COUNTY EMPLOYEES ASSIST CHAIRITIES

This holiday season, the County of Marin’s annual Employee Charitable Giving Campaign provided another six-figure boost to local, national and global nonprofits. North Bay-based nonprofits such as Canal Alliance, the Redwood Empire Food Bank, Vivalon, the St. Vincent De Paul Society District Council of Marin, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, 10,000 Degrees and the Food for Thought Food Bank saw the greatest amounts of donations made by the county’s 2,000-plus employees. The campaign registered more than $117,000 in committed charitable giving via payroll deductions and one-time donations, exceeding this year’s goal by $7,000. Employees can pick charities to support from a list of nonprofit federation members. With employees giving at the office in a combined campaign, the nonprofits save the time, effort and expense of seeking out and processing individual donations. The money is dispersed to the beneficiary agencies steadily throughout the coming year. Liza Massey, the county’s chief information officer, volunteered again as the campaign coordinator. She noted a 3% rise in payroll deductions and a 2% rise in total donations from last year. She credited campaign coordinators in each department for helping to easily exceed the $110,000 combined goal.
“Our employees’ generosity shines brightly once again as they continue to contribute financially to the greater good, inspiring hope and unity,” she said. “Their unwavering commitment is a testament to the strength and compassion that prevail even in times of fiscal uncertainty and other challenges.”
Since the start of the coordinated giving effort in 2007, county employees have donated over $1.45 million to recipient nonprofits. Among the county’s 22 departments, Information Services and Technology raised the most funds this season, followed by Public Works and the Office of the County Executive. The Public Defender’s Office had the highest percentage of employee participation in the campaign. Twenty-five employees were noted as leadership donors by committing $1,000 or more over the payroll year, accounting for nearly one-third of the total amount raised.