• Company: College Hill Custom Threads (asi/164578)
• Location: Pullman, WA
• Giveback Model: Order proceeds donated to charities

Even before establishing College Hill in 2011, owner Tony Poston had always made it a point to volunteer with charities on his own time. He has since built giving back into his company’s business model by donating 10% of any philanthropic order back to the customer’s charity of choice. Say the client buys shirts for a car wash to benefit a local hospital system; College Hill will donate 10% of that order to the hospitals.

The distributor also offers ways for the clients to do extra fundraising. For instance, if a shirt is normally $15 a piece, College Hill will sell them for $20 each and donate the extra funds to the client’s charity of choice.

“We’ve donated over $100,000 in the last four years,” says Vice President Jen Gangwish. “It’s what customers want, and we also like to hire employees who participate in charitable efforts. We ask them about their favorite charities, and we allocate a certain amount every year to those as well.”

“Giving back is so much more than the bottom line.”Jen Gangwish, College Hill Custom Threads

Gangwish points out that in a world that’s been quite “volatile” recently, helping others is a way for people to take back a little control. “Small businesses are here and we want to help,” she says. “Bigger companies are price-driven, so this is a way for us to add extra value. It’s not a way for us to leverage new business; it’s simply important to us. It’s so much more than the bottom line, and it makes us feel good at the end of the day. That’s why we do it.”