Rhode Island Foundation and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI Team Up to Recognize Nonprofit Excellence

by Posted in Corporate Citizenship, Employee Engagement, Events, Health and Wellness, Member Highlights, Member News, Member Sponsored Events, Nonprofit Capacity Building, Philanthropy, Resources for Community Organizations, RFP

Nonprofit organizations have until July 24 to apply for the Rhode Island Foundation’s 2017 Best Practice Awards. Winners will receive a $1,000 grant, a promotional video highlighting their work and tuition waivers for professional development workshops.

“This is a powerful way for nonprofits to showcase their innovative work while sharing achievements that have the potential to be of widespread value to other organizations,” said Jill Pfitzenmayer, vice president of the Foundation’s Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence (INE).

Sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, the annual awards program recognizes outstanding practices by Rhode Island nonprofit organizations in the areas of advocacy, communication, innovation, leadership development and collaboration. The application and full details are posted here.

GCRI Members Help Children Get Ready for School

by Posted in Basic Need, Children & Youth, Corporate Citizenship, Education, Employee Engagement, Events, Member Highlights, Member News, Member Sponsored Events, Philanthropy, Uncategorized

A number of GCRI members, including Amica Insurance, BankRI, Cox Communications, CVS Health, Neighborhood Health Plan of RI, Pawtucket Credit Union, Sodexo, and United Way of Rhode Island are making sure that Rhode Island schoolchildren have all the supplies they need to start the new school year.  The Back to School Celebration, which will be held at 12 locations on Saturday, August 19, will provide free school supplies, food, entertainment, activities and educational information and resources for children and their families.

Locations

GCRI Members Add Efforts to United Way’s Children’s Book Drive and Day of Action

by Posted in Children & Youth, Corporate Citizenship, Education, Employee Engagement, Events, Member Highlights, Member News, Member Sponsored Events, Philanthropy

Each spring, GCRI member United Way of Rhode Island collects new and gently used children’s books to distribute to children statewide through Books are Wings and summer learning programs.  This year, six other GCRI members served as book drive collection sites, and five other members sent volunteers as part of the 130-volunteer effort to sort the almost 40,000 books collected.  United Way sends its thanks to Bank of America, Bank Newport, Citizens Bank, Coastway Community Bank, CVS Health and Hasbro for serving as collection sites, and to Citizens Bank, Coastway Community Bank, CVS Health, Neighborhood Health Plan and Pawtucket Credit Union for sending volunteers to the Day of Action.

Collette Celebrates National Volunteer Week with Service and Resources

by Posted in Corporate Citizenship, Employee Engagement, Member Highlights, Member News

Collette diaper drive

GCRI member Collette employees joined in a variety of volunteer efforts to celebrate National Volunteer Week, with 100 volunteers at a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the Blackstone Valley region and a diaper drive for Children’s Friend that collected over 1,000 diaper and 1,000 related supplies (wipes, ointment, etc.).

GCRI Members Bring Learning and Discovery Through April Vacation Volunteer Events

by Posted in Children & Youth, Corporate Citizenship, Education, Employee Engagement, Member Highlights, Member News, Skills Based Volunteerism, Uncategorized

Out of School TIme YMCA Newport

As part of GCRI’s second April Vacation Volunteer Initiative, volunteer teams from Bank Newport (two sites), Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI, and Pawtucket Credit Union spent a morning with children in afterschool programs doing fun STEM enrichment activities.

Out of School TIme YMCA Newport

A total of 28 corporate volunteers worked with over 100 children to build gumdrop bridges, “rescue” stuffed animals, launch pompoms and make roller coaster tracks for marbles at the Newport County YMCA (ALC member), Kids Klub North Providence (ALC member), Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club (ALC member) and the Bristol Warren COZ program.

Both the YMCA program and the Kids Klub program received positive newspaper coverage in local newspapers:

Newport Daily News – Bank Newport April Vacation 2017

Valley Breeze — Blue Cross April Vacation 2017

 

Follow Up Resources for Trends and Innovations Roundtable

by Posted in Corporate Citizenship, Employee Engagement, Events, Philanthropy, Skills Based Volunteerism, Uncategorized

Thanks to those of you who participated in the April “Trends and Innovations in Philanthropy” roundtable to learn more about Impact Investing, Social Entrepreneurship, Nonprofit Capacity Building and Changing Perceptions Around the “Overhead Myth.”

If you’d like more information on Impact Investing, please plan on joining us on May 25, 1:00-2:30pm at the Rhode Island Foundation for a more in-depth look at Mission-Related Investments.  In addition, Mission Investors Exchange, a sister organization in the Forum, has many resources on its website and will be hosting its annual Mission Investing Institute on June 19-21 in Troy, Michigan at the Kresge Foundation.

