“At Appfire, giving back is in our DNA.” 

Over time, this has become our unofficial slogan. With this year’s launch of Appfire Town, our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, we now also say “There’s no cause too small” and “If it matters to you, it matters to us.” These words — and Pledge 1%’s framework — guide us as we embrace the spirit of philanthropy on Giving Tuesday and every day. 

Appfire has participated in the Pledge 1% movement since its inception, and we’re proud of the way our team continues to embrace it. This past year we’ve seen tremendous growth, and recognized it was time to formalize our CSR program. Fabian Lopez joined as Global Head of CSR, and with his guidance and infectious enthusiasm, Appfire Town, the Global Town with Heart and Soul, was established. 

Appfire Town’s reach extends far beyond Appfire’s walls. It’s a space where everyone — team members, friends, family, and those in our technology ecosystem — is encouraged to become a “neighbor” and come together to generate a strong social impact while sharing opportunities tied to volunteerism and giving. Appfire Town harnesses the power of our community to be a force for good.

“We support anyone wanting to participate in social impact experiences,” says Fabian. “Appfire’s here to ignite a social impact movement, ‘walking the talk’ and leading by example. We’ve laid the foundation and now ask our community to nurture this ‘town.’”

With Fabian at the helm, Appfire Town is thriving. We’ve extended our philanthropic reach tenfold by inviting our community to embrace the causes that are important to them. This September, we further extended our reach and our management of volunteer opportunities and donations through Benevity, which hosts a database of more than two million organizations worldwide. It’s also where Appfire Town manages its “currency” for Appfire participants, who can gain funds through volunteerism and community involvement, then donate those funds to causes they choose in Benevity. 

Appfire’s role is simply to provide support to those wanting to give back, offering tools — financial support, supplies, resources — and encouragement. “We’re amplifying the call to action,” says Fabian. “This is not about what one organization can do alone, but what we can do together to drive change.” 

This year, Appfire Town has brought to life countless ideas for supporting causes. For example, we: 

• Supported citizens in Ukraine by organizing supplies for children and transportation for families
• Started a food drive for a Pennsylvania food pantry
• Participated in Adrenaline Therapy Sessions with Warfighter Made 
• Traveled to Guatemala for service projects at a hospital and local schools
• Participated in St. Jude’s Walk/Run program to raise funds for its research hospital
• Created a blood donation awareness campaign
• Kayaked 180 KM in Sofia, Bulgaria, to raise funds for a children’s healthcare foundation
• Mentored high school students during a “CEO for the day” program with SuitUp
• Prepared a cookbook featuring team members’ recipes, with proceeds going to the Jean Maggi Foundation (we also donated funds to the foundation to build adaptive bikes)
• Took part in Movember to support men’s health initiatives
• Participated in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight childhood cancer
• Donated 235 KG of food to the Food Bank of Bizkaia in Bilbao, Spain
• Supported the Athletes Without Limits tennis team at the national championship in Argentina
• Supplied a generator to an orphanage in Moshi, Tanzania, so students could continue with computer classes after losing power (and donated 11 generators to families in Ukraine)

As we now also like to say, “If it’s big in your heart, it’s big to us!”

Have questions about Appfire Town or have a cause you want to support? We want to hear from you! Contact Fabian Lopez to learn more.