Impact Week inspires Dropboxers toward meaningful action

The holiday season means many things to many people. That’s true of our team, made up of thousands of Dropboxers working around the world. This year, we launched Dropbox’s first-ever Impact Week to unite everyone during this time of year (and beyond) and encourage everyone to give back and get involved in their communities.

During our inaugural Impact Week, which kicked off on Giving Tuesday (12/3) and wrapped on International Human Rights Day (12/10), we highlighted three categories: Learn, Give, and Volunteer. Dropboxers from Dublin to D.C. and Tel Aviv to Tokyo were invited to talks hosted by local nonprofits. There were also opportunities for Dropboxers to volunteer their time and energy and donate funds, food, and other goods to causes near and dear to their hearts.

Left: Episcopal Community Services (ECS) Gift Wrapping in SF; Right: GOAL Mile Dublin

1) Learn

To start, we wanted every Dropboxer to be aware Dropbox for Good’s benefits including gift matching, product donations, and paid volunteer time off. We held open office hours to highlight all the ways Dropboxers can be a force for good during Impact Week and throughout the year.

Left: War Child UK Droptalk; Right: Human Rights Day Droptalk with Aron Cramer in SF

We also provided opportunities for our teams to hear directly from the human rights organizations we partner with through the Dropbox Foundation. In Seattle, Allies Against Slavery told us how they work with frontline partners to identify the victims of human trafficking and prevent their exploitation. In Hamburg, GOAL shared how they respond to humanitarian crises through emergency assistance and community restoration for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. In London, War Child UK discussed how it provides assistance to children in areas experiencing conflict and the aftermath of conflict.

These and other events expanded our awareness and opened doors to donate to and volunteer with the organizations.

“I was excited for Dropboxers to get to know more of our nonprofit partners — they’re the ones who are doing the real work in our communities and they deserve a world of thanks and appreciation. When Dropboxers hear their stories, they’re excited, and being able to see that moment of inspiration is pretty cool,” said Jacquelyn Horton, Social Impact Manager.

2) Give

Donating is a wonderful and direct way to make a positive impact on any community. During Impact Week around the globe, we encouraged generosity through Giving Tree drives to collect holiday gifts, food, product donations, and more, which provided every Dropboxer with one or more ways to contribute.

Left: Donation happy hour in Tokyo; Right: Charity poker games in Paris

3) Volunteer

Volunteering is full of positive benefits for all involved. According to the Deloitte Volunteerism Survey, 79% of workers think volunteerism provides an improved sense of purpose, and 77% say company-sponsored volunteer activities are essential to employee well-being.

Food bank volunteers from Dropbox Sydney

“Volunteering is service, and providing service to others is the most humbling form of thinking of others ahead of yourself,” said Tina Lee, Head of Social Impact. “I hope volunteering drives us to think through different perspectives and how we can always put aside time for others.”

Left: Age UK volunteer clean-up; Right: Game for Good activity in Tel Aviv

During Impact Week, we offered a number of volunteer opportunities for our teams to achieve that sense of purpose. Dropboxers played a community soccer game in Tel Aviv, acted as mentors to high school students in San Francisco, spent time wrapping gifts for underserved youth in Dublin, and so much more.

Looking forward

We’re so proud of each and every Dropboxer for making sure Impact Week made a real impact on the organizations working toward positive change in our communities.

“This was the company’s first ever Impact Week, and I was looking forward to Dropboxers giving back on a global scale. As an international company, we are global citizens and have to think impact across borders; I was excited to see the company embrace the notion of a global community.”

While we’re already looking forward to next year’s event, we encourage all to take advantage of Dropbox for Good’s benefits and opportunities for giving back throughout the year.

Want to work for a company that prioritizes doing good? Check out our open positions at www.dropbpx.com/jobs and join us to Do Good!