions recently, and here are his instantaneous responses:
LE: Dennis, how did you first hear about Harbinger Partners?
DD: I first became acquainted with Harbinger Partners when I met [Executive Director] Theresa Ellis in 2004. I was relatively new to my current role at Fidelity (I've worked here for 17 years). Theresa's previous work with Fidelity employees, as well as a connection to my manager (her husband had worked with my current manager in the past) sort of paved the way for the introduction. And I am glad it worked out that way.
LE: Is there any one engagement that Fidelity has undertaken with Harbinger Partners that really sticks with you?
DD: I've heard so many wonderful stories from my colleagues who have participated in Harbinger Partners projects. A particularly touching story was brought to my attention by one of our senior vice presidents who had organized a Fidelity/Harbinger volunteer project team for the [Hattie B.] Cooper Center -- he recounted how his team of typical Fidelity type-A employee volunteers got all choked up when they saw the reaction of the Cooper Center representative to their work. You just can't put a price on something that special.
LE: What sorts of things do you hear about Harbinger Partners engagements form Fidelity volunteers when we're not around?
DD: (laughing) Trust me, it's ALL good! What's particularly striking is that there is this consistent theme of accomplishment and fulfillment by those who engage with Harbinger Partners, and I hear this from people at all levels of our organization.
LE: If Harbinger Partners were a super hero, what do you think our costume would look like?
DD: The costume would be quite sleek... sort of like Spiderman meets Aqua Man... no superfluous accouterments like a horned helmet or wings sticking out the back! Harbinger is all about efficiency and results -- no frilly nonsense! And given the wonderful opportunities you make available to your nonprofit AND corporate volunteer partners, I'd say the superhero moniker is wholly appropriate!
LE: Thanks, Dennis! We will get our capes ready for the next volunteer kickoff!
Welcome, Lesley!
Harbinger Partners is growing again! Lesley Edwards has joined the management team here at Harbinger Partners to focus on our corporate partnerships. You read her Q&A with Dennis above, but here is a proper introduction to our new Director of Strategic Partnerships.
A veteran of the technology industry, Lesley started her career by helping two startup ventures build client relationships and market new products. More recently, she worked as a management and strategy consultant to large technology and communications companies based in North America and Europe. We are delighted to have her with us.
Seeking Supplemental Surfaces
Speaking of hiring, if anyone knows a good source for office desks, please let us know. Lesley just took the last one!
Interested in volunteerism in Massachusetts? Check out the Commonwealth's own volunteer matching site, administered by the Massachusetts Service Alliance! Connect and Serve (http://www.volunteersolutions.org/mass-service/volunteer/) finds volunteer opportunities by location and interest area and maintains a calendar of one-time volunteer opportunities.
Are you interested in what companies are doing to improve their communities, and why they are doing it? Take a look at the website of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College (http://www.bcccc.net/) for more information on corporate citizenship than you can shake an Ethernet cable at.
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