Not only does The Riverside Company focus on adding value to the companies with which it works, the nearly 40-year-old private equity firm also strives to do the same for the communities where it operates.
It does so, in part, through its membership with BVU. For 11 years, Riverside has worked in partnership with BVU to add capacity to the nonprofit community and to execute team volunteer projects – not only in Cleveland but in locations as a far away as Stockholm County, Sweden.
“Experiencing service as a team builds relationships, deepens connections, and strengthens community impact,” said Graham Hearns, managing director and chief of staff for Riverside.
Hearns recently took some time to share his perspectives on corporate volunteerism, community impact and nonprofit board service.
What makes corporate volunteerism meaningful rather than performative?
- Corporate volunteerism is most meaningful when it feels personal and connected, rather than performative. That often means volunteering in your own backyard — supporting a cause with a real connection, whether it’s geographic, mission-driven, or introduced through a colleague who’s already involved. That relevance makes the experience feel authentic.
- Meaningful volunteerism also gives people the chance to learn about their communities and be exposed to perspectives they might not otherwise encounter, while directly helping their neighbors. Bringing people together to do good is powerful — especially for those who may not have had the opportunity before. Experiencing service as a team builds relationships, deepens connections, and strengthens community impact.
- The more grassroots it can be at a corporate level, the better. When volunteerism feels overly driven by one person or one department, it can lose some of its specialness. Creating space for employees to weigh in on causes, champion what matters to them, and share what’s important fosters deeper relationships and introduces people to missions they may carry forward on their own—with family, friends, or community groups.
What have you learned from serving on nonprofit boards that has shaped how you operate as a leader?
- Serving on nonprofit boards has shaped how I operate as a leader in several important ways. It’s given me both the literal and figurative opportunity to find my voice — to get comfortable sharing a point of view, defending a position, and applying my skill set in environments that are different from my day‑to‑day role.
- It has also strengthened my ability to navigate disagreement and conflict. Nonprofit board work requires listening carefully to different perspectives, learning to disagree constructively, and incorporating others’ viewpoints into the decision‑making process. Because decisions are often driven by consensus rather than hierarchy, you’re forced to think more holistically about stakeholders, community impact, and long‑term outcomes.
- Ultimately, that experience has sharpened my communication skills and reinforced the importance of thoughtful, inclusive decision‑making — skills that translate directly into how I lead teams and organizations.
Many companies struggle to move from good intentions to real action. What has helped Riverside?
- Many companies struggle to move from good intentions to real action, and what’s helped Riverside is shared ownership and visible commitment. Responsibility can’t sit with just the co‑CEOs, a single senior leader or one department — it has to be pushed down to the most local levels, where teams can truly own.
- At the same time, we make space for people to participate. We dedicate time, we shut down offices for community impact days, and we ensure there’s buy‑in and support at the highest levels. When senior leadership shows up — our Co‑CEOs, fund managers, and office leads — it sends a clear message that this work matters. Someone can say something is important, but if they don’t show up, the message is lost. There’s a direct correlation between senior engagement and the success of our volunteer efforts.
- Another key factor is trust and local relevance. We host community impact days across different cities, countries, and continents, and we don’t dictate causes from hundreds or thousands of miles away. We let local teams tell us what matters most to them, which creates real investment and accountability.
- Finally, we back our commitment with resources. That means not just time, but also money — setting aside budget to support these efforts. When you allocate resources, it’s no longer lip service. Over time, that consistency builds a culture where volunteerism and giving back are simply part of who we are and what we do — and we communicate that clearly and often.
How do you see community engagement and volunteer experiences contributing to employee engagement and talent development?
- Community engagement and volunteer experiences play a meaningful role in both employee engagement and talent development because they bring people together in ways that day‑to‑day work often doesn’t. They create opportunities for colleagues from different functions and teams — who might otherwise never interact — to work side by side toward a shared goal.
- In an environment where it’s more challenging to have everyone in the office every day, especially after the shift to remote and hybrid work, those opportunities to build relationships are even more important. Volunteer experiences help people connect on a human level, strengthening trust and collaboration back at work.
- There’s also a strong talent component. Younger generations increasingly expect their employers to be involved in the community. Many have grown up with service as part of their education, and community involvement matters to them when choosing where to work and whether to stay. Demonstrating an authentic commitment to giving back helps attract and retain talented people.
- From a development standpoint, these experiences allow colleagues to build and apply skills in different contexts — whether serving on nonprofit boards, supporting a specific project, or working directly with community partners. It’s also powerful to empower team members who may not hold formal leadership roles in their day‑to‑day jobs to lead community impact initiatives. When we ask them to step up and have others follow their lead, it builds confidence, leadership capability, and engagement.
