IBM Employees Donate More Than 10 Million Hours of Volunteer Service in Communities

ARMONK, N.Y., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that in the last five years it has surpassed more than 10 million volunteer hours of service in communities around the world, more than any other company.  The community service milestone coincides with the release of IBM's 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report, which provides an overview of the company's community leadership, environmental stewardship, supply chain, employment policies and practices, governance and public policy.  

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The report includes an in-depth discussion on the integration of IBM's corporate responsibility with its Smarter Planet business strategy and incorporates points of view from global stakeholders.  Details on performance and other data are available at http://www.ibm.com/responsibility.  

"IBM employees around the world are making an impact in their local communities by sharing the same expertise and talent they provide to business clients to their schools and not-for-profits," said Stanley Litow, vice president of IBM Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs. "We believe in long, sustained and engaged partnerships with communities that not only make a concrete contribution, but create long term positive change."

The milestone of IBM employees and retirees donating more than 10 million hours of community service is also featured in the report.  IBM employees and retirees engage in volunteer activity through an initiative called On Demand Community. On Demand Community provides a set of resources that volunteers can use such as technology training for preschool teachers, an introduction to Web design, and mentoring. Since the launch of the On Demand Community, more than 150,000 IBMers have contributed more than 10 million hours of service in more than 70 countries.  The program provides access to IBM's technology portfolio as well as to IBM employees with the goal of transforming cities, schools and communities.

IBM estimates that volunteer work performed by its employees is "worth" at least $25 per hour.  With employees and retirees having spent 10 million hours since the formation of the On Demand Community, IBM's volunteers have essentially donated at least one-quarter of a billion dollars, in addition to the $36.1 million they give annually in the company's Employee Charitable Contribution campaign and the $180 million contributed by the company.

The company is also announcing that it will donate another $1 million to create a Global Service "Jam" in October.  The objective of the Jam, an online conversation, is to expand collaboration between corporations, governments, individuals and all of civil society to improve service.

Other key highlights in the 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report are how:

• IBM provides employees with skills training, health and wellness programs, and opportunities to gain global experience, including healthy living rebate programs that provide incentives for healthy lifestyles.
• IBM is committed to protecting the environment in all its business activities, including its energy conservation program, which avoided over 142,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions and saved IBM $26.8 million last year.
• IBM strengthened its rigor of risk management through governance processes, including making enterprise risk management part of the fabric of the company through new goals.
• IBM set new requirements for its global suppliers to deploy and sustain corporate responsibility and environmental management systems.
• IBM is deepening its collaboration with civil society through developing patient-centric healthcare, building privacy and security into the systems of the planet, and shaping smarter, citizen-centric cities.
• IBM is working with Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and local communities in growth markets through its Corporate Service Corps, which deploys employees to solve complex problems in developing countries.

About IBM

For more information please see http://www.ibm.com/responsibility/.

SOURCE IBM