In September, SDB Contracting Services raised more than $538,000 at its charity golf tournament to benefit the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). But that’s just one example of how the commercial real estate industry in Arizona gives back to the community.
“A big part of the SDB culture is our commitment to the community and we look forward to the SDB Golf Classic each year,” says Angie Schmidt, CEO of SDB. “This is an opportunity for SDB staff, subcontractors and other industry partners to come together and make a difference for Disabled Veterans in Arizona. We are grateful to our sponsors, tournament participants and the many SDB team members that come together to make this happen, including this year’s title sponsor ABC Supply Co. Inc.”
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The proceeds from the SDB Golf Classic will help fund vans for DAV to transport disabled veterans to medical appointments and other programs.
Also in September, electrical workers gathered in Arizona for a golf tournament to raise more than $295,000 for The Rosendin Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated to positively impact communities through financial grants and volunteer work.
In September, electrical workers gathered in Arizona for a golf tournament to raise more than $295,000 for The Rosendin Foundation. (Photo courtesy of The Rosendin Foundation)
And in October, McCarthy Building Companies made an in-kind donation valued at $100,000 for the “Loads of Love” project involving the laundry room renovation at the Thunderbird’s Family Village for Homeward Bound, a leading nonprofit dedicated to providing housing and support to families experiencing homelessness.
“As a builder with self-perform capabilities, our McCarthy team was able to tackle the vast majority of the project scope, including identifying and executing a solution that provided proper drainage for the new washing machines, which eliminated an existing odor issue,” says Larissa Tavelli, Homeward Bound board member and chair of McCarthy’s Heart Hats® program for the Southwest region. “We enjoy being able to give back to our community through hands-on projects like this, which will benefit Homeward Bound families for years to come.”
These three organizations aren’t the only commercial real estate organizations in Arizona to give of their time, funds and resources to help improve the communities in which they operate. Take a look at several more CRE companies recognized for their volunteerism, financial contributions and other philanthropic efforts to help local communities. Here are examples of how commercial real estate gives back.
Wespac Construction
Wespac feels passionate and dedicated when it comes to giving back to the community that has been so good to them over the years. By encouraging volunteerism, believing in neighborhoods, and producing M3F — Arizona’s only 100% nonprofit music festival — Wespac has given back over $5.2 million to local, family-based, non-profit organizations. Always having community and charity in mind, their employees have volunteered more than 10,000 hours of their time this year to organizations such as PCH 5K, LLS Light the Night, Wildlife World Zoo, local schools and Habitat for Humanity.
RED Development
RED Development provides a combination of support through donations, volunteerism and partnerships with Arizona-based nonprofits that have local, national and international reach — including the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics Arizona, Phoenix Suns Charities and Pipeline Worldwide. Additionally, CityScape hosts Upward and Onward, a community outreach program dedicated to increasing employment relationships and opportunities between businesses seeking entry-level employees and graduating high school seniors with disabilities. RED Development also provides employees one hour of mental health PTO for every one hour of time volunteering or serving a community organization (up to 20 hours).
W&W Structural
Another example of how commercial real estate gives back, W&W Structural values giving back to the community in any way the company can. Although W&W takes part in many events throughout the year, helping students and families at Sequoia Charter School is definitely a favorite. For the past seven years, W&W has sponsored an elementary classroom. W&W provides school supplies at the beginning of the school year, a full Thanksgiving dinner for each child’s family, and a Christmas party each December. Events like these have become a staple in the company culture which reflects the core values of W&W.
Lokahi Engineering
Lōkahi’s founding principle is teamwork — not only with coworkers and clients, but with their entire community. Driven by this deep-rooted value, the company founded its own non-profit, Lōkahi Teams, with a vision to enable youth sports participation for all. Lōkahi has also supported numerous non-profits through donations, fund-raising efforts, pro bono engineering services and hands-on assistance including painting murals and planting trees. In 2023, the company launched their first annual scholarship program awarding eight high school seniors, scholarships.
Terracon
Terracon’s philanthropy efforts include being the first commercial customer to contribute $10,000 to the Salt River Project’s Health Forest Initiative, donating nearly 200 pints of blood through blood drives, and collecting more than 500 cases of water to support the Salvation Army’s Extreme Heat Emergency Plan. The Terracon Foundation has also donated $135,000 in local grants, including setting up a $50,000 endowment at the University of Arizona and supporting Arizona State University with a $10,000 grant. Team Terracon has recycled 190,000 pounds of concrete cylinders this year.
CHASSE Building Team
A prime example of how commercial real estate gives back, CHASSE has invested more than $3.5 million into charitable causes throughout their local community, with a particular emphasis on child-focused philanthropy and efforts that benefit the education of future leaders. Many of the company’s projects combine CHASSE’s passion for working with charities and bettering their communities. For example, CHASSE recently completed work with Catholic Charities-MANA House. This program provides shelter for homeless veterans in the Valley. They’ve also partnered with ICAN charities, Boys & Girls Club and Sojourner Center.
The Howard Hughes Corporation
Teravalis Developer Howard Hughes actively gives back through meaningful initiatives. This year, the company contributed to community-based programs such as All Faith Community Services, Native American Connections, Feed My Starving Children, Make A Wish and more. In addition, HH and its employees spent September 11 packing 250,000 meals accompanied by a $25,000 donation. In 2022, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society annual fundraiser saw HH’s Phoenix President, Heath Melton, raise $160,525. This year, Melton has already raised $142,200, with a target of $200,000.
Sundt
Sundt is committed to fulfilling its purpose — to build environments where its clients, employee-owners and communities prosper. Sundt’s philanthropic arm, the Sundt Foundation, was founded in 1999 and has distributed more than $14 million in grants to nonprofits across the country. This year, the Foundation has donated more than $400,000 to nonprofits supporting disadvantaged children and adults in the Phoenix region. Sundt’s employee-owners also volunteer regularly, filling needs such as making snack bags for food-insecure children to helping build an inclusive playground for children with disabilities.
