Hartford Business Journal

22 Hartford Business Journal • June 8, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com 22 Hartford Business Journal • June 8, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com BUSINESS CHAMPIONS 2015 BlumShapiro makes philanthropy part of employee work-life balance By Karen Sackowitz Special to the Hartford Business Journal I f you're looking for a BlumShapiro employee, they might be in the office, where the firm's specialists provide tax and business consulting to their varied clients. It's just as likely, however, you will find them running to raise funds, collecting food donations, helping to build a home for someone in need, or volunteering to teach a class in a local school. That is the work-life balance of a BlumShapiro staffer. "We want to be good corporate citizens. It's good for the com- pany and it's good for employee morale," says BlumShapiro Office Managing Partner Carl Johnson. "Our group feels good coming home at the end of the day and knowing, we really did something." Founded in 1980, BlumShapiro is the largest non-national accounting, tax, and business consulting firm in New England, with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. In the Nutmeg State, the company's commitment to philan- thropic culture and civic endeavors in and around Greater Hartford has been a driving force since its earliest days. "I joined the company in 1984 as a staffer, and it was clear then that they really wanted you to get involved in the com- munity," says Johnson. "As we've grown, it's become part of our set up. For each office we open, we push our employees to seek out nonprofits to support." Johnson says that of the firm's 430 employees, 170 cur- rently sit on boards and committees, with their efforts sol- idly backed by the company through a specialized fund. The structure presents a win-win scenario for all involved. "Sponsorships and donations are great, but that type of fund- ing is finite. To support involvement is more impactful because in leadership roles, our employees can help guide the organiza- tion, which helps both the organizations and the community," he says. "Plus, our people gain leadership experience through their involvement. There are positive intangibles from all sides." Over the years, as BlumShapiro has grown, so have the company's community efforts. Today, partners and staff donate time to over 130 organiza- tions, including the United Way of Central & Northeastern CT, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Boys & Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and the World Affairs Council. Annual event highlights include a Thanksgiving Food Bas- ket Campaign in which staffers from the Shelton office col- lect, pack and distribute holiday meals to 2,500 families and seniors in New Haven; the BlumShapiro Golf Classic, which benefits the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund for students pursuing business degrees; and the BlumShapiro 5K to benefit Hartford's Camp Courant, which provides a free summer day camp experience for more than 1,000 children from the city. "This year we had 430 runners raise $5,000 for Camp Cou- rant," Johnson says of the race, which took place in May. "We have a board member who went to the camp as a kid. Some of these kids come back 20 years later to say that the experience changed their lives." In addition to supporting causes, BlumShapiro employ- ees are generous with their expertise. Through a partnership with Junior Achievement, dozens of employees from their West Hartford office spend a day teaching financial literacy to students at the Webster Hill School. This past May, 40 vol- unteers taught about 180 students. "The teachers say the kids talk about this for days after- ward. We make it fun and educational," says Johnson. "It's important, not only because it's what we're trained in, but also because everybody has to deal with personal finances, and to move ahead in your career in any organization, it helps. Anything we can do to push that out to the public makes for a stronger community." Looking into the future, Johnson says he'd like BlumShap- iro to have 12, 100-person offices in New England and to con- tinue to build up client specialties in areas like construction, education, automotive, and government, with an emphasis on the firm's audit, tax, and consulting services. "We strategize new locations to be an attractive employer and to be attractive to clients," Johnson says, adding that each new manager at the company is asked to contribute to the community. "We talk about the overall mission, and what events and efforts are going on around the area. We say, find something you are passionate about and bring it to us." n WINNER (TIE): COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BlumShapiro Address: 29 S. Main St., West Hartford Top executive: Carl Johnson, Office Managing Partner Services: Largest regional accounting, tax, and business consulting firm based in New England. Year founded: 1980 BlumShapiro employees donate their time and money to more than 130 organi- zations including the United Way of Central & Northeastern CT, Greater Hartford Arts Council, and Boys & Girls Clubs. Company employees also sup- port the BlumShapiro 5K, which raised $5,000 for Camp Courant in May.

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