Q: Can you give an overview of Citrix’s volunteering initiatives?
A: Speaker 0:

• Citrix runs multiple volunteering initiatives, including a month of service, day-of-service, and week-long engagements.
• Example: During the month-long service, they ran 2–3 sessions per day with different themes, engaging participants from 44 countries.
• Objective: Ensure high participation and impact across geographies.

Speaker 1:

• Citrix employees participate virtually, which requires planning and logistics, but it has proven successful with Goodera’s support.

Q: How do you plan and launch these volunteering activities?
A: Speaker 0:

• Planning starts months ahead, considering global calendars.
• Important to avoid conflicts with major company events (e.g., global employee meetings).

Speaker 1:

• Scheduling Tuesdays and Thursdays worked best for engagement.
• Provided time for employees to submit projects and adjusted for last-minute changes.
• Materials such as videos, scripts, and collaterals are crucial to equip participants.

Q: How do you recognize and reward employees for volunteering?
A: Speaker 1:

• Closed-loop recognition system:
  
  • Participants receive an email with a certificate of appreciation and a screenshot of their activity.
  • Encouraged to share certificates on social media to showcase Citrix’s culture of giving back.
  • Recognition created pride and motivation among employees.

Q: What were the key lessons learned from these initiatives?
A: Speaker 1:

• Importance of having a nonprofit partner to add meaning and inspiration.
• Activities should be actionable or provide a learning experience (e.g., audio books, learning sign language).
• Executive leadership endorsement is critical:
  
  • Involvement of high-level leaders drives participation.
  • GEO leaders and community ambassadors help with registrations.
• Regular communication and reminders support engagement.
• Recaps of impact help employees understand the difference their volunteering makes.

Q: How do you ensure year-round volunteering beyond the month of service?
A: Speaker 1:

• Citrix’s volunteering is an annual event but supported by virtual opportunities year-round.
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) help sustain momentum:
  
  • Nine ERGs, including women, pride, Latino, parents/caregivers groups.
  • ERG-led volunteer events tied to heritage celebrations and other initiatives (e.g., Pride, Juneteenth, Veteran’s Day).
• Planning hybrid and in-person volunteering for tier-one locations (500+ employees).
• Annual field kick-offs used to pilot in-person volunteering events.

Q: How does Citrix incentivize volunteering?
A: Speaker 1:

• Dollars for Doers Program:
  
  • Employees can log personal volunteer hours on the Benevity platform.
  • Up to $300/year can be donated to a charity of choice.
• Additional incentives:
  
  • Volunteers entered into gift card drawings to donate to charities.
  • Incentives drive participation, though volunteering is inherently voluntary.

Q: How do ERGs contribute to volunteering initiatives?
A: Speaker 1:

• ERGs receive budgets to donate to nonprofits aligned with their group.
• Examples:
  
  • Fort Lauderdale Women’s Group supports Women in Distress (shelter for abused women).
  • Activities include virtual and in-person volunteering (e.g., helping at thrift stores or hosting events).
• ERG involvement helps integrate volunteering into cultural and social initiatives.

Q: What is your experience working with an external partner like Goodera?
A: Speaker 1:

• External partners are essential when teams are lean.
• Goodera provided expertise in collateral, digital badges, videos, and marketing support.
• Budgeting was critical: Citrix allocated part of the budget to cover partnership costs.
• Memorandum of understanding outlined objectives and expectations based on resources.

Q: Would Citrix continue to partner with Goodera for future volunteering initiatives?
A: Speaker 1:

• Yes, partnership will continue for multiple years.
• Volunteering should be cyclical, not a one-time event (e.g., quarterly or monthly).
• ERGs will serve as a testing ground for future virtual and in-person volunteering activities.

Speaker 0:

• Month-of-service initiatives have a snowball effect, encouraging repeat volunteering.
• Poll results from attendees indicate:
  
  
  
  • 58% prefer in-person volunteering.
  • Majority currently run day-of-service events.
  • 83% would partner with Goodera for their next service engagement.
  • Most start planning three months in advance, ideal for OND (Oct–Dec) volunteering programs.

Q: Any final words or takeaways from the session?
A: Speaker 1:

• Using available tools and resources simplifies rolling out volunteering programs.
• Lean teams require external support to execute large-scale initiatives effectively.
• Thankful for Goodera’s support in executing Citrix’s volunteering programs.

Speaker 0:

• Shout-out to the Goodera team for their effort.
• Attendees will receive a playbook covering Citrix’s month-of-service best practices.