Corporate Philanthropy: A First Pitch Worth Seeing

By May 29, 2014

While corporate philanthropy is not new to the business world, it’s always fun to see it in action.  IT consulting firm Daugherty Business Solutions has quite a track record in helping the communities it resides in, and its corporate headquarters in St. Louis isn’t any different.  Last week, Ron Daugherty, founder of the IT company, made it possible for Matteo Grassi, the 2014 Golf Ambassador for the Gateway Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to throw out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.

I had the privilege of accompanying the family on the field and capturing this moment for them.  Get ready, Internet.  You’re about to meet a very special kid.

Ron Daugherty and Matteo Throw Out the First Pitch at a STL Cardinals Game from Daugherty Business Solutions on Vimeo.

Ron Daugherty has spent nearly 30 years growing his company in St. Louis and has expanded his efforts with additional offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, and New York.  He’s active in the local startup scene and will appear as a guest on an upcoming Domain Tech Report this June.  In the episode he’ll tell you more about his company and work in the St. Louis community as well as provide advice for startup entrepreneurs.  Look for that next month on Techli TV.

While startups don’t quite have the budget in many cases for large donations to non-profits, that doesn’t mean you can’t take a play from Ron’s book by making corporate philanthropy a priority for your startup.  There are many startups that have, specifically with the 2-for-1 model gaining popularity.  (i.e. for every one product purchased, the company donates a product.)

How can you incorporate philanthropy into your startup?