ACU Employees have a say in Community Grants

In survey after survey, our employees say that the work we do to foster vital communities is important to them. The Sustainable Community Grants Committee lets employees put their passion for making a difference into action.

Each year, ACU employees are invited to be part of a committee that helps determine which Sustainable Community Grant applications we will support.

According to Duane Nicol, Assiniboine’s Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility and chair of the committee, getting employees directly involved with the process comes with many benefits. “Using the collective experience of a group of employees rather than a single individual makes for decisions with the greatest positive impact,” he explains.

“It’s good for the employees, as they develop and use analytical and evaluation skills, group decision-making skills and other leadership qualities. This professional development, along with the ability to do good in their community, drives personal job satisfaction. It’s great for the community and for our employees.”

Web Content Manager Lawrence Peters is one of the employees who sit on the ten-member committee. When he heard about the opportunity, he was quick to put his name forward. “I was originally attracted to ACU as an employer because of its work in our local communities,” he says. “It’s great simply being part of an organization that matches my sense of social responsibility. But, I’ve also been looking for ways to get a little closer to the heart of this work, and the Community Grants Committee is a great way for me to do that.”

The committee members, who commit to two-year terms, undergo training prior to reviewing and evaluating the applications. The committee discusses their individual evaluations of the applications and jointly prepares an evaluation using an assessment tool. Their recommendations then go to the Vice- President, Corporate Social Responsibility for final approval.

The process involves a lot of time and work, says Lawrence, but it goes surprisingly smoothly and is very satisfying. “I really thought the committee would have a hard time deciding which applications to support. We come from a variety of backgrounds, and we have our own particular interests. But through open discussion, we found huge areas of agreement and didn’t have much trouble making decisions together. The most satisfying part of the work is knowing that the grants we give out are going toward incredibly good projects. I’m in awe of the quality of applications we receive from community organizations and pleased that we have the capability to help these groups do their work.”

Community Sponsorships and Grants

Through our Community Sponsorships and Grants, we support a variety of community events, projects and programs that contribute to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of the communities where we live and work.

For more information, see our Community Sponsorships and Grants pages.