Nonprofits are big business. And Arizona’s most philanthropic companies help those nonprofits fulfill their missions.
According to the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University, more than 70 million people work and volunteer in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit employees make up the third-largest workforce among U.S. industries, behind only retail and manufacturing, and nonprofits create total revenue of more than $1.9 trillion annually, exceeding the gross domestic product of Canada, Australia, Russia or India.
But nonprofits couldn’t be in business if they didn’t have the help and support of other philanthropic and socially responsible companies. Here are 40 of those amazing companies that are giving back to Arizona communities and whose philanthropic ways are examples the business community can admire and emulate.
Abrazo Community Health Network: Abrazo Community Health Network earned top company fundraiser accolades for the 25th annual Phoenix Heart Walk, raising $81,596 in donations and pledges for the fight against heart disease and stroke. Abrazo had 516 participants.
Amazon: More than 40 students from Gila Crossing Community School participated in Camp Amazon, a free robotics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) immersion experience. “Amazon wants to get children excited about STEM and encourage them to build, imagine and innovate,” said Matthew High, general manager of Amazon Fulfillment.
APS: The APS Foundation gave a $1 million grant to the Arizona Science Center’s Rural Communities Expansion Project to sustain the professional development of K-8 teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects for the next five years and will allow the program to expand into Cochise and Yuma counties.
Arizona Diamondbacks and Shamrock Farms: The Diamondbacks, in partnership with Shamrock Farms, held their annual “Grand Slam Give Back” milking contest at Chase Field, fulfilling a season-long promise to donate up to 96,000 servings of fresh milk to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.
Bar-S: Thanks to a generous donation by Bar-S, No Kid Hungry is able to provide one million more meals to hungry children. This donation provided meals to children nationwide during the summer – often the hungriest time of the year for many children.
because Event Space: For years, Kathy Sweet envisioned a family business that would bring the community together while giving back. because opened its 15,000 square-foot event space in April 2016. Since then, the space has raised more than $25,000 for local charities and hosted more than 400 events, from weddings to film screenings to corporate events.
Canyon Building & Design: The company led a state-wide campaign to aid local schools in equipping students and educators with adequate supplies for the upcoming school year. This follows Canyon’s previous community-oriented campaign in which Canyon helped deliver holiday gifts to children in foster care.
Chas Roberts: After another successful “Original Taste” event held in Scottsdale in April, Chas Roberts A/C & Plumbing presented a $5,000 check directly from the proceeds to Phoenix Children’s Hospital as part of its ongoing campaign to benefit the youth medical facility.
Chase: More than 1,000 Chase employees fanned out to the East and West Valley to help revitalize two schools with projects such as landscaping, field maintenance and touch-up painting to help beautify the campuses. Volunteers contributes more than $60,000 in labor. Chase also donated $30,000 in supplies and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation contributed $10,000 in supplies plus one game ticket to each volunteer.
David Weekley Homes: David Weekley Homes, the nation’s largest privately-held builder, hosted its fourth annual, companywide CA+RE School Supplies Drive. In Phoenix, school supplies were collected for Arizonans for Children Inc., which provides solutions to alleviate hardships and improve the lives of the abused, abandoned, and neglected children in foster care.
Delta Dental of Arizona: Thanks to a $25,000 grant from Delta Dental of Arizona, Native Health’s Oral Health Outreach Program will combat the cavity epidemic by going out into the community and providing free pediatric oral care to infants and young adults in Maricopa County off-site.
Desert Financial Credit Union: Desert Financial Credit Union debuted the redesign of Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s 1 Darn Cool School on Sept. 25. 1 Darn Cool School is Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s in-house education center where patients can continue studies while in treatment, guided by professional, state-certified educators. Desert Financial Credit Union will continue its ongoing support of 1 Darn Cool School with a $2 million commitment over the next three years.
District Medical Group: The “Medical Champions” program was created by District Medical Group using its electronic medical records (EMR) system to better identify and track children with critical illnesses who would qualify for a Make-A-Wish experience. DMG has referred more than 22 wish kids since June 2017.
