Entries tagged 'giving'
Why Microsoft is one of the best places to work: Employees gift $100M to non-profits
This week Microsoft shared some news that’s especially heartwarming in this tough economy. Microsoft employees are making a difference in a big way: by giving to others. Not many companies offer a $12K per year match on Employee Giving. Microsoft does. It’s foundational to the culture. And it’s a benefit many Microsoft employees value.Through the annual Employee Giving Campaign, Microsoft employees raised a record-breaking US$100.5 million in 2011. This topped the previous year’s total with donations to more than 18,000 community organizations across the United States and around the world. Overall, more than 64 percent of the company's employees – about 35,500 – got involved in the Giving Campaign during the year.
Here’s what we heard from a few employees:
“To be honest, that number means more to me than any other statistic Microsoft releases,” says Joe Michaels, a senior director of business development in the Online Services Division. “I think that says more about who we are as a company than any earnings figure or any ranking in a Best Places to Work list.”
“Microsoft’s an awesome company to work for. I get to continually do new things, and with the generosity of the company I help raise money for wonderful organizations,” says Crissy House, a senior product marketing manager for SQL Server.
People who value giving and making a difference in the world have the opportunity to double their dollars with the Microsoft Giving Campaign. They can make a huge impact for the causes they love and support.
- Read the full Giving Campaign story on Microsoft PressPass
- Learn more about cool things employees are doing on the JobsBlog and the Facebook Fans page
- Apply for cool design jobs, development engineer jobs and more on the Global Careers site
The Microsoft Cookbook: Good food, good stories, good cause
By Zoe Goldring
I'm not sure if you know about this, but Microsoft has this really awesome internal newsletter that goes out to all our employees. In a way it reminds me of my university's newspaper because it keeps me connected to all the happenings at the company; whether that's breaking industry news or the latest gossip. What really captures my attention though are the stories about the people that work here. And here is one I just had to share with all of you.Erica Wadley and Colin McCaig had an idea. Every year the Microsoft Services employees hold a cook-off for the annual Giving Campaign. After last year's event they thought; why not collect these recipes for a cookbook? The project quickly expanded, garnered executive sponsorship and now includes recipes from employees from around the world. But this is more than just a collection of recipes. As employees submitted their recipes, they also submitted the stories behind them.
Some quotes directly from the article:
Erica Wadley, senior marketing manager for Windows, said employees will find much more than meal ideas in the cookbook's pages.
"When you look at the book, the story of Microsoft just leaps off the page," she said. "Everyone who shared a recipe also shared the personal story behind it—secret family recipes, tributes to loved ones, stories from childhood. We realized it was the voice of these people around the world who work for Microsoft and a side of them that doesn't often have exposure in the office."
Colin McCaig, director of business management within Microsoft Services, agreed. "It's really more of a storybook that a recipe book," said McCaig, who produced the Microsoft Cookbook with Wadley.
The site's submission tool initially didn't ask for a story; people just felt a need to share one. Wadley and McCaig quickly realized the power of what they had.
"It was very organic: Here suddenly was the voice of Microsoft that we had wanted to showcase as a diversity initiative," McCaig said.
The project also became a way to showcase Microsoft technology. In addition to a two-volume hardcover set, the Microsoft Cookbook will also be released in digital form. Employees can opt for an e-book version, which has 2,000 recipes and counting, and get access to the cookbook in the cloud.
Even better? The Microsoft Cookbook is now available for purchase by Microsoft employees with all proceeds going to FareStart, a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.
There are so many reasons why I love this story it's hard to begin. First, it's incredible that Erica and Colin felt empowered as employees to take on a project like this along with their "day jobs". This was no small feat of coordination and production I am sure. I'm inspired by their desire to share and connect with the diversity of the Microsoft community in a unique way. Mostly I am impressed to be part of a company that makes giving back a priority - not just in October, but all year long.
So congratulations Erica and Colin! What an accomplishment. Wishing you and FareStart swift sales.
Microsoft employee photographers' book now available
By Gretchen Ledgard
Back in February, we shared the story of Larry Golden and the team behind the homegrown Photographers@Microsoft book, which last year raised $60K for the United Way. When we last talked to him, Larry was just kicking off the planning for Volume 3, and I was excited to see on the Photographers@Microsoft page on Facebook the newest edition is now available! Needing an afternoon walk anyway, I headed over to our company store and just picked up my copy (which I’ll probably also put in our recruiting lobby in case interviewees want to check it out.)The 300+ page collection of images taken by worldwide Microsofties includes a photo description written by the photographer and technical details so you can geek out on how each photograph was taken. And purchases made by eligible Microsoft employees can be matched by the company, with all proceeds going to the United Way Worldwide again this year.
How can you buy? If you're in the Seattle area (employee or not), swing by our company store. Hey, that's a pretty fun trip anyway. Or check it out online at http://www.photographersatmicrosoft.com/
More links!
Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PhotographersAtMicrosoft
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/PhotogsAtMSFT
Our coverage of the 2010 book: http://jobsblog.com/blog/microsoft-photographers-bookGretchen
Microsoft photographers’ book raises over $60K for the United Way
We were absolutely enthralled when we first picked up the gorgeous 208-page Photographers@Microsoft coffee table book. So we tracked down Larry Golden, one of the driving forces behind getting the second hefty volume published, to get his take on the Microsoft photographers’ community, being published in a Library of Congress book, and the thrill of having one of his photos selected as Bing’s photo of the day.
‘Softie in question: Larry Golden
The job title: Account Manager for TV/Video Advertising
First, the book: Tell us how the Photographers @ Microsoft book come about.
Three years ago, a few Microsoft employees—Daniel Moore, Bernard Hymmen and Tanka Sunuwar to name a few—who were photography enthusiasts said, “Hey, we’ve got this idea, what if we made a book?” So they got together, started months in advance and put together a timeline and a list of specs. They started a photo selection committee with multiple judges then took the top 146 submissions from other Microsoft employees.
And they did this outside their normal jobs?
Yes, the project was done with all volunteer hours. Microsoft matches US employees $17 for every hour volunteered,
so there was probably $10,000 donated to the United Way of King County just from those hours.
This year, for Volume Two, it was even a bit more because we had more people, and it was a larger process. We raised the money for United Way Worldwide this year. Before matching, it was $30,000. After matching it was about $45,000 with about $17,000 in man-hours. So, a little over $60,000 went to the United Way from Photographers@Microsoft.
