Vulcan In The Community Newsletter

Arming local students with the tools to succeed
Employees in Action: A look at the causes Vulcan employees are passionate about

A musician can't play a violin without strings, and a chef can't bake a cake without an oven.

Without the right tools, you can only get so far.

Rainier Scholars understands that, and has set out to arm hundreds of bright local students with the tools they need to succeed in college and beyond.

"A lot of people tend to ignore that there are significant barriers for high-potential kids. There's an assumption the system works and they'll be taken care of," said Zander Doroski, Director in Vulcan's Private Equity group and Rainier Scholars board member. "It's really surprising how daunting the challenges are for students trying to achieve their full potential."

The Rainier Scholars program focuses on local low-income, minority students who have strong academics or leadership skills, but lack resources. The vast majority of the students will be the first in their families to graduate college.

The program starts working with students in the fifth grade and sticks with them through high school, providing them intensive mentoring, leadership development, and SAT prep. It continues to support students until they graduate college, often arranging summer enrichment programs, internships and networking opportunities.

"If you start helping a student when they are 18 years old, that's too late," Zander said. "I've always looked for an organization that starts early. And that's what Rainier Scholars does."

Rainier Scholars, which currently works with 430 local students, has a 100 percent on-time high school graduation rate. Every one of its students has been admitted to a four-year university and its first cohort of students will graduate in 2013.

Want to learn more about this exceptional program? Contact Zander directly at ZanderD@vulcan.com to schedule a program tour. He is excited to share his passion for this incredible group with you.

Local nonprofit's love
of water is contagious
Learn about the nonprofit groups Vulcan supports through its corporate sponsorship program

It may be the season of slickers and rain boots, but winter doesn't dampen the Center for Wooden Boats' zeal for setting sail.

"Helping people enjoy the water is something we do all year round," says Dan Leach, the group's Community Engagement Coordinator.

The Center for Wooden Boats, located on Lake Union, is a non-profit that celebrates the region's rich maritime history by sharing its fleet of historic boats with the community. Founded in 1976, the organization has around 200 vessels of all sorts, from rowboats to sailboats to a century-old steam-powered boat.

Through events and educational programs, the group teaches the public about the vessels' histories and how to take care of them. The best part? The group lets you rent its boats and take them out on the lake.

"We are a hands-on museum," said Dan. "The whole point is not just to preserve the boats. We preserve them because we like to get out on the water."

Access to the water is so important that the group offers free sailing every Sunday — a program Vulcan's annual corporate sponsorship directly supports. It also offers lessons for kids, and there's always a sliding scale for those who can't afford them. Vulcan is also a major sponsor of the annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival in July.

While the group's busy season starts in spring, Leach stresses that his water-lubbin' crew is active throughout all four seasons.

Join Vulcan in supporting a group that celebrates the Pacific Northwest's maritime history and natural scenery by participating in the organization's various events and programs. Learn more at www.cwb.org.


	Needs don't stop after the holidays Days after Seattle's recent snowstorm shut down roads, schools and businesses, needy individuals were lining up around the block to get groceries and sack lunches at the Cherry Street Food Bank. It was a reminder that needs don't stop, even when everything else does. Food bank volunteering and donations always spike during the holidays. But giving tends to drop off in January and it stays that way for months, says Claire Acey of Northwest Harvest, which runs the Cherry Street Food Bank. "The trick is getting people to remember that this is a year-round effort," Claire says. "People don't just get hungry at Thanksgiving." The food bank, located in an old converted school gym and packed with sacks of rice and canned food, has nearly 6,500 people relying on its services each week. It needs about 15 to 20 volunteers a day just to keep things running smoothly. Those volunteers help keep costs low, and allow Northwest Harvest to put 93 cents of every $1 donated towards food and programming. Vulcan employees have been supporting Northwest Harvest and Cherry Food Bank since 2009. Last year, Vulcan employees raised $38,521 for Northwest Harvest through various fundraisers, including a hotdog sale, a Ping-Pong tournament and an online auction. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation matched donations dollar for dollar. The total amount raised was enough to provide about 350,000 nutritious meals to needy families in the region.

Lights, camera, fundraise

The next time your nonprofit is brainstorming fundraising ideas, think popcorn and a movie.

The Seattle Cinerama Theatre actively works with nonprofits in the community and helps them raise money through group ticket sales.

This year, the theatre has an action-packed schedule, including "The Hunger Games" in March, "The Avengers" in May, "The Dark Knight Rises" in July — and plenty of great flicks in between.

Built in 1963, the iconic theater was saved from demolition by Paul G. Allen in 1988. Since then, the theater has been spectacularly restored and upgraded with the latest in motion-picture technology.

If you're interested in planning a fundraising event at the Cinerama, contact Greg Wood at GregW@seattlecinerama.com.


	Online tool Success at the Core to expand its reach Since it launched three years ago, Success at the Core has helped thousands of teachers and principals improve their skills through media. Now, thanks to a new round of funding, the free online tool is expanding its virtual reach. Over the next two years, Success at the Core will focus on cultivating its online community by improving its website and integrating social media. Success at the Core, which currently has about 8,000 users, is designed and managed by Vulcan Productions and its nonprofit partner Education Development Center. Using innovative web-based resources and videos, it helps principals become better leaders and teachers become more effective in the classroom. The result is stronger instruction, which leads to better student performance. "Users continually tell us that the quality and applicability of the content is changing their school's leadership strategies and instruction in the classroom," said Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, director of Vulcan Productions. Success at the Core uses media to bring abstract concepts to life. Its large collection of documentary videos demonstrates what excellent leadership looks like and shows real teachers putting the program's tips into practice. "Hearing or reading about a strategy is one thing. Seeing that strategy in action makes a larger impact," said Renton School District's Corrie Freiwaldt, who used Success at the Core to create new training sessions for her teachers. For more information, visit www.successatthecore.com