2009 - A Rewarding Year in Support of Philanthropy
Booz Allen’s charitable programs reflect not only who we are as people, but also as an institution.
Booz Allen Hamilton is a world-class consultancy with both global recognition and a more unpretentious side: 75% of its employees quietly volunteer on an ongoing basis to support social service, education, and cultural needs to make a difference in their communities.
Says principal Joe Suarez, “The firm’s philanthropy is driven by our people—it percolates from the bottom up, not from the top down. The firm addresses our communities’ needs based on the personal commitments of its staff. The direction in which our people go, so goes the firm.”
In 2009, the firm continued to expand its diverse outreach, philanthropic, and employee engagement programs, with an eye towards activities that can also include employees’ family and friends and appeal to their wide-ranging generations, experiences, and cultures.
Ocean Conservancy and the International Coastal Cleanup
One initiative with wide-ranging appeal was the launch of a firm-wide partnership with the Ocean Conservancy (OC) in 2009. With the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC)—the largest volunteer effort of its kind—the OC engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches, shorelines, and waterways, from athletic sneakers to plastic grocery bags and more, and change the human behaviors that caused the debris. OC’s annual report of findings is used by government agencies worldwide to monitor the overall health of the oceans.
Executive vice president Dave Aldrich is a board member of the OC and Booz Allen was a Living Waters sponsor of the 2009 ICC, which took place September 19. The firm also provided pro bono assistance for a comprehensive three-year strategic plan that will enhance the OC’s contribution to the health of the world’s seas and implementable recommendations about a way forward.
Participating in the 2009 ICC cleanup efforts were hundreds of Booz Allen volunteers from more than a dozen regional teams from Charleston to Seattle to Honolulu, as well as at the OC’s signature event at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. Although 2009 results will not be available until March 2010, the OC reports that volunteers participated in the ICC on every major body of water and every continent except Antarctica.
The Sant Ocean Hall
This year, Booz Allen was also involved in two projects with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), both with tie-ins to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. The Sant Ocean Hall is a permanent exhibition that opened to the public at the NMNH in September 2008. At a spacious 23,000 square feet, the Sant Ocean Hall’s 45-foot life-sized model of a North Atlantic right whale and 24-foot female giant squid are part of the largest marine collection in the world. The exhibition combines collections, models, one-of-a-kind exhibits, and the newest technology to provide visitors with a breathtaking exploration of the ocean’s past, present, and future.
The firm provided financial and consulting support for the Sant Ocean Hall’s development, in addition to pro bono support to determine the vision and technical specifications for an online Ocean Portal. The project also offered the firm the opportunity to work alongside one of its clients—the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—a lead sponsor and collaborator for the Ocean Initiative project.
The Secret in the Cellar – A Written in Bone Forensic Mystery from Colonial America
Booz Allen and the NMNH combined science and fiction to tell the story of how scientists and archeologists solved a real-life 17-century murder mystery. As part of a pro bono project, the firm developed an interactive Webcomic, “The Secret in the Cellar – A Written in Bone Forensic Mystery from Colonial America” (http://writteninbone.si.edu/comic). Targeted to junior high and high school students, “The Secret in the Cellar” is an innovative guide to interpreting forensic information, and it won the 2009 Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming Gold Prize from the U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA). In addition, a paper about the Webcomic, “Assessment of Educational Visual Storytelling at the Smithsonian,” co-authored by Booz Allen and NMNH received the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2009 Best Paper Award.
The Webcomic is just one aspect of the NMNH exhibit, “Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake,” on view through February 6, 2011. The firm is lead sponsor for the exhibition—a logical connection with the firm’s technological and law enforcement focus areas. The exhibition’s related education programs, including curriculum resources, are aligned with the Booz Allen’s commitment to STEM education programs.
United Service Organization (USO)
With a focus both at home and overseas, the United Service Organization (USO) has provided morale-boosting services to military personnel and their families since 1941. As a USO Worldwide Strategic Partner, Booz Allen donates funds to underscore its commitment to an organization that serves the defense community and its military mission. In 2009, the USO approved and implemented the comprehensive strategic plan the firm developed on a pro bono basis for the organization to help it manage growth. Booz Allen staff also count themselves among the 250,000 individuals who volunteer for the USO, some for decades. It’s all part of the hands-on work the firm does for men and women in the armed services.
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)
Each year, Booz Allen supports inspirational education programs targeted to youth, and the firm will revisit two of them in 2010: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) and the Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge.
Booz Allen sponsored the 2009 National Capital Region’s For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition (FRC) Tournament in Washington, D.C. FRC involves high school students who work in teams of their peers to design and develop sophisticated working robots. Hundreds of Booz Allen staff who volunteer as mentors, judges, and regional board members drive the firm’s involvement in the popular program. In March 2010, the firm will again be a presenting sponsor of the FIRST Robotics Competition National Capital Region, which consists of three events a week apart in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond. Programs such as FIRST are crucial to inspire young people toward the STEM careers that are vital to our nation’s ability to sustain its global competiveness.
B’nai B’rith International’s Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge
Again in 2010, Booz Allen will underwrite the B’nai B’rith International’s Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge and sponsor related events. The Challenge started out as an educational initiative to promote tolerance. For the chance to earn college scholarships and sales of their books on amazon.com, teens write children’s books featuring themes about diversity. This year’s event will be held in San Antonio, and the winning books will be imprinted bilingual for first time. Says Suarez, “It’s an opportunity to teach younger children about the value of equality, combat bigotry, and improve the world.”
Toys for Tots
And finally, this year, while the firm is launching its holiday campaigns, we’re also reminded of the sad realities we face as a nation, as an organization, and as individuals. Booz Allen will dedicate its 2009 Toys for Tots drive to the memory of our friend and colleague, senior consultant Bill Cahir, who was killed August 13 while serving as an activated reservist with the U.S. Marine Corps. A sergeant with the 4th Civil Affairs Group, Bill enlisted in the Marines after 9/11 and had served two tours of duty in Iraq. His wife, Rene Browne, will deliver their twins by year’s end.
In the 62 years since the program started, Marines have distributed 400 million toys to over 188 million children. As a Marine reservist, Bill was an active and enthusiastic supporter of the Toys for Tots drive. This year, in Bill’s memory, the firm will match, dollar for dollar, the contributions of Booz Allen staff who donate cash to the Toys for Tots drive.
story posted December 3, 2009
