San Rafael, CA – Generous County of Marin government employees recently demonstrated their community spirit by committing $88,751 to the 2014 Marin County Employees Combined Charities Campaign, known internally as the Heart of Marin. The dollar figure represents the amount of biweekly paycheck deductions and one-time donations toward the annual program that benefits Bay Area nonprofits.
The campaign, which took place in October and November, allows employees to contribute to nonprofit federations that assist a variety of charities or hand-pick charities of their choice. The federations included United Way of the Bay Area, Bay Area Black United Fund, Community Health Charities of California, EarthShare California, Global Impact and Local Independent Charities.
Since 2007, County employees have cumulatively contributed just less than $518,000 to charities in the Heart of Marin campaign.
“This is an incredible source of pride for us,” said program chair Raul Rojas, Director of the Department of Public Works. “We live in one of the richest and most forward-thinking regions in the world, and we can’t sit on the sidelines when one in five Bay Area families is living in poverty. Together, the County team is promoting a diverse, caring and economically vibrant community.”
The Heart of Marin campaign provides a convenient chance for County employees to learn about and support the participating organizations. By giving at the office, the program saves charities the time, effort and expense of seeking out and processing individual donations. The payroll deductions create a reliable way for the nonprofits to predict contributions and plan for consistent revenue streams.
Among the County’s 22 departments, the County Counsel’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office tied for the highest percentage of employees participating in the program, both with 82 percent. The County Counsel’s Office had the largest increase in participation over 2013 with a 42 percent improvement.