FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
Jennifer Ruwart
Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest
503-552-3505
jennifer_ruwart@yahoo.com
Jean Armstrong
Armstrong Kendall, Inc.
503-672-4680
jean@akipr.com
ENTREPRENEURS FOUNDATION OF THE NORTHWEST PRESENTS CLARITY VISUAL SYSTEMS WITH ITS 2005 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AWARD AT THE 'LIGHT A FIRE' FUNDRAISING GALA
Proceeds of the Gala Given to the Entrepreneur's Foundation
Portland, Ore. – October 26, 2005 – The Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) selected Clarity Visual Systems for its 2005 Community Involvement Award. Clarity received the award for the successful integration of philanthropy and community involvement into its core business values and practices. EFNW presented the award to Clarity at the 'Light A Fire' gala on Tuesday evening, October 25. Hosted by the Portland Monthly and Oregon Community Foundation, the event was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Portland Art Museum. 'Light A Fire' recognized nonprofits, philanthropists, volunteers, corporate donors, board members, and others whose extraordinary acts of service have raised the quality of life in Portland and beyond. Proceeds of the event were given to the EFNW for expansion of its community outreach program.
The EFNW Community Involvement Award is presented annually to the Foundation member company that best represents the Foundation's mission, which is to enhance Oregon and southwest Washington by creating a culture of community involvement and philanthropy within entrepreneurial companies. The award criteria include the structure and content of a company's community involvement program, the existence of community-minded business practices, the level of involvement of the executive team, and the implementation of the company's human resources' policies. This year six companies were considered, with the three finalists being Clarity Visual, Unicru, and Phoseon Technology.
"Clarity is pleased to have our community involvement program, GBC, recognized with this award," said Paul Gulick, CEO of Clarity Visual Systems. "This program has been in existence since the early days of Clarity, and it's really a reflection of the company's culture of giving. Over the years, we feel we have been able to make a positive impact in the lives of many people in our local communities. This is one of the things that makes Clarity a great company to work for, and I'm proud of what our employees have been able to accomplish."
According to EFNW president, Dave Squire, "Since joining EFNW several months ago, I have been continually impressed by the level of commitment of our companies. Pound for pound they contribute as much time and talent as companies many times their size. Selecting a winner was pleasantly difficult."
"Portland Monthly joined the EFNW soon after the magazine's formation, and I'm pleased to serve on its board of directors," said Nicole Vogel, founder and publisher of Portland Monthly . "The 'Light A Fire' fundraiser honored 40 organizations, and we chose to donate all of the proceeds to a single organization, rather than split it up among 40. EFNW was chosen because it helps counteract the decline in giving by large corporations. By enabling smaller companies to give back to the community, EFNW is making a real difference."
About Clarity Visual Systems
Established in 1995, Clarity Visual Systems, Inc. is the leading provider of digital visual messaging solutions to the retail, public venue, and institutional markets. Its solutions help organizations effectively communicate to business and consumer audiences to generate higher revenue, increase operational efficiency and improve their image. Not only has Clarity Visual integrated community involvement into its core company values, but the executive team provides strong support. Paul Gulick, the company CEO, chairs the company's Give Back to Community Committee. Representatives from all departments and branch offices make up the committee. Annually, the committee surveys the employees to ascertain their community involvement interests. This committee is integrated into the company's annual planning process, including budgeting. In addition, employees receive eight paid hours to volunteer each year and the company encourages individual, as well as company-sponsored volunteer activities and giving. For information about the company and its business, visit www.clarityvisual.com.
About Unicru
Unicru, the leading provider of total workforce acquisition solutions, has always been actively committed to the Portland community. Its grass roots efforts have resulted in ongoing giving to charities such as the American Red Cross, the Ronald McDonald House, and the MS Society. In January of 2003, Unicru donated options on a large block of shares to the EFNW to give back to the community. Since this donation, EFNW has helped Unicru focus its community involvement programs, so it more fully integrates community involvement into the business mission. This benefits the company, employees, and the community at large. Unicru donated over 800 volunteer hours and $57,000 to six nonprofits during 2005. For information about the company and its business, visit www.unicru.com.
About Phoseon Technology
Phoseon Technology pioneered Silicon Light Matrix technology that produces environmentally clean, cool operating, highly efficient, high intensity industrial light sources for commercial use. Part of Phoseon's core values, both corporate and individual, is to encourage an atmosphere of giving back to their community. The company is committed to doing community service days at least once per quarter. Coming together as a group, united to serve a common purpose, employees not only help others, but also create a more cohesive Phoseon team. Recent Phoseon activities include volunteering at the Oregon Food Bank, NW Children's Outreach, West Sylvan Grade School, and Sitton Elementary School. Phoseon granted stock to EFNW in 2003 and has been an active supporter since its founding. For information about the company and its business, visit www.phoseon.com.
About the Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest
The Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) believes that a stronger community makes stronger companies. To that end, the EFNW engages start-up companies to help them build a culture of community involvement and volunteerism. Recognizing the time and resource constraints of an entrepreneurial company, the EFNW has two strategies. The first is designed to create a future foundation from which the company can put significant money back into the community, based on the success of the company. This is accomplished via stock options given by the company to EFNW. When a liquidity event such as an IPO or buyout occurs, the proceeds of the option sale are used to fund a company-directed foundation. The second strategy is to consult with companies to create company and employee involvement programs that can funnel time and talent into the community now and create a culture of giving back to the community.
The EFNW is a supporting organization of the Oregon Community Foundation and is affiliated with nine other Entrepreneurs Foundations worldwide. The organization has received start-up capital from the Oregon Community Foundation, the Meyer Memorial Trust, SmartForest Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, Portland General Electric, the Gill Family Foundation, the M.J. Murdock Memorial Trust, and many members of the local entrepreneurial community. EFNW has 50 member companies. Visit www.efnw.org for more information.
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