Included in our Values are the commitments to take action, respect others, act with passion and connect with people and the community. These Values are embedded in our community engagement activities and are integral to our community giving strategy.
At LINN, we are connected to our communities. We are dedicated to working in harmony with our neighbors and we place a high priority on improving the lives of people in the communities where our employees live and work.
LINN employees dedicate themselves to worthy causes through generous support and countless volunteer hours each year. Through volunteerism and charitable donations, LINN and its employees support organizations in our four focus areas. As part of our commitment to employees and communities, LINN’s Volunteer Policy was established to enable full-time employees to volunteer nine hours of paid time annually with a non-profit organization of their choice. Looking forward, we plan to place a larger focus on Company-organized employee volunteer activities.
- We strive to be good neighbors by supporting four focus areas (community service, education, health and the arts) through charitable partnerships and engagement initiatives.
- We respect the members of communities where we live and work by caring for our environment and supporting the services that are essential to the health and welfare of others.
- We connect with our communities by making time to learn about our neighbors and the issues that affect their lives.
- We are passionate about supporting organizations that align with our mission and Values through volunteerism and charitable contributions.
Charitable Contributions
The budget for corporate charitable contributions is approved by our Board of Directors. Our Corporate Charitable Contributions Committee then allocates funding to divisional offices and field locations. LINN donates to tax-exempt organizations, public and private higher learning institutions and private foundations that support those institutions. Additionally, employees can nominate organizations whose missions align with our Values and our four focus areas – community service, education, health and the arts. We believe that this approach to giving results in targeted impacts and delivers meaningful outcomes.
Employee Giving Campaign and Matching Gifts Program
In addition to corporate charitable donations, LINN has two programs in which employees can donate to organizations that are important to them. Through the Employee Giving Campaign, employees can donate through payroll deductions, check or credit card and the funds are distributed to the organizations quarterly. The Matching Gifts Program is another opportunity for employees to donate through direct contributions. Through each program, employees can give to most 501(c)(3) organizations and higher learning institutions and their contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $2,500 per year per employee. This doubles the impact of these donations within communities and to organizations important to our employees.
LINN’s Matching Gifts Program also offers a dollar-for-dollar corporate match of direct employee contributions, up to $2,500 per year per employee, to most 501(c)(3) organizations and higher learning institutions. This doubles the impact of these donations within communities and to organizations important to our employees.
community service
Some examples of our community service initiatives include:
Center for Hearing and Speech
Via Colori is an annual street painting festival in Houston benefitting the Center for Hearing and Speech (“CHS”). LINN partners with CHS in its efforts to help thousands of Houston-area children gain listening, speaking and literacy skills. LINN has served as a presenting sponsor for the last three years and hosts several employee events to support the organization. LINN employees also serve as volunteers at the festival, further strengthening the partnership between CHS and LINN.
Habitat for Humanity
LINN is a strong supporter of Habitat for Humanity in many of our operating areas. LINN employees have donated their time each year to help build homes and change families’ lives. Since 2010, LINN’s volunteer teams have helped build homes for several family partners in our communities.
Holiday Giving
For the holiday season, employees and contractors in Brea, California, generously give their time and resources. They hold a food and toy drive to benefit three local charities — the Food Shelter at the Rock Church, the Boys and Girls Club of Brea and the Brea Fire Department’s Spark of Love Program.
Community service involvement with other organizations includes:
- Houston Area Women’s Center
- Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
education
LINN believes in the importance of education and the impact it can have on a child’s development and future. Additionally, we recognize the value that adult education can have when preparing for job opportunities or trades. We aim to play an active role in making meaningful educational programs available to the residents of our communities. For example:
Youth Development Center
LINN is a proud sponsor of Bon Vivant, an event where talented Houston chefs show their creativity through one-of-a-kind menus of their finest culinary creations. LINN has supported this event since its inception in 2010 and each year the proceeds have provided much-needed funding for the Youth Development Center’s afterschool literacy program. LINN also hosts an annual holiday donation drive in Houston to collect non-perishable food items, games, and arts and crafts for the children served by the Center.
Denver Urban Scholars
LINN has teamed up with Denver Urban Scholars, an organization dedicated to ensuring that at-risk students in the Denver area finish high school and go on to institutions of higher education. The program offers its scholars full or partial tuition assistance, mentoring, tutoring and case management. Not only has the Company provided financial assistance, but many LINN employees have also volunteered their time in the form of mentorship.
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (“FIRST”)
LINN supports, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, an organization that promotes and fosters science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs for the next generation of science and technology leaders. LINN has been a regional sponsor of FIRST’s Robotics Competition.
Science Museum of Oklahoma
In 2012, LINN began its partnership with the Science Museum of Oklahoma to support programs and resources fostering children’s educational growth and their interest in the sciences. LINN’s funding has supported the Museum’s outreach programs in some of Oklahoma’s most remote areas and has provided scholarships for underprivileged youth to attend educational events at the Science Museum.
health
We are passionate about supporting organizations that provide medical care and health services to people in need. Some examples of our efforts to support outstanding health organizations include:
The Children’s Center
Each year, LINN employees in Oklahoma City gather for a day of fun, food and games to raise money for The Children’s Center, a non-profit pediatric hospital serving children with complex medical and physical disabilities. The event, LINN-O-Ween, is held around Halloween, and involves a chili cook-off, raffle, silent auction, costume contest and skits. The event, which began in 2009, raises funds from Company, vendor and employee donations. All proceeds raised through LINN-O-Ween are contributed directly to The Children’s Center, which have gone towards the purchase of equipment such as ventilators, x-ray machines and other general needs.
Gulf Coast Area Blood Center
Since 2012, LINN’s Houston office has hosted quarterly blood drives for employees with our community partner, the Gulf Coast Area Blood Center. More than 250 units have been collected since the first drive, helping to save the lives of approximately 760 individuals.
arts
At LINN, we believe the arts play a crucial role in providing educational and cultural experiences to communities. LINN supports numerous arts organizations that provide educational programs and activities for individuals of all ages. For example:
Mercury’s Neighborhood Series
Since 2012, LINN has served as presenting sponsor for Mercury’s Neighborhood Series. The series moves the “redefined” orchestra out of downtown and into Houston neighborhoods, offering a shorter, more casual concert experience that can be enjoyed by everyone in the surrounding areas.
Allied Arts
LINN has partnered with Allied Arts in Oklahoma City, which supports central Oklahoma cultural groups that provide artistic outlets for area school children and underserved populations, including at-risk youth, the elderly, and the visually impaired and blind. By financially assisting the operating, programmatic and educational budgets of local art organizations, Allied Arts makes art and culture available to everyone in Oklahoma City and the surrounding communities.
LINN also serves as a Corporate Partner of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and a Corporate Member of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver.
