When it comes to giving back, many people consider the jobs created by businesses – small and large – to be enough. Those who have started a company know the incredible feat it is to keep one going, but many business leaders are going beyond this by giving even more.
This includes sponsoring a local little league team or allowing a Girl Scout Troop to set up for a day outside of one’s store.
5% of all proceeds will go to the cancer research foundation Find a Cure, also known as the Carol M. Baldwin Foundation
At Kleer-Fax, we’ve recently taken the next step in corporate philanthropy by creating our new Pink Wallet for which 5% of all proceeds will go to the Carol M. Baldwin Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. It’s a great way for us to give to a worthy organization while expanding awareness to our customers
The Pink Wallet and the Baldwin Foundation
We researched local charities finding the website www.FindaCure.org, which is the home page for the Carol M. Baldwin Foundation. What we found is that this organization has:
- 1 paid employee
- A telephone
- And (we’re hoping!) a coffee machine
Needless to say, we were very excited to be a part of their organization, especially since we’re neighbors and our expandable wallets are of much higher quality and better price than those of our competitors, who don’t make their goods in the USA.
Long-term, we’d love to have an entire pink line of products and act as a conduit for thousands of dollars to get to this foundation, but the truth is we don’t know if anyone will buy it, so on April 7th we deployed two of our team members to Setauket to deliver a $500 check as the first of what we hope will be many written to them.
From Left to Right: Kleer-Fax’s Dan Schmitt and Chris Pascale, and Foundation Board Member Barbara Conroy
But generosity is nothing new for businessmen and women. And we’d like to highlight a few here while we have the opportunity.
$100,000 Given to Music Education in Norwalk City Schools
Ken Kuo owns Rental Instruments LLC, a business in Norwalk that – well – rents instruments to people. The challenge for many is that a fine arts education is a luxury, but in the city of Norwalk, CT students are going to have greater access to it over the next 10 years because Mr. Kuo, an award-winning cellist who has taught at Yale and other fine institutions, will be generously providing for them.
Hedge Fund Manager Gives 3rd Largest Donation in the History of Jericho Project
While big banking earns much bad press, there are many in high finance who not only deserve to be praised for their work, but also those who are going above and beyond their professional calling so as to give others greater opportunities.
That happened this year when Doug Silverman of Senator Investment Group presented a check for $64,000 to Jericho Project, an organization that serves the temporarily homeless in New York City so that they can get back on their feet again. It was the third largest donation in the history of the organization and will go a long way in helping many families.
Former CEO Gives Big to her Community
When Margo Souza retired upon selling her business, the Circle K Dairy Ranch, she decided to move on to the next stage of her life by becoming a mentor to young students who wanted to pursue careers in business. Along with her time, she also gave $1,000,000 last year to the University of California in Merced. To quote her, she believes that the “university will enhance and change many lives in the Central Valley…many of whom are the first of their families to earn a degree.”
Because of her hard work and generosity, the dreams of many in this community will be realized through the opportunities for hard work and a quality education that simply wouldn’t be there if not for Ms. Souza.
We’d love to hear about the kinds of giving you, your company, or someone you admire has taken part in. There are many great stories of giving, and they should be highlighted to help inspire others.
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