Who would have believed that Casual Friday could make such an important difference in the general community?
For iVideo Technologies staffers, though, that’s exactly what’s happened in the decade since president Tim Czyzak enacted an employee-led fund-raising effort that has generated about $20,000 for several non-profit organizations in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, in the last decade.
Most days, iVideo Technologies wear khakis, dress pants, skirts or other more formal clothes to work, but those who contribute $50 per year can participate weekly in what Czyzak calls Jeans Friday, meaning they can be a bit more casual on the last day of the work week.
“Friday’s a nice day to relax,” he says.
The money collected through the annual Jeans Friday initiative goes to a different local organization each year, says Czyzak.
Most years, the organization is one that has some sort of personal connection to an iVideo employee and that employee will tell his or her colleagues how it’s helped them, he says.
Related: Connected to the Community Series Has Highlighted the Good Side of AV Industry
Most years, Czyzak gets “a handful of suggestions” of organizations for the company to raise its funds for and they keep a running list in an effort to spread the goodwill to as many local nonprofit agencies as possible.
“Oftentimes, the employee who nominated the non-for-profit will have very heartfelt messages from our employees,” says Czyzak. “It gets pretty personal. It’s a wonderful way to learn about some of the organizations that are helping our community.”
In addition to the annual employee contribution to the Jeans Friday fund, iVideo management matches every dollar to double the amount they’re able to collect for that year’s beneficiaries, says Czyzak.
Installers wear dress shirts and jeans every day on job sites, so the company doubles any donation from them, even though those employees get no benefit from their contributions. Some employees will donate well above the $50 requested donation, says Czyzak.
“I’m proud that we have employees that are willing to go above and beyond for their communities,” he says. “The couple thousand dollars we contribute every year moves the needle a little bit forward. It’s a great program that’s embedded within our company culture.
“That is who we are. I love our community and what we do. We have hard-working individuals who move heavy objects but also have brilliant minds too. We have a very practical industry that’s doing real work. We work hard and we’re willing to work hard for our communities,” says Czyzak.
iVideo Technologies helped the Cleveland Bank as part of the company’s Jeans Friday initiative.
More About Jeans Friday
This year, iVideo employees are supporting Cornerstone of Hope, an agency that helps grieving people deal with the loss of someone in their lives. The contribution is going directly to the Lima, Ohio, office, says Czyzak, which is one of three Cornerstone of Hope locations across the state.
“Our small contribution might have greatest need there,” he says. “We’re not Bill Gates funding billions of dollars, but our little dollars can make a big impact with these small organizations.” iVideo doesn’t get involved with national or global charities for the Jeans Friday effort, he says.
Last year, iVideo backed the Labre Center, a program that’s affiliated with St. Ignatius High School that sees the students bring meals and other necessities to homeless men and women in the Cleveland area. Some iVideo employees participated in some of the Sunday night deliveries, says Czyzak.
“Our employees thoroughly enjoy getting involved,” he says. “It makes them feel good to see where their money is going. When you hear that feedback from people, it makes you feel good about your contributions.
“Charity is something I personally believe in. Leaders have opportunity to pass on positive influences in their lives. Wanted to find an affordable way for our company to tie into the not-for-profit community. It feels good for the employees too,” says Czyzak.
The decision to tie Jeans Friday to a charitable component wasn’t a tough one, he says.
“Like a lot of integrators, we have scores of clients and we do hundreds of projects every year and we do get to see our communities,” he says. “Some are very financially successful firms, while others are a bit more challenged financially and need a very basic audio or video system.
“Everyone in the company recognizes there’s a big diversity in projects and individuals out there. Everyone has their eyes wide open and realizes that we’re very fortunate,” says Czyzak.
Most years, the organization for which iVideo is raising money doesn’t know about it, so the company’s contribution is “a welcome surprise.”
“We get a lot of postcards and handwritten thank-you notes,” says Czyzak, including one he remembers from a school in rural Kentucky where iVideo’s contribution helped them improve their Internet connection.
If you know about an AV or IT company doing something good, email executive editor Craig MacCormack at craig.maccormack@emeraldx.com.
