Content courtesy of Walker Sands Communications, a Techweek Gives sponsor organization.  

It’s June and that means summer is in full swing! If you’re like us, then you’ve probably got that summer itch and can’t wait to head outside for some fun in the sun. And with so much to do, we thought we’d look at a few popular summer activities that also serve as great opportunities to give back.

Photo Credit: ReviewTrackers

As the Techweek Gives campaign gains momentum, we continue to be humbled by the meaningful ways that  participating companies are contributing to the city of Chicago through giving. We were particularly excited this week to catch up with campaign partner company Clique Studios, an award-winning design and engineering agency, who has truly been a leading example here in the city from the very beginning of the campaign.

After speaking with Brent Williams, Director of Education, about the company's focus on the Chicago community, it is clear that Clique Studios doesn't just pay lip service to commiting to giving back. It is truly core to who they are as an organization and how they do business. 

Content courtesy of Walker Sands Communications, a Techweek Gives sponsor organization. 

If you haven’t made any plans to celebrate National Volunteer Week, don’t worry — you still have time. Arbor Day, which falls on the last Friday in April every year, is right around the corner.

This week in our Techweek Gives campaign, we caught up with Monica Hauser, foundation manager for Motorola Mobility, a Lenovo company.

You may know Techweek as a series of technology conferences in cities across the country. Really, it's so much more than that. 

Content courtesy of Walker Sands Communications, a Techweek Gives sponsor organization. 

We know what you're thinking: Isn't the level of fun in our photo a little extreme? Not necessarily. Your employees are passionate people. If you get them engaged in corporate giving, anything is possible.  

Look beyond the basics with your campaign and determine what you can coordinate to build sustainable involvement in your corporate giving efforts. We've got a few ideas to get you started. 

One of the things we love about the work we do is we get to meet the most passionate leaders in the community. This week, we caught-up with Colleen Smith, Community Engagement Specialist for kCura, which makes the e-discovery platform Relativity and has become a leader in corporate philanthropy in Chicago. 

Content courtesy of Walker Sands Communications, a Techweek Gives sponsor organization. 

As we head into the fourth week of Techweek Gives, we thought we’d share some tips to help your organization increase employee giving and move up the leaderboard. One of the most common problems when it comes to workplace giving is employee engagement; if your employees aren’t willing to participate, then your giving efforts will quickly lose steam.