Philanthropic Printers — The Gift of Giving

Additionally, the printer is actively involved in a non-profit organization that it founded, Partners by Design, which is a collaboration of printers, designers, binders and paper manufacturers that donates its services to local cultural institutions. PPL received a Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Award for creating and supporting the organization.

United for United Way

Gene Blanc, CEO/chairman of Davenport, IA-based Midland Information Resources, has his helping hands into almost everything. His company supports the United Way Rally Week by holding separate soup and ice cream sales, a white elephant auction and raffle drawing, all of which consist of employee and corporate donations. Midland also participates in the United Way Day of Caring that involves employees volunteering a half day of community service for needy neighborhoods.

Company workers also participate in local Junior Achievement (JA) events and activities, including teaching JA classroom programs, sponsoring two to three teams annually at the local JA Bowl-a-thon, hosting local eighth graders for the annual JA Job Shadow Day and sponsoring a hole in the JA Golf Tournament. Of course, Midland also provides corporate donations.

In addition to the company’s charitable activities, Blanc serves in an official capacity (board member, etc.), spearheads fund-raising events or is/was actively involved with numerous organizations. These include Western Illinois University-Quad City Campus, the Moline Foundation, Newspapers in Education, Skip A Long Child (Day Care) Development, City of Moline-Browning Park revitalization campaign, Moline Public Library Capital Campaign, Capital Campaign Committee for the Handicapped Development Center, Christian Friendliness Youth Training Center Capital Campaign, Quad City Arts, Student Hunger Drive (to support food banks), Arrowhead Ranch (for at-risk youths), Bethany Home (for needy families), American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Race for the Cure, Boy Scouts of America and the local Family Resources-Domestic Violence Shelter—to name a few.

“Gene is very strong in the spirit of giving, caring and sharing with the Quad City community,” says Diana Scott, Blanc’s assistant. “He is an individual who firmly believes in giving back, making a difference in the community and touching people’s lives.” PI