Strengthening Business Performance Through Charity

"He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." Harold Wilson

In 2000, following the technology boom Americans donated a record $260.5 billion dollars to charitable causes according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy. And as recently as 2005, Americans still managed to keep pace with donations, despite a lackluster performance in the stock market and economy. Charitable contributions in 2005 totaled $260.3 billion dollars, a figure that witnessed a 2.7% increase as compared to 2004. As illustrated by the considerable monetary donations received by charitable organizations, Americans are by and large giving people. However, charity is not exclusive to individuals, corporations and small-business are also significant participants in charitable activities. As reported by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, corporations gave away $13.8 billion dollars in 2005, including grants from corporate foundations.

Charity in the workplace is not a new concept; in fact, many business organizations actively support and encourage their employees to participate in charitable causes, either through direct volunteer hours or monetary contributions. Large corporations such as Target give away millions every week to assist non-profits and other similar organizations in helping communities across the nation. Comparable corporations also donate a substantial amount of money to charity, which is typically dispersed nationwide to differing charitable organizations.

"Strengthening Business," Continued...

Small businesses also engage in charitable activities, but with their efforts typically tailored to the specific needs of the community they reside in. For instance, Reaction Search International (RSI) has begun pursuing charitable efforts at their World Headquarters in the Bay Area. With charitable endeavors focused on youth and underserved populations, employees at RSI have had the opportunity to participate in charitable activities that they feel best represents the causes they are interested in.

This past month, several RSI employees had the pleasure to attend a scholarship awards ceremony sponsored by Nordstrom's. Many of the award winners were underprivileged high school seniors who overcame severe obstacles and now are on their way to attending college. As RSI continues to grow, the company is looking forward to following in the footsteps of Nordstrom's and other similar corporations who offer scholarship programs for high school students. RSI is committed to education and is excited to implement a scholarship program that fosters the opportunity for youth to attend college.

"Strengthening Business," Continued...

In addition to exploring scholarships and other youth activities, other RSI employees have explored opportunities to volunteer for underserved populations and recently volunteered for the "Square Meals Project." Started in 1989 by two Bay Area residents as a way to give back to the community, the Square Meals Project was developed to target the homeless, low-income individuals and families. The Project donates grocery bags full of non-perishable items to these populations twice a month. With donations coming from the Alameda County Food Bank and private donations, volunteers meet the last two Sundays of every month to bag and distribute donated items. The Project directly aids underserved populations by bringing donated clothes and non-perishable foods to the communities they occupy. Volunteers are always welcome as are donations, to find out more information call: 510-649-8154.

As RSI continues to grow nationwide, we value a community-oriented presence that supports charity efforts through monetary contributions and volunteer hours from employees. Supporting community endeavors not only benefits the communities our company occupies, but it also fosters teambuilding, communication and employee morale. Ultimately, charity provides an outlet for companies to express what they value most and offer their assistance for the promotion of a better community, which in the end, strengthens business performance.