BT CAN June Health & Wellness Charity Challenge Wrap-Up

This June, 50% of Breakthrough Technologies staff took part in our annual Health and Wellness Charity Challenge, and we’re excited to share how it went! 

The idea is simple: set personal health and wellness goals for the month, pick a nonprofit organization to support, and if you reach your goal, BT donates to that organization on your behalf. Even if you don’t hit 100%, you can still earn a partial donation based on how close you got. 

It’s an approach that makes wellness more meaningful, tying our personal development to community impact. 

Setting goals—and being honest about difficulty 

When we kicked off the challenge in May, everyone defined their own goals and rated how challenging they’d be. This helped tailor the donation potential to the level of difficulty and kept us accountable in a way that felt honest and personal. At the end of June, we self-reported our progress (0–100%), with BT calibrating its donations accordingly. 

From our Slack check-ins, it was clear everyone had different wellness goals—and that was the beauty of it. We believe sharing ideas and inspiring one another is a huge part of growth, whether we’re tackling a new work project or setting a personal goal. 

Goals that went beyond exercise 

While some focused on traditional fitness goals like hitting the gym, swimming, or walking 10,000 steps, others chose goals that were mental, emotional, or creative. Staff goals included: 

• Daily 10-minute meditation (using an app or VR) 

• Going to bed before 11 p.m

• Tracking water consumption 

• Using a hangboard for 30 seconds every day 

• Cold-water tub baths for mental reset 

• Tracking meals through Nutrition app to reduce sugar and increase fiber intake 

• Making time for play (puzzles!) 

• Creating a daily to-do list each morning  

• Reading more 

• Doing something artsy each day 

We used Slack to keep each other motivated, sharing photos, encouragement, and even playlists. 

Meeting goals—and pivoting when life happened 

Some of us hit our goals in full. Others (myself included) had to adjust. 

I set ambitious goals: increase lap swim times by 15 minutes (from 40 to 55 minutes, 3x a week), learn flip turns, practice dolphin kicks, add dry-land workouts (at home or the gym), improve warm-up and cool-down routines, and sing for 30 minutes daily. 

But with summer schedules, a house move, my teenager’s changing routine, and work responsibilities, I was lucky just to get into the pool three times a week. Instead of increasing my swim times, I stuck with my regular routine. Between work, family, and wellness, time is a huge factor—and sometimes you find yourself a bit underwater (see what I did there?). 

Still, I hit about 80% of my goal. Others shared similar experiences: vacations, workload spikes, unexpected schedule changes. And that’s exactly why we set it up this way. You can aim high, but even if you don’t hit 100%, you’re still supporting a cause—and yourself. 

Supporting the causes that build communities 

Part of what makes this challenge special is that everyone chooses their own nonprofit. This year, our donations went to organizations including: 

• Oak Park Homelessness Coalition 

• Animal Friends Alliance 

• 826 Chicago 

• Miami Waterkeeper 

• The Bowery Mission 

• The Center on Halsted 

• Operation Breakthrough 

• The Heartland Animal Shelter 

• The Arc 

• The Nature Conservancy 

• The Trailkeepers of Oregon 

• Ravenswood Community Services 

• Mosaic House Ministries 

• Streetwise 

• Pro Deo Youth Center 

• Big Bones Canine Rescue 

• Osceola Council on Aging 

• Connections for the Homeless 

• Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance 

We’re proud of our collective effort and the impact we can make—even in small ways—on the communities and causes that matter to us. For this challenge, we raised $4,625 for these nonprofits and organizations!

Keeping the momentum going 

As a small thank-you, each participant will receive a custom and comfy BT-branded T-shirt to celebrate their effort and remind them of what they accomplished! 

We hope this challenge inspires us all to keep doing the things that work best for us. After all, it takes about 28 days to build a habit—so maybe we can keep them going! Whether it's carving out time for exercise, meditation, art, or simply better sleep, these small changes can add-up to lasting impact on our well-being. 

Reflections on goal-setting and wellness 

Personally, this challenge really changed the way I think about goal-setting. It’s not just about aiming high, but about setting meaningful goals and intentions, being flexible, honest, and compassionate with yourself when you need to adapt. I love that BT recognizes that wellness is just as much about mental and emotional wellness as it is about physical wellness. 

Thanks to everyone who participated, shared their progress, cheered others on, and helped make our June Health and Wellness Charity Challenge another meaningful and impactful success!