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"In some ways, the money is the least of it... They've fallen in love with the school and the kids, and their dedication has had a major impact."

CA Hope School: Giving Much, Generating More

As CA's India Technology Center grows and thrives in Hyderabad, employees have embraced the company's enduring commitment to giving back. For this group, the favored cause is the CA Hope School in Habsiguda, a vital addition in a poor district an hour-and-a-half from the bustling city. In 2004, with Project Hope, the Indian affiliate of Hope Worldwide, CA agreed to help establish the desperately needed school, providing a small building, meals, uniforms, books and a team of dedicated teachers. Since then, employees have adopted the Hope School as their own, supplementing the company's formal philanthropy with volunteer work and added funding, including the proceeds of a major fund drive in November 2006, during which an astonishing 72 percent of employees gladly donated a half-day's pay.

"In some ways, the money is the least of it," says Anne Marie Agnelli, CA's Vice President of Community and Public Affairs. "They've fallen in love with the school and the kids, and their dedication has had a major impact." Indeed, because of their support, CA will increase funding over the next three years, enabling the school, which now has 170 students, to continue to expand.

What have employees gained for their generosity? Nothing but a sense of accomplishment, says Narmada Yerramsetty, Team Lead, Technology Center. "As Mahatma Gandhi said: 'You must be the change you want to see in the world." Vamsi Vadlamuri, Senior Technical Writer fully agrees: "A gift is pure when it's given to the right people, at the right time, in the right place - and, of course, when we expect nothing in return."

Content posted on: 16 July 2007