NETSCOUT’s success is powered by our culture of innovation and unwavering commitment to our employees, customers, and communities.
One of our many successful social impact programs is the Heart of Giving community grant program. By design, employees are part of the philanthropic process from beginning to end – from learning about community needs, reading grant proposals, and selecting finalists for the pitch. Then the fun part: employees vote to allocate the grant awards and work with the selected nonprofit to plan volunteer projects for the coming year. This is a unique way to provide financial support to local organizations and directly involve employees in the selection process.
We currently offer community grants in our two largest US offices. NETSCOUT provides a total of $30,000 in funding, with each location awarding $15,000 in grants. Our 2023 grant cycle that concluded in May was the ninth annual program in Westford Mass, partnering with the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, and the sixth annual program in Allen Texas, partnering with Communities Foundation of Texas. Since the program’s inception, employees in both locations have awarded $170K to community nonprofits and had the pleasure of inviting 42 community organizations to our workplace for live presentations and Q&A.
Because giving back is part of our culture, one of the grant requirements is that the selected organization offers volunteer opportunities. This is a meaningful way to better understand how local nonprofits support vulnerable people in our community. Imagine spending your morning at an amenity-filled, high-tech office and your afternoon packing meals at a food bank or painting at a homeless shelter. For many employees it’s a powerful, eye-opening experience. It can also provide an occasion for employees to share their own personal experience or background, and why a cause or a particular organization is important to them.
One of the more rewarding outcomes is the lasting relationships employees build with the nonprofits. In both locations, employees often continue to volunteer with organizations who presented at the pitch, sometimes making it an annual tradition. We recently had a grant recipient from more than five years ago reach out for assistance with a special project and employees were happy to organize a team of volunteers to help.
The community grant programs have become a favorite way to kick off our fiscal year, as noted by some of the employee comments from the 2023 grant cycle:
- “It is fantastic that NETSCOUT can help provide for these communities and help others. I love volunteering for NETSCOUT.”
- “Knowing that my employer prioritizes this effort gives me a sense of pride and affirms me that I am in the correct place.”
- “Makes me proud to work for a company that believes in giving it back and helping communities in/around us. Thank you to all the NETSCOUT employees who worked so hard to narrow down all the candidates to these final 3. All are deserving, and all did well with their presentations.”
- “These were all good and any one of them are deserving. I am thankful to work for a company which offers up charitable opportunities based on employee feedback.”
- “This was my first time participating in the community grant program work team. I learnt throughout the process from choosing a focus category based on our community need to awarding the grants. I felt how much NETSCOUT and its employees care about the wellbeing of their local community by dedicating money, time, energy, and other resources.”
Our employees, through their passion and desire to help those in need, are at the heart of our giving and help to fulfill our mission as Guardians of the Connected World.
