How Blackbaud Supported its Working Caregivers with an Innovative, Employee-Led After School Program

When a new school year began in fall 2020 with many schools unable to open for physical classes, Blackbaud saw an opportunity to support our employees and their children with an innovative after school program. The cross-company, volunteer-based program encouraged Blackbaud employees to share their skills and hobbies with their colleagues’ children, which gave working caregivers time to step away and focus on other tasks. The Blackbaud After School Program included live sessions led by employee volunteers across the company, in addition to recordings and free resources that could be accessed at any time globally.  

Sessions ran from 20 to 50 minutes and covered a variety of topics, including arts and crafts, music, beginner coding, reading, cooking tutorials, science experiments, yoga, games and more. Employees could also sign up as live one-on-one tutors to help their colleagues’ children with their schoolwork. Blackbaud customers got involved in the program as well, providing virtual business for these organizations. The South Carolina Aquarium hosted a virtual field trip, while San Antonio Zoo provided a wild animal meet-and-greet education program. And the Children’s Theatre Company in Minnesota led a sensory story time session for imaginative play that focused on social-emotional learning, sequencing and literacy skills.  

Employees who led or recorded sessions for the After School Program were given up to five hours a month to volunteer during working hours. Employees volunteering time outside of working hours earned paid time off through Blackbaud’s Volunteer for Vacation program. From mid-September to late November, Blackbaud volunteers and participants logged more than 380 hours of time together in 115 live sessions, 14 of which were run by Blackbaud customers. Employee volunteers showed strong interest in sharing their expertise and skills, including members of Blackbaud’s Executive Leadership Team. We plan to expand opportunities for employee skills-based volunteering, including a focus on nonprofit board training this year. 

Learn more about how Blackbaud enhanced support for employees during COVID-19 in Blackbaud’s 2020 Social Responsibility Report.