For the second year in a row, Cisco employees around the world are supporting our Be the Bridge: Annual Giving Campaign.  While we encourage and match individual philanthropic giving all year long, during this season of thanks and giving we elevate and renew our commitment to think globally and act locally.

It starts with our C-suite and leaders like Chuck Robbins, Rebecca Jacoby, and Rowan Trollope volunteering to sort food at the food bank just a mile from our global headquarters in San Jose, CA.

But that's just the beginning.

In the last five years alone, employees have donated over$21 million to support critical issues like global hunger and disaster relief efforts.  This year, we're broadening our focus to include all charities vetted for inclusion in the Cisco Matching Gifts program: 1,900+ options, three times as many as last year's campaign.

Cisco employees asked for more choice and this is what it looks like: our Annual Giving Campaign puts employees in the driver's seat to "be the bridge" for the issues and causes that that matter to them. From nonprofits focused on education, environmental sustainability, healthcare, animal rights and more, employees are now free to choose.

The early response has been overwhelmingly positive. Last week, for example, we hosted a 48-Hour Virtual Race, challenging our employees to see how much could be raised in support of local nonprofits in the communities where they live, work, learn and play.  The result: over$440,000 in employee donations came pouring in in just two days.

The recipients included:

• In Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 745 employees made a donation to organizations including the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, Triangle Family Services, and InterAct.
• In Greater Atlanta, executives matched employee donations to their favorite charity or the Greater Atlanta Fund. Organizations including the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Partnership Against Domestic Violence received support.
• In San Francisco, our Cisco Meraki office team supported the SF-Marin Food Bank's Hack Hunger Challenge. For every$1 donated,$5 worth of food was distributed, enough for 3 meals.
• In Canada, employees supported the Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank, not only raising funds but also generating an additional$10/hour for time volunteered.

Now through December 16, we hope to inspire thousands of employees worldwide to support their cause of choice, and together, raise more than$5 million in donations and matching funds through our Be the Bridge: Annual Giving Campaign.

Join us in spreading the word by using social media to let the world know how you are "being the bridge." Share your stories by using the#BeTheBridge and#WeAreCisco hashtags and inspire others by posting to the Cisco CSR Facebook page.

If you're a Cisco employee and want to donate or volunteer, visit our internal Annual Giving Campaign community and learn how you can start making a difference locally or globally today.