A group of employee volunteers at Guyson Corporation has formed a committee to award grants to local non-profit organizations engaged in activities that benefit the community.
Guyson C-BIG Committee members at one of their first meetings, clockwise from front left, are Caitlin Lewis, John Carson, Megean Mincher, Ashley Cooper and Kevin Long.
The program is called C-BIG, which stands for Community-Building Incentive Grants, and it is designed to be the main vehicle for charitable giving by the company, but it is particularly focused on helping to support the strength and vitality of communities in the Saratoga/Southern Adirondack region.
The Guyson employees of three generations who stepped forward to serve on the five-member panel that will review grant applications work in a variety of departments, including field service, manufacturing, marketing, and customer service. The senior member, volunteer chairman and “chief cheerleader” of the committee is John Carson, Manager of Marketing and Business Development and a Saratoga County-born resident of the Washington County town of Easton who has worked at Guyson for 26 years.
“As an engineering and manufacturing business, our company draws talented workers from six or seven counties surrounding Saratoga. To be sustainable, we have a long-term interest in helping people that are doing things to build the communities in the region, because we depend on these communities to supply our future employees and because the quality of life in this area affects our ability to attract and retain skilled employees,” Carson explains.
The initial meetings of the C-BIG committee were held to agree upon the mission of the grant program, its statement of purposes and the process for review of grant applications, which are accessible online. Representatives of organizations wishing to be considered for a grant of up $500 are encouraged to visit https://www.guyson.com/about-guyson/management-team/ and download the program description, eligibility requirements and application form.
Among the purposes outlined in the grant application package is “to build strong partnerships and lasting value in our community by supporting organizations that improve the educational, health and economic opportunities of individuals and families.” The program guidelines state that priority will be given to organizations in which Guyson people are actively involved, and also that a high value is placed on educational opportunities that nurture skills needed in technical jobs at the manufacturing company.
The C-BIG committee will meet every three months to award up to $500 in grants per quarter.