Fingerpaint: Fingerpaint launched Operation Lunch Lady in partnership with The Pack Shack as a creative way to raise awareness and funds using the beloved unsung hero, the lunch lady. This year, the program provided more than 65,000 meals to hungry kids.
FirstBank: FirstBank, the premier sponsor of Arizona Gives Day, pumped $3,000 worth of free gas to unexpected Phoenix drivers, while encouraging lucky recipients to “Give it Forward” to a charity of their choice on Arizona Gives Day. FirstBank hoped this act of kindness inspired individuals to give back to causes in their communities on Arizona Gives Day.
Four Peaks Brewing Co.: Four Peaks’ “Four Peaks 4 Teachers” classroom supply fundraiser provides school supplies to thousands of Arizona teachers in partnership with Treasures 4 Teachers. Four Peaks will purchase enough items to fill 4,500 supply kits.
Fox Restaurant Concepts: Flower Child, the healthy fast-casual concept by Fox Restaurant Concepts, partnered with Phoenix-based startup, Pal, to become more inclusive for the one-in-six children in the U.S. with developmental disabilities. Flower Child is the first restaurant to become a “Pal Place”, offering families a video tour before they visit and a sensory scale to help plan ahead.
Gila River Hotels & Casinos: Gila River Hotels & Casinos lets Arizona nonprofit organizations receive a year’s worth of forfeited self-excluded gaming jackpots. “Gila River Hotels & Casinos is proud to be a longstanding philanthropic partner with the state of Arizona,” said Kenneth Manuel, CEO of Gila River Hotels & Casinos.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria: Grimaldi’s Pizzeria was named the 2018 Silver Halo Award winner in the Small Business Category for its work on Dine Out: Grimaldi’s and Share our Strength. Grimaldi’s raised $115,000 that will allow No Kid Hungry to provide 1,150,000 additional nutritious meals for kids in need.
Jaburg Wilk: Teams from the Phoenix law firm of Jaburg Wilk built bikes for Boys Hope Girls Hope of Metro Phoenix. The diverse teams competed with one another to answer questions about community involvement to acquire the tools needed to assemble the bikes. Then, the bikes were awarded to Boys Hope Girls Hope scholars that had a GPA over 3.54 and were lucky enough to have their name drawn as a winner.
King Koil: King Koil, which started production at its new Avondale, facility earlier this year, donated beds to outfit two local fire stations and provide a comfortable space at the fire station so firefighters could get a good night’s rest.
Movement Mortgage: Movement Mortgage collected more than 1 million bottles of water for the homeless since its annual water drive began in 2014. Movement Mortgage’s nonprofit Movement Foundation matched the employee donations with a $150,000 grant to support the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s operations.
OH Partners: Local advertising agency OH Partners took a jump start in celebrating Cesar Chavez Day by volunteering at the TigerMountain Foundation garden. More than 50 employees from OH Partners dedicated their Friday morning by helping to restore a vacant lot and converting it into a beautiful community garden in South Phoenix.
ONECare: ONECare by Care1st Health Plan Arizona, a WellCare Health Plans company, partnered with the Diana Gregory Outreach Service Foundation to host a “Veggies for Vets” event to hand out 500 bags of fresh fruits and vegetables at no cost to promote healthy eating amongst veterans.
Pine Canyon: The private master-planned golf course and residential community in Flagstaff hosted a benefit concert that raised nearly $4,000 for a local animal welfare organization. The event marks the third consecutive year that Pine Canyon has offered a philanthropic opportunity at the community’s annual Fourth of July celebration.
Plexus Worldwide: With a sold-out crowd of more than 11,000 Ambassadors (independent sales representatives) in attendance, Scottsdale-based Plexus Worldwide surprised Ambassadors at its 2018 Legacy Convention by presenting a $100,000 donation to Feeding America, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of food banks. The company then announced its new Nourish One Initiative, which will provide one meal for a child or family in need for every serving sold of the new Plexus Lean.
