Although the holidays ought to be a time of happiness and joy, one to be shared with family and friends, it is often that dreaded time of year for so many who are less fortunate.
In a difficult economic situation, many are feeling the crunch, including myself. As I was preparing to write this entry, I was amazed at how many are still willing to give a little more time, energy and even finances to make the past holiday season better for those in need.
In challenging and uncertain economic times like the nation is currently facing, charitable giving is typically one of the first things to decline. In fact, when the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University surveyed fundraisers for its Summer 2008 Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI), 83 percent of respondents said the economy is having a negative effect on giving. Human service charities are likely to be especially hard hit, because demand increases while the funding tends to decline.
Once again, FedEx delivers! During this very tough economic time, FedEx exceeded their United Way goals both in Memphis, the headquarters of the company, and across the nation! The Memphis goal was $5.2 and we raised $5.4 million. The goal nationwide (from all of our OpCos) was $14.7 million and we raised OVER $15 million!! This is a tremendous accomplishment considering all that our employees and the nation are facing with increased costs and stock market failures.
What on earth is "strategic" philanthropy? Isn't "philanthropy" just helping people and communities out of the "goodness of our hearts"? Sure it is, but with more than a million registered non-profits in the U.S. alone, and with limited resources, how does a global corporation with a commitment to philanthropy go about picking and choosing which charities to support?
FedEx Express provides ongoing donated shipping to Afghans for Afghans project based in San Francsico. Following is a response to a recent shipment:
