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To some corporations, reaching out to the community may involve an annual blood drive or a crusade for 100 percent involvement in charity donations. But IBM, long a champion for on demand for its clients, has focused that philosophy on improving its community service.
On Demand Community, a dedicated portion of the company's intranet, aggregates both information and resources for volunteers. Since it launched in November 2003, more than 64,000 IBM employees and retirees have registered and logged 2.7 million hours of volunteer time.
On Demand Community provides more than 150 tools and solutions, ranging from listings of local volunteer opportunities to sophisticated software tools that can help schools and non-profits choose effective and efficient technology, improve their business practices or sharpen the skills of board members.
For example, Chris Sharp, who works in IBM Consulting Services in London , used the technology planning solution to help establish a Web site for War Child . Through its site, the not-for-profit agency, which provides emergency relief and protection to children in areas of armed conflict, distributed a downloadable album. "Help: A Day in the Life" has sold more than 130,000 tracks, making it the 's most popular online album of all time.
And IBM retiree Dean Ascheman, adjutant/executive director of the Minnesota Disabled American Veterans (DAV), applied On Demand Community tools and IBM community grants to revitalize that organization.
"Our Web site hits have increased 300 percent, management productivity has increased by 33 percent and our accounting audit time has been reduced by half. That's real business transformation brought to the non-profit sector," said Ascheman.
What's more, IBM volunteers who donate at least 40 hours using the online tools become eligible for community grants. In 2005, community organizations and schools where IBM employees and retirees volunteer received more than $2 million in IBM technology through the program.
"Our volunteers are bringing their time, talent and IBM solutions to the community and adding real, quantifiable value," said Stanley Litow, president, IBM International Foundation and vice president for IBM Corporate Community Relations. "It's resulting in a remarkable - and measurable - improvement in both the quality and efficiency of service, including how we respond to worldwide disasters."
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