Common Impact

09/23/2025

Pro bono work, a.k.a. skills-based volunteering, is valued at $220 an hour. When you bring your expertise in finance, HR, marketing, IT, or strategy, you’re saving nonprofits serious time ⏳ and energy that they can pour back into their mission. ❤️

DM us to get started with SBV.

08/25/2025

5 years ago, Common Impact started as a team of two with a big idea: what if corporate volunteers gave not just their time, but their most valuable assets, their skills and knowledge, to strengthen nonprofits?

We have seen firsthand how powerful that idea has become. Skills-based volunteering is about helping nonprofits, but also about helping people find deeper meaning in their work, sharpen their expertise, and c***ect in real ways with the communities around them.

And right now, that matters more than ever. Many nonprofits are facing funding cuts and limited resources. The gap is widening, but here is the hopeful part: your skills can help fill it. What feels like everyday work to you, whether in marketing, finance, tech, or strategy, can be the difference between a nonprofit struggling and a nonprofit thriving.

👉 If you have ever wondered how to make a tangible difference, start here. Advocate for skills-based volunteering at your company or reach out directly to a nonprofit you admire. Chances are, they need what you already know, and you will walk away with more than you gave.

08/19/2025

Our Programs team turns volunteering from a “nice-to-have” into a must. They’re experts at pairing nonprofit challenges with volunteers who have the right skills to solve them.

Hear it straight from Poongothai Balasanjeevi, a volunteer from Fidelity:

“The sense of purpose and satisfaction is unmatched. You’re making a meaningful impact using the skills you already have, while learning new ones and expanding your network. It’s a win-win.”

08/13/2025

Rooted in the spirit of civil rights pioneer Vivian Malone Jones, Vivian's Door is all about opening up access to education, support, mentorship, and the kind of community c***ections that help business owners grow. At the center of this work are Janice Malone, founder and executive director, and JaVaughnae Malone, marketing and communications director.

Together, Janice and JaVaughnae have helped countless entrepreneurs across South and Central Alabama build stronger, more resilient businesses. When Janice was honored with the AARP Purpose Prize, their work got a huge spotlight, and with it came a flood of interest from new clients. It was an exciting moment, but also overwhelming. They needed a more reliable, organized way to track each business owner through their programs.

That’s where skills-based volunteers stepped in. With support from Common Impact and a team of skilled volunteers from a leading corporate company, Vivian’s Door was able to choose a new CRM that supported the growing demand for their programs and the increasingly complex needs that accompanied this growth. In this spotlight, Janice and JaVaughnae share more about that experience. ⬇️

https://commonimpact.org/how-skills-based-volunteers-helped-vivians-door-choose-a-new-crm/

Rooted in the spirit of civil rights pioneer Vivian Malone Jones, Vivian’s Door is all about opening up access to education, support, mentorship, and the kind of community c***ections that help business owners grow. At the center of this work are Janice Malone, founder and executive director, and ...

08/11/2025

From coaching soccer to cycling to support cancer research, Steve Neff has turned his interests into purposeful work, including skills-based volunteering.

A longtime Fidelity Investments executive, leader, and dedicated community champion, Steve has supported Common Impact for more than 20 years, including nearly a decade on our Board of Directors.

In this conversation with CEO Rachel Hutchisson, Steve reflects on his journey and why purpose-driven work matters more than ever.

📖👩🏻‍🏫👨🏽‍🏫 ➡️ https://commonimpact.org/steve-neff-reflects-on-20-years-with-common-impact/

When you speak with Steve Neff, it doesn’t take long to realize that service isn’t a side note in his story- it’s at the center. A longtime Fidelity executive, leader, and dedicated community champion, Steve has supported Common Impact for 20+ years, including serving on our Board of Directors...

08/08/2025

🎶 We’re really glad to meet you 🎶

You could say we’re exceptional matchmakers. We pair nonprofit challenges with corporate talent in ways that are thoughtful, strategic, and rooted in real impact. It’s not magic, it’s intentional design, powered by 25 years of doing this work with heart.

Learn about skills-based volunteering: https://commonimpact.org/what-is-skills-based-volunteering/

08/07/2025

Ever wondered what happens when purpose, people, and professional skills collide? 💥🎧

Our CEO Rachel Hutchisson joined host Katie Boothby-Kung on Talking Purpose to unpack how skills-based volunteering is changing the game for corporate philanthropy, employee well-being, and nonprofit impact. 💼❤️📈

In this episode, you'll hear:
✨ Why employees want purpose in the workplace
✨ How volunteering during work hours builds skills and community
✨ Tips for designing volunteer programs that actually work

🎙️ Tune in to the podcast:

Podcast Episode · Talking Purpose: The Purpose and Profit Business Podcast · 08/07/2025 · 50m

08/05/2025

🚨 This is what strategic support actually looks like.

summerlunch+ provides healthy meals and hands-on food literacy education to kids during the summer months. When they needed help expanding their reach and funding base, a team of Manulife and John Hancock employees stepped up through a Common Impact skills-based volunteering project.

The result? A refreshed fundraising strategy, reclaimed resources, and even a new board member.

📖 Read the full story from summerlunch+ executive director and founder, Susan Wright:

https://commonimpact.org/summerlunch-gets-a-strategic-boost-from-manulife-skills-based-volunteers/

Susan Wright, executive director and founder of summerlunch+, has spent the last decade bridging the gap between school-year nutrition programs and the long, often vulnerable months of summer. She created a program that not only nourishes kids with healthy meals but also empowers them to cook, c***e...

08/01/2025

When Partners for Better Housing set out to improve how they measured the impact of their workshops, CEO Tenisha Gist collaborated with Nielsen volunteers to refine their assessments, uncover the most telling insights, and build a stronger case for support.

🎥 Hear Tenisha’s reflections about the Common Impat skills-based volunteering collaboration. ⬇️

When you’re in the business of building brighter futures like Partners for Better Housing (PBH) you don’t always have time to stop and measure how far you’ve come. That’s where skills-based volunteering comes in.

07/23/2025

Nonprofit tip: If you’re stretched thin but still trying to move big priorities forward, skills-based volunteering (SBV) might be the capacity boost you need.

When done right, SBV c***ects you with professionals who bring in-demand expertise like marketing, finance, data, and operations, and apply it directly to your mission.

Learn more about SBV from our Chief Partnerships Officer, Rebecca Fontes. 👉 https://commonimpact.org/celebrating-leadership-purpose-and-impact-a-conversation-with-rebecca-fontes/

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we’re proud to spotlight one of our own leaders at Common Impact. Not just for this month, but for the changemaker she is every day. Rebecca Fontes, our Chief Partnerships Officer, brings decades of experience and a creative, c...