Every 6-Week Cycle, the team of employees and contractors each get to choose where to donate company money.

During this past 6-Week Cycle, everyone working with Martin Creative received a $100 gift card with the expressed instructions to give it away. Whether our colleagues chose to give it to an established charity or nonprofit, to a friend’s Kickstarter or GoFundMe campaign, or a local community organization, we wanted everyone to use this resource to help the cause that’s nearest to their hearts.

Corporate giving is a fantastic way for companies to engage in their communities, but so often, the people who work with those companies don’t necessarily feel those charitable initiatives totally reflect the causes they care most about. That’s why we wanted to put the giving into the hands our employees and contractors, to give everyone the opportunity to support what they believe in most strongly.

Here’s a rundown of where some of the team at Martin Creative donated their $100 gift cards:

Jenna — World Vision
[World Vision helps] children, families, and communities around the world by empowering them and helping them overcome poverty and injustice. They provide access to clean water, provide disaster relief, equip children through sponsorships, and teach communities ‘how to fish.’

“I have been sponsoring a child through World Vision for the past 7 years and receive regular updates from them. It’s amazing to see the impact that my donations have had on my sponsor child and his family and community.”

Aaron — Women Who Code
Women Who Code (WWCode) is an international nonprofit dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. They are building a world where women are proportionally representative as technical leaders, executives, founders, VCs, board members, and software engineers. They have executed more than 10,000 free events around the world, awarded over $4 million in scholarships, garnered a membership exceeding 230,000, and support members in 122 countries.

Adam — ROC United
Since the start of the pandemic, ROC United has been providing resources and relief to displaced service industry workers around the country in the form of emergency cash assistance. The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the closure of thousands of restaurants, bars, and other hospitality industry businesses, catastrophically affecting the lives of tens of thousands of workers who are disproportionately made up of women and people of color. The crisis is ongoing.

“I’ve spent most of my life working in and around restaurants and bars, and I consider the hospitality industry a professional home, and its workers a vast extended family.”

Randi — West Town Feeds
West Town Feeds is a neighborhood project in my area whose goal is to provide 50–100+ hot meals per day to neighbors experiencing homelessness. This initiative was started by a local restauranteur who uses any donation money to buy food from local restaurants, and then give that food to the increasing homeless population. Not only is this helping the homeless community, but also local businesses as well.”

Kyle — Alliance for the Great Lakes
The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes hold 20% of the world’s supply of surface freshwater, and provide drinking water to 40 million people in the region.

Shaun — Meal Train Plus for the Fleming Family
My donation is going to a family in our community. [Mrs. Fleming] passed away suddenly while at her daughter’s volleyball tournament. My step-daughter plays for the same volleyball organization.”

Michael — Angel Acres
Angel Acres is a regenerative agriculture farm startup launched by two sisters with a passion for people, animals and our environment. I think it’s important to support smart, independent, and ambitious young people who are taking direct action and creating new paths by preserving and enriching our planet through sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Joseph—Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Illinois
[Special Olympics Illinois] provides critical funding for the brave athletes of Special Olympics Illinois so they can compete in year-round sports & training, health & wellness, and leadership programs, including virtual programming.

“To celebrate her BSN graduation, my little sister encouraged family to join her for this year’s Polar Plunge. I did not do it. However, I donated and volunteered to create this video to celebrate the day.”

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