In 2009, Intelius, led by CEO Naveen Jain, gave over $360,000 to several local and national non-profits; most of the money (nearly $260,000) given to local Washington State nonprofit organizations. Money was only part of what the company contributed, as several Intelius employees volunteered hundreds of hours to various local organizations such as Hopelink, Treehouse, Youthcare, Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue, Eastside Domestic Violence, Kairos Society, and many others. The group focused on organizations supporting education, family services, basic needs, and youth development.

Anu Jain, Intelius’ Vice President of Community Relations stated, “I’m proud to say that at Intelius, giving back and being a good neighbor is an essential part of our corporate culture. Each year we push ourselves to do more and find new ways to help our community and those in need. In 2009, we increased our giving by more than 75% from 2009, continuing our track record of growing our annual contributions every year since our inception in 2003.”

Puget Sound’s Corporate Citizenship Program is a unique publication designed to award and recognize companies and their philanthropic contributions. The publication shines light on businesses that “do well by doing good”.

Justin Hein, a Managing Attorney for Roni Deutch Tax Corporation believes that it’s encouraging for the business community to know that the city has a plan of action for growth and strengthening business as well as other aspects of the Sacramento region.

The Sacramento Mayor’s goals include a commitment to community. Striving to make this goal a reality isn’t going to be a stretch for Roni Lynn Deutch’s group. The mayor is challenging citizens to participate in volunteer services for one hour each month. Roni Deutch, A Professional Tax Corporation has been committed to community service for quite some time. The company has its own Community Action Committee, designed to find and create opportunities for the firm’s employees to volunteer and have an impact on the Sacramento communities. Roni Lynn Deutch is proud of the Community Action Committee, which spearheaded several events in 2009 and plans to do even more in 2010.

Another one of Mayor Johnson’s initiatives is to make Sacramento a leader in the Green movement. Roni Deutch, A Professional Tax Corporation has already been taking steps in this direction. In 2009, the firm transitioned to a paperless client intake system, drastically limiting the amount of paper the offices uses. In 2010, the firm is committed to taking additional steps to limit paper usage by improving its office technology.

Roni Deutch is appreciative of her firm’s dedication to volunteerism as well as the Green movement. With these achievements combined with their efforts to help Sacramento through tough economic times by creating jobs, Deutch is confident that her team is making positive strides towards Sacramento’s overall goals.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (DATE, 2010) – Through its Cydcor community relations program, Cydcor, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, has donated 27 boxes of items, ranging from food snacks and toiletries to entertainment, to American soldiers through Any Soldier, Inc., an organization that helps nearly 100,000 American soldiers in all branches of the military receive letters and packages from home.

Cydcor community outreach and volunteerism is a key part of the company’s culture, and the donation to the troops represents the Cydcor’s goal of helping service people who are not able to be with families this holiday season.

The Cydcor community has donated to other charitable organizations in previous years, such as Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles and Casa Pacifica in Camarillo, California. To support its network of independent sales offices, the company also supports Cydcor offices in their community outreach programs. Cydcor also launched the Neighborhood Leader program in early 2009, which highlights volunteer efforts to charitable organizations around the United States. To date, Cydcor has supported 15 organizations, with more than 220 sales representatives participating and donating more than 200 hours.

“Our troops are making sacrifices for all of us and we felt it was very important to help them as much as we could,” said Gary Polson, chief executive officer of Cydcor. “We’re happy to be able to provide them with items they need to make life a little easier – our wish is that the Cydcor community could help each and every soldier who is giving their time to our country.”

Cydcor team members support Cydcor’s community relations efforts and took an enormous interest in donating to Any Soldier, adding items to the dozens of boxes at the company’s Westlake Village, CA location. Happy to “fill” the boxes, they were excited to put the packages together and get them quickly off to the troops.

On AnySoldier.com, e-mails are featured from military personnel regarding the type of support needed in the field – including letters, packages, toiletries, food, newspapers, and magazines. Donors – like Cydcor – address their letters and packages to the writer’s name, but also add the words “ATTN: Any Soldier” on the second line. The writer shares the mail with fellow servicemen and women. If there is “Any Soldier” not receiving a lot of mail from home, that soldier will be the first person to receive the letter.

“During the holidays, people become reflective, and our ability to be here with our families enjoying the comforts of home while our country’s soldiers are away from theirs resonated with the Cydcor community of team members. We want to do everything we can to ensure that they have a memorable holiday season,” said Vera Quinn, senior vice president of operations at Cydcor. “We’re proud to have had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these soldiers.”

About Cydcor, Inc.
Cydcor, Inc., is the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, retail energy, and financial services. Cydcor works with a network of independently owned corporate licensee (ICL) Cydcor sales offices providing clients with access to more than 2,700 sales professionals and 200+ offices in North America. The privately held company is currently based in Westlake Village, California. For more information about Cydcor, log on to www.cydcor.com.

