Hacienda Kicks Off a New Park-Wide Community Giving Campaign

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Community involvement is a vital part of the vision and commitment of Hacienda Business Park. To advance the park's community involvement objectives, Hacienda is launching a new community giving initiative - the Hacienda Helping Hands campaign - conducted in partnership with the Tri-Valley Community Foundation, a long-time member of the community and a Hacienda tenant.

"We believe that it is in our best interest to promote a business culture that values giving back to the community. Employees come to work for companies, and stay with companies, that give back. Customers like doing business with companies that give back. Corporate and government partners respect companies that make community giving part of the way they do business," says Hacienda general manager James Paxson.

With the help of volunteers from Hacienda companies, the Hacienda Helping Hands campaign will be in full swing by early May, with information about the campaign going out to all park tenants through the end of April. Key features of Hacienda Helping Hands include:

An annual campaign supported by contributions from Hacienda companies that will fund grants to health and human service organizations, educational programs, and cultural projects in our community.
Prominent recognition for participating companies in Hacienda Business Park publications, in the local media, and at a campaign celebration with local government and community leaders.
Access for participating companies to promotional materials for the Hacienda Helping Hands grants program, as a single source for referring and responding to requests for donations that park companies receive each year.

Teaming with Hacienda in this new initiative, the Tri-Valley Community Foundation will coordinate the campaign for the park and conduct the Hacienda Helping Hands annual grants program, which will benefit local charities that serve children, youth, families, and seniors in the community; educational projects; environmental initiatives; and cultural arts programs. "Because the average household income in the Tri-Valley is high, our public schools, local hospitals, and city human service and cultural programs do not qualify for additional state and federal funds to meet critical needs and support community development. By working together as a team, Hacienda Business Park companies can help vital health and human service organizations and cultural arts groups in our community thrive, enriching the lives of all of us who live and work here," explains David Rice, President of the Tri-Valley Community Foundation.

The Foundation is a public charity with the long-range wellbeing of the Tri-Valley region as its singular focus. With a current charitable base of more than 2,000 donors annually, the Foundation raises funds and "brokers" collaborative partnerships to meet vital human needs in the region and support educational and cultural community programs.

"We would like to challenge all park companies to participate in the Hacienda Helping Hands campaign and help meet the park's objectives of greater community involvement," says Paxson. Paxson and Rice are hoping for a strong response from Hacienda companies to the park-wide campaign, which to their knowledge is unprecedented as a community involvement strategy: "We know of no other business park that has taken this kind of team approach to making a difference in their community," observes Rice. The Hacienda Helping Hands campaign will continue into the early summer. A park-wide celebration will be held in the fall, recognizing participating companies and awarding grants to local organizations.

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