Campaign Highlights

Results from the community campaign show great signs that the community is truly stepping up to help in this crucial time. A number of new companies ran campaigns for the first time this year. Several workplaces are leading the charge not only in dollar increases, but also participation rates. Here are some highlights from the campaign:

NORM THOMPSON OUTFITTERS: A Culture of Giving

The most successful giving campaigns involve a lot of fun activities, and that’s exactly how Norm Thompson Outfitters employees achieved success this year. From a pizza party to a ping pong tournament and an all-staff auction, the campaign offered many opportunities for employees to be engaged.

Storytelling and education were also an important part of the campaign at Norm Thompson, a leading apparel and e-commerce company based in Hillsboro. The company’s Community Service team organized employee meetings where people had the chance to share stories about how United Way has affected their lives.

Although the economic downturn has made staff reductions a necessary adaptation to stay competitive, the Norm Thompson community campaign bucked the trend. Despite fewer employees, participation rate in the employee giving campaign is up 43%. The campaign resulted in a 95% increase in giving.

“We are delighted with the outstanding level of participation in our annual giving campaign for 2010,” says John Di Francesco, Norm Thompson Outfitters, CEO. “The annual giving campaign is just one of the ways we give back to our communities. Norm Thompson Outfitters has a long history of corporate responsibility. In addition to making financial contributions, we participate in a variety of community service and giving projects.”

COSTCO STORES: Responding to Community Needs

Costco’s seven locations throughout the Portland-Vancouver metro area saw over $100,000 increase in employee giving. With the company match, the campaign raised $397,822.

The largest wholesale grocer in the Northwest is also one of the largest employers in the region. Local warehouses have among the highest number of leadership givers: those donors giving $1,000 or more. Employee giving at the Vancouver store increased by 40%. Participation rate at the Tigard Costco was 100%.

Dennis Catmull, Tigard Assistant General Manager and one of the vice chairs of the United Way Campaign Cabinet, attributes the success of the campaign to the fact that people are motivated to help others in these trying economic times. “Everybody knows somebody who is experiencing hardship, and has utilized the agencies supported by United Way,” says Catmull.

In terms of giving, he goes on to say that employees who are making the least amount of money tend to give a higher percentage of their income. “Some of our employees who are not working full-time and others who are not yet at the top of their pay scale have stepped up to be leadership givers. It’s a true testament to how they genuinely care for those around them,” says Catmull.

For many employees, the level of support from top management made a huge difference. Executive-level giving is up. A number of managers took the time to talk about the importance of community at employee meetings, says Greg Killean, Vancouver Assistant General Manager.

Killean, who has supported the Costco employee giving campaign for six years, says the Costco results show just the caring and compassion of our community. “I’m so proud of our teams. It’s a tough year to give, but because they understand community issues, they have really stepped forward to make a difference.”