Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com Worcester Business Journal Giving Guide 2018 7 C linton Savings Bank (CSB) takes its role of reinvesting in and evolv- ing our community as seriously as their business position to help local individuals, families and businesses succeed. Their employees take great pride in volunteering their time, talents and resources. Some serve on the boards of local charitable organizations or the chamber of commerce, while others volunteer their time to help where needed. Although CSB has a rich history of donating over $55,000 in annual support to non-profit organizations and town development efforts, the Bank and its employees are most proud of the personal inspiration, edu- cation and assistance they provide to their neighbors directly. Clinton Savings Bank is in the business of educating its customers in finances, but choose to also share that knowledge with the younger gen- eration. In fact, CSB employees conducted 900 volunteer hours last year in running financial literacy programs, including a Teen Money Matters banking class, school presentations and hosting Job Shadow Days for local students. The Bank also sponsored Banzai at three area middle schools, a free resource that enables teachers and students to access online money courses that teach real-world money management to help build a stronger economic future. In addition, Scratch the Savings Cat, their youth savings mascot, serves to provide a fun and engaging way for finan- cial awareness to resonate amongst six to twelve-year olds. CSB's commitment to bolster the education of our youth with practical skills remains rooted in their physical branch locations at Nashoba Regional High School and Tahanto Regional Middle/High School. The opportunity to work at the operating branches during the school year enables students to gain real-life experience related to banking, while adopting professional skills. Academically, the Bank contributes to the Nashoba Regional DECA program and the Clinton High School Gael Force/NYPRO Robotics Team. CSB also awards $8,000 in scholarships annually to students at seven regional high schools. The residents of our local communities are clearly important to Clinton Savings Bank. Employees volunteered more than 600 hours last year to help build a garden box with the Growing Places Garden project, prepared meals for more than 500 people at the WHEAT Community Café and hosted a Holiday Giving Program that provided gifts to more than 75 local families' children during the holidays. Additionally, the Bank sup- ports "Keep Boylston Beautiful," the West Boylston's St. Patrick's Day Parade, YWCA/BWR Program - Dance for Peace, the Town of Clinton and Sterling Recreation Departments, and other projects. The excitement of being able to provide value to people and organiza- tions is at the core of why CSB employees created their own quarterly internal fundraiser, "jeans day." By donating $5 to an employee chosen non-profit, Bank staff can wear jeans on a particular day. The Bank matches all donations and last year raised $3,000 to benefit some smaller local organizations, including the Berlin Food Pantry, Clinton's "Maggie" NEADS dog, Diaper-A-Day Pantry, Needy Cats and the Sterling Animal Shelter. Clinton Savings Bank is more than just a business – they are a partner, working to make our communities better. n CLINTON SAVINGS BANK Supporting the quality of life in our community and empowering generations to come Today, there are more than 1.5 million registered non-profits in the country, accord- ing to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS). Massachusetts currently has more than 33,000 nonprofits that "educate us, keep us healthy, support our most vulnerable populations, and care for our cultural, historical, and environmental trea- sures," according to the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN). These nonprofit agencies impact every resident in the Commonwealth and also pack a big financial punch, generating more than 500,000 jobs and employing 17 percent of the state's workforce. While economic conditions in the Commonwealth are relatively healthy, there still exists a need for non-profit organizations to address critical societal issues. In spite of a remarkably low unemployment rate – as of July 2018, the rate was 3.9 percent – and a top-rated workforce and educational, healthcare, crime and correc- tions systems, some citizens in Massachusetts cannot afford healthcare, food or hous- ing. The 2016 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress noted that Massachusetts had 19,608 people facing homelessness on any given night; that figure is a 29.6 percent increase from 2007. The report also pointed out that 13,174 people in families with children are homeless on a single night, a jump of 92.7 percent in the last ten years. A 2017 report from The National Low Income Housing Coalition stated that the Commonwealth has the sixth highest housing wage; meaning that a person earning minimum wage would have to work 104 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom rental home. Furthermore, a significant number of markets, shops and grocery stores dot the local landscape, but food insecurity is still a major concern for some individuals and families. The Worcester County Food Bank reported that more than 81,000 – one- third of them children – sought food from programs in the Worcester area last year. Fortunately, the Central Massachusetts area is replete with agencies, organizations and groups committed to helping those who face adversity. The 2018 Giving Guide is proud to spotlight some of these non-profits and the important work they do. Readers might be familiar with some of the organizations. But do you really know what they do, who they are and the population they serve? We encourage you to become acquainted to gain a better understanding of how deeply committed these organizations are to the community. Their work covers a broad spectrum of services that address the medical, educational, artistic and practical needs of several populations, including children, families, the unemployed, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and a host of others. These organizations and their staff are staunch advocates, determined to transform lives through ambitious, but attain- able, goals. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, non-profit organizations "…give shape to our boldest dreams, highest ideals, and noblest causes…They turn our beliefs into action - as promoters of democracy, champions of the common good, incubators of innovation, laboratories of leadership, protectors of taxpayers, responders in times of trouble, stimulators of the economy, and weavers of community fabric." Central Massachusetts is fortunate to serve as home base for many non-profit orga- nizations that embody this philosophy and continually turn their "…beliefs into action." n P eople helping people dates back to the earliest days in the history of mankind. A natural tendency to give where and when there is a need has evolved through the years from an informal, localized approach to a more organized and widespread system. First initiated in many cases by churches and religious organizations, the practice of philanthropy and volunteerism is now often promoted by secular associations and agencies. Some of these organizations came into existence, thanks to the gen- erosity and concern of wealthy individuals or families. For instance, in 1889 Andrew Carnegie promoted the idea of donating, citing the individual's duty to society.

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