Our Team, Remote Culture

How Our Team Does Charity Initiatives Remotely

Lauren Wingo
October 17, 2022

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Charity work within an organization can help bring your team closer together and develop a strong company culture — no matter how far apart team members are. It builds morale within a company by giving your team a chance to get to know their colleagues’ passions and favorite causes. Employees also develop leadership and communication skills through volunteer work that contributes to overall career development.

At Lightning Media Partners, our quarterly charity initiatives enable the team to choose a charity or nonprofit the team dedicates time and efforts to support — along with a monetary donation from the business. By quarter, we rotate which team member gets to choose the initiative and each team member receives time off of work to participate in the chosen activity.

Discover our past charity initiatives below.

Q3 2022: Alzheimer's Association

Cause: Healthcare + Advocacy

Organization: Alzheimer’s Association

Activity: Our team members participated in an in-person walk at our annual retreat and created a social media campaign to raise awareness and donations. The team raised nearly $400.

"Having seen many loved ones suffer from various forms of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association has been a wonderful resource to turn to for finding a support system, learning the duties of a caregiver, and discovering opportunities to raise awareness with fundraisers and other charitable events.

"The organization’s advocacy and research, and the resources they provide, have tremendously helped those affected by this terrible disease. As the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research (according to their website), I’m excited for LMP to support an organization committed to advancing treatment and finding a cure!"

Miranda Fraraccio

Staff Writer

Q2 2022: Ready Readers

Cause: Children’s Literacy

Organization: Ready Readers

Activity: The team collected 123 new and gently used books for children from infant to age 12, including board books, picture books, and chapter books. The team also raised over $700 for Ready Readers.

"The work Ready Readers does is about more than simply improving children’s literacy outcomes — it’s about inspiring a real and lifelong passion for reading. I am so grateful that despite being a fully remote team, we were able to come together and collect more than 100 books to directly support that cause right here in my hometown."

Helen Eckhard

Marketing Associate

Q1 2022: The Humane Society of the United States

Cause: Animal Rights and Advocacy

Organization: The Humane Society of the United States

Activity: Our team members collected supplies, toys, food, bedding, and more for the local animal shelters in their regions to donate.

“The local shelter I donated to was incredibly pleased with the donations and very much appreciated the organization of the volunteer initiative from LMP. They were desperately in need of many items that I was able to donate and were grateful for the generous efforts of both LMP and the friends & family who donated."

Emily Rosman

Editorial Assistant

Q4 2021: Tree of Life Ministries

Cause: Faith-Based Community Services

Organization: Tree of Life Ministries

Activity: The team made hand-written cards, which were placed in boxes those who visit Tree of Life get from the food pantry and set on the tables where people get a free meal.

“Everyone deserves to be given the opportunity to have a place to lay their head at night, food on their table, and the skills they need to follow their dreams. There are people out there that don’t have these basic necessities and I think having a place to go for these needs, such as Tree of Life Ministries, is critical."

Lauren Wingo

Staff Writer

Q3 2021: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Cards for Hospitalized Kids

Cause: Children’s Hospital

Organization: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Cards for Hospitalized Kids

Activity: Team members made English and Spanish cards for hospitalized children at St. Jude’s and in hospitals nationwide. The team made both virtual and hand-made cards.

“Making cards for St. Jude’s (and other hospitalized children) was a fun, creative way to give back. With my husband in med school, pediatric care is really important to us! The best part of creating cards is that you don’t have to be an artist. You can make e-cards, use stamps or stickers, or try your hand at drawing or painting!”

Katarina Betterton

SEO Specialist

Q2 2021: Community Options, Inc

Cause: Housing and Employment Opportunities

Organization: Community Options, Inc

Activity: The LMP team raised funds and remotely joined the Cupid’s Chase 5K, from however many states we were at the time, and shared pictures.

“It’s a cause near and dear to my heart in my second career as a speech-language pathologist. I am grateful for charities like Community Options that help with accessibility accommodations so everyone has the opportunity to live a fulfilling life as independently as possible.”

Danielle Fallon

Senior Writer

Q1 2021: The Felix Organization

Cause: Children Foster Care Services

Organization: The Felix Organization

Activity: Team members participated in The Felix Organization’s Walk This Way virtual 5K in their respective neighborhoods.

“A 5K or any other walk or run-based event is a great charity initiative for a remote team, as it gives you a couple of different options to be active. The Felix Organization provides resources and support for children in the foster care system. I've worked with them for a number of years and watched their programs shape and change the lives of countless young adults.”

Dan Casarella

Account Coordinator

Q4 2020: International OCD Foundation

Cause: Mental Health Support

Organization: International OCD Foundation

Activity: The LMP team met and participated in the 2020 International OCD Foundation: OCD Walk. Together, they walked in IOCDF’s virtual 5K and shared their results with the foundation.

"This cause is important to me because it helps spread awareness about OCD and its true nature, fighting the stigma against it...I remember feeling so lucky to have leaders and coworkers who cared about me and wanted to contribute to a cause that hits home for me."

Sammi Caramela

Assistant Managing Editor

How charity initiatives enhance remote culture

Encouraging your remote team to participate in a charity initiative brings everyone together and builds a sense of community, no matter where they are geographically located.

Remote charity initiatives:

- Give a remote team a sense of purpose by working towards a common goal that will ultimately benefit the charity in question.
- Afford team members the chance to share their own values and explain how a cause is close to their personal lives while collaborating with their team.
- Get team members away from their desks and into the community.

At LMP, we’re not just employees who work together; we’re humans with passions and causes we care about. By letting each employee choose a charity that matters most to them, we come to a deeper understanding of each other and do something generous for others.

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Lauren Wingo

Lauren Wingo is a freelance writer who describes herself as devoted, creative, and open-minded. She attributes her keen eye for detail to her analytics and business development background. When she isn’t writing, Lauren can be found drinking too much cold brew, doing yoga, or cuddling with her cats, Ruby and Jade.