For more information on the “Overhead Myth,” be sure to check out Dan Pallotta’s TED Talk, The Way We Think About Charity Is Dead Wrong.  Pallotta is the founder of the Charity Defense Council, which works to change the perceptions of Boards, donors and the public around the idea of nonprofit “overhead.”  Pallotta is a nationally recognized fundraiser, speaker and author of Uncharitable.  In addition, Northern California Grantmakers/San Diego Grantmakers/Southern California Grantmakers (GCRI’s sister organizations in the Forum) have released a report on their statewide “Real Cost Project,” an educational initiative for funders and nonprofits about eliminating the concept of “overhead,” and instead focusing on the “real cost” — all of the necessary investments for a nonprofit organization to deliver on mission and to be sustainable over the long term.  Through research, regional convenings, and senior level executive briefings, the project identified what it would take for funders to overcome institutional and sector-wide barriers and to be able to move from awareness to action.  Read the report.

 

 

Collette Celebrates Year-long Partnership with Books Are Wings

by Posted in Corporate Citizenship, Education, Employee Engagement, Member Highlights, Member News

Collette book drive slater park

Collette Celebrates Year-long Partnership with Books are Wings

As Collette’s Charity of the Year in 2016, Books are Wings was the recipient of Collette volunteers, donations and support.  Collette employees gave 3,300 books to 1,600 children in Pawtucket schools; collected 1,600 books through a company-wide book drive; dedicated their Founder’s Day Volunteer Week to giving 200 books to 100 children who needed them at Slater Park; raised over $3,000 for Books are Wings through dress down days; and created literacy kits with the support of United Way.  Collette’s Marketing department also assisted on the development of Books are Wings YouTube videos to encourage kids and parents to enjoy their favorite stories together from home.

 

 

Midwest Associations Host Corporate Giving Webinar Series

by Posted in Corporate Citizenship, Employee Engagement, Events, Forum News, Uncategorized

Forum’s Midwest Associations Host Corporate Giving Webinar Series

Regional grantmaking associations from four Midwest states have collaborated to present a series of six webinars designed for companies with a corporate foundation, advised fund at a community foundation, or a giving program. This series specifically targets business professionals who want to think smarter and perform better when it comes to combining their corporate mission with philanthropic action.

Corporate philanthropy is an essential business function that helps support communities where companies are based, foster employee engagement, and generate business value. Individuals want to work for companies that support their communities, and consumers want to purchase goods from companies that are doing good in the world. The Midwest Corporate Giving webinar series offers data supporting the need for corporate philanthropy and development strategies to help giving programs succeed.  The webinars will provide corporate giving and engagement strategies and also allow participants to connect with like-minded corporate giving professionals across the country.

2/22/2017 | Effective Employee Engagement Strategies (hosted by Minnesota Council on Foundations)
4/19/2017 | CSR as a Talent Attraction and Retention Strategy (hosted by Indiana Philanthropy Alliance)
6/28/2017 | Measuring Your Giving ROI (hosted by Indiana Philanthropy Alliance)
8/23/2017 | Leveraging Grants Management for Effective Grantmaking (hosted by Philanthropy Ohio)
10/18/2017 | Triple Bottom Line Best Practices (hosted by Minnesota Council on Foundations)
12/13/2017 | Connected, but Different: Empowering Giving Programs Across Geographies (hosted by Council of Michigan Foundations)

Cost:
$50 for members of other associations and non-members

Presented by Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Council of Michigan Foundations, Minnesota Council on Foundations, Philanthropy Ohio

See GCRI Events page for descriptions and registration information.

GCRI Members Go Beak to Beak to Benefit Food Insecure Rhode Islanders

by Posted in Basic Need, Employee Engagement, Health and Wellness, Member Highlights, Member News

gobble-games-logo-2016For the second year in a row, Amica Insurance and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) joined forces for the “Gobble Games” competition, a charitable giving initiative benefiting the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

During November, the two companies engaged in a friendly challenge to see who could collect the most food items. Items were donated to the Food Bank so that Rhode Island families in need of food assistance can enjoy a warm meal this holiday season.

BCBSRI started the Gobble Games in 2013 as a way to engage and activate employees around the issue of hunger in Rhode Island. Since then, the program has collected more than 36,000 items, including more than 21,000 last year.

“Last year proved what can happen when two companies combine their resources and their giving spirit,” said Robert A. DiMuccio, chairman, president and CEO of Amica. “I’m so proud of our employees – as well as those at Blue Cross – for their generosity and kindness.”

“At Blue Cross, we know we can accomplish more as a team than we ever could alone,” said Kim A. Keck, president and CEO of BCBSRI. “This friendly challenge with Amica is a fun way to bring our companies together in support of a great cause. We’re proud to be a partner in the fight to alleviate hunger and create healthier communities in Rhode Island.”

Collette “Share a Meal” Campaign Providing Meals to Those in Need

by Posted in Corporate Citizenship, Employee Engagement, Events, Member Highlights, Member News, Member Sponsored Events

Collette “Share a Meal” Campaign Providing Meals To Those In Need

Collette initiated special social campaign for the holiday season to contribute to their 1 Million Meals Campaign.  The company’s goal was to give 100,000 meals before Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.

Collette encouraged employees, friends, family and the public to like, comment, tag or share the Collette video.  For each like or share, Collette provided one meal for someone in need through Stop Hunger Now, Collette’s 1 Million Meals campaign nonprofit partner.  Click here to visit the Collette Facebook video, then like the video, comment, share with friends, and help feed the hungry this holiday season.