ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - March 15, 2011) - As part of its ongoing commitment to give back to the communities it serves, Enterprise Rent-A-Car today announced the launch of Giving Back, a philanthropic contest in which charities nominated by Enterprise employees compete through social media for funds from the company's Foundation.
Visitors to Giving Back on the Enterprise Facebook page can learn about the individual charities and vote for Foundation funds to be given to the charity of their choice. The 10 competing charities were nominated by Enterprise employees in the US, Canada and the UK. Nearly 75 percent of the Foundation's contributions are steered by Enterprise employees to qualifying organizations they are actively involved with and care about. Voting will determine which of the 10 employee-backed causes that recently received grants from the Foundation will earn additional support.
"We give back to the communities that are responsible for our business success," said Jo Ann Kindle, President, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation. "It's a natural part of our commitment to be a responsible corporate citizen. Our Giving Back campaign is another way for our employees to be involved in our philanthropic efforts, giving them one more reason to feel good about being part of our business."
Voting in the Giving Back competition is already under way and concludes on April 15. Results will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Enterprise's sustainability website -- DrivingFutures.com -- following the close of balloting. Employee-supported causes compete for the following Foundation donations, based on the voting results: First Place - $10,000; Second Place - $5,000; Third and Fourth Place - $2,500.
Since its founding in 1982, the Foundation has contributed $200 million to the communities in which it operates. The funds are given to organizations recommended by employees as well as non-profit programs including the United Way and other charitable organizations. Major gifts since the foundation's inception have addressed such areas as environmental sustainability, health and human services, education and disaster relief. These gifts include:
- The Foundation's $50 Million Tree Pledge to the Arbor Day Foundation, which is providing annual $1 million grants to underwrite the planting of 50 million trees over 50 years on public lands in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service.
- Over $10 million in fiscal year 2010 to a variety of organizations in communities where the company operates.
- More than $400,000 since 2007 to Sustainable Travel International as part of Enterprise's Customer Carbon Offset Program. The program empowers customers in the U.S. and Canada to offset the CO2 of their rental by funding projects that work to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Customers can opt to pay $1.25 under the carbon offset program, and the Foundation matches that donation dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $1 million.
In addition to ongoing support for these programs, the Foundation's 2011 priorities include continuing support for the United Way, the National Urban League and additional environmental projects.
Prior to the 2010 holiday season, Enterprise launched its first social media campaign where consumers selected charities online to split a $75,000 Foundation donation. Topping the winning charity list was CARE, followed by Red Cross International and the Arbor Day Foundation. Some 60,000 votes were cast in this campaign.
"CARE was extremely honored to receive the most votes through Enterprise's Holiday Card program," said Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE. "We greatly appreciate Enterprise's philanthropic spirit and their innovative approach to supporting charities like ours. We know their generous gift will go a long way toward supporting our mission to fight global poverty by empowering women and girls."
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand with more than 6,000 neighborhood and airport locations in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Germany. Known for exceptionally low rates and outstanding customer service, Enterprise was named to BusinessWeek's annual list of "Customer Service Champs" in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Enterprise also has ranked "Highest in Rental Car Customer Satisfaction" among North American airport rentals for the last seven years in a row, according to the 2004-2010 J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Studies.
In addition, Enterprise won Budget Travel magazine's 2010 Readers' Choice Award as their favorite rental car brand for customer service around the globe. Enterprise also received a 2010 Business Traveler Innovation Award -- sponsored by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) and The Wall Street Journal -- for its outstanding and original environmental efforts in the travel industry. Enterprise of North America also is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world's largest car rental network.
Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Lisa Martini
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
314-512-2352