Wells Fargo Team Members Put Donations Behind Their Volunteer Support

Wells Fargo wrapped up another successful Community Support Campaign with team members pledging $69.7 million to 30,000 nonprofits and volunteering 300,000 hours during the September campaign. 

When campaign dollars are combined with contributions made throughout the year, team members donated more than $98 million in 2015 to causes they are passionate about. This support of time, talent, and financial donations helps tens of thousands of nonprofits to further their missions and improve the lives of many throughout local communities.

“I’m proud of everyone — whether they work at Wells Fargo or not — who supports our communities and gets involved to make them stronger year after year,” said CEO John Stumpf. “I’m especially pleased with the generosity and support of Wells Fargo team members — they care deeply about their communities and want them to be successful. We cherish our longtime culture of focusing on building sustainable communities and volunteering our time with nonprofits.”

One example: the nonprofit St.Anthony’s in San Francisco, which serves about 3,000 meals every day to the homeless, those living in shelters, low-income residents trying to stretch limited dollars, and anyone else in need. St. Anthony’s relies on volunteer support, including many volunteers from Wells Fargo. In addition, the company has donated more than $660,000 to St. Anthony’s since 2002. Some of that money helped build the reception area at St. Anthony’s new location in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.

“Wells Fargo has been a really important civic partner for us,” says Executive Director Barry Stenger.

CEO Stumpf volunteered with 33 other team members at St. Anthony’s, wearing a red Wells Fargo Volunteers T-shirt while serving hot meals. He said, “It’s a privilege for me to be a part of this. Wells Fargo is invested in our communities, and this today is an affirmation of that.”

Barry says St. Anthony’s believes serving meals is about more than food: It’s about building community. Its open dining room invites conversation and friendship. That’s intentional, says Barry: “The guests we serve are deserving of dignity and respect.” The organization also provides a range of other services from medical care to clothing.

Legacy of support
​Wells Fargo pays all processing costs for team member pledges made during its Community Support Campaign, so 100 percent of donations go to the schools, nonprofits, United Way, and religious organizations team members support. Throughout the year, the company also matches donations to qualifying schools, up to $5,000 per team member.

The company also provides:

• 16 hours of paid time off a year to volunteer for full-time team members.
• Volunteer Service Awards, which provide grants to nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and schools where team members volunteer.
• Volunteer Leave, which gives team members up to three months of paid leave (with benefits) to volunteer and make a long-term, sustainable impact with a nonprofit they support.
• Volunteer opportunities through one of 110 Volunteer Chapters in 41 states and 10 countries.

Stephanie Rico of Environmental Affairs in San Francisco says, “Being able to volunteer is a privilege, and it’s something we do year-round. One of the things I value most about working at Wells Fargo is its focus on the community.”

Other highlights of Wells Fargo’s and team members’ philanthropy include:

• Wells Fargo has had the top employee-giving campaign in the U.S. for six consecutive years, as recognized by United Way Worldwide.
• Over the past four years, Wells Fargo has given more than $1 billion to nonprofits.
• Team members volunteered 1.7 million hours in their communities in 2014.
• 4,000 team members participate in 60 Wells Fargo Green Teams, which organize community and volunteer events supporting environmental sustainability.

For the full blog post, including video of CEO John Stumpf volunteering at St. Anthony's in San Francisco, please visit: http://stories.wellsfargobank.com/wells-fargo-team-members-put-donations-behind-their-volunteer-support/