Tap into this simple way to boost your donation and impact

November 11, 2021| Community, Fundraising, People

By: Caitlin Doran

Several Lake Hopatcong Members are already harnessing the power of their companies’ corporate social responsibility programs in order to double their support to LHF, and you can too!

Put simply, corporate social responsibility (also known as CSR) is a term used to describe a company’s efforts to improve communities in some way. These efforts can range from donating money to a nonprofit organization, creating days of service where employees have an opportunity to give back through hands-on work, or even implementing more environmentally friendly practices in the workplace.

We talked to three members of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation who have been taking full advantage of their company’s corporate social responsibility/investment programs to increase their giving. Some companies actively advertise these programs to their employees, and others less so. A simple phone call to Human Resources will often reveal what programs exist and how you can take advantage and double or even triple your impact on New Jersey’s largest lake.

Here are some testimonials from members on how they have used their company’s CSR programs to increase their support, and how easy it was to do so:

Linda Karpiak, Novartis

“Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation offers many different giving opportunities for qualified nonprofit organizations. They encourage associates to use personal time to volunteer and give back to their community. Through the Dollars for Doers Program, I volunteer my time to benefit and advance the mission of the LHF, and the organization receives a donation on my behalf. I also take advantage of the Matching Gifts Program to extend the impact of my personal donations. Novartis provides a $1 for $1 match, and a $3 for $1 match on Giving Tuesday. Through the Board of Directors Service Program, Novartis donates $750 per year to the LHF for my time serving as a board member. Lastly, thousands of Novartis associates choose a local organization to volunteer for during working hours one day per year in an event called Community Partnership Day. Although the event was canceled last year due to COVID, the LHF still received a generous donation. Taking advantage of these various programs is simple!”

Tony Kerrison, Bank of America

Bank of America offers a generous employee giving and matching gift program, which employees can sign-up for in just a few clicks. Employees can either make a lump-sum donation and request their gift be matched dollar for dollar, or they can sign-up for payroll deductions, which designates a portion of their paycheck to the charity of their choice, which is also matched by Bank of America. Everything is handled online, and Tony selects the Lake Hopatcong Foundation from a list of charities, and the rest is handled by Bank of America.

When asked why he is so committed to supporting the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Tony replied, “My wife, Sharon, was born here and has lived her life on and around the lake. We have lived in a few houses around the lake. Our current, and last house, was a renovation of an 1889 "summer cottage". We love it here. It’s a great place to live and relax. We donate to the LHF because it is an organization that is  working to preserve the lake and all its beauty and that is very important to us."

Wade Martin, Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada is a company that is committed to solving pressing environmental challenges and working towards a more sustainable future. Wade Martin of Martin Wealth Management knows this and has been working with RBC to help donate money to LHF on behalf of himself and his clients. He encourages you to talk with your company to see what programs are available!

Thank you again to these members who have tapped into this great, simple way to increase their giving and impact on our mission to protect and improve our lake and community! We hope they have inspired you to ask your company about employee giving, matching grants, and service days. If you work for a company that’s interested in partnering with the Lake Hopatcong Foundation or need more information, please don’t hesitate to email me at Caitlin@lakehopatcongfoundation.org or call 973-663-2500.