The 2012 Employee Campaign season has just wrapped up, marking a successful year of giving from Austin businesses and their employees. To say thank you, UWATX is recognizing the companies that truly stood out in their giving, including three recipients for the 2012 Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy Award:
3M:
3M is a powerful supporter of UWATX- they came in second in raising dollars directly for UWATX programs and community impact. On top of that, 3M also touts the largest number of leadership givers and supported UWATX’s new brand with a generous donation of bus wraps that toured the city for months.
3M also matches every gift, stocks a large portion of our supply closet, gave in-kind donations to support UWATX’s rebranding efforts and consistently gives the largest corporate gift to UWATX in Austin!
H-E-B:
In the Greater Austin area, H-E-B employees make up the single largest source of employee giving support. They run a fun, educational, and competitive UWATX campaign in each of their stores, and truly embody the best in corporate philanthropy.
Their success grows from strong leadership: From Charles Butt’s support of philanthropy, to Jeff Thomas’ personal investment of time and guidance, to store leaders championing the UWATX campaign across the region and individual employees who lead fellow Partners in giving back.
Enterprise:
Enterprise was the success story UWATX couldn’t stop talking about this year. Their campaign saw huge increases in total giving, giving to UWATX and a very high participation rate.
Enterprise stressed the value of directing your gift to UWATX, starting with a message from Howard Zaroff that was echoed by managers at all levels. Enterprise has found that sweet spot of making campaign an employee moral and team building experience (with a live auction and competitive chili cook off) while ALSO making a real difference.
On top of these overall awards, we are proud to recognize partners for excelling in particular areas:
Highest Participation: Texas Gas Service
Whether offering their talents to sing karaoke for donations, or being subjected to a sometimes violent game of musical chairs, Texas Gas make it a priority to encourage participation – and it shows: they have 100% participation!
Success By 6 Children’s Champion: Deloitte
Deloitte raised more than $41,000 for Success By 6 – recognizing that the future of our great city depends on the success of our youngest neighbors.
Best Practices Champion: Nordstrom
Nordstrom provides opportunities to give back year-round – through volunteering, wearing jeans for a cause, or participating in the annual campaign. Nordstrom’s commitment to United Way truly parallels commitment to excellence in customer service.
Leadership Giving: Women’s Leadership Council: Texas Mutual
Texas Mutual embraced the power of female philanthropy – they had the highest number of WLC members this campaign year! Thanks to these efforts, another generation of smart and successful Austin women will be entering the workforce in the years to come.
Leadership Giving: Tocqueville Society: Deloitte
Besides winning the United Way Worldwide Special Recognition Fleur de Lis Award for having the highest number of Tocqueville Members nationwide for the 11th consecutive year, we are proud to recognize Deloitte for the same accomplishment here in our community.
Leadership Giving: Overall Leadership Givers: 3M
3M is committed to giving at a leadership level: the company holds a breakfast reception for current and prospective leadership givers at the beginning of each campaign. 3M also makes being a leadership giver easy by promoting stock gifts as an option.
Volunteer Excellence: Freescale
Freescale has sponsored both Spring and Falls Days of Caring since their inception– a commitment for more than 20+ years. By engaging more than 250 employees in these days, Freescale is giving back $20,000 of value in volunteer time to Austin each year.
UWATX Brand Ambassador: Texas Mutual
Texas Mutual’s amazing campaign committee enthusiastically embraced the new UWATX brand and “Makes Austin Greater” messaging at every turn, including:
- “Dunking my boss” and “dunking my colleague” Makes Austin Greater stickers everyone received/wore after throwing at the dunk tank at their company picnic
- “Goin’ Casual Makes Austin Greater” for casual day posters
- “Candy Makes Austin Greater” for Candy Gram Sale
Largest Donation Increase: Wells Fargo
In 2012, Wells Fargo team members increased their giving through their UWATX campaign by 50 percent – an astounding feat!
For several companies, this was their first year running an Employee Campaign with UWATX: ABC Home and Commercial, Adlucent, BB&T Bank, Craftcorps, Liquidation Channel, PMC-Sierra, Raba Kistner, Sysco Foods, Tanknology, Texas Instruments and The Advisory Board Company. All told, these new business campaigns invested nearly $90,000 in our community.
Looking forward, we are happy to welcome Kathleen Farlow, Managing Partner for Deloitte, who will join Bobby Jenkins, President and Owner of ABC Home & Commercial, as this year’s Campaign Co-Chairs. She has been a United Way advocate prior to coming to Austin in 2012, giving at the highest level and also investing her time and expertise. Jeff Thomas, Senior VP and General Manager at H-E-B, ends his 2-year term as Campaign Co-Chair for and recently joined the UWATX Board of Directors.
At UWATX, we work with more than 400 business partners to grow philanthropy in our community and help overcome barriers to economic opportunity. Thank you to all the individuals and businesses that gave back this year and are actively helping make Austin greater.