Top Workplaces give back in abundance
When the businesses that serve and employ the people of the Bay Area also give back to the nonprofits in the region, the results include stronger communities, happier residents and fulfilled workers who value their employers.
Several of the 2021 Top Workplaces described to us the ways that they and their employees give their time, talent and thoughtfulness to make our communities better places to live, work, and play.
The team members of ABD Insurance and Financial Services, Inc. are as passionate about community service as they are about professional service. ABD participates in the Week of Giving and scholarship programs through the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and historically has held a golf tournament to raise money for cancer research. Also dedicated to youths, ABD partners with the Golden State Warriors’ Learning Without Limits program.
The leadership and staff at ALOM Technologies take great pride in the company’s dedication to high standards of corporate governance and financial management integrity while remaining deeply committed to environmentally and socially conscious practices. ALOM and its employees actively support community organizations through mentoring, food and toy drives, open house tours, fiscal underwriting, and in-kind donations.
When it comes to supporting local communities, BigCommerce employees are inspired to be change agents. In addition to BigCommerce’s matching donation program, employees receive two paid Volunteering Leave days per year and offices support toy drives, food drives, holiday gift programs, and school supply drives. These are just some of the many efforts run or supported by local offices.
The people of BKF Engineers believe that when they give back, the community grows stronger.
Among the many philanthropies and events supported by BKF Engineers are the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk; The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure breast cancer walk; Second Harvest Food Bank; Rebuilding Together; and the American Heart Association.
As the owners and operators of a chain of Great Clips hair salons, Buena Vista Business Services, LP, put their expertise to work for the communities their salons serve. Besides annual free haircuts for veterans, Tuesdays at each salon feature deeply discounted haircuts for large families, students and seniors on a budget. They’re big fans of school fundraisers and do whatever possible to help causes that their employees support.
During California’s wildfires, California Water Service Group (Cal Water) continues its service as the thirdlargest
publicly traded water district while giving back to those who are affected. After recent tragic fires, such as the Camp Fire, Cal Water partnered with organizations such as the Utility Workers Union of America to raise at least $370,000 for community relief organizations. An additional $60,000 in college scholarships went to 22 local students, including first-generation college students. Cal Water also supports several local charitable organizations providing food, shelter and essential resources to those in need.
Through CBIZ Cares, CBIZ team members receive paid time to give back to their local communities while having fun. CBIZ Cares Committees sponsor blood drives and fundraisers to benefit local charities, including an annual food drive that has led to the donation of nearly 10 million pounds of food for local pantries in 12 years’ time. In addition, CBIZ Women’s Advantage has raised more than $585,000, more than 61,000 items of professional attire and more than 3,100 personal care bags for Dress for Success, which helps less fortunate individuals enter the workplace with confidence.
Collabies Care and it shows. From corporate-level support of Autism Speaks to Time Off for Good that employees receive for volunteering in their communities,
Collaborative Solutions bridges community need with teamwork. To date, Collaborative has raised more than $300,000 for Autism Speaks while increasing their leadership and creating Autism Speaks’ first National
Walk Team.
Throughout the year, several teams of Collaborative employees participate in local Autism Speaks walks. In addition, the Collabies Care program brings employees together to volunteer in various capacities for organizations such as the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and more.
In addition to quarterly paid volunteer time off, Course Hero’s internal volunteer team organizes opportunities
for employees to get involved in local causes related to the company’s dedication to learning. Recently, team members met with representatives from iMentor to learn about volunteering to mentor youth from low-income areas in subject matter provided by Course Hero. The volunteer committee also partners with local Boys & Girls Club to discover ways that employees can help with club projects and events.
DGDG Does Good, the charitable arm of the Del Grande Dealer Group, actively fosters a culture of giving within the DGDG family. By partnering closely with various charitable organizations, DGDG has donated nearly $1 million, to date, supporting local charities along with organizations that serve youth and that directly help those less fortunate during times of need.
Dudum Real Estate Group is grounded deeply in the core values of each of the communities they serve. Each team member is committed to giving back and lending a helping hand whenever possible. Whether working in property or philanthropy, the professionals at Dudum Real Estate Group strive to improve upon every relationship and give back to the community that has given them so much.
Since its founding, ECC has been rooted in corporate citizenship for small businesses and communities, whether building vital infrastructure, improving drinking water or cleaning up after natural disasters. The employee-driven ECC Cares works with offices around the globe to identify and alleviate local challenges and support community initiatives. In addition to $1M in employee-match and other donations over time, in 2021 ECC Cares conducted a companywide book drive to benefit communities across the U.S. and a fundraiser resulting in the planting of 8,000 trees.
