Last year, for the first time in a local market, the Business Journal presented the 2017 Civic 50 Orange County in partnership with OneOC, recognizing the 50 most community-minded small, medium and large Orange County companies.
OneOC is taking entries for the second annual Civic 50 now through June 29 (see Call for Entries below).
Research proves community-minded companies do well by doing good. The companies get a measurable business lift in consumer preferences, company reputation, and employee attraction and retention.
Community engagement isn’t just for large companies; small and medium-size businesses feel increased expectations to be more strategic in their philanthropy and empower employees to give time, talent and money. And millennials make up an increasing portion of the new workforce with high expectations of employers.
Not all local companies have the same level of resources or engagement in all of the activities the survey measures. Therefore, scoring and awards are based on the number of local employees: small 15-99; midsize 100-499; and large 500 and up, and similarly sized companies were measured within their peer groups and compared only on community engagement programs in Orange County.
Fountain Valley School Teacher Rachelle Cracchiolo founded publishing company Teacher Created Materials in 1977 in Huntington Beach. Today TCM has over 200 employees, more than 100 at its Surf City headquarters, and its products and services are in 50 states and 89 countries.
In those 41 years, the company was also growing its culture. Employees regularly engage in a number of programs that enrich our community and made the family-owned business and its employees an easy 2017 Civic 50 selection.
TCM supports AbilityFirst, which helps children and adults with developmental disabilities; helps fund a California State University-Fullerton endowment that provides $1,000 to $5,000 scholarships for teachers working toward their master’s degrees; and provides food and money to Bruno Serato’s Caterina’s Club to feed hungry children in the county.
Its most robust volunteer efforts are on display at the annual Read Across America Day. The company effectively closes, sending more than 100 employees to volunteer at a different school each year. In 2016, TCM volunteers descended on Meairs Elementary School in Garden Grove, and last year Monte Vista Elementary in Santa Ana. It’s a Teacher Takeover:
• Read Across America: Volunteers read, reflected and completed literacy-focused activities with students in small groups.
• Teachers’ Outdoor Lounge Mini-Makeover: Volunteers painted the area, added plants and improved the decor.
• Garden Projects: Volunteers cleaned and beautified school grounds by adding plants and inspirational signs.
• Fence Mascot and Values Designs: Volunteers used decorative cups to create designs for four chain-link fences.
• Painting Projects: Volunteers painted a colorful U.S. map on the playground blacktop. They also painted pencil images on poles around the school and chalk message boards on all teachers’ classroom doors.
• Backpacks: All students received a free backpack filled with student and parent resources. Teachers received professional resources and a $100 gift card.
“Truly a magnificent day,” said school Principal Meg Greene.
Cracchiolo says it’s a great way “to encourage kids to keep reading,” but her team also gets to see, “the great things schools are doing every day to make students succeed and foster their love of learning.”
Teaching Tree
Schoolteacher-turned-entrepreneur Cracchiolo has handed the reigns to her daughters, President Corinne Burton and Executive Vice President, Deanne Mendoza, who have combination teaching-business backgrounds.
On March 15 Team TCM was inducted into the Family Business Hall of Fame at the CSUF Center for Family Business at the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics.
