Building Communities, and Hope

Home builders and remodelers are giving back to their communities in creative ways that go beyond simply writing a check. Donating man-hours, mentoring, building playhouses for sick children or ramps for people in wheelchairs are some of the non-traditional ways those in need are receiving help. And for business owners who take that first philanthropic step, their charitable work typically has a life of its own and grows year after year.

Not that writing checks is bad. On the contrary, giving money to charities and community groups is a wonderful — and the most common — method of philanthropy that benefits those who need help. But some business owners generate money in ways other might not think of on their own.

What’s just as important as how a business contributes is why they contribute. For some business owners, they believe it’s simply the right thing to do. For others, the reasons are far more complicated. Ultimately, however, they all feel great about helping their communities.

“As a designer and builder, it’s exciting to view someone’s life like a raw piece of land, with all its issues and problems, and take that life and go through the building process, as you would with a home, and rebuild their life,” says Dan Packman, president, Design Blue, Newbury Park, Calif. “When you really care for someone, whether a stranger or not, you get a glimpse into their world and realize that we are so blessed with what we have.”

Bob Peterson, president, Associates in Building & Design, Fort Collins, Colo., says contributing to the community is the right thing to do. “In the mid-’80s I was in the corporate world. A vice president instilled in me — and my parents before him — that you’ll never give more than you get in this world. I’d say at my current age of almost 55, he’s dead on. It seems like the more you give away, the more keeps coming back,” he says.

Unexpected Benefits

Sometimes what comes back to those who give is not what is expected. Aside from helping others, and feeling the joy it creates, the marketing value of contributing to the community cannot be overlooked.

“When you give to the community, you’re going to get some visibility out of that,” Peterson says. “If it’s anything of substance, someone is going to notice it. And when they notice those things, they say, ‘Whoa, who’s ABD?’ It helped us greatly in formulating our brand, and I think giving back has actually put me in a position to be better at business. I don’t feel bad about the brand recognition or the marketing benefits because ultimately it has allowed me to be more giving.”

The marketing value of charitable work is not lost on Geno Benvenuti, president, Benvenuti and Stein in Evanston, Ill., either. “Marketing value is an important part of it. Giving money to an organization we believe in is just a wise way to spend marketing money, and we’re doing it in a way that makes a difference to someone else. You can spend thousands for an ad in a paper, but you can also spend it helping local charitable organizations, neighborhoods or communities.”

Benvenuti spreads his charitable work around, helping schools, holding fund raisers and contributing to silent auctions. This year the builder/remodeler will donate eight hours of carpentry time worth $500 to six auctions. “That’s a great way to give a donation but also to get our name out there. Over the years it definitely has helped our business. Whoever wins our time usually has asked us to do additional work. So in that way, we get something back for the effort,” Benvenuti says.

Charitable work can begin in as many ways as there are charitable people. For Packman, it began seven years ago when he needed a laborer. He picked up two laborers for the day. After a week with one of them, Packman learned the man’s mother passed away at an early age, and while a pre-med student his father died, which put him in a tailspin. Soon he was living in his car which was towed away. “The man had no addictions, but had to drop out of school, live on the street with no family, and began to pick up an alcohol addiction and drugs. We saw him four years after this,” Packman says. He built up credibility while helping this laborer get his IDs back, establish a back account, and get back on his feet.