Very exciting today... we've issued the NetSuite Giving press release and the program is formally launched. Like any good program launch, the launch comes in the middle of the work rather than the begining, so we're spending most of our time tackling the key challenges:

• Effectively mobilizing employee volunteers to complete service grants for organizations. (Folks like Taproot Foundation are our inspiration)
• Giving product donations that focus not on the donation, but what the grantee accomplishes with the donation. (Way too many organizations out there to name just one as our inspiration)
• Delivering simple, easy-to-use business process to grantees rather than a technology platform.

Ultimately, we are still in our pilot program for another quarter or so, and like any pilot program, we are learning from our grantees how the program should be structured.

There are a few themes you will see over and over as our philanthropy program begins to develop and mature.

Strategic Philanthropy

Thinking about giving strategically (financially, through in-kind giving and volunteers) means considering the value added to your business through philanthropic initiatives.
-Center for Corporate Citizenship
At NetSuite, rather than think about how our philanthropy can add value to our business, we focus on how our business can add value to our philanthropy. This distinction makes all the difference in the world because it allows us to look at our corporate assets and identify where we are uniquely and best qualified to create social impact.