At uBack, we love it when companies go above and beyond when it comes to giving back. It pushes us all to be better, to do better and to aim higher. We've got those who push us professionally. We need the same motivation philanthropically — all of us do. 

Hard to believe, but the holidays are almost upon us. Most companies use this time of year to say thanks — to their employers, their customers or both. This year, we've got an idea for you that goes beyond the standard Starbucks gift card. 

Jennifer Levine Hartz is the president of Corporate Hartz, an Atlanta-based company that provides corporate social responsibility consulting services and personal philanthropy development. In other words, it’s her job to help people and companies do more good in the world. Not a bad way to spend your working hours, in our opinion.

How many aluminum cans does it take to build a home?

Betsy Mack is the director of corporate social responsibility for the Charlotte Hornets, the NBA team in Charlotte, N.C., and head of the Charlotte Hornets Foundation. It's her job to build strong ties with the Charlotte community, but it's also her passion.

Two reasons why employee giving helps retention

For all the stereotypes surrounding Silicon Valley, there is one that reaches far beyond those companies situated in California’s tech corridor: the tech community is bad at giving back.

uBack just made it easier for corporations and donors to support their favorite nonprofits. Through our partnership with Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, we added hundreds of thousands of new nonprofits across the United States to our mobile giving platform.

Speaking at a Techweek’s Growth Summit, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel aptly summed up the Chicago tech scene saying, “Silicon Valley and New York City have technology industries, in Chicago we have a tech community.” There is no better example of Chicago’s community than the Techweek Gives campaign sponsored by Walker Sands Communications and DLA Piper. Over the course of 90 days, 37 tech companies came together to raise $1.6 million dollars and volunteer over 11,000 hours.

Some days during this journey are special.