Lauren Dordal's job at marketing agency Periscope is evidence of how integrated "community giving" or "engagement" has become with the workplace experience.
The days of companies fulfilling their community mission solely by participating in United Way are long gone. In fact, the United Way, a research organization and umbrella group for a diverse range of recommended charities, also has become far more decentralized in its approach, for example letting donors designate their preferred charities and staging events that connect employees with causes.
Dordal is Periscope's "employee engagement advocate," supporting workers in various ways as they work with clients, and also planning creative and fun events for Periscope's 500 workers. Dordal also helps workers connect and build relationships with employee-selected charities to support with time and donations.
Some of the relationships have evolved into long-standing commitments such as helping to stage the annual Children's Hospital Gala, as well as managing long-term relationships and providing pro bono marketing services and fundraisers for the likes of TreeHouse, the youth-and-family nonprofit.
Dordal was already working with Periscope employees to support their work with clients and also arranging staff mentoring, learning, seminars and social experiences. About a year ago, she added employee volunteer engagement to her duties.
"My client is the employees," Dordal said. "We're working behind the curtain so that our employees can do their best."
Her job might entail working on a charitable account or it might mean arranging an ice cream social to introduce employees to a new charitable partner, a pro bono project or to solicit help with projects like the gala.
Periscope doesn't run a United Way campaign. However, its employees contribute about $1.25 million in cash and in-kind contributions annually to formal nonprofit partners. And that doesn't count the employee donations of time and treasure to other nonprofits they support personally.
Fred Kiel, a psychologist and 30-year executive coach, said corporate leaders with the strongest employee following also demonstrate a concern for the common good and foster workplaces where community engagement is encouraged. For some employees, a community-engaged workplace is an intangible benefit that also enhances the employee's connection to the company.
And that seems to be the case with many employees who filled out surveys for Top Workplaces.
At Eden Prairie software firm HelpSystems, which employs 183, the Good Neighbor Committee is an employee-run group that connects employees with partner nonprofit agencies such as the Chaska branch of TreeHouse. HelpSystems employees cook and mentor at TreeHouse, raise funds and helped last year with a remodeling.
Another group of employees works on inner-city gardening projects with kids through the nonprofit Youth Farm.
The Good Neighbor committee stages events and recommends charities for engagement. The company or executives may match employee fundraisers. But there's no hard sell.
"We're all volunteers," said Shelley Van Der Meide, a senior graphic designer who also leads the Good Neighbor committee. "We survey employees. They don't just want one thing. We try to give everyone an opportunity to find a niche that fits."
The company holds an annual fall fund drive, spiced with in-office events such as breakfasts, chili cook-offs and raffles, that benefits the United Way, TreeHouse and Community Health Charities, an umbrella group for health-related causes.
"The corporate giving program is informal and we do not have a [formal] matching grant program," said human resources director Brian Holsten. "The Good Neighbor committee provides direction."
The Allianz Life Corporate Giving Program supports local organizations that focus on improving financial literacy and providing services to seniors.
The company, which has 1,700 employees, donated $2 million last year through volunteerism, corporate grants and charitable donations. And there are several grass-roots campaigns that leverage corporate giving.
For example, the Allianz Life Spirit of Giving Campaign is the company's annual food, clothing, money and toy drive that benefits People Responding in Social Ministry (PRISM), Second Harvest Heartland and Toys for Tots' Minnesota Foundation. Last year, Allianz Life employees donated more than 24,000 pounds of food, more than 24,000 pounds of clothes, more than 3,000 toys, 100 bicycles and more than $113,000 to these nonprofit organizations.
Allianz also provides $100,000 annually and volunteer support to BestPrep and Junior Achievement and their financial literacy programs. Hundreds of company volunteers also end up donating many hours to these and related causes.
Neal St. Anthony • 612-673-7144