2018 just started, but Buckingham Foundation is still reflecting on a successful 2017. From our fabulous volunteers to our generous partners, we are starting our year with PEP in our step!
Last year, we proudly hosted our first-ever, dedicated day of service, where more than 300 people supported 35 nonprofits across the country. Team members assisted with bike repairs, literacy projects, stocking food pantries, animal rescue programs, serving meals and more. It was an all-hands on deck event and we are thrilled with the results. Our volunteers served more than 1,200 hours during the event, and we provided over $5,000 in grants to our nonprofit partners.
As we reflect back on last year’s excitement in Music City, we applaud the Kimpton Aertson Hotel team. Through hotel grand opening events, $12,500 was raised and donated to Buckingham Foundation. Those dollars will remain in the Nashville community to support the arts and homelessness.
Each of our quarterly volunteer initiatives focused on Buckingham Foundation’s mission priorities of affordable housing, community development and arts and culture. Team members spent a day at the farm helping Indy Urban Acres plant over 3,200 vegetables. During the spring, we helped promote and spread the word about Brackets for Good in Nashville, where Buckingham Foundation was the presenting sponsor and brought the competitive giving competition to Nashville for the first time ever! We are excited to be doing the same this year. Other initiatives included our Holiday Open House, where our silent auction generated over $10,000 for grantmaking and Hoosiers Helping Houston, where Buckingham team members dropped everything to help our sisters and brothers in Florida and Houston with a donation drive at our corporate office.
Buckingham Foundation is committed to creating positive change today and for years to come. Take a look at the numbers that go along with our 2017 events and initiatives:
- One fantastic Buckingham Day of Service serving seven states and 35 nonprofit organizations
- 7,400 hours of employee volunteer service throughout the year
- $12,500 donated to Nashville nonprofits from Kimpton Aertson Hotel Grand Opening events
- Presenting sponsorship of Brackets for Good Nashville, attracting 1230 new donors to local nonprofits in the area (and back again in 2018!)
- 450 hygiene bags fill with essential items needed to support the veterans served by HVAF of Indiana
- One new Indy Urban Acres vegetable garden created to serve food pantries with 3,200 vegetables planted and 5,000 feet of mulch spread (along with 800 chicken nuggets consumed that day)
- 200 families served by the Buckingham Food Pantry
- $53,000 donated by 266 Buckingham employees
- 60 community partners supporting numerous projects and activities
- 55 tons of items and $20,000 collected by Buckingham volunteers during Hoosiers Helping Houston hurricane relief efforts
- Three staff members recognized for community service at the Buckingham Leadership Conference
- 15 Buckingham children joining in the volunteer action
- More than $182,000 granted to 42 nonprofits in need
- 365 days of commitment to serve our community
Thank you to everyone who helped us make a difference through Buckingham’s core value of community service. Together, we can do even more and we look forward to all that 2018 has in store for us.
