“Many people talk about Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Philanthropy… I think it’s all about leadership: tackling the social and environmental issues of the day not because you have to, or because everyone else is doing it, but because you want to and you feel morally compelled to.”

Kevin Trapani

Corporate responsibility, a core part of our business strategy, commits us to be socially responsible in all of our business operations: balancing the needs and concerns of our customers, stakeholders, employees, and communities that we serve.

We are here to make a difference - by driving social change, returning benefits to communities, supporting social and economic progress and environmental sustainability, inspiring changes in the way we impact our world.

Being successful by doing great things in the right way is a core value of our corporate culture. We accept the responsibility to “build a better future” – not only for our shareholders but also for our customers, employees, business partners, community, nation and the wider world.

Most companies today donate about one percent of their net income to charity, according to the Conference Board which provides key information about management and the marketplace to businesses. Redwoods commits to contributing a minimum of 10 percent of pre-tax income to charity every year, without exception. In 2006-2007, we contributed over 50 percent of our pre-tax profits (about $500,000 each year) to nonprofit organizations throughout the world. For the first time in company history, Redwoods was not profitable in 2008, but we still contributed $97,559 to charity. The Redwoods Group Foundation, a separate entity, awarded grants to nonprofits that totaled $997,909 in 2008. The money helped a West African nonprofit organization serve women living with HIV/AIDS in Namibia; paid for teen leadership development at the Sioux YMCA, SD, the only YMCA located on a Native American Reservation; and supported Action for Children North Carolina’s efforts to ensure that children are healthy, safe, well-educated and have every opportunity for success.

We consider charitable giving and employee volunteerism essential priorities of a socially responsible organization. Employees spend 40 hours of their work time each year in service to the community -- building houses for the working poor, sprucing up a Boys and Girls Club, cleaning up neglected river banks, serving meals to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House and shaving their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research.