Lionakis staff and their families during at an Alzheimer’s Association event
In 2009, a group of leaders at Lionakis set out to enhance the firm’s charitable giving efforts, resulting in the creation of the Lionakis Foundation, housed at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. Its mission is: “To promote, through philanthropic giving and volunteerism, a better future for the communities in which we live and work.” This remains our cornerstone.
From its inception, the Lionakis Foundation has been employee-led, ensuring active staff involvement in the company’s philanthropic values. We offer flexible giving options to encourage participation. For example, during orientation, new employees are invited to contribute $5 each pay period to the Lionakis Foundation; while it’s completely voluntary, about 25% participate. Many employees give annually through one-time donations or unused paid time off, and we also encourage employees to organize volunteer days and work at nonprofit events.
Additionally, the firm contributes proceeds from its annual golf tournament, provides $100 for each employee who volunteers during the year, and matches the first $100 an employee donates. As a result, each of our 185 employees can direct an additional $200 through the Lionakis Foundation!
Then, once a year, employees nominate and vote for causes they care about, and we allocate grants to these organizations across the communities we serve.
This year, our giving will expand due to our growing endowment. When we established the Lionakis Foundation, the firm set a goal to raise $1 million for the endowment by 2027, reflecting our commitment to long-term community impact. Remarkably, we achieved this goal three years early, demonstrating the power of employee generosity and sound financial stewardship.
My message to business leaders interested in enhancing their company’s philanthropic efforts is simple: Just start. What we’ve done to build the Lionakis Foundation isn’t groundbreaking. We simply made it a priority and are proud to see it produce positive returns for our communities, our team — and our industry. For instance, hosting our annual golf tournament is a significant fundraiser for the Lionakis Foundation and a community-building event for our partners, who often ask me how we built a cohesive philanthropic plan.
I tell them that we were motivated so we decided to try and, with support from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, it’s worked. The results demonstrate that, with strong commitment from leadership and employee involvement, businesses of any size can make a meaningful difference. The key is to take that first step and make philanthropy a priority, fostering a culture of giving that benefits everyone involved.
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