The empathy engine: How volunteering powers our culture 

Each of us has an area or cause we're uniquely interested in and passionate about. When we individually pour our efforts into these areas—the causes that matter most to us, the organizations that impact our local communities, or the initiatives that call us to get involved—we can bring our whole, authentic selves to the workplace and better show up for one another.

This is why we have intentionally built volunteering into the heart of our culture here at Customer.io. By empowering team members to support what matters to them, we can create a culture where people feel seen, valued, and connected—not just to Customer.io, but to the larger world we all want to shape.

As a remote company, we encourage all team members to participate in volunteering activities that inspire and enrich our lives and the communities around us. Today, we offer two primary ways for people to give back: Percent Pledge and volunteer time-off (VTO).

Percent Pledge is the corporate giving platform that enables our team to support the causes they care about most through donations and virtual or in-person volunteering. Through Percent Pledge, Customer.io provides donation credits and matches personal contributions as part of our End-of-Year Impact Campaign, which kicks off this month and runs through the end of 2025.

Our VTO program enables individuals to take time during the workweek to volunteer with initiatives and organizations they care about.

These programs are not perks; they are expressions of who we are, embodying our values of empathy, transparency, and responsibility in action.

Take Gabby Kustner, Senior Growth Marketing Manager, who lives in New York City. She believes volunteering is important as it helps her understand what other people’s lives are like.

Gabby used her VTO hours to volunteer with various causes this year – including at soup kitchens, a women’s retreat, and as a course marshal for the New York City Marathon.

Leah Thompson, Sr. Customer Success Manager, agrees with Gabby.

"I feel great about volunteering my time to give back to my community,” Leah says. “I have also had a chance to meet some of our hospital's ‘Champion Children’, who wouldn't be alive today without our hospital and the research they do. Hearing their stories makes me feel proud about the cause I'm supporting."

Leah volunteers with Extra Life Winnipeg, part of the Children’s Miracle Network. She chose this organization because of the meaningful personal connections—friends and family who relied on the children's hospital for everything from NICU care to rare surgeries.

So far this year, our team members have supported 588 nonprofits, a testament to the belief in what matters to our people, and have committed over 418 hours volunteering to causes that make a difference.

The beauty of these programs is seeing what our people gravitate toward. Some of the causes getting the most support:

• The Trevor Project: Working to end suicide among LGBTQ youth through 24/7 crisis intervention services
• Captain Planet Foundation: Engaging and empowering young people to be environmental stewards
• Clean Air Task Force: Pushing for the technology and policy changes needed for a zero-emissions future

On the volunteer side, our people enjoy staying engaged in their own neighborhoods and continue to support community-based organizations.

Brigitte Wittmer, Technical Writer at Customer.io, donates her VTO hours to Nourishing Hope, a nonprofit organization focused on providing food, mental health, and social services to the local Chicago area.

"I remember volunteering on a day that a whole group of retirees came," said Brigitte. "They were so kind and curious to know about me, and it was cute to learn about their monthly brunches!"

Brigitte primarily helps the nonprofit by sorting food coming into their distribution site (things like testing the temperature of milk and screening produce). She believes that volunteering locally helps her stay rooted in her community.

Alyssa volunteers with The Champion Project, an organization that supports youths and teens in the foster care system in Texas, who, she says, are often overlooked. She spends her time helping these teens discuss their goals, what they’re going through, and who they’re becoming, all outside of the circumstances they’ve been dealt.

"One moment that really stuck with me was helping a teen figure out her strengths. She couldn’t think of anything at first, but by the end, she named a few things she was genuinely proud of. Watching her confidence shift in real time was incredibly moving," Alyssa said.

While Customer.io supports year-round giving and volunteer options, the need during the holiday season only grows. Food banks experience a surge in demand, toy drives intensify, and year-end fundraising campaigns begin. And, the desire to give back grows, too. For many of us, giving back takes various forms and is an integral part of what makes this season meaningful.

Rachel Welt, Product Marketing Manager, donates her time at a local food bank, Pearl Street Cupboard and Cafe. The organization serves three hot meals a day, five days a week, primarily to the unhoused population in the immediate area, and operates a food pantry that serves a diverse population, including many families struggling to make ends meet.

Abigail Bullingner, Growth Marketing Manager, is also spending her VTO hours this holiday season. She’s volunteering with Operation Christmas Child this year, an organization that shares gifts with children in need around the world, helping to label and package shoeboxes to be sent out.

"It’s a blast to meet other volunteers and to help create the perfect gift for each child," said Abi. "I appreciate VTO time so much. When I think about any given week and the responsibilities I have, the commitments can really add up! One given, however, is that I will be spending 40 hours of productivity, creativity, and effort at my job. It is such a gift to be able to reallocate some of those hours of energy toward volunteering.

The numbers tell part of the story: team members at Customer.io have donated to 588 nonprofits, with over $300k+ donated overall in 2025 (so far), and 418 volunteer hours completed. But the real story is in the individual moments.

Gabby is cheering on marathon runners at mile 18.

Brigitte is repackaging berries to be redistributed to those in need.

Rachel is rolling silverware as the food bank cooks up the next meal of the day.

Abi is packing gifts for children who otherwise might not have received anything for Christmas this year.

Leah is playing Dance Dance Revolution to raise money at esports events for a local children’s hospital.

Alyssa is helping foster kids discover their strengths and build confidence for the future.

When people can pour into what they care about, when they can take time to volunteer and are empowered to do so, when they see their donations matched, when they work for a company that says "your values matter here" – they bring more of themselves to everything they do.

That is the empathy engine. This engine runs on what matters most to our people, and it powers a culture where everyone can show up as their whole, authentic selves.

Want to work somewhere that supports what you care about? We're hiring. Explore our open roles and join us in building something meaningful.