Community Day: Empowering Wipfli teams to make a difference in their communities
Community Day is a tradition of connection and service that Wipfli associates have enjoyed for 20 years running. This annual event is an opportunity for all Wipfli associates to give back to the communities we live in and connect with each other while doing good. “It’s a way for Wipfli employees and leaders to live our vision in our communities in a tangible way,” said Kurt Gresens, managing partner. “We’re committed to demonstrating the strength of firmwide unity and embracing our ‘One Wipfli’ spirit.”
On September 26, 2024, over 1,000 Wipfli associates spent the day volunteering, contributing more than 3,400 hours to 70 different organizations and efforts, ranging from local clean-up initiatives to mentoring programs. The Wipfli Foundation also gifted a total of $130,500 to associates in the U.S. and India for the Community Support Program, where associates can donate those funds to the nonprofit of their choosing.
The Community Day event allows each associate to choose the organization where they will commit their time, which recognizes and invests in the firm’s incredible diversity. The stories below show how three Wipfli associates from different areas of the country used this opportunity to show and share their passions, connect with colleagues and support the needs and interests of others they work with — whether coworkers, clients or prospects.
‘Walking the talk’ and living our values
For Gina Miller, who works in Wipfli’s Denver, Colorado, office, volunteer work has long been an important part of her personal and professional life.
Before her previous firm joined Wipfli several years ago, she and her colleagues volunteered regularly in their communities. When the company joined Wipfli and she learned about Community Day, Gina was excited to continue the tradition. Now, she considers the day just one of many ways Wipfli supports a healthy work-life balance.
Jim Moran, who works in Bedford, New Hampshire, sees Community Day as evidence that the company is walking the talk. “The fact that our senior leadership dedicates a day to do this shows how much Wipfli wants to help our communities,” he said.
Kate Atkins of Madison, Wisconsin, added that the initiative helps the public understand what the company stands for. “It’s good for the community to see us out there, working in teams and really living our values,” she said.
Associates make community connections and support colleagues’ causes
As her office’s United Way Campaign co-chair, Kate dedicated her Community Day hours to preparing for the United Way’s annual auction, which raised more than $15,000. “It’s important to learn what’s going on in the community outside of our little world,” said Kate. “It can be eye-opening.” She organized a collection of a wide range of donated items, from baked goods to sports tickets to a weeklong stay at a Florida vacation rental. “Our goal as an office is to raise over $67,000 for the campaign, so getting $15,000 in one day was awesome,” she said.
Kate said another benefit of her Community Day volunteer work is spending time with colleagues she doesn’t usually see in person, since many Wipfli employees (herself included) typically work from home.
Over the last two years, a group of New Hampshire employees has come together on Community Day under the leadership of Jim, who has a personal connection with the Special Olympics. Jim’s son has autism and has been a Special Olympics athlete for many years.
“He started competing when he was 8, and he’s 21 now,” Jim said. “I’ve seen how much it’s helped him grow. He’s made a lot of friends through their sports and leadership activities.” He noted that social opportunities are important for people with disabilities, who might otherwise live very isolated lives. “A couple of years ago, my son was able to play basketball in the USA Games,” Jim said. “Now, every time he goes to our statewide events, he reconnects with the friends he met in Orlando.”
In previous years on Community Day, Kate worked at a horse therapy farm and an animal sanctuary. “It just feels good to get out there and have such a big impact,” she explained. “We’ve organized offices and cleaned up properties. The organizations are always amazed at what we can get done.”
Jim added there’s extra satisfaction when the volunteer work aligns with employees’ talents. Over the last two years, his team has helped the Special Olympics office inventory their T-shirts, sweatshirts and other clothing. “It was good work for a team of accountants,” he said.
Gina’s team did similar inventory work for an organization called Project Cure, a national nonprofit based in Denver that collects surplus medical supplies and ships them to places in need around the world. On Community Day, she led a group of Wipfli volunteers who counted and sorted supplies and prepared them for shipment.
As Gina noted, “Good supplies would go to waste if it weren’t for Project Cure,” which sent medical equipment to Africa during the Ebola outbreak, to the U.S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and throughout the world during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks and gloves were hard to come by.
Connecting with good causes for a long-term impact
Project Cure was one of five organizations that Gina connected with for this year’s Community Day. Researching and vetting organizational partners and introducing them to her colleagues is something she finds especially rewarding.
“I love making people aware of different places where they can volunteer,” she said. “People have different passions, so we like to get a variety of organizations involved.”
Kate noted that several of her colleagues have continued volunteering their personal time at places they were introduced to on a Wipfli Community Day.
It makes Gina smile to calculate the impact. “Think about how many employees we have. For the company to close for a day and give each of us those eight hours to do something for the community, it’s a big deal,” she said. “I love that Wipfli does this.”
