This award is not the reflection of a single person, but of the truly collective effort and heart of King County Employees

Charities @ Work Rising Star Award

Junelle Kroontje, King County Employee Giving Program (EGP) Administrator, has won the Charities@Work 2014 Rising Star Award.  Ms. Kroontje was chosen as this year’s “Rising Star” in recognition of her leadership in transforming EGP’s employee engagement activities, including instituting use of social media, online pledging, and annual Nonprofit Expos.  Charities@Work, an international nonprofit alliance, presented the award to Ms. Kroontje at their 13th Annual Best Practices Summit on Employee Engagement in Corporate Citizenship, this past April in New York City.

“This award is not the reflection of a single person, but of the truly collective effort and heart of King County Employees, including the King County Employee Giving Program Committee and worksite Ambassadors,” Ms. Kroontje said.  “I just have the distinct pleasure of calling it my full-time job.  It is an honor to be recognized for doing something that you love.  We are proud of the strides we have made as a public sector program to engage our employees and give back to the community in such a meaningful way.”

Now in its 26th year, the EGP provides an efficient, effective way for King County employees to contribute to the charities they care about.  With over 900 nonprofits to choose from, employees can conveniently connect with causes that reflect their values. Payroll deduction pumps up employee giving power by spreading charitable contributions evenly over the year, while one simple online form enables a year’s worth of charitable giving to be set up at once.  Employees even receive an itemized receipt for their taxes, and, if they choose, can make their gifts completely anonymous, eliminating the hassle of ongoing solicitations.

The EGP, run by employees for employees, is guided by a volunteer, 15-member employee Committee. The EGP Committee oversees the diverse, year-round work of the Program while a large cadre of volunteer employee Ambassadors brings the Program to worksites across the county during the fall Annual Giving Drive.  Opportunities abound to join in meaningful work that benefits nonprofits locally and around the world.

“Anyone interested in making a difference, learning new skills, and having fun is welcome!” said Ms. Kroontje.  “We have current openings for our EGP Committee and for Ambassadors.  Employees can check out our website or give me a call if they’d like more info.”

The presenter of the Ms. Kroontje’s award, Charities@Work, is an alliance of four nonprofit federations (America’s Charities, Community Health Charities, EarthShare and Global Impact) that serves as the cooperative voice for more than 2000 international, national, and local charities. Its purpose is to provide employers with an efficient way to enhance their employee engagement programs and initiatives and to respond to growing employee interest in a wider range of giving options. The Charties@Work Rising Star Award is awarded annually to an individual who has worked in employee engagement for one to seven years and through his or her work has shown exceptional leadership and has exemplified professionalism and creativity in the areas of corporate social responsibility and employee engagement.  For more information, please visit Charites@Work website.