Dell announced today that its global team members volunteered more than 700,000 hours in their communities during its recently ended fiscal year 2013 — significantly beating its 500,000 hours goal.
The total represented an almost 70 percent increase in volunteer hours from the year prior, when team members volunteered 418,000 hours. More than half of Dell’s global workforce, 56 percent, participated in community service activities with more than 15,000 charities in 60 countries.
Activities included:

• More than 1,000 Dell team members serving as mentors and judges in the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, helping student entrepreneurs turn their ideas for social good into viable businesses.
• Providing support for children undergoing treatment for cancer, such as painting a mural to cheer young patients at a children’s hospital in Malaysia and helping children in France use laptops to stay connected to their loved ones.
• Helping set up technology, teach and mentor students in classrooms and community centers in Brazil, Morocco, India and 12 other countries.
• Providing training and technology support to the American Red Cross as it launched a first-of-its-kind Digital Operations Center devoted to humanitarian aid.

For its fiscal year 2014, Dell has set a goal of working 750,000 hours or more with charitable causes. The company again seeks to engage at least half its global team members in volunteer activities. In particular, Dell will focus on skills-based volunteering, encouraging its team members to use their particular talents to have even more impact in the community.
Dell uses an internal, online portal — its Powering the Possible community — to help team members find charities to support, organize and track volunteer time and financial giving activities, connect with one another, post photos and share stories, and more. The company launched a skills-tracking function this year, which team members can use to list their expertise and connect with charities in need of those specific services. Powered by YourCause, the community currently comprises more than 59,000 Dell team members around the world.
To promote volunteerism among its team members, Dell rewards activity with philanthropic dollars. Team members who volunteer 10 or more hours in a quarter receive $150 to donate to the charity of their choice through the Powering the Possible community. This year, Dell will pilot an initiative adding $75 for five or more hours volunteered with nonprofits in its strategic giving program; by volunteering with charities to which Dell gives corporate donations, team members significantly amplify the impact of financial resources.
Quotes “Our greatest, fastest-growing giving resource is our worldwide team member base. When Dell team members volunteer their time, talents and financial resources to support charitable causes, they make a huge contribution toward powering new possibilities in our communities. We are so proud to support their efforts and recognize their passion for community service.” Trisa Thompson, vice president of corporate responsibility, Dell
“Dell’s results are truly impressive and far exceed what we typically see throughout the industry. By no means does this come as a surprise to our team, as Dell’s programs and ongoing support of their employees continues to be the industry model for how to achieve results from employee engagement.“ Matthew Combs, founder, YourCause