First-Time Grant Initiative Commemorates Company’s 70th Anniversary, Founders’ Legacy
INDIANAPOLIS –The Gene B. Glick Company today announced it has awarded $70,000 to nonprofit organizations as part of a first-time initiative to give 70 employees $1,000 each to award to charities of their choice. The 70-grant effort celebrates the company’s 70th year of operation and the philanthropic impact of its founders, Eugene (“Gene”) and Marilyn Glick. The grants have been allocated to nonprofits through the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Family Foundation, which is part of the family of charitable entities known as Glick Philanthropies.
The Indianapolis-based Gene B. Glick Company, one of the largest privately-held real estate ownership, management and development firms in America, randomly selected the 70 participants earlier this year. Each was allowed to direct $1,000 to any charity that meets the criteria of the company’s employee contribution matching program.
The 70th anniversary grants are modeled after a similar investment by the late Gene and Marilyn Glick. At their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, the couple gave 50 of their friends and family members $1,000 apiece to support the charitable organizations of their choice.
“Corporate social responsibility is central to the Gene B. Glick Company’s mission and our long history in Indianapolis,” said David Barrett, president and CEO of the Gene B. Glick Company and Glick Philanthropies. “Our company’s 70th anniversary presents an opportune time to further engage our employees – who are the driving force behind our CSR efforts – in the legacy of giving and community-building that Gene and Marilyn Glick championed.”
The 70 charities chosen by Glick employees build community and create opportunity across a diverse range of efforts and focus areas, including youth and community development, public safety, education and more. While many of the grantees are based in Indiana, some are located in the 12 other states where the Gene B. Glick Company owns, operates or manages more than 20,000 affordable and market-rate apartment units.
“I chose to give my 70th anniversary grant to Services for the Visually and Hearing Impaired (SVHI), an organization that has transformed the lives of our residents by helping them obtain free or low-cost hearing aids and prescription eye glasses,” said Joanna Nordhoff, Service Coordinator at Cambridge Square Apartments, an affordable community for those ages 62 and older or those who are disabled in Marion, Indiana managed by the Gene B. Glick Company. “The staff at SVHI go above and beyond to deliver the gift of hearing and sight to members of our community, whether it’s driving people to appointments or teaching free braille reading and sign language classes as the library. It is an honor to recognize these community servants through this grant program.”
“[Joanna’s gift] was a very welcome donation and will be used to assist those living at or below 200 percent of poverty level obtain much-needed hearing aids or prescription eyeglasses,” said Linda Taylor, executive director, SVHI. “This generous gift will enable SVHI’s clients to continue to lead independent, productive lives and contribute to their communities.”
In addition to the 70th anniversary grant program, the Gene B. Glick Company also demonstrates its commitment to corporate social responsibility through ongoing efforts. The company’s dollar-for-dollar Glick Gives employee contribution match program has supported $134,551 in employee contributions to charitable causes to date, and through Glick Cares, the company organizes employee volunteer initiatives and offers team members paid time off to volunteer in their communities. The Gene B. Glick Company also invests in the communities where it operates to enhance the lives of its residents and their neighbors through its association with Glick Philanthropies, a family of charitable initiatives focused on building community and creating opportunity.
