Philanthropy with Purpose
Sharing their prosperity with the community is one of the ways Niner Wine Estates embodies the Business value of sustainability.
Andrew Niner, President and CEO, is a board member of MUST! Charities, and believes in supporting the community through charitable donations. Over the last 3 years, Niner Wine Estates has donated an average of $245,000 annually to charities through a linked foundation.
Every year, employees at Niner Wine Estates have the opportunity to allocate $2,000 to a charity of their choice. Plus, the company matches personal donations they make outside of their $2,000 allocation.
Niner said as well as giving staff ownership and a meaningful stake in the community, these staff-directed donations show him what his staff are passionate about and help to raise his own awareness of deserving charities.
Andy Niner’s philosophy around charitable investments emphasizes the importance of transparency. When asked if the business shares their investments with customers, he said it’s something he always makes a point to do: “If they are buying your product, they should know what you support.” Niner shares an annual Philanthropy Report that outlines how much and where they invested.
While charitable funds make a considerable impact, monetary gifts are not the only way for a business to invest in the community. Volunteering time and services are equally impactful.
Every month, staff members of Niner Wine Estates volunteer through the El Camino Homeless Organization to prepare and serve meals. Niner said that it’s a great team-building activity that’s good for the company culture. He appreciates the team can have a direct and impactful experience giving back.
Niner compares his philanthropy strategy to an investment strategy: “If you invest in a ton of different things, you can lose track of exactly where your money is going and what it’s doing. But if you invest in just a couple of things, you can have more of an active role in your investments and really know your impact.”