Tactical Engagement: How one company can make a real difference in the community.

AuthorFrancom, Sarah Ryther
PositionLessons Learned

Like many executives, RizePoint CEO Frank Maylett wanted to engrain community service into his company's mission and culture. Giving back to the community was something Maylett believed in personally, and he was committed to making service part of RizePoint's core.

"Every quarter, we'd take a full day to do service. We'd choose different charities and spend a full day as a company doing things like working at the food bank, United Way or on a sustainable farm," he says.

But Maylett wanted to do more--he wanted to find an area in which his company could truly make a difference. "Early on, I recognized that one way we could really help the community was to get tactically involved in education."

With a renewed focus on education, RizePoint went to work. Beyond traditional efforts, such has holding back-to-school supply drives or collecting donations, the company "adopted" a Title 1 school, which meant working one-on-one with a specific school. Its hyper-focused goal became a rewarding experience for executives, employees, teachers and students alike.

Stepping up

Once RizePoint determined its education focus, the company began by simply picking up the phone and calling school districts to gauge interest. Canyons School District was the first to jump on the opportunity. "We met with them and began talking about how we could help. It was an eye-opening experience to learn about their needs," says Maylett.

RizePoint began by sponsoring scholarships for fifth and 10th grade students that would pay for STEM summer camps in subjects like astronomy, biology and robotics. Last year, the company sent 25 kids to camps and held a rewards ceremony to honor their achievements.

"I was surprised by the number of applicants that came in, and many had heart-wrenching stories," Maylett says. "We had applicants that were immigrants that, without the scholarship, would have no opportunity to go. There were some who had single moms working two or three jobs. One applicant wanted to go to biology camp because her dad was dying of cancer and she wanted to be a doctor to help people like her dad. When you read the applications, it just rips your heart out."

After sponsoring the STEM camp scholarships Maylett and RizePoint employees were hooked--they wanted to double-down on their efforts to help the students. The company met again with Canyons School District to brainstorm ways to become even more involved. That's when Maylett made the decision to "adopt" a Title 1...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT