GenzGives Charities

At Genz-Ryan, we believe there’s power in supporting our local communities and giving back to those in need. For many years we have supported local charities. It’s not just a philosophy we preach, but one we practice each and every day through our GenzGives program.

Gopher Athletics Sponsorship

We are excited to announce our latest sponsorship of the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers athletics program, supporting two local charities in fun and unique ways.

Minnesota Men’s Basketball & Jack’s Basket

College basketball is one of the most-watched sports in America. We love rooting for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball team! It’s especially exciting when one of the players makes a three-point shot, so we partnered with Jack’s Basket, a charity that celebrates babies with Down Syndrome.  Since the organization launched in 2014, it has delivered over 2,000 baskets to babies born with this genetic condition in 48 states and 13 countries.

 

For each three-point shot score by the Minnesota men’s basketball team, another basket of helpful and informative items is created for a baby and family. As of January 2020, we have already raised nearly $20,000 for this thoughtful organization, equaling 200 baskets!

Minnesota Men’s Hockey & Camp Odayin

Ice hockey is popular throughout the U.S., especially here in the North. We are huge fans of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s hockey team, and we love it when they score a power play goal! Why not turn each of those power plays into an opportunity to give back?

We partnered with Minnesota based nonprofit Camp Odayin, a program that provides a fun, safe, and supportive camp experience for kids with heart disease. In 2019 alone, the camp served over 950 people—a new record since opening in 2002!

GenzGives is proud to sponsor Camp Odayin by sending one child to camp for every power play goal scored by the Minnesota men’s hockey team. Thanks to the amazing performance of the players this season, we have so far raised $14,400, which will send 16 kids to Camp Odayin.

GenzGives Program

In addition to our new sponsorship of Gopher Athletics, we are also dedicated to supporting small, local charities in the Twin Cities metro area each month. Our goal is to both increase awareness and provide financial support for these worthy organizations.

Which Charities We Support

Each year, we select two Charter Charities to contribute to all year long. We also highlight a new Charity of the Month throughout the year. The organizations we support often coincide with a national awareness theme. Examples of some of the charities we have supported:

• Wiggle Your Toes – A charity that helps amputees, during Limb Loss Awareness Month in April.
• Can Do Canines – Training & placing assistance dogs to those in need during Service Dog Awareness Month in September.
• Books Against Bullying – During National Bully Prevention Month and National Book Month, both of which take place in October.

We are always on the lookout for new local charities to support. If you know of an excellent cause in the Twin Cities area, please contact us with your suggestions.

Charity Success Story

Genz-Ryan and our sister company, Inspiration Design Center, recently held a social media contest called Classroom Cash to raise money for Minnesota teachers who needed help buying school supplies. We received nominations for 63 selfless, dedicated teachers in different cities across the state of Minnesota.

We intended to give away two $500 gift cards, but after the overwhelming response and over 11,000 votes, we decided to go above and beyond for these teachers who give so much to their students. In the end, we awarded the top two teachers a $500 gift card and sent a $200 gift card to all 61 runner-up teachers to help fund their classroom purchases for the next school year.

How You Can Get Involved

The GenzGives program raises $1 for every comment, share, and reaction we receive on GenzGives social media posts, tagged with #GenzGives. We create these posts on the first business day of each month, where we showcase a new charity and raise up to $500 by the end of the month.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to see what a difference we can make when the community comes together to support a great cause!