How Corporate Philanthropy Can Make a Difference in the Community

To maximize the social and business benefits of corporate giving, philanthropy should not be treated as just another “check box.” When done well, corporate philanthropy has the potential to elevate an organization’s core competencies and showcase cultural values for both staff and customers.

When giving practices are aligned with business goals, the impact is endless.

San Diego is home to numerous companies that prioritize community and others every day, including WD-40 Company.

Well known for its employee-centric “tribal” culture, WD-40 Company prioritizes doing the right thing above all else, and its core values are demonstrated through the company’s charitable efforts.

For more than four decades, the company and its employees have given back to the community and invested in nonprofit organizations and programs strengthening the San Diego region.

Working together, The Foundation team of experts and WD-40 Company employees have built a corporate philanthropy model that maximizes impact in the community and supports the organization’s charitable goals throughout the process.

“WD-40 Company tribe members value the role they play in the community and truly want to make a difference,” shared Mariel León, Chair of the WD-40 Company Community Involvement Committee. “Working with The San Diego Foundation has allowed us to focus on the organizations and people whose lives we are helping, while leaving the administration and logistics to the experts.”

Making a Difference, Locally

Most recently, the WD-40 Company Memory Making Fund granted $189,000 to seven programs that will positively change lives throughout the region.

According to Prosperity Now, 40 percent of households live in the financial red zone of “liquid asset poverty,” meaning they do not have enough to replace income at the poverty level for three months if they are without employment. Moreover, deep and enduring wealth disparities across gender, ethnic and racial lines heighten the seriousness of financial fragility affecting many lower-income individuals and families.

WD-40 CompanyHere in San Diego County, one-third of working-age families can’t make ends meet, according to research by the Center on Policy Initiatives.

Recognizing this challenge, the WD-40 Company Memory Making Fund stepped up to take a leadership role in promoting the economic stability and prosperity of San Diegans through food security, workforce development and family economic success.

In partnership with The San Diego Foundation, WD-40 Company employees created a grant program to address the root causes of this broader challenge in order to give more San Diegans an opportunity to succeed and achieve full independence. By investing in solutions that help individuals and families pull themselves permanently out of poverty, they are creating a stronger region for all who live and work in San Diego.

The programs supported by the WD-40 Company Memory Making Fund include:

Increasing Corporate Philanthropy in San Diego

Whether your company is just beginning to consider how to give or you’re already making a difference in the community, The San Diego Foundation team is here to help you further your philanthropic mission.

Contact Our Giving Team

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