Blue Signal Gives Back 2022: Making an Impact

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Blue Signal recently wrapped up our 5th annual philanthropy initiative, Blue Signal Gives Back. Each year Blue Signal strives to give back to meaningful organizations through philanthropic donations. By aligning our shared passion for philanthropy with healthy competition, Blue Signal Gives Back has become a favorite initiative among our employees. In 2018, Blue Signal donated $1,632.50 to the American Parkinson Disease Association. The Smiths-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation won in 2019, with a $2,052.50 donation, and again in and in 2020 with a $3,986.50 donation. In 2021, we donated $2,105 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This year, we donated $2,280 to the International Justice Mission on behalf of our contest winner, Kevin Smith. To date, we’ve donated over $10,000 to various charitable organizations through the internal program.

Celebrating Giving Back: Blue Signal's Annual Philanthropy Contest

Blue Signal's annual philanthropy initiative involves a metrics-based, company-wide contest that rewards the winner with a donation to a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice. This year's contest ran from November 28th to December 25th, 2022, and included recruiters and non-recruiters alike. Teams consisted of two recruiters or a recruiter paired with a specialist from Operations, People & Culture, Marketing, or Finance. Each team selected a nonprofit charitable organization that was important to them to represent. Organizations represented this year included Veteran One, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Blue Ridge Cancer Care, Wounded Warrior Project, American Human Society, Friends for Life, and BeLoved Atlanta. Blue Signal Gives Back points chart

Recruiters could earn money for their chosen organization by hitting assigned metrics, such as candidate send-outs and placements. Specialists could earn money by participating in virtual races; each specialist was assigned a holiday character who would “compete” in the simulated race during the all-company meeting.

Our People and Culture team sent weekly updates on the contest standings. The  competition was tight, with ties for first, second, or third place nearly every week. Ultimately, the team with the most points won, and Blue Signal matched the monetary amount to make a philanthropic donation in the winning team’s name. This year, Kevin Smith was our Blue Signal Gives Back winner, earning $2,280 for the International Justice Mission.

Blue Signal Gives Back donation to International Justice Mission

2022’s Winning Organization – about the International Justice Mission

Founded in 1997 by Gary Haugen, a human rights lawyer, and a team of professionals committed to fighting against violent forms of injustice around the world, the International Justice Mission (IJM) is dedicated to protecting the poor and vulnerable from violence and providing them with the tools and resources they need to overcome their situations.

Today, IJM is a global organization that operates in nearly 20 countries and has helped to protect over 150 million people from violence, exploitation, and slavery. Through their work, IJM has secured over 400,000 convictions and has rescued more than 60,000 people from various forms of exploitation. In addition to their rescue and advocacy work, IJM provides support and aftercare services to survivors, including legal representation, counseling, and vocational training.

Blue Signal is honored to donate to the International Justice Mission on behalf of Kevin and hopes our donation contributes to their overall mission of protecting the poor and vulnerable from violent forms of injustice and creating a world where justice for the vulnerable is a reality.

Learn more about our philanthropy and giving back initiatives by visiting our webpage.

Blue Signal Gives Back 2021

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Blue Signal recently wrapped up our 4th annual philanthropy initiative, Blue Signal Gives Back. Each year Blue Signal strives to give back to meaningful organizations through a philanthropic donation. Aligning our shared passion for philanthropy with healthy competition, Blue Signal Gives Back has proven to be an employee favorite initiative. In 2018, Blue Signal donated $1,632.50 to the American Parkinson Disease Association. In 2019, $2,052.50 was donated to the Smiths-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation. Last year, Smiths-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation won for the second year in a row, receiving $3,986.50. At our 2022 Virtual State of the Signal presentation, Jordan Lawhead was crowned the winner of the 2021 Blue Signal Gives Back initiative, representing the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. As a result of Jordan’s efforts, $2,105.00 will be donated to the organization on his behalf.  

Blue Signal Gives Back: Philanthropy with a Splash of Competition 

Each year, Blue Signal makes a donation to a nonprofit charitable organization on behalf of the winner of a metrics-based, company-wide contest. This year, the contest ran from November 29th to December 25th, 2021. The teams consisted of two recruiters or a recruiter paired with a non-recruiter (employees from Operations, People & Culture, Marketing, or Finance) — with some solo team exceptions. Each recruiter or team picked a nonprofit charitable organization that was important to them to represent. Some of the organizations included Veteran One, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Friends for Life, and BeLoved Atlanta. 

