Annual News Report December 6–12, 2011; issue 1154

CHARITIES

Biggest educational charitable organizations in B.C. — 16

Biggest enviromental charitable organizations in B.C. – 18

Biggest registered foundations in B.C. – 19

Biggest health charitable organizations in B.C. – 20

Biggest social charitable organizations in B.C. – 21

list

Happy Holidays

Putting the fun into employee fundraisingGames, teamwork, matching funds and aligning values help companies motivate staff to get on board with charitable giving

By Lorne Mallin

November was definitely

Movember at Vancou-

ver’s ZAG Group, where the

35 staff went positively hairy

– a prime example of how

workplaces big and small are

encouraging employees to

buy in to giving back.

Steve Curtis, CEO of

the Vancouver-based multi-

business conglomerate, said

almost all male employees

grew moustaches and even

female staff wore cutout

Mo’staches in the prostate-

cancer campaign.

“It’s really important that

people understand why we’re

doing things,” said Curtis, a

survivor of cancer – a rare

form of lymphoma diag-

nosed six years ago when he

was given two years to live.

“It’s almost gone,” he

said.

In the last quarter, ZAG

participated in the Sun Run

and then supported Take

a Hike, which engages at-

risk youth in alternative

education.

“One of the kids came

by and talked about his ex-

periences with Take a Hike.

Rather than just being about

raising $100 or more, it was,

‘Here’s the kind of person

we’re trying to help.’”

That talk took place in

ZAG’s daily huddle in a big

circle in the centre of the

o�ce.

“We’ll announce who’s

raised money and put some

kudos behind it,” such as a

dinner gift certificate or a

day o�, said Curtis.

“We make raising money

and doing events kind of a

game,” he said. “Our com-

pany is growing very quickly,

so we work a lot. Sometimes

we get a litt le pushback

around, ‘Ahhh, one more

thing, we gotta raise money.’

But we’ve really created an

environment around char-

ity that’s fun and interest-

ing and we laugh and joke

about it.”

Competition is key.

“We usually make teams,”

Curtis said. “Sometimes it

will be supply versus sales

or sometimes it will be oper-

ations people working with

sales people.”

He said employee buy-

ins can motivate staff to

stay with the company. “It

also helps to attract the tal-

ented people that we need,”

because ZAG has a repu-

tation as a place that helps

people do positive things in

the world.

Employee surveys

So does Scotiabank where

Michelle Henderson is man-

ager of community engage-

ment for B.C. and the Yukon,

a region that includes 3,500

employees.

“We support the causes

that are important to our

employees,” she said. “We

survey our employees every

year so we make sure we put

our corporate dollars where

they want us to put them.”

The bank is now title

sponsor of the province-

wide Scotiabank MS Walk.

“Our support began many

years ago because one em-

ployee was passionate about

the cause. She participated

in the walk, raised funds,

and the bank would support

her through our matching

program. �en she got other

employees involved and they

became enthusiastic. It just

snowballed into what it is

today.”

All of the region’s ma-

jor fundraisers have come

from the branch level. “�e

branches are very creative;

they’ll do all kinds of things.

For the Scotiabank and BC-

SPCA’s Paws for a Cause,

we’ll set up a little doggie

pound jail in the branch

and we’ll lock our employ-

ees in there. �ey’ll have to

raise a certain amount of

money before we’ll let them

out,” Henderson said with

a laugh.

She said staff are given

the opportunity to engage in

volunteer activities during

business hours. “Everything

is driven by our employees.”

Meaningful team building

For the United Way of the

Lower Mainland, motivat-

ing workers to give is cen-

tral, with 80% of the annual

fundraising campaign com-

ing from the workplace.

Approximately 5,000 vol-

unteers, 56,000 donors

and 1,100 organizations are

involved.

“Caring for the commun-

ity has to be part of what a

company and its employ-

ees believe in,” said Yuri

Fulmer, United Way board

chair. “What United Way

can do is be a supporting

tool, enabling a group of

people to come together

selflessly and perhaps help

somebody they’ve never met

and likely never will meet.”

Fulmer said most team

building in organizations

is self-focused on the team.

“What we’re talking about is

team building that’s mean-

ingful. It brings the team

together in a spirit of co-

operation and helping, and

there’s also a positive conse-

quence for somebody else.”

He said United Way has

a unique place in being in

more workplaces than any

other charity. “Companies

let us in to talk to their em-

ployees and we’re grateful for

the opportunity. If allowed

to, we can add meaningful

value.”

Fulmer said the United

Way works with any size

company. “Bigger compan-

ies are more visible in the

community so we can en-

counter them more easily.

But you know I have an of-

fice of five people and we

run a United Way campaign

equally successfully,” said

Fulmer, president and CEO

of FDC Capital Partners.

news@biv.com

Movember moustaches are a growth industry at ZAG Group: (L-r) staffers Brett Ducross, Andrew

Robertson, Andrew Burke, CEO Steve Curtis, Vincent Skirzyk and Alastair Hughes

United Way board chair

Yuri Fulmer: “caring for the

community has to be part

of what a company and its

employees believe in”

“We’ve really created

an environment around

charity that’s fun and

interesting and we laugh

and joke about it”

– Steve Curtis,

CEO,

ZAG Group