During July’s Global Month of Service, a team of Global Infrastructure Services & IT Operations teammates joined together for social good
By Barings Staff
Like many leaders, Global Head of Infrastructure Services & IT Operations Monika Hudson galvanized her team to volunteer during July’s Global Month of Service. Read on to find out how Global Technology & Data (GTD) teammates from across the globe spent more than 60+ volunteer hours during July – and what they’ve committed to going forward.
US 1 ZEN Team
The Request
Through a long-standing relationship she developed with nonprofit TechBridge, Monika, who is new to Charlotte, connected with local nonprofit Apparo when she moved to the city to work for Barings. Quickly, Monika and the Apparo team came up with an idea to get Barings involved with the technology-focused nonprofit by completing website UX assessments for three members of Apparo’s nonprofit network. Soon, technology teammates from each Barings region met virtually with assigned nonprofits to share their expertise. The team evaluated the websites of Social Venture Partners Charlotte, Zealous Empowering Nurturer (ZEN) and the Women’s Empowerment and Birth Equity Institute (WEBE), using a rubric with the following qualitative measurements:
- Performance
- Content
- User engagement
- Mobile-friendliness
- Overall experience
- Social sharing
US 2 Social Venture Partners Charlotte Team
The Result
The assessments performed by the volunteers resulted in more than simple recommendations for website improvement. They also contributed to each nonprofit’s ability to attract/reach additional donors and serve more clients/customers via the buildout of enhanced, dynamic online resources.
“As a new member of the Barings family and someone who is also new to Charlotte, it was important to me to find an organization that would help me create a long-lasting impact in the community,” Monika said. “With Apparo, I found that and more. I have been able to combine my passion for nonprofits with the support of amazing GTD teammates from across the globe. Together, we amplified our impact on three Charlotte-based community nonprofits, and I am truly thankful for our GTD teammates’ dedication to this cause. I look forward to continuing our mission in 2026, expanding our efforts across our footprint.”
Monika and the team also agreed to expand the volunteering effort so that more GTD teammates can participate, and more nonprofits can benefit. In 2026, the goal is to form more GTD volunteer teams across all regions where Barings operates, and to identify and assist nonprofits in local communities. Technology expertise will still be shared, but the impact will now be global.
“Our relationship with Barings is a demonstration of the transformative power of corporate-nonprofit partnership,” said Apparo CEO Kim Lanphear. “Working together, we leveraged Barings employee skills globally to deliver insights that will help improve thousands of lives here in Charlotte. We look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together next.”
UK/Asia WEBE Team
