NEWS RELEASE                                                           For Immediate Release: December 22, 2004

Contact: Matthew Howe, 207-761-1110                           e-mail: nacg@maine.rr.com

 

$4 Billion Charitable Marketplace
Focus of National Conference

Participants seek tougher accountability standards; more diversity in workplace giving

Complimentary admission for employers who sponsor on-the-job giving campaigns

 

Portland, Maine : Leaders of local and national workplace giving campaigns will convene in Las Vegas next month for a conference aimed at increasing choice for American workers who "give at the office" in what has become a charitable marketplace worth over $4 billion.

The conference, to be held at the Alexis Park Resort from January 20 – 23, 2005, is organized by the National Alliance for Choice in Giving (NACG) , a nonprofit trade association for more than 50 workplace giving organizations including the America's Charities, American Red Cross, Community Shares USA, Earth Share, Global Impact, National Black United Fund , Neighbor to Nation, and dozens of local social justice, environmental, health and community service organizations. 

 

“Our purpose is to convene leaders of workplace giving organizations who share a commitment to increasing diversity and choice in this $4 billion fundraising arena,” said Matt Howe, NACG executive director.  According to Howe, conference sessions are designed to help participants develop effective alternatives to the traditional single workplace charitable campaign, in which workers' contributions have been strictly limited .

 

“Employers and employees are taking ownership of their charitable campaigns and entering innovative partnerships with other workplace federations, expanding the range of choices available to their workers,” Howe added.  “This new breed of workplace giving campaigns reflects more accurately the diverse interests of employees and the needs of their communities, and is rapidly gaining favor over campaigns featuring a single umbrella charity.”

 

Founded in 1987, the National Alliance for Choice in Giving is headquartered in Portland , Maine .  NACG provides services and training programs to support workplace giving organizations dedicated to lifting families out of poverty, increasing access to health care, protecting the environment, defending human rights, and much more.  NACG also serves as a resource to employers as they evaluate workplace giving policies and systems, and sets comprehensive ethical and financial standards of conduct for its members. 

 

"One of our critical functions as a trade association is to preserve public trust in workplace giving," said Howe.  "Through our groundbreaking standards of conduct  we seek to ensure the highest level of transparency and public accountability. The workplace giving marketplace is a $4 billion resource for American communities. Unfortunately, we all lose if workers lose confidence in this time-honored tradition."

 

Conference sessions will address the latest trends in workplace campaigns, best practices for workplace solicitation, developments in online giving in the workplace, and numerous other topics.   Members of the media are welcome and can obtain press kits at the conference registration center. 

 

Complimentary passes are available in advance   to representatives of employers who conduct employee giving campaigns or are considering establishing one.  Plenary and workshop sessions scheduled for the first day of the conference, January 21 st , are of particular relevance to employers.

 

Conference sponsors include workplace giving technology providers Kintera, Inc., Helix DP – Andar , and America's Charities – Pledge First!    Conference planning has been made possible through general support from the C.S. Mott Foundation, Ford Foundation and Surdna Foundation .

 

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