IBM Corporate Citizenship in Ireland

IBM has been a leader in corporate social responsibility for 100 years, contributing technology, talent and cash to not-for-profit organisations and educational institutions in Ireland and around the world. The primary focus of our corporate citizenship activities is to develop initiatives that address specific societal issues, such as the environment, community economic development, education, health, literacy, language and culture. We employ IBM’s most valuable resources – our technology and talent – in order to create innovative programmes in these areas.

Celebration of Service

To commemorate IBM’s Centennial in 2011, all employees and retirees were encouraged to volunteer at least eight hours by applying their talent and expertise to civic and societal needs in their local communities through a year-long programme called ‘Celebration of Service’. This built on our existing On Demand Community programme, with additional resources and volunteer kits provided to volunteers that are also available and free to the public at ibm.com/ibm100/service. In addition, global grant funding was increased to $12m, up 140% on 2010. As a result, several organisations and schools in Ireland are receiving grants of up to $75,000, through the skilled volunteering efforts of hundreds of employees during 2011.

IBM’s Celebration of Service projects in Ireland include:

Developing a cloud-based patient care solution for the Irish Cancer Society’s Care to Drive programme. This project received one of only 11 IBM Global Centennial Grants and was awarded $75,000. Learn more about the project (US)
Partnering with Age Action on their ‘Getting Started’ programme, with over 100 employees providing internet tuition at two IBM sites. This project received one of 100 IBM Global Catalyst Grants of $10,000 and been shortlisted for the Chambers Ireland President’s Awards for CSR 2011.
Fifty employees volunteering with Bridge 21 in Dublin, acting as mentors for Transition Year students in 'Future Technology Workshops 2011/12'
Over 50 employees participated in Camara’s ‘Day with a Difference’ on the IBM Day of Service in June 2011.
Employees in Galway are working with the Samaritans and local schools to develop a series of web pages highlighting an awareness of mental health and emotional wellbeing in teenagers, this project also received one of 100 IBM Global Catalyst Grants of $10,000.
In Cork, IBM employees are volunteering with Shine the Centre for Autism through IBM’s KidSmart and
Age Action Ireland, Outreach Moldova, Habitat for Humanity Ireland, Irish Red Cross, Irish Kidney Association, ISPCC, Peter McVerry Trust, Blanchardstown Training and Community Centre, Baptec, Barretstown and Cross Care benefited from the professional skills of employees at IBM’s Sales & Distribution Centre in Dublin at a ‘Mentoring Charities’ day.
IBM employees and retirees are volunteering with many more not-for-profit organisations, charities and schools across Ireland who are benefitting from their expertise, skills and the grants donated by IBM in recognition of this commitment to their communities.

Project News highlights:

Project Videos:

Education Programmes

IBM’s ongoing citizenship and volunteering activities in education include our KidSmart Early Learning Programme, where IBM has donated almost 900 Young Explorers to over 300 primary schools in Ireland; our Reading Companion web literacy programme, which helps young children and adults learn to read, and our TryScience programme, with science and engineering coming to life through hands-on activities supported by IBM employees in local schools.
Our World Community Grid initiative, meanwhile, utilises grid and cloud computing technologies to harness the tremendous power of idle computers to perform specific computations related to critical research around complex biological, environmental and health related issues.

Beyond Writing Cheques

“By bringing together its employees, retirees, partners and community members, IBM is undertaking the largest service challenge of its kind that we have seen to date,” says Yvonne McKenna, CEO of Volunteer Ireland. “It is creating not only an impact on communities in Ireland, but it is also applying the unique and powerful IBM assets to catalyse a movement around service. We commend IBM for celebrating 100 years of corporate civic leadership in such a remarkable way.”

For additional information, visit www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility (US)