Giving back to our community
A letter from CEO Jennifer O’Neal
Nonprofit and community service organizations have played a pivotal role in our lives. As such, we strive to give back to our community in as many ways as we can.
Why? Nonprofits are crucial in the U.S, as many of society’s critical support services are provided by nonprofit organizations instead of by the government like a lot of other nations.
This nonprofit network is so extensive that many of us may not even realize we are beneficiaries of their services. Between housing assistance, easing food insecurity, medical care, rehabilitation, transitional services, job training, child care, and outreach programs—we’re all impacted in one way or another by nonprofit organizations. Without these services, many, many Americans would suffer.
Nonprofits are personal
Supporting the nonprofit community is very personal to me, which is why we’ve incorporated that into our company policy. When my son was very small, he was diagnosed with a condition that would require extensive therapy to help him catch up to his peers. During this very dark period of our lives, it was a nonprofit organization that stepped forward and provided these critical services. Throughout his childhood, he was supported by nonprofit clinics and schools which helped him become the amazing person he is today. Without this support, our lives would look very different. This is why we make supporting our community part of our company DNA.
Why do we support community initiatives like Real Rent Duwamish?
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to work with The Rainier Club to help them showcase their collection of Edward S. Curtis artwork via video. Curtis was a well-known, sometimes controversial, Seattle photographer who captured images of indigenious peoples at the turn of the century. His work includes some of the famous images of Princess Angeline, daughter of Chief Seattle of the Duwamish (Dkhw Duw’Absh) Tribe. It was through this project that I became aware of the Duwamish Tribe’s struggle for national recognition. Our office is located just 3 miles from the Duwamish Longhouse on unceded cultural lands. When they launched their Real Rent initiative, it seemed like a great way for us to support community awareness of the Duwamish Tribe.
Raising funds and awareness in 2022
There are many things that we are proud of this year from the millions of dollars we’ve helped nonprofits raise at their fundraising events to the amount of in-kind services we’ve donated to keep our community strong—over $73,500 in in-kind donations over the past two years! What I’m most proud of is our team at Live Oak AV. During recent staff interviews, I repeatedly heard how important community giving is to them and how proud they are to help nonprofits reach their goals.
Bringing it full circle
Everything comes full circle with nonprofit organizations. When you help a nonprofit organization, they are able to help others. This results in a stronger, more resilient community which provides a better quality of life for everyone.
What organizations are you giving to this year? What plans can you implement for giving in 2023? Let me know on LinkedIn.
Learn more about our in-kind giving and community partnerships.