Philanthr(q)j Jounial of North Carolina
Company giving— ^ • > - -
Charitable contributions from U.S.
corporations reached their hipest level
- 2.4 percent of pre-tax income - in
1986.
March 1995
Staying the course
Study finds no rise in corporate giving to nonprofits
A survey by The Conference
Board shows corporate giving
to nonprofits has not risen
above the rate of inflation. But
while cash contributions are
stable, corporate voluntarism is
on the rise, nonprofit leaders
say.
By Barbara Solow
C orporate contributions to
U.S. charities will not grow
this year, according to a
new report by The Conference
Board.
A survey by the New York-based
research organization found that
corporate giving rose by only 1 per
cent between 1993 and 1994 - below
the rate of inflation. And a majority
of the 239 companies surveyed pro
jected no increas-
FOCUS contribu-
The report
FUND cites the slow
RAISING
nation s economic
recovery as the reason companies
are giving less generously than in the
mid-1980’s, when corporate giving
reached 2.4 percent of company pre
tax income.
That trend appears to hold true
in North Carolina, where many large
companies are holding giving to last
year’s levels.
“Most business have rightsized
and as part of that, have had to
reduce contributions,” says Don
Haver, vice president of community
affairs for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
in Winston-Salem - which plans no
increase in its charitable giving this
year.
“I would think over time, contri
butions win grow,” says Haver, who
declined to release specific figures
on the company’s giving. Future lev
els “are going to be dependent on
how well the company does.”
While companies may not be
increasing their overall giving, the
amount of in-kind support they pro
vide to nonprofits - everything from
employee volunteers to equipment
and services - is rising, the
Conference Board report states.
The Reynolds company, for
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. employee Al Jobbor (right), a volunteer dt the
Forsyth County Detention Center in Winston-Salem, talks with center
Chaplain Thigpen. Studies show employee voluntarism is on the rise,
photo courtesy of RJ Reynolds Co.
example, supports employee volun
tarism in two ways: by encouraging
managers to give workers time off
for volunteer duties; and through a
Community Involvement Program
that provides grants of up to $1,000
to nonprofits where empioyees vol
unteer.
“We’re trying to bring more value
to the community by having our
employees involved,” Haver says.
“They are giving more back to the
community than just the money.”
As in previous years, most com
panies in the Conference Board sur
vey are contributing the iargest
share of their charitable dollars to
education - 37.8 percent of total con
tributions in 1993, up from 37.1 per
cent in 1992. The second largest
share of company dollars went to
health and human service organiza
tions.
At Glaxo Inc. in Research
Triangle Park, company officials
recently identified their top giving
priorities as K-12 education and chil
dren’s health (see story below).
Look for CORPORATE, page 13
Taking stock
Glaxo targets
schools, health
After months of study, the
Research Triangle Park-hased
pharmaceutical company has
set priorities for its corporate
philanthropy.
By Todd Cohen
G
Research Triangle Park
laxo Inc. is sharpening its
philanthropic focus.
With the help of the Center tor
Corporate Community Relations at
Boston College, the Research
Triangle Park pharmaceutical com
pany has concluded that its top pri
orities should continue to "be educa
tion in kindergarten through high
school, and children’s health.
Within those priority areas,
Glaxo has decided to focus on
dropout prevention and children’s
immunization. What’s more, Glaxo
will look for ways to collaborate with
nonprofits on those issues.
“We have found that there are a
lot of groups working in parallel
EDUCATION
directions to resolve many of these
problems,” says Bill Shore, Glaxo’s
director of community affairs. “One
of our goals is to help create an envi
ronment in which these groups work
together to maximize the impact.”
The Center for Corporate
Community relations surveyed Glaxo
employees and senior managers, as
well as conununity leaders and man
agers at other companies.
Individuals who were interviewed
were asked to assess Glaxo’s perfor
mance as a corporate citizen and to
Ust key issues in the community and
to identify which ones should be pri
orities for Glaxo.
While participants overall felt K-
12 education and crime were the top
two community issues, they said
Glaxo should concentrate on K-12,
particularly dropout prevention, and
children’s health.