In your opinion, what do nonprofits most need from business leaders right now — beyond financial support?
- Beyond financial support, nonprofits most need business leaders to share their expertise, time, and perspective. Many organizations are navigating unprecedented and uncertain conditions, and access to experienced leaders who can help think through strategy, operations, governance, and growth can be just as valuable as funding.
- Business leaders bring skill sets in areas like finance, talent, communications, technology, and change management — capabilities that can help nonprofits strengthen their organizations and better serve their communities. Serving on boards, advising leadership teams, or supporting specific initiatives allows nonprofits to benefit from that experience in very practical ways.
- They also need engaged partners who are willing to listen, understand the communities they serve, and help them adapt through challenging times. When business leaders get involved, ask thoughtful questions, and contribute their expertise, it helps propel nonprofit organizations forward and makes their impact more sustainable over the long term.
Riverside’s Community Impact Days have spanned years and geographies. What makes these experiences stick with employees long after the event itself?
- What makes Riverside’s Community Impact Days stick with employees long after the event itself is the sense of meaning and memory they create. These aren’t just volunteer hours — they’re shared experiences where people give their time to organizations that genuinely need it and where they can clearly see the impact of their efforts.
- A big part of that is connection. We’re intentional about helping colleagues understand the nonprofit’s mission and needs, not just showing up as an extra set of hands. Spending even 15 or 20 minutes at the beginning to set the stage — explaining how the organization serves the community and how our work helps move the needle — makes the experience far more memorable and reinforces that people are truly making a difference.
- We also reinforce those moments after the day itself. We celebrate and share the experiences through photos and videos, internal newsletters, our global Riverside video channel, and even at investor conferences. In our Cleveland office, we also highlight this work in our Community Corner, which is dedicated to showcasing colleagues’ volunteer efforts across Northeast Ohio.
- By connecting the work to real impact and then continuing to tell those stories, the experiences don’t fade—they become part of our collective identity and something employees carry with them well beyond a single day.
For business leaders who want to deepen their company’s role in the community but feel constrained by time or complexity, what advice would you give?
- For business leaders who want to deepen their company’s role in the community but feel constrained by time or complexity, my advice is to start by plugging into organizations that already know how to do this well. Groups like Business Volunteers Unlimited are a great example — they help connect businesses with nonprofits and create mutually rewarding partnerships, removing a lot of the friction and uncertainty that can hold leaders back.
- It’s also important to recognize that no matter how strong your volunteer program is, there will always be some portion of your organization that feels they don’t have the time. What I’ve consistently seen, though, is that those same people are often the most energized after participating. Even a single day of volunteering can reignite enthusiasm — not just for the community, but for their work and colleagues as well.
- At the same time, leaders shouldn’t feel pressure to take a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. Community engagement can take many forms. Some firms choose to shut down the office for a day and volunteer together. Others give employees time off to volunteer independently, support causes their teams care about financially, or offer project‑based skills support. All of those approaches can work.
- The key is recognizing that there’s no single “right” model. What matters most is creating opportunities that fit your culture, showing that leadership genuinely values the effort, and making it easier for people to get involved. When companies do that, community engagement becomes less about complexity and more about momentum.
Fast-growing companies are often focused on scale and performance. In your experience, why is it important for these types of organizations to invest early in community engagement and civic leadership rather than waiting until later?
- For fast‑growing companies, investing early in community engagement and civic leadership is critical because it sets the tone and establishes the culture from the very beginning. The earliest stages of an organization are when values are formed, expectations are set, and behaviors become habits. If community involvement is embedded early, it becomes part of who the organization is — not something that’s added later as an afterthought.
- At Riverside, community impact days and the tradition of giving back across the communities where we operate have been a hallmark of what we do for years. That consistency matters. It signals to employees that growth and performance don’t come at the expense of purpose, and that contributing to the community is simply part of how we operate.
- There’s also a strong talent development component. Community engagement gives employees opportunities to grow outside of their day‑to‑day roles — developing leadership, communication, and problem‑solving skills in real‑world settings. That investment pays dividends as the organization scales, because you’re developing more well‑rounded, engaged leaders along the way.
- Finally, it’s a true win‑win‑win. Employees are more engaged and fulfilled, communities benefit in meaningful ways, and the company strengthens its brand. Early community engagement makes organizations more attractive to future employees, and it can also resonate with investors, partners, and customers who increasingly value purpose alongside performance. When you build that foundation early, it scales with you as the organization grows.