Fluor and partners expand local giving: parking auctions, Lilly Endowment match and on-site toy drive
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Summary
Fluor said it turned an initial $10,000 gift into a community foundation fund of more than $80,000 through corporate matching and a Lilly Endowment match, and plans its third annual on-site toy drive and continued support for Battle of the Barbecue.
Fluor and project partners said they have expanded local philanthropy tied to the Lilly Lebanon project, including a fund built from parking-spot auctions and matching gifts, a recurring toy drive that collects donations from on-site workers, and participation in the community Battle of the Barbecue fundraiser.
The effort combines employee giving, corporate matching and an endowment match to support capital-improvement grants for local nonprofits, the speakers said.
Ray Hostetler and Jeff Wagner described the community-fund strategy. Wagner said an initial Fluor donation of $10,000 helped seed a community foundation fund. He said Fluor matches a portion of auction dollars ("for every...thousand dollar donation, Fluor will match 25% through its corporate fund") and that a Lilly Endowment match program "that expires at the end of this year" further multiplied the fund. Wagner said those steps "took $10,000 and turned it into a fund of over $80,000." He said the grants committee at the foundation will prioritize capital-improvement projects (for example, HVAC) over consumables, so that nonprofits can better deliver services.
Wagner also described a third annual on-site toy drive running in November that collects donations at turnstiles and other collection bins. He said trade partners and workers may donate new toys or cash; donations are transported to Hope Church and Santa participates in delivery. Wagner discussed prior years when donations enabled the church to expand support to WIC families.
The podcast hosts described recent participation in the Battle of the Barbecue event and said the project's team helped raise the highest recorded amount for that fundraiser this year. They also auction quarterly parking spots on site, with the top spot selling for $800 in a recent quarter; proceeds feed the Fluor community fund.
Ending: Organizers said companies and workers affiliated with the campus can continue to donate to the Fluor fund and that the foundation's grants committee will review capital-improvement proposals. They encouraged residents to follow the newsletter for details about collections and matching deadlines.