Companies See The Value of Giving Back

HOUSTON, TX -- The holiday season is in full swing and while a lot of companies are doing their best to lure you to spend your hard-earned dollars with them, other companies in the Houston area are spreading Christmas cheer and doing a good deal of giving.

In fact, December is the month where the most giving - all in the name of holiday cheer, of course -- takes place.

And even though Houston has been in the midst of a downturn in the oil and gas markets since late 2014, the city still managed to be named America’s most charitable city, according to Charity Navigator’s 2016 Metro Market study.

According to Crains, the median contribution level for a Houston charity is just over $4 million, according to Charity Navigator.

About $370 billion in charitable giving was donated nationwide in 2015, up 4.1 percent from 2014, reported the study.

One of those companies is New Jersey-based BASF Corporation, a chemical manufacturer that has its regional petrochemicals operations headquartered in Houston.

The goal is to help fosters the next generation of workers, BASF Community Relations Director Dave Johnson said.

“In our industry we’re facing a workforce issue where a lot of our high quality talent is getting close to retirement age, so we’re looking for the next generation of engineers, scientists and operators,” Johnson said. “Houston is a very competitive market for this talent.”

The company plans to give $500,000 over the next five years to support the Brazos Sport Regional Health Foundation and contributed $35,000 to the University of Houston engineering studies program this year 2016 and $50,000 to the United Way in Freeport.

BASF also funds the Kids’ Lab at the Houston Children’s Museum.

Although the company makes significant monetary donations to organizations in Houston, it also sees the value in fostering relationships through volunteer work with students who’ve shown an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects, which Johnson said will better prepare them, and get them excited about opportunities in the chemical industry.

Kroger is another one of those companies that sees the value of giving back to the communities they have an interests in

Nationally, the Kroger Company’s focus is on five pillars consisting of hunger, education, women and children’s health, military support and diversity, said Joy Partain, Kroger public affairs manager.

"Our programs are tailored to meet the needs of the market,” she told Crain’s.

In the diverse Houston area market, Kroger has studied reports from entities like the Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston Independent School District.

However, in all markets, hunger remains a common area of focus for the Kroger Company.

Kroger and other Houston grocers consistenly provide local food banks with fresh milk, meat and produce that they otherwise wouldn’t receive, and Kroger’s annual Souper Bowl of Caring raised $196,000 in cash this year, $271,000 for its backpack booster program, $248,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and $239,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network, said Partain.

“You want the community to feel goodwill towards you because of how you are taking care of the community. There are lots of studies that show people want to spend money on companies that take care of their community.”

Image: Shutterstock