Smart Business Magazine, December 2019

44 Smart Business Cleveland December 2019 2019Pill r Award for Community Service F or more than 55 years GPD Group has provided architectural engineering and planning services to clients nationwide Led by President Darrin Kotecki the business continues to grow both professionally and philanthropically To help achieve the latter the business utilizes the GPD Employees Foundation an employeefunded organization that accepts reviews and awards grants to programs that benefit the education and overall quality of life for children in the communities GPD serves Dedicated to inspiring hope excitement and education in the lives of children this fund has been used to purchase therapy horses at a camp for children with emotional and physical needs sponsor swimming classes for children with autism and help high schools start a robotics team Most recently the fund enabled GPD staff to plan fund and host a soap box derby Adventure for nonprofit A Kid Again providing a fun filled cost free event for families raising children with a life threatening illness In addition to giving financial help to organizations that benefit children the GPD team also believes that giving of staffs time is important The organizations offices and individual groups complete Done in a Day DiAD projects throughout the year spending a day completing tasks such as mulching at the Towpath Trail in Akron planting flowers and landscaping in Youngstown building supplies for a summer camp in Atlanta and more These projects are designed to give GPD employees the means and the opportunity to give back and strengthen their own communities GPD Group Darrin Kotecki President P I L L A R AWA R D H O N O R E E F ounded by Matt and Lisa Kaulig Kaulig Giving represents charitable giving and community involvement from Kaulig Companies driven by the desire to promote the well being of children and families The organization has established partnerships with like minded nonprofits and supports them with volunteer hours and financial assets looking toward the future with hope knowing that children are the future Kaulig Giving partners with more than 60 nonprofit organizations to inspire young minds support and encourage the education of young people and assist families in crafting a safe loving environment in which they can thrive Partners include 100 Women Strong Ohio A Special Wish Northeast Ohio Foundation for Patriotism NEOPAT ArtSpark and more In 2019 Kaulig Giving teamed up with Fox 8 to share its partners noteworthy causes and stories via Fox 8 Clevelands Own segments Each month Fox 8 s Stefani Schaefer and Kaulig Givings Matt Kaulig share a story about a person cause or company in Northeast Ohio doing good work Dedicated to helping others Matt and Lisa Kaulig are also the founders of and donors to Samanthas Gift of Hope a periodic monetary award intended to support couples struggling with infertility Having faced infertility issues themselves before conceiving their daughter through in vitro fertilization the Kauligs donate quarterly to families in need through Akron based fertility clinic Reproductive Gynecology Infertility Kaulig Giving Matt Kaulig Chairman P I L L A R AWA R D H O N O R E E