Donor Spotlight: Kris McCracken
When considering giving through your Workplace Giving Campaign, you may be hesitant to have a portion of your hard-earned money go somewhere other than your bank account. Kris McCracken, CEO of Amoskeag Health in Manchester, New Hampshire, made the decision to give through her Workplace Giving Campaign over 30 years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
McCracken was first introduced to the United Way when she started working for a Battered Woman’s Shelter in Springfield, Massachusetts after college. As a young college graduate entering the nonprofit world, she saw the impact that United Way made on the agency that she worked for. She made the choice to enroll in her Workplace Giving Campaign because she wanted to make an even greater impact in the community where she worked.
“When I first started to give, I started with the price of a coffee,” said McCracken. “As the years went on, I continued to see the value that United Way’s support brought to the organizations I worked for, so I increase my gift a little each year.”
McCracken explained how there are so many agencies that you could donate to. She trusts Granite United Way to take her donation and use that to support the agencies that need it most in her community.
“When you give to Granite United Way, you know your dollars are going somewhere to make a real impact,” said McCracken. “They make it a safe and easy way to invest in your community.”
Amoskeag Health has been a partner with Granite United Way for many years. They run a Workplace Giving Campaign and participate in volunteer opportunities throughout the year. McCracken explained how she feels its important to encourage their employees to give because many people are simply looking for the opportunity to be involved in their community.
“Some people weren’t raised to or have had the opportunity to give back. At Amoskeag Health, we encourage our staff to give in any way that they can, whether that’s giving a couple of dollars from their paychecks each month or participating in a volunteer opportunity,” said McCracken.
McCracken shared how she is always amazed by the lengths her employees will go to give back. She believes the reason for this is that they know their donations are used to support the patients that they serve every day.
When asked why she believes that the partnerships between businesses and nonprofits make the community stronger, she quoted the African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”