Connecting Alaskans and our communities is GCI’s thing. You won’t be surprised, then, to hear that when its employees gathered to kick off their workplace campaign, their jovial conversations filled the conference area. Clearly, these people like each other a lot and believe in philanthropic efforts that support Alaska.
GCI’s kickoff hadn’t occurred in person since 2019. “We’ve shifted largely to a remote-first company,” said Greg Chapados, GCI’s President and Chief Operating Officer, “so times change. One thing that doesn’t change is United Way of Anchorage.”
When Greg pointed out our organization is one year older than him, attendees laughed. He paused for the chuckles. “When you contribute, you get to pick how you support United Way and nonprofits,” Greg said. He likened GCI’s customer-choice packages to our giving options. “Here’s a wide array to choose from, and it’s up to you.”
Since 1996, GCI has prioritized giving to Alaska communities through our workplace campaigns. Supporting United Way makes sense. We further efforts statewide to improve people’s lives, and GCI’s reach impacts all of Alaska.
This year, Aaron Helmericks, GCI’s Vice President of Corporate Development, was the workplace campaign chair. He fostered energy, engaged colleagues and reflected on successes all while advancing strong goals. He shared some details about prior campaigns that inform what GCI is doing in 2024.
“People could direct their pledges to areas they care about or focus on giving to nonprofits in the communities they live in,” said Aaron. GCI’s 1,900 employees had five weeks to participate in the workplace campaign. Its goal was to raise $200,000 by Nov. 15, when its campaign concluded—a 33% increase over last year.
“We did weekly drawings to incentivize participation,” Aaron said. He noted the prizes were “amazing” and categorized into tiers so giving on any level is recognized. “Employees could win more than once! Every week if they keep donating,” he exclaimed.
We are so grateful for GCI’s longstanding and ongoing support. This workplace truly is connecting Alaskans to greater possibilities. Thank you!
