Name: Kerbey Lane Cafe
Partner for: 1.5 years
Partner for: Employee Campaign, Hands On Central Texas
Our relationship: Giving back in a variety of ways
Creating a year-round, focused philanthropic initiative
Kerbey Lane Cafe started their philanthropic efforts with UWATX as volunteers – they sponsored Fall Day of Caring and their team participated in volunteer projects. Through these efforts, they were able to get a first-hand look at what UWATX does in the community and who their dollars, advocacy and time could support – our friends and neighbors who struggle to make ends meet. Their efforts were so spectacular, that they won the 2013 Excellence in Volunteerism Award!
Through these efforts, their team identified the Success By 6 Center Project as a key area they wanted to support – and they’ve done it: specific locations adopted centers in the project to support with in-kind efforts and volunteering. Each location also has a philanthropic liaison who works to connect their team to the community during their Employee Campaign but also throughout the rest of the year – an important Best Practice for effectively engaging employees around giving and building a corporate responsibility plan.
Finding ways to give that fit company culture
Mason Ayer, CEO of Kerbey Lane Café, is strongly focused on culture – and creating a philanthropic focus is part of those efforts. Knowing their staff is unique, the team at Kerbey Lane has found special ways to give back that fit their culture, including:
Just eating a yummy brunch and saw this on the table at Kerbey Lane #uwatx #targetgraduation pic.twitter.com/MfWjAgZVGG
— Hannah Berle (@hberle) March 22, 2014
- Promoting UWATX with table tents about our programs at all locations: Kerbey Lane featured our Success By 6 program for one full month at table tents across Greater Austin and then featured our Target Graduation program just a few months later. This was a way to let customers know that they invested in their community.
- Featuring philanthropy in their Core Values: We all know that Kerbey Lane is a company that gives back, but their reinforce this idea by featuring their commitment to giving on the Core Values page of their new website. This reinforces how committed their are to our community as a central part of who they are.
- Wearing “Makes Austin Greater” T-Shirts: Kerbey Lane created t-shirts to identify and unite their team members when they attend volunteer projects together. These iconic, green “Makes Austin Greater” shirts also featured UWATX’s branding, a way to connect our two organizations and share their passion for giving back wherever they go – including Machu Picchu.
Hear from Karli Isiyel, Kerbey Lane’s Director of Branding, about how these efforts fit into a larger focus on philanthropy and corporate culture.
Kerbey Lane employs best practices:
- Running a UWATX Branded Campaign
- Connecting with UWATX outside of Campaign
- Working to engage HOCT in upcoming volunteer efforts for 2014
- Providing detailed donor information during and after campaign
- Identifying a company leader to serve as ECL and forming a campaign team for support
- Senior Officer involvement/Senior Leadership involvement
What we’ve accomplished together:
Kerbey Lane Cafe makes Austin greater
“Kerbey Lane is a company that’s obviously very Austin and very cool – it’s evident from the moment you walk into any location. Working with them to grow their philanthropic efforts, it’s become clear that they are also a genuine family business, one filled with caring people who care about our community… and make great pancakes.” – Shaina Novotny, UWATX Development Officer