By Christine Miller Ford
Photography by John Keith and Rob Snyder

Community service has become more than an afterthought for businesses and organization intent on enriching their communities and empowering their employees.

It’s only been a few months since Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s “Super Corp” landed on the bestseller list, but local companies have long been putting into practice her premise-namely, that businesses that do good in their communities also do well.

Whatever kind of help companies provide- from the downtown Frederick boutique that turns over its window display to promote the latest play at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre to the brewery that provides drinks for a nonprofit’s shindig-the payoffs go beyond just feel-good vibes for the workers who lend a hand.

Business owners along the Interstate 270 corridor say the assistance given to nonprofits actually adds to the bottom line, although they admit it is difficult to measure just how big a difference such relationships make.

“I don’t think I can give you an example where because of some of the work we’ve done for nonprofits, we won X contract,” says Tim Kerns, the network administrator for TerpSys, a privately held information technology and services company that has won awards for community involvement and provides paid community service hours for each worker. The Rockville-based company also hosts annual fund-raisers for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the National Capital Area Alzheimer’s Association and For Love of Children. “We do know that we’ve made a lot of networking contacts through the work we do with nonprofits,” Kerns said. “We know that out in the community, people want to do business with those who are involved in trying to make the world better. There are definitely side benefits to helping out.”

Jim Caruso, the president and chief executive officer of Flying Dog Brewery, says the Frederick brewery’s commitment to the community provides the public with insight into the company. “Flying Dog has always been viewed as generous,” says Caruso of the business, which each year ships more than 500,000 cases of beer from its state-of-the-art facility in Frederick to buyers around the globe. “It’s impossible to measure [the impact of that goodwill], but it is good public relations.”

When consumers view a company in a positive light, their dollars typically follow, says Jennifer Gerlock, the director of development for Mission of Mercy, the Frederick-based nonprofit that offers medical and dental services along with prescription medicines at no cost to those in need in Maryland and Pennsylvania. “Whenever a business partners with a nonprofit, potential customers get to see what kind of philosophy the business operates under,” she said. “I know, I will patronize a business if I know they’re working toward the greater good, and I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that way.”

Reed Dewey-who heads the Montgomery County Volunteer Center in Rockville, which helps match companies with volunteer projects-points out that nonprofits actually have quite a bit to offer to the companies that help them out. “If your company partners with a nonprofit that has 5,000 or 10,000 names on its mailing list, and it appreciates the help your company has provided, chances are those people are doing to support your business whenever they can,” Dewey said.

The growing Carrotmob trend, recently spotlighted in Time, operates along similar lines. Instead of organizing a boycott against a company that’s acted improperly (the stick approach), activists seek out socially progressive companies and reward them with their loyal, enthusiastic patronage.

Realizing how vital it is for a business to create ties in a community is viewed as essential at The Temple, the Paul Mitchell cosmetology school in Frederick, according to Sharon Riser, the school’s director and sales leader. “To be successful in the beauty industry today, you need more than just skills with hair and makeup-you need to be able to connect with the community,” Riser said. “We show our students that when they find ways to make a difference, to support a cause they feel passionate about, the community in turn will find ways to support them. It’s a win-win and just a smart business move.”

At The Temple, a Be Nice (Or Else!) team regularly plans events to help local and international organizations, including Mission of Mercy, the Salvation Army, Food for Africa, Hope Alive, Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County and Habitat for Humanity.

Many of the projects aren’t typical fund-raisers. In late summer, for example, The Temple opened its doors to a dozen recovering soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical center for a day of new hairstyles and other free pampering.

Earlier this year, the beauty school’s students organized gala fashion shows that provided them with the chance to show off their ability to style hair and makeup and put together stylish outfits, all the while generating money for the American Red Cross and Goodwill.

Because many of the volunteer projects involve a good time, employees often come away with their sense of morale at a new level, according to Donna Kuzemchak, the consulting coordinator for Volunteer Frederick Inc., which works with businesses to place professionals in short-term nonprofit projects. “Studies have found that having employees who volunteer feel a stronger sense of loyalty,” Kuzemchak said. “The employer has involved them in something they enjoy and they’re appreciative of this.”

Other advantages for companies that focus on the community good include greater employee commitment and productivity and lower rates of absenteeism, officials with Volunteer Frederick and the Montgomery County Volunteer Center agree.

At MedImmune in Gaithersburg, increased employee loyality and productivity are two of the key benefits of community involvement, says Liz Huntley, the senior manager of community affairs for the 21-year-old biotech company focused on immunization programs. “Increased employee satisfaction has led directly to employee retention,” Huntley says. “Our recruitment of new employees has shown that people know who we are and respect our culture of volunteerism and responsibility. Our employees get involved in the broader impacts of our business, seeing the connection of MedImmune’s philanthropic and corporate volunteer efforts to what we do in our offices, labs and manufacturing facilities. This has tremendous impact on our bottom line.”

Reed, who joined the Montgomery County Volunteer Center two years ago and previously worked at the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, backs up Huntley’s assessment. “When you have highly skilled employees you want to retain, businesses that make community service a priority give the employees something to feel really proud about,” he says. “In the last 10 years, there’s been a huge increase in the number of companies interested in community service,” Reed says. “Now most companies are looking for ways to give back, from the Mom and Pop shop that sponsors a Little League on up. Companies have woken up to the fact that this is a way to develop relationships.”

Writes Kanter: “The power to contribute to the world … is no longer a sideline activity or an afterthought such as check writing to give away a few leftover crumbs, but a mainstream imperative that infuses every aspect of the business.” “It’s becoming the wave of the future because the public demands it and employees want it, especially the highly educated new generation that wants to work for companies in sync with their idealism.” And the impulse to do good hasn’t gone away even as the economy struggles, local business leaders say. Flying Dog’s CEO Caruso says his company remains intent on the community’s needs. “It’s a good way to get the Flying Dog name and product out into the community now. We’re getting more requests for help than ever. In a weak economy we don’t reduce our donations, we work to meet those needs.”

Looking for a way to contribute in the community? Business leaders can get help finding service projects right for their company by calling the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240.777.2600 or Volunteer Frederick Inc. at 301.663.5214.