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Running for your heart
Naperville family's experience leads to lifestyle changes
By Janice Youngwith
"Employees have a lot on their minds these days as they sit down with personal budgets," says Jillian Walsh, director, Corporate Giving & Community Relations, Zurich, N.A.
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| Jim Skogsbergh, Advocate Health Care CEO, joins employees as they "flip" for the community at a fundraising pancake breakfast. |
"But despite the headlines about the economy, giving is a way for communities to pull together," Walsh adds. Zurich's 10,000 employees across North America and 60,000 globally express strong community commitments and rally to lend a hand. "While the economic forecasts are uncertain, what is quite certain is the capacity of our employees to lend a hand and support institutions and programs that reflect our core values and vision of service, health and welfare of children."
Walsh cites Schaumburg-based Zurich's annual "A Time For Giving" strategic choice fundraising campaign, a program, which since 2002 has offered employees the opportunity to select among 12 core charity organizations, including the American Heart Association.
"Employees rallied to live up to this year's theme for the campaign, 'Give a Little, Help a lot,'" Walsh says. "It's more than an opportunity to give financially. At Zurich we have a larger definition of giving."
That definition extends beyond asking for a financial gift to the donation of time, talent, resources and an opportunity for employees to make a personal connection.
"Over the years, we've found many of our employees not only support a variety of charities, but are personally touched by heart disease," she says. "Many become personally involved in participating in the American Heart Association's Start! Heart Walk, managing bake sales, participating in silent auctions and more. All have a chance to learn more about heart disease and how they can get involved to make a difference in their community, promote volunteerism and help enhance the quality of life for people in the communities where they live and work, while furthering a passion that is close to their heart."
While still supporting more traditional charitable giving campaigns such as the United Way, strategic choice offers employees a firsthand opportunity to help research and vet various causes, taking a close look at community impact, administrative costs, goals and personal preference.
"Employees like a choice in where they are giving resources and volunteering their time," Walsh says. "From a corporate perspective, our goals include fundraising for our partners, educating employees on where their dollars go, promoting volunteerism and working toward sustainable core value efforts within our community."
Collaboration is key
Nearly nine in 10 Americans say it is important that business, government and nonprofit organizations collaborate to solve pressing social and environmental issues, says Melissa Lach, American Heart Association director of strategic partnership.
For more than 50 years, employers have conducted traditional charitable giving campaigns in the workplace. Many of these campaigns don't necessarily reflect issues and causes like health, global relief, environmental and education which, according to leading researchers, are important to a new generation of employees.
Targeted strategic choice campaigns engage employees and align with corporate philanthropy goals, selected causes and core business objectives, she says.
"Strategic choice makes sense," says Kelly Jo Golson, vice president, community relations & government relations, at Oakbrook-based Advocate Health Care. "Advocate's 3,000 employees at 200 metropolitan sites are driven by a shared mission to serve both our patients and our communities."
Employees making a difference
The Advocate Cares Community Giving campaign is a streamlined process allowing employees to select from among six specific charities working to promote health and well-being.
"Response to the strategic choice program is a testament to that commitment and shows that despite economic challenging times, our employees feel a strong drive to make a difference in the communities where they live and work," says Golson, who notes that the strategic choice program helps empower employees, increase satisfaction and boost campaign success.
Advocate Health Care has a longtime relationship with the American Heart Association, partnering in a number of heart and stroke awareness efforts, participating as a top fundraiser in the Start! Heart Walk signature fundraising event and organizing a number of special promotions in behalf of the Association including a recent "Advocate Flips For The Community" fundraising pancake breakfast.
For information on the American Heart Association's Workplace Giving campaign, contact the American Heart Association at (312) 476-6632.
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