Madison, WI – Community Shares of Wisconsin’s annual workplace giving campaign kicks off this week and runs through November. Workplace giving through Community Shares allows employees of local businesses and organizations to support nearly 70 local nonprofits working on voting rights, healthy food systems, criminal justice reform, housing advocacy, environmental protection, and more.
Charitable giving shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy. Community Shares of Wisconsin’s workplace giving campaign democratizes philanthropy by connecting with as many individual donors as possible, so everyone’s contributions add up to make a big difference.
Individuals choose the nonprofits they want to support and then make their donation through tax-deductible payroll deductions. 100% of their donation goes directly to the nonprofit they choose. Workplaces like Ascendium Education Group and UW Credit Union even match their employees’ donations to increase the impact.
“Ascendium is proud to support Community Shares of Wisconsin with a corporate $4 match for every $1 dollar employees pledge during the Community Giving Campaign. Like Community Shares of Wisconsin, Ascendium has long been a supporter of organizations making a difference in the Madison community. Our employees take our mission to champion opportunity to heart, and it reflects in the commitment they have to helping others through volunteering and donating.”
– Brett Lindquist, Vice President—Strategic Communications, Ascendium Education Group
“UW Credit Union is proud to support Community Shares of Wisconsin with a 100% corporate matching gift during our Community Giving Campaign. We encourage employees to get involved in the communities they live and work in. Our volunteer time off program and dollar-for-dollar corporate matching gift are ways we incentivize participation and deepen the impact of employee contributions. This investment is reflective of our commitment to community impact, DEI, and employee engagement.”
– Victoria Boucher, Community Engagement Strategist, UW Credit Union
Throughout Madison and Dane County, leading businesses and organizations choose to offer workplace giving through Community Shares because of Community Share’s focus on local nonprofits. Participating organizations include the State of Wisconsin, Lake Ridge Bank, Summit Credit Union, Group Health Cooperative, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Dane Buy Local, Wegner CPAs, Heartland Credit Union, M3 Insurance, and Pines Bach LLP.
For businesses and organizations that do not currently offer workplace giving through Community Shares, it’s simple to start a campaign whether payroll is in-house or through an outside vendor. Community Shares works alongside other fundraising federations in many workplaces, and conducting a side-by-side campaign that includes Community Shares requires little added work. Studies show that employers who offer choices in workplace giving see an increase in employee participation and total dollars raised.
