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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jessica Dorsey
July 10, 2024 (785) 296-3163 | jdorsey@ksde.org
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Kansas Volunteer Commission shouldn’t be shortened to KVC. It should be written out as Kansas Volunteer Commission.
Give Back Kansas Challenge winners announced Prize money to be given to the nonprofits of their choice
TOPEKA – Three standout employers in Kansas have emerged victorious in the fourth annual Give Back Kansas Challenge, an initiative designed to promote employee-supported volunteerism across the state.
Sixteen businesses participated in this year’s challenge, categorized by their size: small, medium, and large. The winners for 2024 are:
Hosted by Volunteer Kansas and the Kansas Volunteer Commission, the challenge took place from April 1 to May 31, 2024. Its primary goal was to engage Kansans in community service through their workplace.
During the challenge period, 3,117 employees collectively contributed 6,232 volunteer hours across various organizations statewide. According to The Independent Sector, a national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, each volunteer hour in Kansas is valued at $29.69, which makes the total contribution of this year’s Give Back Kansas Challenge $185,028.
Nola Brown, Executive Director of Volunteer Kansas, emphasized the multifaceted benefits of the challenge: “The Give Back Kansas Challenge is a win-win-win-win. Participating employees experience personal fulfillment, businesses strengthen their community presence, organizations receive vital volunteer support, and nonprofits receive much-needed monetary support through grants to advance their missions.”
Each of the winning employers designated a nonprofit to receive a $1,000 grant from Volunteer Kansas.
“Although the Challenge has concluded, the Commission urges participating employers to maintain their strong dedication to volunteerism,” said Dr. Jessica Dorsey, executive director of the Kansas Volunteer Commission. “Studies on employer volunteer programs indicate they significantly enhance employee engagement, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention.”
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The Kansas Volunteer Commission is a program of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). The vision of the Kansas Volunteer Commission is to empower all Kansans to meet community needs through service. The Commission's primary role is to provide resources and leadership to support local initiatives that tackle community needs. As the state service commission, the Kansas Volunteer Commission promotes AmeriCorps national service, volunteer engagement, youth mentoring and civic engagement. For more information, visit www.kanserve.org.
Volunteer Kansas, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) charity based in Wichita, Kan. Volunteerkansas.org is the organization’s website devoted to increasing volunteerism in the state of Kansas and providing a hub for Kansans to find organizations that may need volunteers. The website is a free service to individuals and organizations.
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