Making Giving Personal

Corporate Giving: Less Corporate…More Personal

I believe that the cure for feeling down about the stress in and around us is to be of service to someone else. It shifts the focus and creates perspective. Zumasys helps organizations around the world, donating 1% of our revenue to help people in need. Last year, we partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to raise over $63,000 to feed hungry families in Orange County. And this year, we’ve teamed up with Operation Smile, an international medical charity that performs safe and effective cleft lip surgeries for children in need.

Many of our employees have participated in these programs and have received the personal benefit that comes with helping others. With Operation Smile, we can see the impact our donations have on the face of a child. It’s a personal connection that makes the giving feel so good. So the question becomes, how do you make corporate giving personal to each of your employees? At Zumasys, we think we’ve found a solution. We call it “Happyness is a Choice”.

With Happyness is a Choice, Zumasys continues to donate 1% of its revenue to non-profits, but we go one step further. Up to 10% of that 1% now goes directly to individuals, friends, family or organizations in need. We all know a family who may be struggling, or a community member who’s lost a family member, or a neighbor raising funds for a worthy cause through a Go Fund Me account. These may not be 501(c)(3) organizations, but they are people in need of a helping hand. We have invited our employees to share these stories with our Happyness Committee. The impact has been so special and sincere.

Whether it’s a simple card and flowers to a sick friend of an employee or offering to donate money to help offset the cost of medical expenses, Zumasys is giving our employees direct access to a support team who cares about the needs of the people in their personal lives.

I have been personally touched by Zumasys’ participation in a cause close to my heart. Coming up on September 21^st is the FARE Walk for Food Allergy in Los Angeles, which my family will be participating in. As the parent of a child with life-threatening food allergies, Zumasys knew how involved I was with this organization and decided to sponsor the event. I can’t begin to describe how much it meant to me to have my company support me in such a deeply personal way. I know I share this feeling with my colleagues.

In the last year, we’ve seen our employees step up to embrace and embody the Zumasys culture like never before. Their desire to do more, to volunteer more, and to give more has been the driving force behind Happyness is a Choice.

Helping your employees help others is the recipe for personal corporate giving that truly unites people with their passions and their work.