How has the success of On Demand Community been measured?
The goal of this initiative was to have broad participation by all employees, including executives. The initial target of 25,000 participants within the first two years was exceeded by 100%, with well over 50,000 registered in just two years. Participation and effort by volunteers was initially measured statistically in terms of the number of employees participating by IBM organization and geography, their cumulative number of volunteer hours, and their use of various tools. Within a year of launch, IBM retirees were given access to On Demand Community, and thus were included in the measurements. In 2005, IBM asked the Points of Light Foundation to evaluate the program’s impact on the schools and not-for-profits where IBM volunteers worked and used On Demand Community solutions. The formal evaluation effort concluded that On Demand Community was ‘without peer’ among corporate volunteerism programs. Ongoing evaluation includes tracking use of solutions and tools, media visibility; publi
