All hands on deck: Wells Fargo’s Dedicated Day of Service
Thousands of Wells Fargo team members participate in the first Dedicated Day of Service, volunteering in their communities across the world.
Thousands of Wells Fargo team members picked up paintbrushes and hammers, sorted and packed food, installed solar panels, and crafted notes of encouragement, among other efforts, in their communities across the world for the company’s first Dedicated Day of Service on Sept. 20. For this historic event, team members were encouraged to come together to make a collective impact by spending part or all of their day volunteering in group events, on-site activities in breakrooms, or right from their desks through virtual volunteer opportunities.
“We know community-based organizations rely on volunteers to advance their work, so it’s exciting to create a unified effort for all of us to help a cause we care about,” said Brandee McHale, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “Wells Fargo team members have a long history of giving, and this Dedicated Day of Service builds on that deep desire to make communities stronger.”
The Dedicated Day of Service was held during Wells Fargo’s Community Support Campaign, which occurs every September and encourages team members to give back — with their time and money — to causes they care about. In 2018, team members pledged $75.3 million and spent more than 2 million hours volunteering with various causes throughout the year and during the Community Support Campaign. As a result, United Way Worldwide recognized Wells Fargo as No. 1 in workplace giving for the 10th consecutive year.
Wells Fargo offers team members up to 16 hours of paid community service time each year. Team members have used the time throughout the year to pack meals for children, sort food donations for people in need, mentor post-9/11 veterans, assist low-income individuals with filing taxes, help children learn to read, and grow food to feed orphans and the elderly, among other things.
In June 2019, Wells Fargo announced that it is evolving its philanthropic strategy to help solve three pressing issues affecting individuals, families, and underserved communities across the U.S.: housing affordability, financial health, and small business growth. Last year, Wells Fargo donated more than $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits across the U.S. to help meet the needs of underserved communities, including many low- and moderate-income individuals.
“Our talented team, working alongside our community partners on this Dedicated Day of Service and throughout the year, is one way we demonstrate our deep-rooted commitment to helping solve some of society’s most pressing problems,” McHale said.