The nonprofit organization is working with other international organizations in a major initiative targeting 100,000 people by treating bednets with an insecticide that kills malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
This is just one of dozens of initiatives carried out by this Henrico-based foundation that assists more than 13.2 million children and families in 33 countries.
While the Christian Children’s Fund is one of the biggest and best known charitable organizations in the area, when it comes to corporate philanthropy in Henrico, few companies have done more in the county than Dominion. Supporters of the Latin Ballet, Better Housing Coalition, Math and Science Center and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, the company’s reach into the community is pervasive.
The company contributes more than $10 million annually to nonprofit organizations and encourages its employees to give of themselves as well.
Each year, employees donate thousands of hours of their time to support a variety of programs from Christmas in April and Habitat for Humanity to Big Brothers and Big Sisters and walks to raise awareness and funds for health research organizations.
Virginia Board, Dominion’s director of corporate community affairs, has served on the board of the Latin Ballet.
“I would get tickets to go to performances and I got to know [Artistic Director] Ana King and just fell in love with the Latin culture, the food and dance,” Board says. “I’ve been involved in fundraising for the gala and in raising awareness of the ballet.”
As Michael Fraizer, chairman and CEO of Genworth Financial, said in a recent Times-Dispatch column, “Corporate philanthropy is simply good for employees and good for the bottom line...Studies show that 86 percent of consumers report they will switch brands, if all other things are equal, to one associated with a positive social issue.”
Indeed, the most successful and longest- lasting companies in this area seem to be those that have aligned their corporate culture with an entrenched spirit of giving.
Then, there are individual philanthropists such as Robert “Bob” Atack, president of Atack Properties, who recently received the prestigious Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award for his philanthropy and lifetime commitment to helping others.
Atack has contributed millions of dollars and countless hours to a variety of organizations over the last 20 years, including Virginia United Methodist Homes, The Hermitage at Cedarfield, The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen and Shady Grove YMCA.
Without understanding why, Atack believes that his philanthropy has made a difference in his business success. “It seems the more I give, the better I do,” he says.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that companies that incorporate giving into their corporate culture can say the same.
The core values for credit card company Capital One are simple: Excellence and Do the Right Thing. And Capital One has been named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by Fortune Magazine.
“Not only do we as a company have a corporate responsibility, but our associates want to play a role too,” says Lahne Mattas-Curry, manager of corporate communications. “They want to be involved in the communities where they live and work.”
Finance Park, a mobile interactive financial education program geared to middle school students, is one of the programs sponsored by Capital One.
“It’s the coolest thing,” Mattas-Curry says. “It’s a big pullout city that is a 3-D interactive version of ‘The Game of Life.’ There’s a classroom and a bank, and the kids are given identities, such as married with two kids and a $70,000 salary. They learn how to invest, pay a mortgage, buy groceries and budget.”
Finance Park is operated through Junior Achievement and involves a six-week module on finances. About 240 students from Fairfield Middle School and 101 from Hungary Creek Middle School took part in the program last year. Finance Park will be back in Richmond at the end of November through December.
Capital One is also a big supporter of St. Joseph’s Villa, one of the county’s largest nonprofit organizations for special needs children. The company donated 250 computers, two laptops and a 40-inch plasma screen as well as ongoing technical support. A Capital One executive is also a member of the board of directors at St. Joseph’s.
“We take a very integrated approach to our corporate citizenship,” Mattas-Curry says. “We focus not only on the financial donation, but also the volunteer and executive involvement component as well as pro bono support to nonprofits that can use our skills and expertise to help achieve their missions.”
As Genworth’s Fraizer says, “As corporations harness philanthropy to impact their brand and customers as well as employees, they return value to the company bottom line and to shareholders ... We can change the world — one nail at a time, one meal at a time, one step at a time — and we should.”