Recruiters could earn money for their organization by hitting metrics that were assigned a dollar amount, such as candidate send outs and placements. Non-recruiters were able to earn money by answering trivia questions asked in our weekly company meeting. This year, the trivia questions were focused on Blue Signalers’ holiday traditions and memories. Questions included, “Which Blue Signaler would have ‘Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays’ by NSYNC playing in the background as they’re walking down the street, feeling great?” and “Which Blue Signaler thinks the best way to spend a Saturday in December is making a charcuterie board with their family, walking their puppy, and listening to Justin Bieber’s Christmas album?” While these questions primarily served as an opportunity to win points, they also allowed us to learn more about our virtual coworkers! 

At the end of each week, our General Counsel Jessica Walsh sent updates on the Blue Signal Gives Back contest standings. The competition was neck-and-neck, as we had ties for first, second, or third place nearly every week. At the end of the competition, the team with the most points won – and Blue Signal matched the monetary amount to make a philanthropic donation in the winning team’s name! This year, Jordan Lawhead dethroned 3x Blue Signal Gives Back winner Ryan Walsh, earning $2,105.00 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  

Photo of a bar graph depicting the Blue Signal Gives Back contest standings of every team in the contest

2021’s Winning Organization – Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. The disease causes long-lasting lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis affects more than 30,000 children and adults in the US. 

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was founded in 1955 by a group of parents who aimed to advance their understanding of the disease, create new treatments and specialized care for their children, and find a cure. Dedicated to research, the Foundation has made groundbreaking discoveries including identifying the gene and protein responsible for CF, and discovered more than a dozen new treatments for the disease. Today, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation funds research with the goal of finding new therapies and treatments for CF patients.  

Group of people dressed in purple standing together in front of a sign reading Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the recipient of this year's Blue Signal Gives Back donation

Jordan Lawhead chose to represent the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for this year’s Blue Signal Gives Back initiative because it is very near and dear to his family’s hearts - Jordan’s niece Marina was born with Cystic Fibrosis and battles the disease daily. Jordan and his family have supported the Foundation in the past by participating in CF walks, fundraisers, and events. Blue Signal is honored to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on behalf of Jordan and hopes our donation contributes to their overall mission to increase awareness and find a cure for CF. 

Blue Signal Gives Back 2020

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Closing out 2020 on a high note, we completed our 3rd annual company-wide event for Blue Signal Gives Back (BSGB). Giving back to the community is a shared passion among our employees, and each year we work to incorporate those values into what we do as a company. In 2018, Blue Signal donated $1,632.50 to the American Parkinson Disease Foundation. In 2019, we donated $2,052.50 to the Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation. This year, proving to be a 3-year trend, Ryan Walsh has won a whopping $3,986.50 to donate to the Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation on his behalf - all thanks to the combined efforts of the Blue Signal team. 

 

How BSGB Works 

Starting on November 16, 2020 and running through December 25, 2020 - every Blue Signaler was given the chance to choose a nonprofit charitable organization to represent. They certainly were off to the races! Employees were able to earn money based on metric points that were each assigned a dollar amount. Employees could earn points through correctly answering trivia questions, or even hitting goals like landing a placement! All efforts made an impact, and the competition was fierce. Each week our Human Resources Director, Jessica Walsh, sent out a progress report - building the excitement for the announcement at the beginning of the new year. 

BSGB Week 5

In the end, the team with the most points wins - taking all money earned from all teams and putting it towards the winning charitable organization. Blue Signal then makes a donation to that organization in the name of the winner! 

BSGB 2020 Blog Graphic

2020’s Winning Organization - The Smith Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation 

The SKS Foundation was established in 2019 as a non-profit foundation for children and families affected by Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome. SKS is a rare genetic condition that can cause a wide range of medical, intellectual, and behavioral challenges. The foundation is working to improve the quality of life of children affected by SKS by supporting cutting-edge research, collaborating with medical professionals, and strengthening community through worldwide awareness.

Researchers are continuing to learn more about SKS and are working to help special needs families gain more understanding/earlier diagnosis. The goal is to better understand the characteristics and the differences of MTOR conditions like Smith-Kingsmore syndrome to be able to design well-informed treatment plans.

The SKS Foundation happens to be very near and dear to Blue Signal’s hearts. 4-year-old Jameson “JJ” Walsh, the youngest son of CEO, Matt Walsh, was diagnosed with Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome in 2019. Early on, JJ had hearing loss and has undergone two cochlear implant surgeries to allow him to hear, which were a triumphant success! Despite his diagnosis, and with the support of the SKS Foundation and its incredible, growing community - JJ is a happy and healthy boy and is making great progress with the help of the amazing medical support he receives. 

BSGB 2020 JJ Collage

If you are interested in learning more about SKS and the Foundation, please follow this link. 

Donate to the Smith Kingsmore Foundation, here!