CHS and United Way Partner to Create Stable Households in Our Community

Every year, organizations ranging from small to large partner with Greater Twin Cities United Way to create positive change in our community. Our corporate partners are a highly valued and critical part of our mission, investing their time through rewarding team-building volunteer projects and their dollars through United Way workplace campaigns and corporate sponsorships.

Making a Financial Impact

One of those key corporate partners is CHS. A global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives, CHS has a history of giving and has been a Greater Twin Cities United Way partner for more than 18 years.

To continue supporting the local community in 2019, CHS and their employees invested more than $950,000 in the community through Greater Twin Cities United Way. This gift will support nearly 15,500 individuals in several ways:

• Helping nearly 10,800 people stabilize their households, including:
  • Over 200 people facing homelessness who receive stable housing services.
  • More than 10,500 people facing hunger who receive meals, groceries and access to benefits.
• Linking more than 3,860 callers to United Way’s 2-1-1 resource hotline, which connects callers in need to community services, such as housing, food, utility assistance and more.

As part of its CHS Community Giving efforts, CHS provides funding to boost Greater Twin Cities United Way’s work in household stability, which includes housing and food security initiatives. CHS employees at more than 10 locations in rural communities also donate to their local United Way chapters.

Supporting United Way is just one way CHS makes a difference for others. By 2020, CHS Community Giving will invest $5.5 million to strengthen hometown communities across the country through employee giving programs, local cooperative matching grants and funding for ag safety projects.

This year, the CHS United Way Campaign had several highlights:

• A United Way household stability challenge match of $150,000 helps create more stable homes in our community.
• The company matches every employee’s dollar donated at a rate of $1.50.
• Employee participation increased by more than 8 percent over last year.
• Employee pledges increased by $15,000 over 2018.

Employee Engagement

Another consistent characteristic of CHS involvement with United Way over the years has been employee engagement. This year, more than 400 CHS employees demonstrated the cooperative spirit by pledging and participating in campaign fundraising events, including a kickball tournament at CHS Field in St. Paul, a Topgolf tournament and an employee kickoff event with speakers from the Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Wild and United Way’s Gigi Bisong.

That employee engagement extends beyond campaign week. In 2018, CHS volunteers got involved in many United Way projects including:

• 128 CHS employees participated in nine Volunteer United projects, giving more than 195 hours of time to our community.
• 115 employees volunteered through events CHS organized with HandsOn Twin Cities, benefiting Union Gospel Mission and Project for Pride in Living.
• 54 highly engaged CHS employees took part in United Way’s giving communities, including Arise Project, Emerging Leaders and Women United, gifting a total of more than $30,000!

At a leadership level, CHS is extremely committed to United Way. Jim Zappa, CHS executive vice president and general counsel, is a member of Greater Twin Cities United Way’s board of directors.

“At CHS, we create connections to empower agriculture,” says Jim Zappa, CHS executive vice president and general counsel. “Supporting United Way is just one example of how CHS employees live out that purpose and exemplify our value of cooperative spirit. By embracing collaboration and shared goals, we’re doing better – together.”

In partnership with United Way, CHS is building a stronger nonprofit sector and a more vibrant Twin Cities community.

Get Involved

Inspired? Your company can volunteer, partner and fundraise. Our team is ready to help you set up a successful workplace campaign. We know every company is different and will help customize your messaging and activities to keep everyone engaged and excited about contributing to our community! To get involved, visit our Partners page.