By Marcus Fernandez
For over four generations, our family has called Tampa home. It is the city we were born and raised in, the community in which we’ve grown our business, and where we hope to leave a legacy for the generations that follow. Maybe that is why we have always been active participants in the Bay Area. We have coached youth sports, chaired committees and volunteered for numerous events and organizations. We’ve done all of this with the intention of making Tampa an even better place to live.
While our firm has always been philanthropically-focused, we knew we could make it better. In order to ensure a legacy that would leave a lasting impact on our community, we needed to address certain things in the ways we chose to give back to Tampa Bay. Specifically, we wanted to:
- Organize and channel our efforts so that we could create a measurable impact
- Create an environment that fostered the spirit of giving, and gave others the opportunity to give
- Inspire a community effort
To launch our philanthropy efforts, we first surveyed our staff to learn more about how active they were in the community already, what organizations they were involved with, and what groups of individuals they were most interested in helping. This insight was critical for two reasons. As a small firm, we wanted to focus our philanthropic efforts so that we could have a more measurable impact on a particular group. Additionally, we wanted our staff to rally around an effort they truly believed in supporting.
With their insight we began to craft the Kinney Fernandez & Boire Community Action Program, which was launched internally this past week. Our team is united under the following vision statement:
“In continued commitment to the community we serve, Kinney, Fernandez & Boire’s Community Action Program enriches the lives of children through charitable giving and employee volunteerism aimed at supporting youth-focused nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area.”
A multi-pronged campaign, the Community Action Program allows us to give both time and goods, as individuals and as a team. Most importantly, it allows us to benefit several of the deserving philanthropic organizations in our area. The Community Action Program includes:
Our Philanthropy Program at Work
Employee Volunteer Days
Each employee on our staff receives one paid day off each calendar year to volunteer in the community at the charitable organization of their choice. In order to match our Community Action Program’s vision, we asked that the charitable organization was a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) that benefitted children or teens in Tampa Bay. To help share the story of that organization, and inspire others to volunteer, we’ve asked employees to document their volunteering experience with photos and a story that we can share on social media.
Group Volunteer Events
Three times per year, we will gather the entire staff to participate in a charitable event or volunteer program together. In doing so, we know that we will unify our team around a cause, and fosters an environment that shows how giving back can be fun. We will launch this effort with one of our team’s favorite charities of choice, Make-A-Wish® and their third annual Walk for Wishes this April 30.
Community Drives
Our staff has continuously shown their generosity throughout the years, and has always been willing to support their fellow citizens in need. In order to formalize and focus this effort, our office is sponsoring several community drives throughout the calendar year. Our drives will allow us to collect Valentine’s cards for children in need, school supplies, toys and much needed non-perishable food items on behalf of Bay area non-profits.
Pay It Forward Fund
Paying it forward is founded on the belief that actions of giving amplify and inspire other actions of giving. Each month one Kinney, Fernandez & Boire employee will receive $100 that they can use for a charitable act of their choice. It can be anything from donating to a charity of their choice to buying groceries for a family in need. We love this program because it allows our staff to get creative with how they can benefit their community, while showing an example of how a simple act of kindness can spread to others. Like the volunteer days, we’ve asked each staff member to document how they will spend their $100 with photographs and a small story to share on social media.
Please take a moment to visit our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages to follow our team as they make an impact in Tampa Bay. Our hope is that we will inspire others to give and grow their impact as well.
