Nordic gives back 2018: A roundup of causes to consider supporting

It’s the season of giving. A time to break from the holiday hustle and bustle to find ways (big or small) to help others and give back to our communities.    

At Nordic, our consultants and colleagues place a tremendous amount of value on giving back. Our team strives to “Make it about, ‘We.’” – a maxim that guides the work we do with our client partners, but also serves as a reminder to take time out from our daily roles or industry events to give back to the communities in which we live and work.

If you’re looking to give back over the holidays, or want a worthy cause to support throughout 2019, here’s a roundup of some of the non-profit organizations we helped serve this year. We’re very humbled to have had the opportunity to support these great organizations and the people and communities they assist.

River Food Pantry in Madison, WI

Serving Madison’s Dane County since 2006, The River Food Pantry provides free groceries, meals and clothing, as well as free mobile lunches for children and teens on non-school days. The River is one the busiest food pantries in the Madison area, serving more than 1,000 households every week.

Over the past year, a group of Nordic employees visited The River every month to help prepare lunch or fill grocery carts for the pantry’s clients. We’ve also collected food, toiletries, and other household items at the home office on an ongoing basis to donate to the pantry.

If you're also interested in supporting The River, they're running a holiday food drive (H.O.P.E. – Help Other People Eat) through Dec. 21. Donations will help ensure that the families they serve receive a well-deserved home-cooked meal over the holidays.

DONATE TO THE RIVER'S HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE

River Food Pantry Nov2018-2Nordic team members help fill grocery carts with fresh produce for clients at The River Food Pantry in Madison. 

United Way of Dane County, based in Madison, WI

United Way of Dane County fights for the education, financial stability, and health of everyone in Dane County. Each October, Nordic runs a fundraising campaign to support the United Way of Dane County and the programs they provide to families throughout the community.

This year, Nordic employees pledged a total of $24,194 to support this cause, exceeding last year’s pledges by almost $5,000. Also, 60 employees came together in the home office to decorate note cards and pack snack bags for children facing food insecurity. Together, we were able to pack 2,000 snack bags, which were distributed to local elementary schools, community centers, and food banks. 

Check out United Way’s Get Involved page to find volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and other ways to support this great organization in your community. 

SUPPORT THE UNITED WAY

468A6083Together, the home office packed more than 2,000 snack bags for children facing food insecurity. The snacks were distributed through local elementary schools, community centers, and food banks. 

Tri 4 Schools, based in Dane County, WI

Over the past year, Nordic has been heavily involved in Tri 4 Schools, a non-profit devoted to encouraging healthy, active kids and schools in Wisconsin through youth swimming, biking, and running events and programs that support school health and fitness initiatives. Its efforts help children develop an appetite for exercise and healthy living and a hunger to compete in triathlons. Race fees are gifted back to local area schools as grants for items needed by the schools. Examples of school gifting this year is gym mats to a local elementary school and the implementation of mindfulness curriculum to another elementary school.

We helped kick off the organization's Exercise for Achievement program at multiple Madison-area school sites and donated water bottles to each of the over 500 participants. We also helped to set up for the Waunakee Triathlon by sorting ribbons, stuffing participant swag bags, and setting up mats and flags for the biking and running courses. 

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Tri 4 Schools into 2019 and beyond. Click the link below if you're interested in working with this organization. 

GET INVOLVED IN TRI 4 SCHOOLS

Tri 4 Schools 2-1A small group of Nordic team members helped sort ribbons for Tri 4 Schools in Dane County. 

American Heart Association: Heart Walk

Heart disease continues to be the No. 1 killer worldwide, and stroke ranks second globally. The American Heart Association is dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke by focusing on cardiovascular health. Over the years, the American Heart Association has helped fund innovative research, advocacy, and patient support to help combat health disease and stroke. The organization unites more than 33 million volunteers and supporters nationally to support this cause.

In September, Nordic employees and their friends and family members participated in Madison’s American Heart Association Heart Walk. We also raised funds to donate to the American Heart Association. There are a variety of ways to support the fight for cardiovascular health. Below is a link to the American Heart Association's donation page to learn more.

