The biggest employers in the county not surprisingly are some of the biggest givers.
Local companies give away tens of millions of dollars to nonprofits each year, and workers volunteer countless hours to charity programs.
Full giving isn’t read-ily quantifiable. But this week’s Business Journal directory of corporate givers paints a good picture of local and nationwide philanthropy estimated at about $100 million annually.
Companies give money away for tax incentives as well as promoting a positive corporate image, local executives said.
“Orange County needs the support,” said Kim Young, an executive vice president and regional president with San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co.
For 2007, Wells gave $2.9 million to 325 local charities that included schools, youth groups, environmental groups, homeless organizations and disaster relief organizations.
A percentage of the company’s profits is designated each year for charity. Last year it gave away slightly less at $2.8 million.
Young says her bank is one of the few that has its local employees decide where to put the money, instead of handling the decisions from a corporate office outside the area.
“People often overlook the county when it comes to giving,” she said. “After the fires last year, most of the relief money went to either Los Angeles or San Diego.”
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, which is the charitable arm of Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America Corp., provided Orange County nonprofits with $3.7 million last year.
Metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have well-organized local charities, which have stronger fundraising programs than many of OC’s local charities, according to Tom Burnham, president of Allergan Founda-tion, which is the giving arm of Irvine-based Allergan Inc.
“We’re trying to work with organizations like the Orange County Community Founda-tion to improve things,” Burnham said.
The Irvine-based community foundation works with foundations and oversees assets for giving.
Last year Allergan gave away $2.8 million, or more than 5% of its $44 million foundation, compared to $3.2 million the previous year.
This year the company has made plans to give away about 10% of its now $48 million in assets. The two main areas Allergan gives to are education and health services, including donations to University of California, Irvine, Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation and Habitat for Humanity International.
Allergan’s money comes from random gifts to the foundation rather than from a set percentage of earnings. In 2006, the company’s chief executive and chairman, David Pyott, gave the foundation $20 million.
Each year the Allergan Foundation gets as many as 6 million requests for money from groups all over the country, but mostly from Southern California, according to Burnham.
Burnham holds the title of president of the foundation and volunteers about 10 hours a week to run it. His regular job is vice president of human resources for the company.
Newport Beach-based Pacific Life Founda-tion was one of the biggest givers last year with $4.8 million going to local organizations as well as to charities in Nebraska, where its other office is.
The prior year the company gave away $3.6 million.
The foundation had $71 million in assets for 2007, which was more than $7 million the previous year.
Almost half of what it gave last year went to health services, with the rest going to community, environment, education and arts.
Boeing Co., which is based in Chicago and is one of the county’s largest employers, gave away $3.4 million to California charities. Another $3.81 million was given from its Boeing Employees Community Fund.
It also participated in a number of volunteer projects, which included a clean-up of the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach.
Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc. gave away $41 million to charities.
The number reflects what it gave nationally to disaster relief, the environment, minority organizations, economic development, literacy programs and other causes.
This year, UPS also will dedicate a specific month where employees can volunteer at organizations all over the world.
