Newspapers / Philanthropy Journal of North … / Oct. 1, 1993, edition 1 / Page 12
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Corporate Giving 12 Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina Duke ranks high Duke University ranks second among U.S. universities in the amount of money raised from corporations — $49.4 million. October 1993 Helping the bottom line Corporations find volunteer programs can help boost corporate image, morale Linda Griffin of Glaxo Inc. enjoys working as a volunteer pharmacist, and appreciates the support given by her employer. Photo by Robert Miller Employee volunteer programs that support community projects have become increasingly popular in North Carolina and the U.S. The programs come in various shapes and sizes but share the same goals - to improve morale, help compa nies enhance their public image and better target their charitable resources. By Barbara Solow O nce a month, Linda Griffin leaves her cor porate offices at Glaxo Inc. in Research Tri angle Park and heads for a health care clinic in Ralei^. Griffin, a senior product manager for Glaxo, is a volunteer pharmacist for the Open Door Clinic, a program providing free care for Trian^e-area residents. Besides her time, Griffin is able to offer something else to the clinic. Thanks to a program called GIVE - short for Glaxo’s Investment in Volunteer Excellence - her time is matched by a gift of money from the company Under the GIVE system, a charity that receives 30 to 49 hours of volun teer time from an employee is eligible for a $250 grant, while one that receives 50 or more hours is eligible for a $500 grant. Last year, more than 300 Glaxo workers participated in the program, with GIVE grants to local 501(c)(3) nonprofits totaling $140,000, says Glaxo’s Ramona Jones. The response has been so enthu siastic, the company recently expand ed the program to include retirees and employee spouses. The Glaxo program is just one example of how a growing number of companies are choosing to support employee voluntarism. While some company programs are directed towards long-term goals such as improving education, others have been organized as short-term efforts, such as food drives for resi dents of the flood-ravaged Midwest. A new study co-sponsored by The Conference Board and The Points of Light Foundation shows corporate volunteer programs have survived the downsizing and retrenchment occurring in many U.S. industries. Of the 454 corporations surveyed, 92 percent said they encourage Look for CORPORATE page 13 McColl to head drive Charlotte mulls $30 milliou endowment As it prepares to launch a big fundraising drive to build its endow ment, the Arts & Science Council in Charlotte has enlisted the heaviest of heavywei^ts to head its campaign. Chairing the drive will be Hugh McCoU, chairman and chief executive officer of NationsBank, the fourth- largest U.S. banking company. McColl is co-chairman of the $320 million Bicentennial Campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but he has never headed a local campaign on his home turf in Charlotte. A goal has not been announced but it is expected to total $30 million. A fea sibility study by Alexander Oneill Haas & Martin in Atlanta concluded that Charlotte’s arts federation could raise $20 million to $40 million. (The Arts and Science Council’s initial estimate was more modest, in the range of $15 million to $30 million.) The councfi, one of the largest U.S. arts federations, will have a $10 million ARTS endowment with funds that were pledged as part of a $60 million cam paign in 1989-90. That drive also raised $45 million to build the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and $5 million to establish an endow ment for the Blumenthal Center. McColl and Michael Marsicano, executive director of the Arts & Science Councfl, currently are setting up the campaign struc ture and fundraising cab inet. Planning will take about ei^t months, fol lowed by private solications. The public phase of the campaign will begin in the fall of next year. Annual fundraising by the Arts & Science Council has grown to $7 mil lion, ranking it among the top 10 united arts funds in the United States in dol lars raised. The organization distrib utes money raised privately and con tributed by the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Todd Cohen Employee giving Expanding workplace campaigns The Council of Federations recently published a guide to help corporations plan and put into effect workplace giving campaigns that include alterna tive funds. Research shows adding these funds increases overall charitable giving. By Katherine Noble C orporations that want to expand their work place giving cam paigns have a new place to turn for advice and hands-on assistance: The Council of Federations. The Council, a nonprofit federa tion of 500 charitable organizations formed in 1991, recently published “Adding Value: The Case for Expanded Employee Workplace Campaigns.” The publication is designed to ease the transition from a sin^e charity campaign to a cam paign that includes alternative funds. For nearly half a century, work place giving campaigns have been dominated by one organization: the United Way. The problem is. United Way doesn’t represent all charities, just a select few that tall under its health and human services umbrella. But as funds for federal programs are cut and social ills proliferate, environmental, social-change, health and educational nonprofits are grow ing. . FUNDRAISING So is their need for funding. And the best way to get money from indi vidual donors is at the workplace. In North Carolina, the United Negro College Fund, the Environmental Federation of North Carolina, Combined Health Appeal of North Carolina and North Carolina Community Shares are strug^g to gain access to workplace campaigns. They’ve had some success. The Council of Federations’ publication may make their job easier. According to the guide, the: first steps in expanding the workplace campaign are assessing the employ er's goals, evaluating the current campaign and surveying the employ ees’ charitable giving desires. Once the corporation decides to add alternative funds, plugging them into the campaign is easy: identify the charities to add, decide how to manage the campaign, develop cam paign materials and decide how to distribute employee contributions. The Council will walk corpora tions throng the process. Don Sodo, chairman of the Council and executive director of National United Service Agencies, says that adding choice to workplace campaigns shouldn’t be a burden to corporations in terms of money or dollars. “We are set up to make what we call a seamless transition from a United Way-only campaign to one that contains onr federations as well.” For a free copy of the guide, call 1-800-458-9505. BRIEFLY Burroughs Wellcome gives to housing A volunteer housing project in North Orange County and a mediator training pro ject in Durham have been awarded $10,000 grants from Burroughs Wellcome Company. The company's community service program gives to nonprofits where employees volunteer. Local companies boost education More than 30 schools in Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Union counties are part of a pilot program developed by Gift-in-Kind Clearing House and Verbatim Corporation. Under The Business Surplus for Better Schools program, businesses sponsor school memberships in a surplus buying program. Durham company aids seniors Paste-Ups Inc., a graphic arts and printing firm in Durham, has joined the growing number of business es supporting the city's Council for Senior Citizens. For information about coun cil activities, call 688-8247. Career camp tor kids Torre Hunter of Raleigh was one of four students chosen to be part of a telecommuni cations career camp spon sored by Southern Bell and Auburn University this sum mer. Other winners were Swanda Leggett, Raeford, Veronica Higgs, Tarboro and Jason Easter, Gaston. Photo courtesy of Southern Bell
Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Oct. 1, 1993, edition 1
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