We’ve seen horrifying images of the devastation Typhoon Haiyan brought to much of the Philippines earlier this month. With more than 5,000 people killed in the storm and more than four million displaced, making it the second-deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, there have been calls for aid issued all over the world. You can’t sign on to Twitter or Facebook without seeing a post calling for donations to relief efforts.
As Brafton’s fundraising committee lead, I was approached by one of my colleagues following the tragic events to create a plan to help relief efforts. I set my committee to work, and soon donation jars were placed strategically around our Boston office, and a bake sale was scheduled to help raise awareness for the cause.
Several employees stepped in to provide sweets for the bake sale, and while we didn’t sell out (way too many treats!), we raised more than $350 in donations, and employees continue to fill our donation jars. Brafton’s leadership team agreed to match all funds raised, making our contribution that much bigger.
This is not the first time the Brafton community has come together for a good cause. When one of our coworkers unfortunately lost her family home in Superstorm Sandy last year, I wanted to figure out a way Brafton could show support for our friend and colleague. We hosted a Happy Hour fundraiser, collaborating with local businesses to gather prizes for a raffle. All proceeds went to the employee’s family as they worked to rebuild their home. Not only did we raise more than $1,000 for our colleague, but the Brafton community was able to come together and socialize.
Since then, Brafton has hosted a bake sale for The Richard Family, who tragically lost their son Martin in the Boston Marathon bombings, and our fundraising committee has grown in the Boston office. We meet monthly to discuss how we can give back to the 
community in some way.
As part of these initiatives, we’ve held quarterly fundraisers, choosing local nonprofits to promote and sponsor. In July 2013, we teamed up with 826 Boston to support their childhood literacy efforts, and successfully raised more than $1,500 for the nonprofit organization.
This quarter we channeled our competitive sides with a company softball tournament. Charging a participation fee, we were able to raise more than $1,200 for 15-40, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness for early cancer detection.
The fundraising committee is just getting started, and plans not only to bring Brafton employees together, but do some good for the community. To support our latest effort, we invite the entire Brafton community (including readers like you) to donate to Typhoon Haiyan relief. Brafton is sending donations through the Canadian Red Cross, and you can find more information on how to help here.
