To increase employee empowerment and enrich communities across the globe, 3M recently announced that it is expanding its 2025 Sustainability Goals with a new commitment. The company’s goal is to provide 300,000 work hours of skills-based volunteerism by 3M employees to improve lives and help solve society’s toughest challenges.

“NGOs, universities and social enterprises around the world face resource constraints to address the environmental and social challenges in their communities,” said Gayle Schueller, 3M vice president and chief sustainability officer. “With this new goal, we’re empowering our employees to give back beyond 3M products and technologies, as well as traditional volunteerism, by leveraging their professional skills to help organizations reach their goals.”

To reach 300,000 hours, the company is expanding 3M Impact, a skills-based service program that allows employees to lend their business skills, experience, and energy to make a difference in global communities while also developing leadership, problem solving, and interpersonal communication skills. In 2020, 200 3M employees will travel to 15 cities around the world to work with nonprofits, organizations, and local municipalities. To help facilitate these projects, 3M partners with advisory firm PYXERA Global.

“This new commitment will make 3M Impact the fastest-growing skills-based global pro bono program,” said Gavin Cepelak, senior vice president, Global Pro Bono at PYXERA Global. “People want to work for companies that are purpose-driven, and I’m delighted to see 3M’s increased investment in their employees and communities with this announcement.”

Along with international volunteer projects, 3M Impact will provide opportunities for employees in their own communities, as well as in the region surrounding 3M’s global headquarters in Saint Paul, Minn. In addition to assisting groups and organizations in need, each one of these projects is designed to support 3M’s Strategic Sustainability Framework.

To learn more, visit www.3m.com/sustainability and www.3m.com/3mimpact. PYXERA Global can be found online at www.pyxeraglobal.org.