Welcome to one of our favorite editions.
This edition marks the third year of Profiles of Giving, and the second year the popular corporate philanthropy section has been its own special edition of the Vancouver Business Journal. It is our tradition to give a portion of the proceeds of this edition to a local nonprofit that aids in the development of business or business people. This year, the recipient will be the School of Piano Technology for the Blind.
For more than 55 years, this Vancouver-based institution has provided specialized education to blind and visually impaired people, leading to careers in piano tuning and technology. Many students of the program begin at entry level positions in music stores and schools, recording studios and piano manufacturers. Often, students will go on to start their own businesses in a market that is saturated with pianos (17 million nationally, according to the School of Piano Technology), but is served by only 4,100 Piano Technician Guild members.
We think the Piano School is an especially good beneficiary of proceeds from our philanthropy edition because not only does the school’s curriculum teach the technical aspects of piano tuning, the school teaches the management and communication tools needed to operate a business. They learn how to contact potential employers and customers, advertise and market their services, keep necessary records and deal with customers. The school has graduated more than 250 piano technicians, and 80 percent of its enrolled graduates find work in the industry within a year.
The school is a private, self-supporting school, regulated by the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board in Olympia. The staff earns much of the operating budget by tuning, repairing and selling pianos in the community from its East Evergreen shop. Donations to the school are used to provide scholarships for students.
In addition to the fun of giving money away, we really enjoy putting this edition out each year. It’s interesting to get a glimpse of the philanthropic endeavors local companies have put their energy into during the year, and which business people are involved with various nonprofit organizations. This year, we look at a new nonprofit – the Wine and Food Society – started by a number of local business people to promote and fund viticulture and culinary studies. We take you behind the scenes of Vancouver Rotary Foundation’s Festival of Trees to get a closer look at the interior design industry in Clark County. We talk to the staff of a Vancouver engineering firm whose employee culture is really defined in part by its philanthropy efforts. And we look at one nonprofit – the YWCA – that has been unconditionally supported by a number of prominent business women through the years.
In addition, several columnists have chimed in this year with tips and tricks on the best ways to give and some resources to rely on.
We hope you’ll get as much out of this paper as we have.
