8/9/2019 Case Study - Building a Corporate Philanthropy Program

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/case-study-building-a-corporate-philanthropy-program 1/1

Client Case Study 

Developing a Corporate Philanthropy InitiativeHow a corporate client's "culture of focus" shaped the corporate giving program

The following account is a true story based on a client’s experience with Excellence in Giving. Identifying details have been changed to protect anonymity.

Many corporations offer an employee matching giftprogram. Traditionally a company matches dollar-for-dollar up to a set amount per year to eligibleorganizations. Eligible organizations typically need nomore than 501(c)3 status. This “portfolio approach”did not appeal to our client. In the client's world of private equity investments "over-diversification"

delivers average results. That is why their company invests large amounts only in a few carefully-researchedoptions. They wanted their corporate giving toemploy the company's philosophy of deliveringsuperior performance through focus.

Corporate Philanthropy Focus

To create a focused corporate giving program theexecutive committee had to limit the eligibleorganizations. Based on EIG's advice they decided toselect three locally based organizations using a two-

step process. First, the executive committee wouldreview a list of 10 recommended organizations fromEIG. Second, the employees would vote for 3 from areduced list of 6.

The executive committee asked EIG to create arecommended list of potential charitable partnersusing the following goals for their giving program:

(1) to encourage giving and volunteering,

(2) to serve those in desperate situations such asextreme poverty or crisis, and

(3) to support organizations ignored by corporatesponsorships.

EIG used these corporate goals to screen dozens of organizations based on their purpose, results and use

of volunteers. EIG performed additional analysis of each organization's leadership, finances, and futureplans. The executive committee then narrowed thefield to two organizations in each of the followingfocus areas: (a) inner city youth, (b) extreme urbanpoverty, and (c) international relief and development.

Employee Participation

  All employees were invited to attend 2 lunch-timebriefing sessions designed to introduce the 6 potentialCharitable Partners. The executive leadership even

hired a temp so that the receptionist could also attend.Each organization presentedtheir respective programs in a25-minute time period. EIGdirected the organizations toinclude a video and end withQ & A to more fully engagethe employees.

Following the presentations, employees completed aconfidential online survey to vote for their preferred

organization in each of the 3 focus areas. EIG gatheredthe data and informed the executive committee of theresults. The three selected organizations have now become the company's Charitable Partners. Theemployees were educated by the non-profits anddeveloped a sense of ownership through the selectionprocess.

To encourage employee involvement, the company offers a two-for-one match for the first $2,000 givenper employee. One matching dollar comes from thecompany and the other matching dollar from theexecutive leadership. The employees are also given twodays PTO per year to participate in service projects  with the selected organizations. These policiesdemonstrate the executive leadership's belief in theimportance of giving.

“The executive committee

wanted their corporate

giving to employ the

company's philosophy.

EIG made that possible.”

©2010 Excellence in Giving LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Excellence in Giving logo is a trademark of Excellence in Giving LLC.Excellence in Giving

the joy of generosity 

Excellence in Giving LLC512 S. Tejon St. Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 | t. 719.329.1515 |  www.excellenceingiving.com