For our team, the holidays are always a moment to pause, reflect and practice gratitude. And we try to find ways to turn that reflection into a natural opportunity for action. Our core value of “Give a damn” isn’t just something we put on our website — it’s a commitment to care about our clients, our company, our community, our work and each other.
That’s exactly what Ervin & Smith’s Thankfulness Giving Challenge is all about. And this year marked three years of turning that intention into real-world impact.
How the challenge works.
The idea is simple. Each employee gets $100 and one directive: go make the world a better place. There are only a few guidelines:
- Give in a way that feels meaningful and authentic to you.
- Get creative — your donation can support an organization, an individual or quiet acts of kindness.
- If you’d like, you can multiply your impact by inviting friends and family to contribute or by timing your gift with donation-matching opportunities like Giving Tuesday.
- Create a one-page slide sharing how you used your funds (with as much or as little detail as you like).
At the end of the challenge, we gather as a team, pass around the tissues and walk through each slide. It’s always emotional, always inspiring and always a reminder that the people around us are carrying stories, causes and connections we might not see on a day-to-day basis.
A snapshot of how our dollars were spent.
This year, through employee donations, family contributions, neighborly support and matching gifts, our team directed more than $8,000 toward organizations and individuals — locally, nationally and across the globe. Here are some of the ways the E&S team chose to give this year:
Standing with Latino communities.
- As someone from South America, one teammate supported Save the Children’s work in Venezuela, where inflation and instability have made food and medical care difficult to access for families and children. A 5x matching donation maximized his gift, turning it into healthy snacks, warm blankets and meals for families.
- Another teammate split their donation to the food bank with the Latino Center of the Midlands, which helped secure access to education, workforce development and healthcare for Omaha’s Latino community.
Supporting a neighbor in crisis.
- One team member used their funds to respond to a social media post from a local parent who was struggling to pay their power bill — a small act that kept someone’s lights and heat on during an already stressful season.
Championing mental health.
- A donation to The Kim Foundation, a local mental health advocacy and suicide prevention organization, helped fund education and support programs for people who’ve lost loved ones.
Spreading everyday kindness.
- One teammate turned the challenge into a family adventure by surprising a retail worker with a gift card, stocking a high school athletic department with snacks, paying for an elderly shopper’s groceries and handing out grocery store gift cards — all in one day of random acts of kindness with her kids.
Helping families for the holidays.
- Through Big Brothers Big Sisters’ adopt-a-family program, one person helped provide clothes, toys and household essentials to two families, making sure each of the six children in those families received something tailored to their interests and personalities.
- Two teammates paired up to maximize their impact and help brighten the season for a single father and his two toddlers. They were able to purchase clothes and toys for each child, as well as a gift card to Costco that could go toward groceries for the family.
- One teammate was able to provide warm winter clothes to a family in their community by partnering with Journey House, a Milwaukee nonprofit that focuses on helping families out of poverty.
Feeding our community.
- By pooling resources with two other families, one person was able to provide a gift to Westside Community Pantry, which helped fund 500 gift baskets for families in need, each filled with food, gift cards and more. Two teammates supported Food Bank for the Heartland with Giving Tuesday matching donations that multiplied their impact up to 5x.
- Two others supported organizations that provide shelter, meals and resources to unhoused individuals in Omaha by donating to the Open Door Mission and the Siena Francis House.
Backing civil rights and democracy.
- One person split their donation between the Equal Justice Initiative and Democracy Forward, organizations that fight injustice, advance democracy and support communities through litigation, education and advocacy.
Empowering students with disabilities.
- A donation of classroom supplies stocked a life skills classroom serving students with significant disabilities, supporting a learning environment focused on communication, independence and daily living skills.
Investing in youth mental health.
- In memory of a young person close to her family, one team member partnered with her golf group to make a larger collective gift to the Child Saving Institute, supporting behavioral therapy services for youth in Nebraska.
Honoring loved ones with health-focused giving.
- In tribute to family members or friends with serious health conditions several team members chose to support the ALS Association and a hereditary cancer foundation, organizations that ensure those with difficult diagnoses can access the resources, testing and care they need.
Each story was unique and powerfully impactful. But they all had a common thread: E&S team members using their resources, creativity and thoughtfulness to live out our shared value of giving a damn.