Doing Good by Giving Back: Honoring National Philanthropy Day

Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

As a global company committed to developing solutions that improve people’s daily experiences, HARMAN has always believed in pursuing ideas, technologies and partnerships that have a profound impact on people, communities and the broader society. Through our global cause initiative, HARMAN Inspired, we invest in empowering the next generation and help them realize their potential through music, education, and community service. This National Philanthropy Day, we’re celebrating the importance of coming together to make a difference, and giving back to the communities where we work and live. Take a look at how our employees do just that, by participating in various activities year-round in collaboration with our HARMAN Inspired partners…

1,000 Dreams Fund: Supporting Women in STEAM 
Our longtime partners at 1,000 Dreams Fund have a mission to empowering the next generation of female leaders who are chasing their dreams of a career in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM). For more than five years, HARMAN and 1,000 Dreams Fund have helped shine a spotlight and financially support young women pursuing their dream careers through the New Face of Tech challenge. Since its inception, HARMAN has helped provide more than $180,000 USD in scholarship funding – and submissions for this year’s challenge are still open! Learn how to apply here.

In 2021, 1,000 Dreams Fund and HARMAN also launched the first JBL Quantum Changemakers Challenge to help amplify the voices and further the careers of women in eSports. Winners received a $1,500 grant and the opportunity to be connected with JBL Ambassadors and content creators from JBL partner 100 Thieves for virtual mentorship sessions and additional pop-up opportunities. Three lucky recipients also had the opportunity to visit our HARMAN EXPLORE 2023 showcase and test out our latest additions to the JBL Quantum series.

Music Will: Spreading the Positive Power of Music

With our long history in the music and audio industry, all of us at HARMAN have experienced first-hand the power music has on our lives. Together with Music Will, we’re bringing the benefits of music education to students across the United States in a variety of ways, including instrument and equipment donations to support in-school music programs. This month, we also supported a recent teacher training workshop in Dallas, Texas to showcase the benefits of fostering an appreciation for music.

To further support the music education curriculum, HARMAN and Music Will offer many opportunities for students to gain experience in performing and get recognition for their music through video essay contests, songwriting exhibitions, virtual modern band summits, and more. In fact, during the annual Music Will benefit in New York City, students take to the stage to share what they’ve learned during the school year and realize their passion for performing live music. The live performances offer Music Will students, teachers, and volunteers with a unique stage experience on opportunities for additional recognition.

Community Outreach: Helping Everyone Feel Welcomed and Valued 
Throughout the year, our global teams volunteer with nonprofit organizations in their area that focus on giving back to their communities. For example, in Stamford, Connecticut, HARMAN volunteers cooked and served meals to mothers and families currently experience homelessness with Inspirica, in Budapest, Hungary, our teams led a local mentoring event where they prepared and delivered meals to a women’s shelter in partnership with Foodora, and in Germany, our teams donated headphones to Klasse-Im-Plus, a nonprofit that supports school-age kids with an interest in music. Our employees also volunteer their time surrounding holidays and days of recognition, like our teams in India who hosted a diya painting event with our non-profit partners Sandesh India and AMC in support of adults with special needs, and our teams in Detroit, Michigan, who helped spread positive messages and support during Pride Month.

At HARMAN, we are proud of the ongoing work of our teams to contribute to our broader corporate purpose. As we head into the holiday season, our teams will continue to give back in meaningful ways through the rest of the year and beyond. For a full list of our non-profit partners and more details about HARMAN Inspired, visit: https://www.harman.com/inspired