FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2024
Des Moines, IA - Volunteer Iowa, in partnership with Alliant Energy and the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, is pleased to announce the winners of the 10th Annual Give Back Iowa Challenge, a campaign in which businesses encourage their employees to volunteer and log their hours as part of a statewide competition. The statewide challenge has been held annually from April 1 – May 31.
From a business perspective, employer supported volunteering impacts the bottom line. Studies show it leads to improved employee engagement, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention. From an engagement perspective, places of employment are perfect environments to encourage and support volunteering efforts that contribute toward meeting significant community challenges.
The benefits of volunteering in the workplace are undeniably far reaching, improving not only the lives of those who directly receive the community assistance, but of those who get involved in the impact. One study shows us that employees who volunteer at work report five times higher well-being, increased job satisfaction, and overall higher levels of engagement and satisfaction in their respective workplaces.
“The Give Back Iowa Challenge has been an incredible motivator for employers to engage their employees in volunteering,” Volunteer Iowa Executive Director Adam Lounsbury said. “Seeing an increase in the number of volunteer hours logged in the challenge over the past few years shows how committed Iowans are to supporting and strengthening their communities.”
Participating employers were divided into three categories based on the total number of employees. Winners were selected by the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee. The 2024 winners are:
- Small: Community Youth Concepts (CYC), Des Moines
Honorable Mention: United Way of Central Iowa - Mid-sized: Riverside Casino and Golf Resort, Riverside
Honorable Mention: First Citizens Bank, Mason City - Large: ITA Group, West Des Moines
Honorable Mention: City of Dubuque
The Give Back Iowa Challenge takes place annually from April 1 through May 31. For resources on employer-supported volunteering or to find volunteer opportunities, visit volunteeriowa.org.
###
About Volunteer Iowa (or Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service)
Volunteer Iowa and its partner agencies work with organizations and individuals on three main fronts. The first is to help agencies develop quality programs that use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa’s greatest areas of need. The second is to help engage Iowans in their communities by promoting service and expanding the volunteer base. Finally, the third area of work is to connect individuals with appropriate service opportunities by building the volunteer infrastructure. More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.
About Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Corporation’s Iowa utility subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), utilizes the trade name of Alliant Energy. The Iowa utility is based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and provides electric service to 490,000 customers and natural gas service to 225,000 customers. The employees of Alliant Energy focus on delivering the energy solutions and exceptional service their customers and communities expect – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Alliant Energy Corporation is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT and is a component of the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com.
About the Healthiest State Initiative
The Healthiest State Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the goal to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. By engaging worksites, communities, schools, retail food, organizations, institutions and individuals, we can inspire Iowans and their communities to improve their health and happiness, and ultimately achieve our goal. For more information, visit www.iowahealthieststate.com.