Kimberly-Clark employees raise record funds to help United Way build stronger communities

In late 2012, Kimberly-Clark employees across the country were busy - and not just producing essentials for a better life. They were racing tricycles, baking Boston Butts, growing mustaches, planting flowers, painting houses, and undertaking a multitude of other activities to help raise a record-level funds for United Way organizations in the hometowns where they live and work. 

One of Kimberly-Clark's core values is Caring, so the United Way Campaign season is always an important time for the company and our employees who go out of their way to make the campaigns fun, informative and meaningful.

The 2012 Kimberly-Clark United Way Campaign raised a record $6.6 million for local-area programs and nonprofits - an 8.6 percent increase over 2011 proceeds.

The campaign's theme, "Be Someone's Hero," emphasized that anyone can be a hero to someone in need by giving, advocating or volunteering for the United Way.  

"People who make the choice to help create a better future for someone else by giving of their time, talent or financial resources are heroes to me," says Tom Falk, Kimberly-Clark's Chairman and CEO. "As children we are sometimes led to believe that heroes only lie within the pages of comic books or on the movie screen, but I would challenge us to shine a light on the heroes that are with us every day working to make life better for the people around them.  Some of them you may know or have worked alongside. Others are Kimberly-Clark employees who volunteer in our communities or make monthly contributions to their local United Way."

Highlights of volunteer efforts made by our Kimberly-Clark employee 'heroes' during the 2012 United Way campaign include:

• Knoxville, Tennessee, employees got their hands dirty landscaping for a local United Way service provider, while seeing firsthand how they serve their clients. Back at the office, they were humorously encouraged to give by site leaders who dressed up as super heroes. 
• Managers at the Kimberly-Clark Professional mill in Corinth, Mississippi, and our sales office in Rogers, Arkansas, agreed to do all kinds of crazy things - let employees wear jeans for the rest of the year, compete in a tricycle contest, dye their hair pink, wear super hero costumes, and grow dreadlocks, mohawks and mustaches - if key campaign goals were met. Employees met the challenge, and the managers kept their word!        
• The Kimberly-Clark team in Belmont, Michigan, kicked off their 2013 United Way campaign by participating in "STUFF the BUS," a United Way program that collects school supplies for local elementary schools in the county. They set up a rolling tote and collected pencils, pens, notebooks, crayons, glue sticks, paper and other supplies to help local students in need.
• For the third year in a row, employees at the Corinth, Mississippi, Nonwovens facility baked and sold about 360 Boston Butts (a cut of pork) to employees and friends in the community to raise money for the local United Way. 
• In addition to recruiting gifts and pledges and coordinating very successful fundraising events, Kimberly-Clark's Berkeley, North Carolina, mill is converting some vacant office space for use by United Way of Henderson County staff, as an additional contribution from Kimberly-Clark. 

These and other volunteer efforts by Kimberly-Clark employees paid off. Besides achieving a record fundraising campaign, some local United Ways showed their appreciation for some particularly noteworthy results by recognizing Kimberly-Clark with awards:

• Our Berkeley, North Carolina, mill received the "Model Campaign Award" and the "10 Percent Increase in Giving Award" from the United Way of Henderson County. Campaign leader Melanie Matteson received the "Volunteer of the Year" award as well. 
• Kimberly-Clark's Chester, Pennsylvania, mill received the "Mothers' Award" from the United Way of Chester County for the fourth consecutive year. This award is given annually to the company that makes an "outstanding contribution" to the campaign.
• Our World Headquarters team in Irving, Texas, was recognized with the highest award possible from the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas - the organization's Spirit of Caring Award for outstanding campaign results and employee engagement.
• Our sales office in Rogers, Arkansas, received a Summit Award from the United Way of Northwest Arkansas in recognition of a 51 percent increase in their annual campaign this year.

Kimberly-Clark partners with United Way to build healthy communities

United Way's mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the power of communities across the U.S. More than 1,200 local United Way chapters raise and invest significant resources to build strong, healthy communities. Last year alone, the United Way system raised $3.93 billion.

Each year, Kimberly-Clark matches employee contributions to the United Way dollar for dollar. In the last decade alone, Kimberly-Clark and its employees have contributed more than $50 million to improve lives and build stronger communities. As a corporation, we are among the top 50 in giving to United Way nationally, and in many of the hometowns of our local facilities we are the top corporate contributor.

As such, Kimberly-Clark is proud to be a part of a small group of companies in the Global Corporate Leadership organization of United Way Worldwide.

"Kimberly-Clark and its employees are critical, longstanding partners of United Way. They're committed to strengthening communities around the world and understand the importance of improving lives by creating opportunities for all people," says Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide. "Their continued leadership and tremendous generosity have allowed us to do remarkable things together."

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