As the pandemic took shape in early 2020 and employees began working from home, offices around the world emptied. That meant the typical employee office perks of snacks and catered lunches were no longer needed.
While the reduced expenses could offer considerable savings for a company, Eric Waldron, 6sense’s Team Lead, Global Office Management, noticed an opportunity to shift those funds and make a real difference.
“I suggested that we use the money normally spent on office perks and donate it to people who were losing their entire livelihood,” he says.
The idea was sparked by Eric’s history in the hospitality industry. “My entire career has been about serving others. It just made sense to continue to help out any way I was able,” he explains. “6sense was the first company I’ve ever worked for that ‘walked the talk’ and allowed me to use company resources for people outside of our organization.”
This suggestion spawned a campaign called Giving Friday, where 6sense donates money to a different charity every Friday.
Since 2020, the program has donated nearly $300,000 across over 100 different charities.
Giving Friday Finds Support Across the Organization
Company leaders quickly — and wholeheartedly — supported the endeavor. “Rob Goldenberg, CFO at 6sense, has been fully on board every single minute. He’s championed me and the giving program,” Eric says.
Examples of charities that have been chosen for Giving Friday include:
- Second Harvest Heartland – A food bank focused on feeding the local community and supporting sustainable practices.
- Black Girls Code – Supporting women of color in their journeys to becoming leaders and innovators in STEM fields.
- California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund – A fund dedicated to recovery efforts related to wildfires including those who were displaced and lost their homes.
- AIDS/LifeCycle – A seven-day bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that raises money for critical HIV/AIDS services. Eric himself participates in the bike ride!
6sense employees are encouraged to reach out with any cause they are passionate about — not only to be chosen for a Giving Friday but to allow the broader company to learn about new ways they can make an impact in their daily lives.
“I’m most proud that the team feels comfortable sending me some really honest and heartfelt suggestions. I’m humbled and honored to be trusted by the team with things that really matter to them,” Eric says.
Giving Friday Goes Global
One of the most impressive aspects of Giving Friday has been the program’s growth over time — from a spark of an idea to a core pillar of 6sense’s commitment to giving back to the community.
The program has expanded outside of the U.S. with Director of People Operations Deepti Juneja and Human Resources Operations Specialist Chanchal Pakhide joining Eric to support Giving Friday with a team in India.
6sense has supported these and other organizations in India:
- The Poona Blind School – A residential school for the visually impaired located in Pune, supporting pre-primary students, vocational training, and teacher training.
- Akshaya Patra Foundation – An NGO striving to eliminate classroom hunger and malnutrition.
- Shram Mandir Trust – A community dedicated to supporting those afflicted with leprosy by providing housing services and medical care.
Even though the Giving Friday program has been running for over two years now, there are no plans to stop as workers return to the office. In fact, the team hopes to continually improve and reach more worthy causes.
6sense’s rapid growth in London also has Eric excited about more voices being heard and helped through the program. “As we continue to scale, I look forward to suggestions from all of EMEA,” he says.
This dedication extends across the entire company — one that is ingrained into the company’s values.
“We have a culture at 6sense much like The Three Musketeers: ‘All for one, and one for all,'” Eric says. “Jason Zintak, our CEO, has made it very clear that it takes all of us to make this company function properly. That functionality extends to our desire to give back.”
