February 28, 2014 — Versique has been awarded a 2014 “Community Impact Award” by Minnesota Business Magazine for its commitment to supporting local community nonprofit organizations. The award was presented to Versique last night at an event recognizing winners.
The recipient of the “Best in Class Award: Small,” Versique was selected for “its exceptional track record of giving back and making a positive community impact.”
Accepting the award, Co-Founder/Partner Chris Ohlendorf said: “The thing I get excited about with our group at Versique and McKinley Consulting is the giving attitude. It seems like in corporate America giving has to be graded. By ‘how much money’ or ‘how much time.’ At Versique, it is just an ingrained attitude and it is exciting to be a part of that.”
Recapping several of the organization’s community outreach activities, Versique was able to demonstrate its commitment to what it considers one of its core values: Community. Activities Versique has participated in or spearheaded within the last year include, for example:
An organization founded by a seven-year old, which strives to provide children with items every child deserves, including school supplies, birthday parties, etc. Versique recently helped the organization inventory and pack thousands of school supplies for its High Five for Supplies effort, creating more than 1,000 filled backpacks for local students.
Versique hosted and promoted its 2nd Annual Dress for Success Clothing Drive as well as a happy hour/final donation drop-off/celebration event for more than 100 business professionals who supported the drive. The donation was the single-largest donation Dress for Success’ Minnesota location has received, with 42 large bags of women’s professional attire donated. Shortly after, Versique hosted a half-day career prep/mock interview workshop for Dress for Success recipients starting their transition back into the workforce.
Movember/Prostate Cancer Foundation
A little light-hearted competition became a fundraising effort when all of Versique’s male employees participated in a Movember activity to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Employees were encouraged to vote, via donations, for the best/worst moustaches and beards in the company. (Categories included Baby Face, Silver Fox, McPatchy, etc.)
Stop Hunger Now (Drive to Serve)
Versique employees spent a recent Saturday morning volunteering by packing more than 5,000 meals – as a team – which were distributed worldwide to families and children.
In addition to organized giving opportunities developed by a Volunteer Committee, many Versique and McKinley Consulting employees give back to the community through skills-based volunteering such as speaking to local colleges/universities about interview skills and career coaching and by meeting individually to provide business mentorship.
The Community Impact Awards were provided in 13 different categories, including Creative Campaign, Long-term Achievement, Mentoring, Pro-Bono Professional Services, Sustainability, Workplace Giving, Youth Initiative and Social Entrepreneurship at an event Feb. 27 at Aria in Minneapolis.
Finalists in the “Best in Class Award: Small” also included StoneArch and Worrell Design.
Minnesota Business Magazine recaps the awards.
