By Cheryl Kortemeier, Executive Director of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta.
When businesses take time to understand social needs and allocate dollars, skills, services, and products to help solve problems and influence positive change, everyone benefits. If your workplace is considering a community investment strategy, it is beneficial to learn about where and how other companies are investing their resources. The annual Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) of Atlanta IMPACT Awards highlights several companies each year that stand out for their innovation and outcomes. The CVC recently announced this year’s winners before 300 corporate and community leaders at the Delta Flight Museum. Delta Air Lines served as the Diamond Presenting Sponsor host for this year’s event.
First, the CVC presented the IMPACT Corporate Skills-Based Award, recognizing a company that utilizes employee skills to support a nonprofit or community partner while promoting professional growth among its workforce. The winner was Veritiv, a company specializing in shipping container box design and other custom packaging solutions. Veritiv shared industrial design, printing, and videography skills with Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta to help them launch their new Raspberry Rally cookie with an interactive cookie box as well as a life-size cookie box. Veritiv logged more than 170 hours of design work and saved the Girl Scouts more than $15,000 in overhead costs for this project. For the record, no free cookies changed hands with the CVC judges for this award.
Next, the CVC presented the IMPACT Corporate Innovative Project of the Year, recognizing a business that has successfully completed an innovative and impactful short-term employee engagement, volunteer, or social impact project. This year’s winner was online retailer Amazon, which brought together Goodr, Southern Crescent Technical College, the Griffin-Spalding School District, and community members and leaders to identify priority needs following an EF3 tornado. Amazon activated a mobile grocery truck and toy distribution, contributing 10,360 pounds of food to more than 200 local families. They also donated $25,000 to Southern Crescent Technical College’s Opportunity Fund for student hardship assistance, special initiatives, and academic programming.
The final award was for IMPACT Corporate Program of the Year, presented to an exemplary employee volunteer or corporate social responsibility program that effectively integrates community service into the business culture. The winner was IHG Hotels and Resorts, which has made caring for people, communities, and the planet part of the company’s core priorities. More than 1,100 Atlanta-based colleagues volunteered nearly 3,600 hours with local nonprofits through company-sponsored events. Activities included supporting families at local public schools through food-security events such as assembling and delivering meal kits and a free pop-up grocery market providing 200 families with a week’s worth of healthy groceries.
Award Finalists included:
IMPACT Corporate Skills-based Award
- Delta Air Lines for their STEM-focused partnership with Science ATL for the Atlanta Science Festival
- Jones Day for their support of Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s Standing with Survivors Program
IMPACT Corporate Innovative Project of the Year
- Yamaha Motor Manufacturing, which worked with 20 young people to design, assemble, and race soapbox derby cars and raised funds for 3 nonprofit organizations through their STEM-focused Soapbox Academy
IMPACT Corporate Program of the Year
- Georgia Power, which made thoughtful changes to its long-standing volunteer program in reaction to reduced post-pandemic engagement and substantially expanded its impact for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
You may read more IMPACT Award winners past and present at www.cvcofatlanta.org/impact. Inspiration awaits!
