Corporate giving and employee volunteerism is on the rise in the Toledo area as more firms develop strategies to involve their employees in activities that benefit their communities.
That was the message of a presentation, “How corporations determine where to give and how it can parlay to individual giving,” given at the EPIC Toledo Summit on Nov. 1 by two major corporate givers in the Toledo area.
Julie Payeff, community commitment manager at The Andersons, and Don Rettig, director of community relations at Owens Corning, emphasized that both companies have strategies to get more employees involved in volunteering their time and talent in their communities.
Payeff and Rettig said their companies have many employees who are active members of EPIC. Payeff said The Andersons encourages its employees to get involved because EPIC helps to build leadership skills.
Many companies are putting more focus on community involvement, said Kim Sidwell, senior vice president of resource development for United Way of Greater Toledo.
“A trend we’re seeing is that more corporations are becoming much more intentional in how they employ their resources and more innovative about how they support community organizations,” Sidwell said.
Owens Corning employs about 15,000 people in 28 countries on five continents with about 900 employees at its world headquarters in Toledo.
“It’s important for a company to have a strategy for corporate giving. We want to have a presence in Toledo, but we’re a world company so we’re expanding what we do globally,” Rettig said.
The company focuses on building relationships with organizations that fit the company’s business, such as those providing safe, efficient housing and critical-need shelters that include disaster relief and community centers, Rettig said.
The company supports Habitat for Humanity and HomeAid, a national nonprofit provider of housing for the homeless. Owens Corning has helped HomeAid rehab six shelters for women and children in the U.S. and has helped Habitat for Humanity build nine homes in the Toledo area, as well as homes in Denver, Kansas City, Kan., and Jacksonville, Fla.
The company donates roofing materials and insulation for those homes and has 30-40 employees involved in each of the projects.“Employee volunteerism, that’s our sweet spot,” Rettig said.
The company has also adopted neighborhood centers, such as the Friendly Center in North Toledo. More than 700 people attended a fall festival at the local center sponsored by Owens Corning with the involvement of 45 employees and family members.
Owens Corning also recently hosted a vendor supplier golf outing with participants invited from its global customer base. The event raised $312,000 to benefit the United Way, up from $200,000 raised two years ago, Sidwell said.
The Andersons, which has more than 3,000 employees in more than 70 locations across the U.S., has local charities it encourages its employees to support through volunteerism each year, including the United Way, Junior Achievement, American Red Cross and Queen of Apostles, a Catholic charity and mission organization.
“Our spirit of giving is to give a little bit to many organizations in the community with a variety of charities for our employees to get involved in,” Payeff said.
Both Owens Corning and The Andersons encourage employees to serve on local boards.
Board membership is a great way for employees to contribute their time and talent to nonprofit organizations, enhancing quality of life in the community as well as their own personal and professional development, Payeff said.
In September, 42 companies provided 1,500 employee volunteers who contributed 5,600 hours to 65 community projects with various nonprofit organizations during the Week of Caring conducted by the Volunteer Center at the United Way of Greater Toledo.
“Companies want to see collaboration with organizations working together with measurable outcomes,” Sidwell said.
Revenue for the United Way comesfrom corporate and employee giving,comprising 21.7 percent and 56 per-cent respectively. Another 16 percent comes from grants and individual gifts outside the workplace with the balance from bequests, special events and sponsorships, Sidwell said.
Last year, the United Way raised$13.6 million with its annual fundraising campaign, and has a goal of $13.8 million this year as announced at its kickoff in September.
The campaign is starting to wrap up but no total figures are available yet.
In the past, Owens-Illinois has led with its combination of corporate and employee contributions to the United Way, but it has not yet completed its drive. The company matches any do-nations up to $500 dollar for dollar and any above $500 by 125 percent.
Owens Corning recently wrapped up its United Way campaign, with employees contributing $337,544.
Employees at The Andersons donated $333,500 for the local campaign. The Andersons also lends corporate support of $175,000 for the United Way’s overall campaign to “help graduate kids,” Sidwell said.
The United Way also partners with companies and organizations to hold Day of Caring events year-round to get more companies and individuals involved with community groups.
Owens Community College participated in its first Day of Caring event Sept. 14. The project benefited the Family House in Toledo and Otterbein Skilled Nursing & Rehab Neighborhood in Perrysburg. Owens allowed time for faculty and staff to serve alongside students with a total of 60 people involved in that event.
