Increasingly, you hear about the importance of “giving back to the community” and you see and hear more and more examples of it. Popular musicians perform concerts to raise money for disaster relief, professional athletes donate to youth programs in their home towns, accountants prepare tax returns for veterans and senior citizens, people from all walks of life and all professional pursuits donate their time and their expertise to help others.
You see it, too, in the way corporations are operating. More and more businesses strive to impact their communities in ways that will effect positive change.
Some companies are known for their large cash contributions. Target Corporation, for instance, donated 4.7 percent of its pre-tax profits last year (the highest among large corporations) to charities and nonprofit organizations. This year, they’ve given away more than $146 million in cash, including more than $12 million to improve libraries in local schools across the country.
Other companies, like Hewlett Packard for instance, look to benefit the world through an increased commitment to environmental and social responsibility. HP looks to minimize its impact on the environment by reducing the energy consumption and increasing the energy efficiency of its products, reducing the amount of packaging and increasing the percentage of recycled content in the packaging of its products, phasing out the use of harmful materials that have adverse effects on health and the environment, reducing carbon emissions and purchasing renewable energy.
For the most progressive companies, it’s not a case of philanthropy versus responsibility, but rather, a combination of both. An example of this can be seen locally at New Frontiers Natural Marketplace.
New Frontiers donates five percent of sales from the third Wednesday of each month to local nonprofit organizations working within the community.
This year, New Frontiers will have donated approximately $120,000 (in the five towns where its stores are located), including in Flagstaff to such organizations as: Literacy Volunteers, Meals on Wheels, Habit for Humanity, Hohozoni, Further Shore, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Sharon Manor, the Safe Child Center, Flagstaff Assistance League, Flagstaff Shelter Services and the Northern Arizona Food Bank.
“We’re humbled and grateful to be part of this wonderful community,” said David Adolphsen, Arizona regional manager for New Frontiers. “We know that a healthy business relies on a healthy community. Donating money to local organizations that are doing good and important work is an investment in the community and in a better future for all of us.”
In addition to its cash donations, New Frontiers enlists brokers and suppliers to help them provide tens of thousands of additional dollars by way of in-kind donations to various community events, programs and organizations.
On the responsibility side, New Frontiers is approaching change from a foundational level, beginning with the building in which it conducts its business. Green design features at the Flagstaff location include a photo voltaic solar system to generate electricity; green building materials, including recycled blue-jean insulation, recycled cork and rubber flooring, and renewable and sustainable cabinetry materials; non-toxic finishes, adhesives and caulking; water-saving plumbing fixtures; and Energy Star low-power-consumption lighting.
New Frontiers owns and operates its own organic farm because, as company co-founder Valerie King noted, “We believe that growing, eating and supporting organics is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, for our families and for the earth.”
The company took further steps towards social and environmental responsibility by eliminating plastic shopping bags in 2010, and in 2011, they became one of the leaders nationally in taking a stand against genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Adolphsen said, “Caring about each other, about our communities, about the earth and our future is so deeply embedded in the core values upon which New Frontiers was founded. As it says in our company mission statement, we embrace every opportunity to improve the quality of life, in our relationships, in our communities, and in our world. Together, we can make a difference by enhancing everyone’s well being one person at a time.” FBN
By Ron Colone
New Frontiers recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary; it has been a part of the Flagstaff community since 1988.