Mobilizing Resources Across the Social Impact Sector: Q&A with Bryan Breckenridge from Box.org

In two weeks, we’ll gather Bay Area professionals together for the 4th annual Innovations in Corporate Social Impact summit. To kick off the conversation, we’re talking with local leaders about this emerging field. Up next in our interview series is a conversation with Bryan Breckenridge, Executive Director of Box.org.

Box donates and discounts Cloud Content Management for eligible nonprofits and provides services and community resources to help them succeed. Backed by Box, nonprofits can heighten how they manage and scale programs, grow their base of support, and simplify administrative workflows.

WHY IS CORPORATE SOCIAL IMPACT AN IMPORTANT TOPIC AT BOX? 

Corporate social impact is important at Box because we know it can lead to the solution of significant challenges in society, it can make Box one of the best places to work in the world, and it can be a tremendous commercial differentiator and x factor in the marketplace in which we compete. 

HOW DO SENIOR LEADERS AT BOX VIEW CORPORATE SOCIAL IMPACT?

Every single senior leader in the company believes wholeheartedly in the potential for corporate social impact driven by Box.  They’re all at slightly different levels of awareness, but all understand the concepts and are excited to see it scale.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SEEM TO BE QUITE INTERESTED IN CORPORATE SOCIAL IMPACT, DO YOU SEE THIS TREND AT BOX AND IF SO WHAT IS DRIVING THEIR INTEREST?

Box has a vibrant youthful culture. Over 75% of our thousands of employees gave back last year. That’s evidence alone that the interest level is high. It’s so exciting to see so many Boxers, including our junior team members, getting involved in material ways. 

WHAT MIGHT BE 1 OR 2 EXAMPLES OF BOX’S WORK IN CORPORATE SOCIAL IMPACT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?

The Box.org embedded social enterprise mobilizes every single asset pool possessed by the company for the social impact sector.

Last week we raised awareness and generated 450 donations from 440 members of the Box community participating in our BoxWorks19 event for NetHope. Donation totals reached almost $100,000. We also published stories about our collaboration with them and how we power their work via our technology, employee volunteer skill-sets, networks, financial support and more.

We’re also proud that our corporate social impact program is not only sustained, but scales because of how it’s funded. each year we commit a specific quarterly budget to Box.org for social impact programs, philanthropy, and customer enablement for nonprofits.  A percentage of heavily discounted revenue contributed by the global nonprofit sector is redirected to the Box.org Fund at Tides. This fund is then invested in grant making, nonprofit digital capacity ecosystems and employee engagement programs that drive nonprofit capacity (digital and general).  We now serve 9000 nonprofits so this model is really getting exciting.

WHAT WILL HELP COMPANIES SUCH AS BOX DRIVE MORE SOCIAL IMPACT? (FOR EXAMPLE, ADDITIONAL SENIOR LEADERSHIP SUPPORT, OTHER?)

1.  Just get started. Every company, like Box, can start generating positive social impact long before achieving profitability or significant employee scale.

2.  Dedicate someone to the social impact domain as early as you can. This may be much earlier than first capitalistic instinct suggests. 

3.  Once a comfortable framework and series of wins materializes, visibly give permission to all staff at all levels to participate and take ownership.

 4.  Enlist the the expertise of leaders in Pledge 1% companies or www.impactcloud.org companies. They’ve been there done that and are excited to share what they know.

5.  Form multiple committees long before you have significant staff fire power supporting corporate social impact. For example, at Box. we have a global committee driving local social impact and a senior executive steering committee that help disperse capital (human and financial) and accountability.

6.  Partner partner partner. There are great intermediaries, ecosystems, foundations and millions of operating nonprofits that are excited to partner with your organization.