R&R Partners: R&R Partners, an international marketing and advertising agency, hosted children ages 10 to 16 from the Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona program to experience painting in a virtual atmosphere at their office in the Phoenix Warehouse District. Free Arts is the only nonprofit organization in Arizona delivering creative and therapeutic art programs, at no cost, to children ages 3 to 21 who have faced abuse, neglect and homelessness.
Raytheon: Disabled veterans in Arizona were invited to participate in the 2018 No Barriers Warriors Grand Canyon Veteran Wilderness Expedition funded by Raytheon. No Barriers will lead a team of 14 disabled veterans on a nine-day journey of discoveries and challenges in the Grand Canyon.
Rio Salado: The Rio Salado Dental Clinic hosted a free clinic for children and teens ages 17 and younger. Rio Salado students, instructors and dental community members volunteered their time and expertise to provide comprehensive dental hygiene care at the clinic. Services included exams, X-rays, cleaning, fluoride varnish and fun educational tips on staying healthy.
Riot Hospitality Group: The local restaurant group donated $20,000 to Folds of Honor. This is the second year the local company partnered with the national nonprofit to raise money for educational scholarships to families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States armed forces.
Risas Dental and Braces: For the seventh year in a row, doctors and staff from Risas Dental and Braces donateed their time at its annual Labor of Love event. The Phoenix-based company treated more than 1,000 patients across its 13 participating locations, blanketing the areas from Glendale to North Phoenix and Chandler to Mesa.
SRP: Salt River Project installed new inverters and updated equipment for rooftop photovoltaic systems donated to 15 Valley schools through the SRP Solar for Schools program. The systems have saved the schools more than $230,000 since 2009.
State Farm: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Phoenix received $400,000 from State Farm, which will be used to expand its network of Financial Opportunity Centers (FOC) in Phoenix, responding to the Phoenix-Metro area’s need for an integrated services delivery platform that helps neighborhoods and struggling families stabilize their finances and connect to living wage jobs.
Sunny Plumber: Crews from The Sunny Plumber donated and installed water systems at the Arizona Animal Welfare League’s Phoenix campus. The systems, donated by Van Marcke Trade Supply, were installed by crews from The Summer Plumber at no cost to the AAWL, one of Arizona’s largest pet shelters that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes dogs, cats, puppies and kittens throughout the state.
TruWest Credit Union: TruWest asked its staff and the public to donate cases of water at any of its area branch locations as part of its annual water drive. The result: Nearly 20,000 bottles were collected over the course of 31 days.
UnitedHealthcare: UnitedHealthcare has awarded $2 million in grants to local organizations that are expanding social services to address some of Arizona’s key social determinants of health, like food security.
Tuft & Needle: Regardless of an individual’s living situation, we all need a good night’s sleep. Thanks to a donation from Arizona-based Tuft & Needle to Circle The City, a multitude of Arizona’s homeless will have mattresses to help them get much-needed rest for recovery and respite.
Valley Hyundai dealerships: Hyundai Hope On Wheels® celebrated its 20th year in the fight funding pediatric cancer research by presenting Dr. Cynthia Wetmore of Phoenix Children’s Hospital with a $100,000 Hyundai Impact Award. This institution is one of 21 recipients of this year’s award, which is given to pediatric oncology departments at select children’s hospitals nationwide.
Vitalyst: The Vitalyst Health Foundation partnered with the Arizona Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and The NARBHA Institute to award Innovation Grants totaling $500,000 to four Arizona nonprofits. These grants will fund projects that have a direct impact on building healthy communities around the state.
Washington Federal: More than 307 students at Metro Tech High School in Phoenix earned their Certification in Financial Literacy diplomas through the Washington Federal Financial Scholars Program in May. The program, which launched at Metro Tech High School in 2013 and provides schools with interactive, web-based financial management education tools at no cost to either the school itself or taxpayers, has now grown to six total schools in Arizona and graduated 1,740 since its inception.
WellCare Health Plans: WellCare donated $230,000 to support a new Bayless Integrated Healthcare clinic located in the Avondale Elementary School District. The multi-specialty clinic will provide integrated healthcare services including family medicine, behavioral health and life skill services to students and families who reside in Maricopa County’s Southwest Valley – an area in great need of care and resources.