SUPPORT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

AHA Breakfast Tailgate CrewTeam Nordic supporting the American Heart Association and its fight against heart disease and stroke by participating in the Heart Walk in Madison.

Community Giveback Week

Every year, for one week in May, we organize service projects across the country where employees donate their day to help a variety of non-profit organizations. Community Giveback Week has grown from a single day in Madison to an entire week of volunteer efforts across the nation. In 2018, Nordic employees visited 11 organizations across five cities, including Madison, Boston, Chicago, New York City, and San Diego.

Highlights from this year’s volunteer opportunities include building a playground at RISE in Madison, sorting donations at the Jacobs & Cushman Food Bank in San Diego, serving dinner to 35 men at Breakthrough’s transitional shelter in Chicago, volunteering at the American Heart Association Heart Walk in New York City, and spending time with residents of Hale House in Boston. Here’s a full recap of the organizations we worked with during this year’s Community Giveback Week.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY GIVEBACK WEEK

468A3390About 25 Nordic employees volunteered at RISE in Madison to help prepare the site for a playground. The team weeded the playground and rain garden areas, followed by mulching the playground and rain garden.

Giving back at Nordic events

Throughout the year, we support non-profit organizations and other causes at the various events we host for our client partners and candidates. For example, this year, at our HIMSS18 reception, in lieu of receiving swag items, guests were asked to choose an organization to receive a donation in their name. We donated to Year Up, an organization that strives to close the opportunity divide, Feeding America, a hunger relief organization, and Project Hope, which helps address health challenges for people around the world. 

At our annual Open House, many Nordic team members proudly wore beaded green necklaces made by artisans in Uganda and Indonesia through 31 Bits, a company dedicated to driving positive change in the world by giving artisans dignified jobs and inspiring others to live meaningful lives. And at a recent candidate event in Madison, we created birthday cards for the Confetti Foundation, helping their efforts to provide birthday parties for children in the hospital.

Revel2While mingling with Nordic candidates, the team created birthday cards for the Confetti Foundation, an organization that helps throw birthday parties for children in the hospital.

The holiday giving season at Nordic

During the holidays, there are a variety of ways Nordic team members come together to give back or donate. Here are just a few examples of organizations you may also want to consider supporting during the season of giving. 

  • In December, employees at the Home Office decorated sugar cookies and gingerbread with icing, sprinkles, and other candies. The cookies and decorating supplies were purchased through FEED Kitchens, which supports at-risk communities and provides jobs to unemployed and underemployed residents of Dane County.
  • Nordic’s finance team members purchased gifts for two families through The Road Home Dane County, an organization that helps families experiencing homelessness find stable housing. This is the second year in a row they’ve supported this organization, and this year, they were able to help a total of eight people: three adults and five children.
  • Each year, we purchase our annual holiday cards through The Children's Art Project at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This program offers merchandise inspired by the artwork of Children's Cancer Hospital patients at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Net proceeds support patient programs for children with cancer.
  • In December, as part of an effort to donate to organizations whose goals align with improving preventative health (with a specific focus on food insecurity, education, and empowerment) and the continual improvement of the healthcare IT industry, Nordic employees were given the opportunity to nominate a favorite local or national charity. Based on their nominations, we voted to determine the top three charities to support. As a result, we are donating to the Boys and Girls Club of America, Feeding America, and the Dane County Diaper Bank.

Holiday Finance Team-1This December, the Nordic finance team purchased and wrapped gifts for The Road Home Dane County, an organization that helps families experiencing homelessness find stable housing. 

As you can see, we were fortunate enough to work with and support some incredible non-profit organizations in Madison and nationwide this past year. We hope you can draw some inspiration from this roundup and find a cause to support that's near and dear to your heart. We look forward to another year of giving and serving the communities in which we live and work.

 LEARN ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO GIVING BACK

Topics: Culture, corporate social responsibility

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