Since our inception 21 years ago, Dayspring has had at its core a commitment to give back to the community. This has taken various forms, from a youth training program to setting up a low-interest fund serving small businesses in our Bayview neighborhood. In recent years, we became a Social Purpose Corporation (SPC) committed to donating up to 5% of our time and 10% of our profits across a number of neighbor-organizations in need.
Two years ago, we had an opportunity to partner with Rise University Prep, a new school established in the Bayview with the goal of providing quality education to one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods of San Francisco. Their model was bold, fresh, and vitally important – by partnering with local churches, businesses and volunteers, Rise created a rich relational environment that matched academic rigor with individualized support.
Dayspring decided to shift a major portion of its time and profit donations to Rise. But we went a step further – we share our physical space with the school and became an extension of their team. Some of our staff have built their website; others have implemented their Salesforce CRM to help track and support fundraising efforts. And many of our staff tutor after school and create coding courses, allowing us to use our marketplace skills to benefit students. All this happens seamlessly and organically given our proximity.
Most corporations struggle to increase employee satisfaction and loyalty. Dayspring’s partnership with Rise has allowed us to tap into our team’s inherent desires to do more than earn a paycheck. We end with our employees’ own words, which give you their perspective. When asked how our partnership with Rise affects them in the workplace, this is what they had to say:
Having Rise in the house reminds us that we are part of a larger community. We don’t know what the Rise students will become, but we are aware their life stories will include these years with us and that has a humanizing effect in our transaction-driven marketplace. –John
I could give $1,000 to an important charity, but that doesn’t mean I’ll get a view into how that money is used, and it might not impact me more than that. But, with Rise, it’s different. I can see every single day how this generosity is being used, and I see the children whose lives are impacted. And that’s pretty cool! –Karisa
“I feel that seeing the Rise kids and staff every day is a tangible reminder of the non-work work that Dayspring does and tries to do. Especially for someone new to the company, it’s a much more present and powerful portrayal of doing good than just giving x dollars to charity.” –Alex
“When I see the smiling faces of the students, it makes me realize that the work I do for Dayspring is really for them. The better we do as a company, the more resources they have as students and the school can continue to serve more disadvantaged kids.” –Dale
You can read more about Dayspring’s structure of giving in our 2019 SPC report and learn how you can support Rise University Prep here.