It’s easy to understand how charities, non-profits and educational institutions benefit from the generosity of others. Without volunteers and donations many of the services and events we enjoy in our communities might not be available. But the act of giving, of putting another’s needs above those of your own, of showing compassion and care for others above oneself, leads to a more collective benefit and gain.
From a scientific perspective, studies including the one published by Tristen Inagaki, Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh and Naomi Eisenberger, Ph.D., of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Feb 2016 in Psychosomatic Medicine have shown that giving can stimulate portions of the brain on functional MRI which can reduce stress and activate portion of the brain which functions as reward system of the brain.
In addition to the health benefits, volunteering gives people a sense of purpose. It helps create meaning. As Tony Robbins said, “The importance of giving back to society can’t be understated and that’s because the secret to living is giving. If you really think about it, what is life all about? Creating meaning. How do you create meaning in your life? It’s not about what you do for yourself: It’s about how you’re able to better the lives of the people around you – your loved ones, the people in your community or the lives of people somewhere else in the world.”
At EMM Loans we not only donate to charitable organizations but also consider ways our company can become a force for positive social change. To achieve this, we encourage our employees with team volunteerism, offer choices in workplace giving, solicit input from employee’s choice of causes and offer more support to nonprofits where employees volunteer.
We encourage our employees to find causes they are passionate about. Many find that supporting such causes offers them an experience that they will never regret. It enriches their lives, helps them promote their brand in the community and connects them with people and ideas that will shape their perspective indefinitely. Our loan officers tell us that helping their community helps them grow as a person, it helps them better understand the world and how they fit.
Our company aligns its social efforts with its brand strategies and business operations, thus creating a culture that the brand and business represent. The various philanthropic projects bring members of different business groups together as employees united in shared values and positions our brand as aligned with these communal values.
Here are a few examples of some of the philanthropy being done at EMM Loans.
- We partner with the MBA’s Open Doors program. We realize that we are not only in the business of bringing people together under one roof, but helping them stay there as well. That is why we felt it was important to support families that had critically ill children who might fall behind on their mortgage payments.
- We support Feeding America, a non-profit organization that works with manufacturers, distributors, retailers, food service companies and farmers to gather food before it goes to waste. They offer over 4 billion meals per year and are particularly important to households that do not qualify for federal nutrition programs. These people rely on their local food banks and other hunger relief organizations for support.
- Good companies have leaders who lead by example. Our President and COO, Kevin Crichton, recently donated to Rowan University, Rohrer College of Business, allowing them to set up a scholarship program. “Education if the best path to changing a person’s life” said Mr. Crichton. “That’s the goal for this scholarship program. To affect a positive change in as many young adults as possible. Sometimes a little help can have a big ripple effect.”
A secure roof over your head, enough food to eat and the ability to grow through education. These corporate philanthropic efforts are designed to help our employees gain a unique sense of purpose by serving and supporting those around them, a sense of purpose that will often manifest itself into other areas of their lives and, in the end, make them better people and EMM Loans a better organization.
