Did you know that today is Giving Tuesday? After expressing gratitude on Thanksgiving, shopping until we drop on Black Friday, supporting local businesses on Shop Small Saturday, and blitzing virtual stores on Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday provides a welcome opportunity to give back to causes we care about. At RedViking, we make it a point to support causes that our employees are invested in. We have a process where employees can bring information about their charity, fundraiser, or supportive community to an internal committee. They can request that we donate volunteer hours, monetary donations, or tangible goods. Each year we choose 3 one-day events where any of us can take a paid work day (not a vacation day) to use toward a local charity. We’ve cleared overgrown lots in Detroit, packed and served food for hungry people, harvested corn for food banks, and more. We’re also big on matching contributions, so if our employees are going to run, bike, swim, or walk for charity, we match their fundraising to a given dollar limit. And last, if one of our employees is passionate about a cause that they support, they can request a one-time contribution of money or goods. By providing a variety of support options, and requiring that our employees are involved before they ask for our help, we’re encouraging our people to give back. I believe this is important both for our communities and our employees. The kind of people we look to hire are ethical and generous, and they value corporate social responsibility. Here’s a partial list of who we’ve supported in 2016. I’ve linked their donations pages, in case you’d like to learn more or make a contribution:
- Life Remodeled
- Forgotten Harvest
- Focus Hope
- Help Portrait
- Team World Vision
- Kalamazoo Strong
- Angels of Action
- Toys for Tots
- Clean Water for Flint
