ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sandia National Laboratories employees and retirees in 2012 increased donations to the United Way of Central New Mexico by 17.1 percent over the previous year, giving $5,508,717 to the charitable organization.
When it passed the $5 million mark, Sandia became the first company to donate that amount in a single campaign to UWCNM. “The results from the campaign are truly astounding,” said Anthony Thornton, Sandia’s 2012 Employee Caring Program (ECP) campaign chairman. “Everyone at Sandia Labs should be extremely proud.”
Sandia’s employees in Livermore, Calif., added $236,227, making the total employee/retiree giving between both sites $5,744,944.
Of Sandia’s total giving, $1,489,990 was designated to the Community Fund, an increase of $63,753 over the previous year. The fund supports a range of programs that address families, education, health, hunger, senior citizens, the homeless and the disabled in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia counties.
Deputy Laboratories Director and Executive VP for Mission Support Kim Sawyer, chairwoman of UWCNM’s 2012-13 $28.15 million campaign, said the response from Sandia employees and retirees this year “continues to demonstrate our strong culture of giving.”
Ed Rivera, UWCNM’s president and CEO, said Sandia’s generosity is an inspiration to the community. Since the ECP was launched in 1957, Sandia has been the single largest supporter of the organization’s annual campaign. Sandia employees have contributed more than $76 million.
“And every year it gets better. What Sandia accomplished this year is unheard of,” said Randy Woodcock, UWCNM’s vice president and chief strategic officer. “I’ve never seen a company of this size increase this much in one year.”
Click here for more information on Sandia’s community involvement programs.