OLYMPIA… Do you know a business that gives back to its community? Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State has an opportunity to recognize those for-profit companies doing amazing acts and charitable things in the communities they serve.
Each year, Secretary of State Kim Wyman has the pleasure to present the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion award to a small group of businesses nominated by the public in the Corporations for Communities award program. The NASS Medallion is the highest national honor awarded by the association.
“We are lucky to have many Washington companies that are committed to giving back in various ways,” Wyman said. “Corporations for Communities offers a chance for people to help recognize these companies that contribute to local causes, and I encourage people to make a nomination this summer.”
Nominations for this year’s award opened July 17. August 31 is the nomination deadline.
Nomination forms can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.wa.gov/corps/corpsforcommunities/.
Anyone is able to nominate businesses for a Corporations for Communities award. Any sized for-profit corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or limited partnership is eligible for the award. Nominees need to be registered with the Office of the Secretary of State and must be in compliance with state and federal laws.
In 2016, the NASS Medallion was awarded to: Birch Equipment, Inc. (Bellingham), Republic Services (Bellevue), US Martial Arts Center, Inc. (Olympia), and Sleep Train (Kent), now branded as Mattress Firm.
Nominations included charitable activities like paid time for employee volunteer work, sponsoring and organizing fundraisers, matching of employee giving efforts, direct cash and in-kind donations, and building a community of giving within their organizations.
For more information about the Corporations for Communities program, contact program coordinator Patrick Reed at (360) 725-0358 or patrick.reed@sos.wa.gov.
The Corporations for Communities program began in 2009 as a way to recognize exceptional Washington businesses that demonstrate a commitment to giving in order to improve local or regional social and environmental conditions. The award program is run by the Corporations & Charities Division, which is part of the Office of Secretary of State.
Washington’s Office of Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, as well as documenting extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington.
– Washington Secretary of State, Kim Wyman
