For many people, the holiday season is more about giving gifts than getting them. And that feeling goes for companies too. We talked to six Chicago companies about how they give back during the holiday season and throughout the year, offering employees a chance to be an integral part of their larger communities.
Each month, the team at ParkWhiz backs a charity that an employee believes in. It’s an awesome perk for employees who want to give back while working a busy startup job. For December, the company worked with Chicago Children's Home & Aid to make the season a little brighter for a couple local families.
“The Children's Home & Aid organization works with families that are facing overwhelming odds — living below the poverty line, overcome by family emergencies and possibly homeless,” said director of talent acquisition James Lewis. “We saw this as an opportunity to come together and directly give back to individuals struggling within the community we live, work and park in. Creating a bright spot and bringing joy to a few families during a time of need is something we can definitely get behind.”
Access to legal services can change someone’s life, and that’s why UpRight Law offers pro-bono bankruptcy services to veterans and their families during the holiday season. The company’s attorneys are also working with LAF Chicago to provide people living in poverty advice on bankruptcy.
“Many families struggle through financial hardship and are at a loss of what to do next with limited knowledge of their legal rights,” said COO Jason Allen. “UpRight wants to give back to veterans who have sacrificed tremendously for our country, as well as serve as a resource for those in need here in Chicago. We have the skills and resources to help these people reset and chart better financial paths for their futures. This is the beginning of our pro-bono initiatives where we’ll leverage our technology platform to serve more Americans.”
At Bounteous, employees have donated more than 3,500 work hours to local charities this year. The company’s charity initiatives take many forms, from distributing food and packaging meals to matching employee donations and rebuilding websites pro-bono. The company also participates with local youth programs during the Hour of Code, helping the next generation prepare for new careers that will open in the future.
“Bounteous participates in Hour of Code because we believe that every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science,” said talent and culture recruiter Gina Sorrels.
For Payline employees, giving back is built into the job. Each employee gets three days of paid time off specifically to serve in the community. This year, the company worked with Paws (above), Ronald McDonald House and Bear Necessities, among other employee-chosen charities.
“In the last six months, the Payline team has spent 250 hours giving back and making a positive impact,” said Zach Dillman, chairman of the Payline Giving Board and director of inside sales. “We do this because we believe that creating a positive impact in our community comes above all else. It’s our people — the employees, customers and the communities we serve — who drive our mission and are the ultimate fuel behind what we aim to accomplish. Simply put: it's part of who we are at Payline.”
As a charity-focused organization, Gesture has giving back on the mind all the time. But when it’s time for charity themselves, the startup gives back in a few ways. This year, they started a new tradition, hosting a #GivingTuesday challenge where supporters competed to raise the most money, with the winner getting an extra $1,000 from Gesture, and second and third place getting $500 and $250, respectively. Pictured above is the check for third-place winner Milwaukee Urban League.
“Most of our charity partners plan a donation appeal for #GivingTuesday, and we wanted to offer them an easy-to-use platform to capture donations that day,” said content strategist Maura Moran Vaughan. “We also knew that, by offering an additional donation to the organizations with the most votes, donors would be willing to give more. Think about it — if you knew that an extra $20 could end up meaning an extra $1,000 for an organization you cared about, you’d probably give that $20 with little hesitation.”
For years, the team at Fuzzy Math has given back to causes both as a company and as individuals. One way the company gives back is by offer pro-bono design work to Chicago-area nonprofits, including VING Project, UCAN Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Foundation and the Active Transportation Alliance.
“Since its founding, Fuzzy Math has always made room for giving back,” said co-founder Mark Baldino. “It has been carried on by the entire team and become part of our culture, especially around the holidays.”
“In addition, Fuzzy Math is a member of 1% for the Planet, where we commit to donating 1% of our gross revenue to qualifying environmental organizations around the world,” said co-founder Ben Ihnchak. “Each year team members vote on the organization to support in the 1% program so it is chosen from within where we donate.”
Images via featured companies. Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.
How does your company give back? Drop us a line or tweet us @BuiltInChicago
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