giving back
Donations
United Way Books for Kids
Capstone donates more than 55,000 books to the Greater Mankato Area United Way to support its Books for Kids program. The program provides free books and parenting resources to families in the greater Mankato area. Each month children (ages newborn through five) receive one of our books which we hope instills a love of reading, increases their school readiness, and helps develop a greater bond between them and their caregiver as they read together.
Bookstart Program
Developed in cooperation with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation’s Early Childhood Initiative, Capstone donates more than 25,000 books to organizations involved in the Bookstart Program. The program’s mission is to ensure every child owns at least one book to read at home and be read to. The program encourages children to develop a life-long love of reading and promotes parents to read aloud to their children.
East Side Learning Center
In 2009, Capstone donated a $25,000 grant to the East Side Learning Center (ESLC), one of the largest and most successful year-round tutoring programs. ESLC serves children in grades K-4 at four schools in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to our grant, we donated 1,000 books to the program and provide volunteers from among our employees to participate in the tutoring program. We also made a long-term commitment to assist with capacity building projects that support the organization’s expansion into more schools.
Books for Africa
Capstone donates 10,000 books to Books for Africa, the world’s largest shipper of donated textbooks and library books to the African continent. Through donations and financial support, Books for Africa helps create a culture of literacy and provides the tools of empowerment to the next generation of parents, teachers, and leaders in Africa. Books for Africa has shipped more than 20 million books to 44 African countries since it was founded in 1988.
Minnesota Keystone Program℠
We are recognized and honored among Minnesota companies who donate 5% of pre-tax earnings back into the community.
Community Giving Grant Proposal
Apply for a Grant
Volunteerism
East Side Learning Center
Capstone employees volunteer during the workday as reading tutors to students in grades K-4 at the East Side Learning Center, a year-round tutoring program in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Employee Volunteer Time
We encourage our employees to volunteer in community projects and leadership roles through local charities, boards, and organizations. Each Capstone employee may use up to 16 hours each year to volunteer for a project.
National Volunteer Week
Capstone employees celebrate National Volunteer Week by volunteering with a variety of organizations in the community. In 2009, employees donated more than 70 hours of volunteer time in this week alone. Partnering organizations for the week’s volunteer opportunities included: the Salvation Army, ECHO Food Shelf, VINE Faith in Action, The Community Gardens at Good Counsel Hill, Minnesota Literacy Council, and Books for Africa. Capstone offers employees paid time off during the work day to volunteer.
Volunteer of the Year Award
Each year we award a $500 gift to one of our employees to be donated to a charity of his or her choice. Criteria include the nominee’s total volunteer hours, results achieved and commitment to a particular charity. Our 2008 gift was awarded to Meghan Bellavance for her work with the Big Brother/Big Sister program.
Habitat for Humanity
Capstone provides meals and beverages to Habitat volunteers that move from site-to-site and live in their campers while donating their time and talent to build homes (Care-A-Vanner Potluck), and we donate gently used clothing, household and construction items to help Habitat and their families (Stuff-A-Truck and ReStore Drive).
Kids Against Hunger™
Responding to the dire need to help hungry children get the food they need to survive, Capstone made a financial donation and employees volunteered to package specially formulated rice-soy casserole meals which feed starving children and their families in more than 40 countries. Each package provides six nutritionally-complete servings.
Community Partners
Each year, Capstone partners with more than 250 organizations by providing book donations, sponsorships, and volunteer time.
Learn more about our community friends