About Any Soldier Inc.
Any Soldier Inc. helps nearly 100,000 American soldiers in all branches of the military, both active duty and reservists, and has become one of the leading efforts in making sure the men and women who have been deployed for the war are cared for, via letters and packages from “home.” For more information, visit www.AnySoldier.com.

Contact:
Gail Michalak
Cydcor, Inc.
805.277.5500

Wal Mart’s record in corporate giving is also quite amazing. Reports released indicate that for FYE 2009, it gave over $423 million in charitable contributions all over the world, an increase by $85.6 million from the previous year.

The economic crisis has not slowed down Wal Mart’s commitment to corporate giving; it has in fact bolstered it. Together with its partner (domestic and international) foundations, Wal Mart has advanced its commitment to programs addressing hunger, homelessness, joblessness, self-sufficiency, education and basic needs all over the world. Wal Mart believes that it is precisely during times of economic hardship that companies must step up and support those hardest hit by the crisis. The company asserts its responsibility to come up more effective ways to raise funds that can have a positive and lasting impact in the communities.

Wal-Mart’s community involvement year after year is remarkable. Education is a primary beneficiary of Wal-Mart charitable giving. WMF has donated at least $701 million to education charities since 1998. Each Wal-Mart store awards a $1,000 college scholarship to a qualifying high school senior. The company also has a commitment to the United Negro College Fund, pledging $1 million. Wal Mart sponsors the Competitive Edge Scholarship, which makes four-year scholarships –– each worth $20,000 –– available to students pursuing technology-related courses. This year, the company gave the Institute for Higher Education Policy a grant worth $4.1 million.

A breakdown of Wal-Mart’s largesse for 2009 include: more than $378 million in cash and in-kind donations from its US-based stores, $45.5 million cash and in-kind gifts and donations from its international stores, more than $106 million raised through in-store giving program benefiting local charities. This totals a global contribution of nearly $530 million for the FYE 2009. Wal Mart’s in-kind donations include providing meat, agricultural produce and other foodstuffs donated to US food banks.

Wal Mart continues its partnership with nonprofit organizations to address hunger, disasters, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. It gave over $248 million to local and national charities including $5 million for YouthBuild, $4.7 million for Children’s Miracle Network, $3 million for The Salvation Army, and $3.4 million for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Moreover, company volunteerism runs high. Wal Mart’s workforce and associates in the US contributed more than one million volunteer hours, a milestone to encourage increased community service.

Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton, works closely with the Walton Family Foundation (where she serves as a board member) and their philanthropic endeavors. Alice, born into an environment where philanthropy was championed, currently spearheads the Foundation’s involvement with Crystal Bridges, a museum of American Art. The museum is dedicated to American artists, and strives to be a place of learning within the community. The heart of the art collection at Crystal Bridges will include works donated by Alice Walton and the Walton Family Foundation, as well as gifts, loans, and donations from other private collectors. Alice Walton’s philanthropic ventures are reflective of those of the Walton family and the Wal Mart corporation.

As a global company, Nokia fulfills its responsibility to promote sustainable development in whichever way possible. Thus, it works with several international nonprofit organizations to pursue its social responsibility programs toward youth and children development, disaster relief, and community building.

The company targets providing youth with life skills to help them achieve personal and professional success. It collaborated with the International Youth Foundation (IYF) in 2000 to launch an international initiative to improve literacy, scholastic performance, active citizenship, and employment skills among young people. Nokia has contributed over $26 million and benefited 330,000 young people.

The company also donated an initial amount of €1,000,000 to Plan, a humanitarian international children’s organization in order to launch e-learning activities to educate African children of their rights and opportunities.

Nokia also regards community building as its social responsibility because its mobile technology has the capacity to influence and bridge communication for millions of people around the world.

In Africa, it implemented a project called The Village Phone program, which made communication easier for villagers in the outskirts of Africa through village phones.

In the Philippines, Nokia launched BridgeIt under the program title “text2teach” in May 2003 to provide technology-based instructional materials to 5th and 6th grade teachers in order to boost academic performance of students. Its two years of implementation has benefited more than 122,000 students and 920 schoolteachers.

Nokia has rendered charitable contributions to several international nonprofit institutions such as the United Way and UNICEF. It also developed an employee philanthropy program which has raised over $500,000 for charity.

The company has also contributed to disaster relief efforts, working hand in hand with the Red Cross. It donated $1 million to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In response to the Southeast Asian tsunami, Nokia initiated a long-term recovery program through a contribution of €2,500,000 Reconstruction Fund. It also provided 1000 mobiles phones to rescue teams and operators to support relief work. It also funded rebuilding programs in Pakistan and instituted a Nokia Education Fund for children who lost their parents to the September 11 attacks.

