At SolarWinds, we focus on integrating our CARE values (collaboration, accountability, ready, and empathy) into how we conduct business. We believe our behaviors drive outcomes, and we strive to promote a people-first culture and align our social impact to our SolarWinds purpose.
Every November, Solarians participate in the SolarWinds Thanks Giving program. The program provides Solarians with the flexibility to give back to our communities for sustained growth and to enhance the lives of all involved. We also provide Solarians with two Solar Service days to volunteer their time to causes and communities they care about, reward Solarians with our Dollar for Doer program, and match Solarians’ donations to charities.
We’re focused on making a positive impact with causes supporting education, diversity, and health through SolarWinds grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and local community development. In 2022, our Solarians gave their time and money to many charities to show care and compassion, embodying our CARE values.
“As the global leader of our employee engagement and community engagement, Thanks Giving month is about more than just giving. Thanks Giving month is a time when all Solarians across the globe come together to deliver on our purpose, internally and externally. It’s our time to show how we CARE by appreciating our Solarians, giving back to our local communities, and supporting our global sustainability initiatives. Giving back is something near and dear to me. I’m grateful for the situation I’m in today, but growing up as a child who needed support, I recall the impact it had on my life when people gave back. I believe when communities and people come together, we can make the biggest impact.” — Elizabeth Garcia, Senior People Experience Program Manager
Notable Partnerships
Austin
Our headquarters in Austin worked with several charities to raise money last year. Most notable was our partnership with Girls Who Code. Leading up to Thanks Giving month, we partnered with the SolarWinds
IT Pro Day holiday to come up with a
giving campaign benefiting Girls Who Code. SolarWinds doubled the impact with a 200% match. Through this giving campaign and Solarian support, we are excited to build this partnership. Solarians had the great opportunity to be a part of the Girls Who Code, a week dedicated to helping K-12 students learn about and participate in STEM education. We look forward to continuing to empower young women leaders through this partnership.
Additional projects completed in Austin include the following:
- Coats for Kids Volunteers: 38 Solarians volunteered over three days to help sort and hang coats and collected over 25 coats
- Diaper Drive: Solarians collected almost $550 in donations and approximately 20 packs of diapers and baby wipes
- Holiday Wishes: Solarians provided Christmas gifts to 120 kids in Austin
Brno
Our Brno, Czech Republic, office volunteered for blood donation, donating almost 10 liters of blood. They also raised more than 25,000 CZK for a children oncology fund by selling pictures the children made.
Krakow
Our Krakow, Poland, office continues to support
Alma Spei, a local children’s hospice, raising money for various equipment purchases needed to care for terminally ill children. Solarians raised money through periodic fundraisers and through an online auction where people offered homemade pickles, wine, coffee-flavored liqueur, tennis lessons, guitar playing lessons, PlayStation consoles, children’s books, puzzle games, drum lessons, homemade bread, homemade chocolate cake, and much more. Bids went as high as 3,500 PLN for some items, with very competitive bidding.
“We look for our employees to indicate a charity for us to work with every year. And for a couple of years now, the chosen charity has been Alma Spei, a local hospice for children. This aligns with our mission to directly support our community. By working with Alma Spei, we can feel the immediate effect of our actions. We fundraise every year so we can help buy medical equipment that allows children to have a modicum of comfort and dignity in terminal illness. It's not only money, though—we also volunteer, and there’s no work more meaningful than giving time to kids who have so little time left. It takes courage, it takes guts, it takes humility. The work we do makes us appreciate how short life is and how every minute counts.” — Poland Team
Our Krakow Solarians also organized a used book and plant fair, collecting 300 PLN through sales. Finally, they raised 3,010 PLN through their annual leave lottery, where three days of annual leave can be won.
Other Offices
Our other offices across the globe also participated in community events. Here are some photos from those events.
“Solarians volunteered to rehab a preschool in Bangalore as part of the Geeks That Give campaign. The preschool was in a dilapidated state and warranted immediate attention. Solarians volunteered and painted, cleaned the premises, made a proper pathway, and contributed much more. The school kids were invited later in the day to come and view the rehabbed version of their school. As they arrived one by one, we could see the glow in their eyes and the excitement they had. The icing on the cake moment was when we donated books and other stationery to them—their joy had no bounds. I want to call out that a few Solarians donated clothes to the kids’ parents, for which they were really thankful. We’re wishing a bright future for the kids. This event was well coordinated, and kudos to the teachers, StandUp India Foundation, and Neravu Trust for partnering and helping us with this project.” — India Team
For more on the India team’s project, check out
this video from the event created by our project partner.
