ACT’s rich heritage of helping others is evident in so many ways, from volunteerism in our community to philanthropic efforts that benefit areas such as education; social and community improvement; culture and the arts; and disaster relief.
Collectively, our team members devoted more than 332 days of the year volunteering for the causes they care about, to help our neighbors and community members in need.Meet our Future: This first grade student came to me after my keynote today to tell me she was going to go to college, she and her family from Haiti totally inspired me to continue to do more of the good work!! #ThankYou @ACT @ACTEquity @browardschools @BrowardESOL @VickySaldala pic.twitter.com/Zj1An2MBJI— Juan Garcia (@juang353) November 17, 2018
The ACT Corporate Giving Committee, which awards funding to nonprofit organizations for projects or events that align with our organization’s mission and values, donated funds to benefit a variety of causes this year, which included:
- supporting adult education for English learners preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Exam;
- funding youth writing projects; and
- delivering critical educational materials to underserved learners in Puerto Rico, as they recovered from Hurricane Maria.
Thank you @ACT for your gift to support the Femineer® Adopt-a-School Program and rural STEM education for young women in Iowa! @ACTCareer #actcares @UIowaEngr @HawkeyeCaucus #uiowacoefemineers #cppfemineer #sdsufemineer #uiowafemineers @UIAdvancement pic.twitter.com/Nx0L6oGhZm— UIowa COE Femineers (@UIowaFemineers) October 30, 2018
A huge thank you to @ACT for supporting the Safe Schools Academy. We are excited to reach thousands of educators across Iowa with the mission of creating safe & inclusive schools for all students-- thank you for your help! @ACTcareers #ACTCares pic.twitter.com/vPNj46OGFT— Iowa Safe Schools (@iowasafeschools) June 5, 2018
The Corporate Giving Committee also sponsored the Iowa City Pride Parade for the first time this year, and I was honored to join other ACT team members who walked in the parade in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
Many of our ACT team members joined activities organized by the Volunteer Services Committee (VSC) to benefit causes in our local Iowa City area. These included:
- a campus-wide Heart Walk and potato sack race to raise funds for the American Heart Association;
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson and Washington Counties’ annual fundraising effort, Bowl for Kids’ Sake;
- a back-to-school backpack and supplies drive to benefit families in the area who need us the most;
- a canned goods drive to benefit University of Iowa students who are food insecure; and
- a food and supplies drive to benefit three local animal shelters.
Finally, we kicked off our year-long celebration of ACT’s 60th anniversary with a significant education-focused initiative in our hometown of Iowa City. We made a three-year financial commitment to support the Iowa City Community School District’s implementation of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, an innovative classroom-focused initiative designed to improve college readiness for all students, particularly low-income, minority, and first-generation students pursuing higher education.
When we give back to our communities, we strengthen the bonds that unite us as human beings. There is no shortage of good causes to give to, or people in need of love, help, and support, but it is encouraging to see the progress that is made and the joy that is spread when we seek to do good together.
.@ACTEquity proud to support @RedNoseDayUSA and @Walgreens on #RedNoseDay to end child poverty! @ACT pic.twitter.com/rBOCvIc5N9— Jim Larimore (@jimlarimore) May 24, 2018
Nothing beats having a great team of co-workers, community partners and HERKY around you to help raise funds for those in need in our community. ACT is proud to support our United Way.#ACTEQUITY, #ACTCares pic.twitter.com/ZVmK5ezJ1G— Lew B. Montgomery (@sweetlew34) November 2, 2018
Did you hear that? Yep, school bells are warming up and @ACT is on board to outfit area youth for their first day! Great to partner with @BBBSmentoring! @ACTEquity @amberoconnor @adnicknish pic.twitter.com/eVysqQb4pM— Tina McCoy Hearn (@TMcCoyHearn) August 2, 2018
Follow #ACTCares
In 2017, ACT Cares was introduced to create brand ambassadors who inspire and motivate others by promoting a culture of caring for our communities, our customers, one another, and especially, our mission.
The ACT Cares effort allows us to do more with our dollars, our time, and our commitment to serving the common good. Check out #ACTCares for more inspiring stories and follow Corporate Giving updates on @ACTCareer.