Building on this commitment, it recently awarded over $842,000 in Shared Planet Youth Action grants to fifty deserving U.S.-based youth organizations that have advocated youth action and leadership in their respective communities. The grantees are spread over 17 states in the U.S., each of them receiving $10,000 to $25,000.

The Shared Planet Youth Action Grants are part of the company’s initiative to encourage youth participation in the identification of problems in communities toward managing them with creative solutions. Through the grants, youth organizations can have the machinery to support programs and projects that create a positive impact in their communities. The grant’s long-term goal is to engage and support 50,000 young people by 2015 as they innovate, mobilize and inspire others to become a part of community service.

The grants are guided by the Starbucks Global Responsibility principle of “contributing positively to our communities and our environment.”

According to Vivek Varma, senior vice president of Public Affairs, “From the neighborhoods where our stores are located to the ones where our coffee is grown, we believe in being involved in the communities we`re a part of.”

Overall, what Starbucks wants to instill in the youth is to “fuel the energy and creativity of young people in these communities, helping them bring people together, generate change and make a difference.”

Starbucks’ support for the youth, like its operations, is global, extending to as far as Argentina and Canada. Recently, six nonprofit youth organizations in Argentina and one in Canada were recipients of grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.

John G. Rangos Sr., who is also the founder and former president of another aid group called the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, expressed his gratitude to have won the first-ever Gabby Award together with other renowned philanthropists.

“I know that the Gabby Awards will become a long-standing tradition for outstanding service in the Greek American community,” said Rangos.

Due to the philanthropist not being able to attend the event, John G. Rangos Sr.’s grandchildren received the Gabby Award on his behalf.

The Gabby Awards, which was based on its acronym “Greek America’s Best and Brightest Stars,” was hosted by the Greek American Foundation, a nonprofit aid group; and the Greek America Magazine. Profits from the awards ceremony were sent to the Greek American Foundation’s Hellenic Legacy Fund, a grant fund developed to honor scholarships to students who are studying overseas in Greece.

Winners from the event were chosen via a voting system, with thousands of Greek Americans participating. The awards were bestowed in categories such as philanthropy and public service, entertainment and performing arts, education and academia as well as business and entrepreneurship.

The foundation’s humanitarian efforts will provide healthy food for more than 93,000 children for the duration of the summer season. This program is aptly called Feeding Hungry Children and the Boys & Girls Club of America received the $1.2 million grant for the children’s meals. Various feeding programs in different American states will receive grants totaling to $250,000.

For the Food Bank Support program, a $3 million grant allows the distribution of at least 30 new refrigerator trucks to United States food banks. This will help ensure the smooth delivery of food to storerooms, kitchens, and to organizations backed by Feeding America.

The Food Donation program aims to fulfill their goal of donating 90 million pounds of food before the end of December 2009. So far, Walmart’s food contribution program has supplied over 59.8 million pounds of fresh meat and other nourishing goods to US Food Banks. This philanthropic act is being carried out by Sam’s Club and Walmart stores.

Walmart Foundation president Margaret McKenna assures that the foundation will continue to work towards the alleviation of hunger, especially where America’s children are concerned. The foundation is likewise committed to supporting programs that help homeless families and all those who are in need.

Moreover, the global company promotes sustainability and has led in the establishment of projects such as sustainable agriculture programs. In terms of ethical reputation, it tops the ranking among global companies as adjudged by Covalence.

Unilever has also become notable in its strong partnerships with environmental organizations and institutions that share its aims, among which is its 16-year partnership with the National Parks Foundation (NPF), a chartered independent charitable organization and the official charity of America’s National Parks.

Collaborating with the NPF, Unilever recently awarded grants totaling $288,000 to 12 National Parks across the U.S. during a reception at the Capitol Hill.

Fiona S. Laird, presenter of the grants, summed Unilever’s rationale for the awards, saying, “As a global company, we have a responsibility to address social, economic, and environmental challenges that impact our consumers and society.”

The grant embodies the company’s Vitality mission of which sustainable development is a focus area.

Unilever and NPF have been working together to secure a sustainable future for America’s national parks, and has since raised more than $50 million for this objective.

The $288,000 grant includes Recycling at Work Sustainable Grants and Discretionary Grants — Unilever’s financial contributions in support of the preservation and protection of National Parks.

The Recycling at Work Sustainable Grants are open to 391 National Parks and are awarded to parks which need assistance in strengthening infrastructure with sustainable lumber. This year, several National Parks received the Recycling at Work Sustainable Grants from Unilever, including:

• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Devils Tower National Monument
• Independence National Historical Park and
• Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Unilever has awarded over $1 million in Discretionary Grants since 1998 to support parks’ sustainability initiatives. This year, four Parks were awarded Discretionary Grants.