Glaxo already has begun putting
Look for EDUCATION, page 13
TV boost
corporate sponsor
K forth Carolina Public
/\/Allies has found its first
/ V corporate sponsor for its
statewide program that hopes to
inspire a new generation of leaders
by placing young adults in paid
internships with nonprofit organi
zations.
WTVD-TV in Durham recently
gave $20,000 to Public Allies to
support an internship for 22-year-
old Joe Andrews at the North
Carolina Child Advocacy Institute
in Raleigh.
Andrews says he’s doing exact
ly what he hoped he’d do after
graduating from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“My true Interest is working
with chidren’s initiatives,” he says.
Tm involved in an initiative aimed
at inspiring local communities and
local children’s services
providers.”
Jason Scott, executive director
of the Durham-based Allies, says
the Involvement of WTVD has
encouraged the group to seek
Joe Andrews
other corpo
rate spon
sors.
“It’s been
a challenge to
prove our- j
selves to the
community,”
he says. “A
year ago,
nobody knew
if we’d get off
the ground
much less
succeed. Now,
we’re a known commodity in the
community and WTVD is saying
that they’re willing to step up and
say, ‘It’s worth my time so it’s
worth yoim commitment.’”
Emily Barr, president and gen
eral manager of WTVD, says a
combination of factors convinced
her to seek funding for the pro
gram from the Capital Cities
Foundation, the philanthropic arm
of ABC-TV, which owns WTVD.
One was Public Allies’ success
ful public relations campaign. Scott
invited Barr to a breakfast and
introduced her to some Public
Allies participants. Barr says the
Allies told her some “very com
pelling stories about their work.”
Aso, Barr iearned that a sister
station in Chicago was working
with Public Allies in Illinois.
“I became convinced by Jason
and our public affairs person that
this would be a very worthwhile
endeavor for Public Allies and us,”
she says. “And then it was an easy
decision,”
Barr believes the $20,000 grant
will go a long way.
“It’s a win, win, win situation, if
you will,” she says. “Child advoca
cy is getting a very enthusiastic
and committed worker, and WTVD
- because of its ongoing effort to
promote the Children’s First
Campa^ [an ABC-TV program] -
is getting an Ally. And Public Allies
has a successful candidate helping
both the private and public sector.”
Susan Gray
BRIEFLY
$3.1 million gift to
School of Public Health
A Research Triangle Park
biomedical executive donat
ed $3.1 million to the
School of Public Health at
UNC- Chapel Hill. The gift
from Dennis Gillings, chief
executive officer of Quintiles
Transnational Corp, and his
wife, Joan, put UNC-CH's
Bicentennial Campaign over
the $400 million mark.
Cop)r center offers
community grants
Kinko's copy center in Durham
is offering community grants to
nonprofits in the form of cer
tificates for copying, publish
ing, printing and binding ser
vices. Certificates will be
awarded quarterly on Jan. 1,
April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1.
Applications must be received
30 days before the award
date.Call Nannie Burwell,
(919) 286-1000.
Milk company looks
for laughs
The Maola Foundation for
Children recently held a day
long session in therapeutic
humor in Durham. The train
ing was designed to teach
volunteers how to use humor
to entertain and educate
children. The foundation
was formed last year by
Maola Milk and Ice Cream
of New Bern.
Habitat house by Cone
employees done
Moses Cone Heath System
employees recently celebrated
the completion of a Habitat
for Humanity house built for
an immigrant family in
Greensboro. The Moses Cone
Health System Board of
Trustees donated $20,000
toward construction. An addi
tional $20,000 was raised by
the employees.
Half a million dollars
pledged to Arts Center
The Arts Center in Carrboro
learned that it will receive
$500,000 over 10 years
from the governments of
Orange County, Carrboro
and Chapel Hill. Orange
County and Carrboro each
promised to award $ 15,000
a year to the center. Chapel
Hill committed to $20,000 a
year.
WUNC-FM gears up
for spring fund drive
WUNC-FM will begin its seven-
day fundraising drive on March
30. The fall fundraising cam
paign netted $596,000 in gifts
and pledges - less than the sta
tion's $600,000 goal but still
the most successful drive in
WUNC's history. Listener do
nations make up 70 percent of
the station's annual income.