Corporate philanthropy; it's a great investment I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving.
I had lunch not long ago with a good friend who is also chairman of the United Way's annual campaign this coming year.
We were discussing the Carlsbad Chamber's annual business expo that recently concluded its 15th edition. More than 100 exhibiting businesses were joined by a large number of Carlsbad and North County non profits as they all displayed their wares at Westfield Plaza Camino Real Mall.
With what appears to be serial budget deficits infecting Sacramento politicians and bureaucrats for more than a decade, the alliance between businesses and non profits has never been more interdependent.
Businesses look to the state to provide an adequate safety net for a multitude of social services that are within the realm of state responsibilities. Medical, mental health, education, prevention and related programs are examples.
During my lunch with Karl Higgins, the United Way Campaign Chair, he shared with me the fact that United Way funded agencies in San Diego County will service one out of three residents of our community. I was dismayed to learn of this level of need. With about 80,000 residents in our little city, that means approximately 25,000 of us are using the services of a non profit.
Now, in the pursuit of accuracy, using a non profit does not directly correlate to financial hardship. Many non profits provide recreation services, leadership, arts and culture, entertainment and other forms of public benefit.
However, a large percentage of non profits make up the final layer of our safety net in the fabric of society. Homeless shelters, drug and alcohol abuse clinics, mental health counseling, run-away teen shelters, food banks and hospice centers are but a few of the 134 United Way certified agencies opening their doors to our employees in Carlsbad and countywide. I would wager the average employer would be shocked to learn of the number of staff and family of staff who use these services.
As business owners and employers, we receive valuable benefits in the human resources field when our employees and their families utilize the services of an area non profit. Supporting those non profit agencies helps us remain competitive in the marketplace. By using a non profit, your employees may reduce absenteeism, increase their work and literacy skills and add a new level of competency and compassion to your company.
As the Thanksgiving holiday visits us this year, I hope you will look with introspection and generosity at the non profit community in Carlsbad. Each of them performs a function that is vital to our businesses. By supporting area non profits, you are actually investing in your employees and your business.
That's why the alliance between business and non profits has never been more valuable.
I had lunch not long ago with a good friend who is also chairman of the United Way's annual campaign this coming year.
We were discussing the Carlsbad Chamber's annual business expo that recently concluded its 15th edition. More than 100 exhibiting businesses were joined by a large number of Carlsbad and North County non profits as they all displayed their wares at Westfield Plaza Camino Real Mall.
With what appears to be serial budget deficits infecting Sacramento politicians and bureaucrats for more than a decade, the alliance between businesses and non profits has never been more interdependent.
Businesses look to the state to provide an adequate safety net for a multitude of social services that are within the realm of state responsibilities. Medical, mental health, education, prevention and related programs are examples.
During my lunch with Karl Higgins, the United Way Campaign Chair, he shared with me the fact that United Way funded agencies in San Diego County will service one out of three residents of our community. I was dismayed to learn of this level of need. With about 80,000 residents in our little city, that means approximately 25,000 of us are using the services of a non profit.
Now, in the pursuit of accuracy, using a non profit does not directly correlate to financial hardship. Many non profits provide recreation services, leadership, arts and culture, entertainment and other forms of public benefit.
However, a large percentage of non profits make up the final layer of our safety net in the fabric of society. Homeless shelters, drug and alcohol abuse clinics, mental health counseling, run-away teen shelters, food banks and hospice centers are but a few of the 134 United Way certified agencies opening their doors to our employees in Carlsbad and countywide. I would wager the average employer would be shocked to learn of the number of staff and family of staff who use these services.
As business owners and employers, we receive valuable benefits in the human resources field when our employees and their families utilize the services of an area non profit. Supporting those non profit agencies helps us remain competitive in the marketplace. By using a non profit, your employees may reduce absenteeism, increase their work and literacy skills and add a new level of competency and compassion to your company.
As the Thanksgiving holiday visits us this year, I hope you will look with introspection and generosity at the non profit community in Carlsbad. Each of them performs a function that is vital to our businesses. By supporting area non profits, you are actually investing in your employees and your business.
That's why the alliance between business and non profits has never been more valuable.