Entrepreneur defines corporate culture as a blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals and myths all companies develop over time. Here at T/K, our special blend is heavily comprised of some key ideals important to each of us in our small 15-person collective, including a practice-what-you-preach approach that shapes and guides much of our day-to-day interactions with each other and the outside world.
And this T/K mindset is not something merely discussed in new biz presentations or when chatting up clients; it’s something tangible that can be witnessed on a daily basis throughout our loft – from our composting and recycling to our weekly CSA roasts to our continued professional education program. But none of our initiatives reflect who we are as individuals (and as a team) as much as the causes we support through our quarterly CSR projects, each having specific needs or missions that mirror our agency practices and interests.
We’ve had the pleasure of donating to and serving some very different yet equally in-need causes, most recent supporting some of the following:
Safe Heaven - http://cityofrefugeinc.com
One of the many community programs run by City of Refuge ministries, Safe Haven centers around a hot meal made available to the homeless and needy residents of the local community. Participants are provided access to showers, clothing and information concerning resources available through the organization’s community resource center and its many service partners. As program volunteers, the T/K team spent several mornings working in Safe Heaven’s kitchen and lunchroom alongside program staff to serve meals and spend time building relationships with those served.
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Georgia & Alabama (Tiffane’s Wish) – www.ga-al.wish.org
In its sixteenth year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Georgia and Alabama operates on a budget of $4.2 million, and 79% of all funds are used for granting wishes to children. The chapter is scheduled to grant 375 wishes in 2010-2011 with the help of hundreds of regional volunteers with over 780 wishes waiting to be granted. In addition to a donation of much needed funds, T/K helped the local chapter with PR support to let the Atlanta-area know about a fundraising event to make a very special wish come true.
Wish recipient, Tiffane, suffers from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and was given the opportunity to wish for anything through the Make-A-Wish foundation. Her ultimate wish was to pay it forward by hosting a charity event where proceeds benefitted other families in need of a wish. Tiffane’s goal was to raise enough funds to grant three wishes, approximately $21,000.
Save the Children - http://bit.ly/qMZ3WX
When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education; remaining to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. One area of dire need right now is Somalia, where millions of people, most of them children, are at risk of starvation in this drought-stricken region. To combat this crisis, Save the Children has mounted an East Africa Food Crisis fund collection campaign to provide emergency nourishment to save lives. Each donation can potentially prolong and help save the life of child.
These are just some of the programs that we’ve chosen as a team, because they represent values important to us as professionals and individuals. The best employee volunteering and corporate responsibility programs will positively impact both the communities served as well as the employees it touches. A well executed program that closely aligns with the work of the company as a whole also can nurture a strong corporate culture.
Do your community efforts support your corporate identity and resonate with employees? If the answer is no, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate your company’s current community support strategy.
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