Service is in their name, and service they provide, whether through their work or in giving back to the community. Every year Jazz Home Services participates in local food drives, such as for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and supports local schools by making donations to their sports teams. They also support those who serve and
have served, by providing Military/Veteran discounts year-round. In addition, Senior Citizens receive discounts on all Jazz Home Services.
The team and leaders at Keysight Technologies make a point of being a major contributor to the communities where they do business. In addition to supporting numerous charity organizations, Keysight puts its expertise to work by introducing children to science, donating funds and equipment to universities, and volunteering at numerous local nonprofits.
To advocate for its team members’ volunteer service, Kidder Mathews provides matching gifts, volunteer hours and financial donations to causes its employees support. Time, leadership and donations from Kidder Mathews benefit nonprofits such as Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services; Board Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired; California Pacific Medical Center Foundation; Children’s Health Council at Stanford; Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation; Greater Bay Area YMCA; Habitat for Humanity; San Francisco/Marin Food Bank; San Jose Family Shelter; Shelter Network of San Mateo County; Special Olympics of Santa Clara; and more.
The staff, management and owners of Lotus Hotels support organizations that make major impacts on the local level. These nonprofits include Rotary Clubs, Red Cross, Local Churches, Salvation Army, Help Tourism Market and donations to local Shelter & Opportunity House. As active
members of the chambers of commerce, Lotus Hotels supports the prosperity of communities where their properties are located throughout the Bay Area.
Community giving makes Markstein Sales Company who they are. Serving multiple nonprofits and events through financial and in-kind donations, team members take part in food, clothing and toy drives among other activities. In 2020, employees filled multiple containers with food to support Monument Crisis Center. Team members also donate time and talent to seniors through Meals on Wheels. They also give aid to the Hispanic Community Affairs Council: Albert and Bertha Markstein Foundation; Bay Area Crisis Nursery; and Antioch Police Activities League.
Mission Hospice & Home Care’s
Continuum of Care serves patients and their families at every stage of a lifelimiting illness. Community Education outreach programs help people learn about advance care planning, while Grief Support guides families through losses. As a local, independent nonprofit, Mission Hospice & Home Care is dedicated to caring for people regardless of their medical coverage or ability to pay. They’re grateful for the generous support of donors and volunteers, which allows them a level of care and service exceeding what is reimbursable by Medicare or private insurance.
Since 2016, Oportun has given at least 1 percent of its pretax income, totaling $2.6 million, to nonprofits and schools in the communities they serve. By focusing on
improving financial capability, expanding access to educational opportunities for youth and strengthening LMI communities, Oportun prioritizes organizations serving LMI communities and people of color. Oportun also matches employees’ personal donations to the qualifying nonprofits and schools they support, to the tune of $117,000 in matching donations to more than 350 nonprofit organizations.
Pacific Service Credit Union prides itself on being a good corporate citizen and an active part of the communities they serve by providing charitable donations to local nonprofit organizations that enrich and strengthen the lives of members in the communities we serve. With a particular focus on children, education, disaster relief and health/human services, Pacific Service Credit Union in 2020 donated $212,000 to approximately 30 nonprofit organizations including the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Children’s Miracle Network, Youth Homes, Shelter Inc., the Monument Crisis Center and Valley Children’s Hospital.
Through Panda Restaurant Group’s philanthropic arm, Panda Cares, the company promotes a spirit of giving that is dedicated to providing food, funding and volunteer services to children’s organizations, local schools, and disaster relief efforts. The group has raised more than $107 million to support children in the communities their restaurants serve, in addition to funding worldwide disaster relief. Panda Restaurant Group actively supports organizations that educate at-risk youth, promote academics and that promote the restaurant trade.
Their community is their business, so success at PremierOne Credit Union
comes from supporting each other and
the community. Staff, family and friends enjoy coming together to volunteer at events supporting local causes that make the community a better place. Prominent fundraising efforts benefit the San Jose Police Activities League and San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation. An in-house volunteer committee also collects nonperishable foods for the Second Harvest Food Bank, supports the San Jose Animal Shelter and participates in local toy drives as well as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
Fully committed to bringing value to their members, their families and communities, Provident Credit Union gives back to the community through donations, volunteering, and other programs. Provident focuses its giving on the local level by contributing to education; financial literacy; personal health and safety; affordable housing; and support for the local business community. To actively encourage its employees to get involved and give back to the community, Provident provides volunteer time off for its people to support the organizations of their choice.
Securly Inc. blends its community giving with in-office fun. For instance, in 2021, Securly conducted an officewide coat drive resulting in 38 coats being donated to the local Salvation Army. The team also has enjoyed the privilege of providing food donations to local shelters.
In addition to providing paid communityservice time for each employee to support the causes dearest to them personally, Sensiba San Filippo LLP hosts annual All Hands Day, through which all 200-plus team members help out a designated local