Corporate Giving through the Community Foundation

Recently, I had the pleasure to speak with members of our business community at an event hosted by the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce. I want to thank the Chamber for that opportunity and to extend my appreciation to everyone who came early to learn more about me and the work that the Community Foundation is doing in service of this great community. 

The response to my talk generated productive conversations and hopefully the beginnings of a few exciting collaborations. I want to share some highlights from that presentation with you, our friends and business community partners, because you are already making a difference every day in the lives of your employees and customers. The programs mentioned below can be a great opportunity to partner with the Community Foundation and broaden the scope of your company’s impact for the communities where we live and work. 

The Philanthropic and Community Coalition to End the Opioid Epidemic in Lorain County 

In 2017, a community assessment by our good friends at the Nord Family Foundation analyzed the opioid crisis in Lorain County. It found that the annual economic burden of this crisis has reached nearly $200 million dollars in Lorain County. Most of that impact is from lost wages, lost productivity, and health care costs. This is a major consequence to the local economy, to employers who are seeing employees suffer and productivity wane, and to employees and their families who may be affected personally. 

But, we have an opportunity for businesses to be “all-in” with us to combat this crisis. The Philanthropic and Community Coalition to End the Opioid Epidemic in Lorain County is bringing philanthropic, nonprofit, business, healthcare, government, citizen, and other groups together to protect our community. 

The Coalition has three goals: reduce deaths and overdoses in Lorain County; establish a coordinated and accessible system for education, prevention, and treatment; and reduce the annual economic burden impacting Lorain County citizens and businesses. 

Since it launched in January of this year, the Coalition’s focus is on transforming a fractured social service system into a coordinated one. The Coalition sees the former Golden Acres facility in Amherst (now known as “Recovery One”) as an optimal place to create a centralized intake and assessment facility. The ultimate vision is to develop it into the county’s epicenter for efficient and effective social service delivery that saves lives while saving taxpayer dollars. 

We have created a special fund at the Community Foundation to support the work of the Coalition. We invite you to share with us how the opioid crisis is affecting your work. Consider serving as part of the advisory council representing the business community for the Coalition.  To read the community assessment, to donate, or to get involved visit endtheepidemiclc.org 

The Coalition is hosting a special presentation Wednesday, May 30th from 4 pm to 6 pm at Spitzer Conference Center on the campus of Lorain County Community College.  A speaker from the National Safety Council will discuss addiction in the workplace and resources to help companies keep their work environments safe and help employees in crisis. 

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) 

Employee Assistance Programs enable compassionate employers and fellow employees to support their coworkers in times of crisis. This is an opportunity to elevate that caring culture within your organization and galvanize your staff’s passion to rally around a coworker in need. 

The company creates an endowment fund with the Community Foundation. The company, staff, and customers can contribute and help grow this permanent safety net. The Community Foundation administers the application process and payment from the endowment fund. This is not direct assistance to the employee. It is a payment to the lender, utility company, health provider, or funeral home on behalf of the employee. 

Corporate Endowment Funds 

Corporate Endowment Funds establish a permanent legacy and provide a community grants program tailored to your charitable goals and business. For instance, the law firm Wickens Herzer Panza Cook Batista created a corporate endowment fund with the Community Foundation and it has used it to invest in programs ensuring equitable access to legal services for low-income individuals. 

Corporate Endowment Funds are a great way to empower employees to be philanthropists and improve the communities in which they live and work. Your employees can be vital partners in your company’s philanthropy. Include them in the process for recommending grants and invite them to be invested personally. You may already have an employee giving circle at your organization and this can be a great way to unite your efforts. 

We are Here to Help 

Whether you are just beginning this journey or your business currently has a giving program, we are here to help your company give back to this great community. Please reach out to me at any time if you would like to learn more about these and other programs we can offer.