Held in April every year, National Volunteer Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of volunteers. It is an opportunity to join the impact of volunteerism and encourage more people to get involved in their communities.

With that in mind, AIP Marketing Alliance’s team believes in supporting our local community by backing the efforts of charitable organizations within Michigan’s tri-county area (Macomb, Oakland, Wayne) for more than two decades.

As a strategic partner of Integrity, AIPMA has also continued that philosophy through Integrity’s Time Out for Charity over the last two years. Our efforts supported the Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s Snowpile 2022 program by donating toys for their patients, and 2023’s initiative focused on using service hours to support Lighthouse in Oakland County, MI, by assisting in their food pantry to distribute household essentials during the holidays.

During our 2023 Members in Motion Conference, AIPMA partnered with Foresters Financial, our carrier sponsors, and valued wholesalers and agents to donate 150 support kits to the residents of HAVEN of Oakland County, MI, a shelter that helps domestic violence and sexual assault victims.

Integrity employees receive 16 service hours annually to use for volunteering efforts as a team or individually. Our team has made the most of this program to help local charities, churches, schools, and other qualified organizations. Integrity also had a record-breaking donation of 26,000 toys to children’s hospitals as part of their “Integrity Gives Back” toy drive in 2023.

“AIPMA prides itself on giving back to the local community whether through volunteering or financial donations through our Casual for a Cause program,” said Kym Kisser, Chief Financial Officer at AIPMA. “Today’s charities need even more assistance and we’re glad to support their efforts – and even happier that Integrity also supports these efforts.”

The Casual for a Cause program is a quarterly drawing where employees voluntarily donate to dress casual within the office, with AIPMA matching the donations received. Employees nominate local charities to receive the collected donations, and at each quarterly meeting, our team spins a virtual wheel to see what charity is selected.

Since its inception, AIPMA has donated to the following organizations: Alzheimer Association; Angels of Hope; Better Life for Canine Center; Boys and Girls Club; Capuchin Soup Kitchen; C.A.T.C.H.; Children’s Miracle Network; Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation; Detroit Dog Rescue; Forgotten Harvest; Friends of Ryan Kennedy Foundation; Gianna House; Gleaners Food Bank; Lighthouse of Oakland County; Leader Dogs for the Blind; Life Remodeled; Lucky Fin; Michigan Humane Society; New Beginnings Animal Rescue; Pope Francis Center; Red Nose Day; Ronald McDonald House; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Salvation Army; The Bonnell Foundation; The Eimer’s Foundation; Toys for Tots; Troy Athens High School; University Hills Elementary PTA; and the Wounded Warrior Project.

In the past, AIPMA has also supported the American Cancer Society through its Men Wear Pink campaign to raise funds and breast cancer awareness, as well as Make-A-Wish Michigan by granting the wishes of local children in our area. You can see some of our volunteering efforts in the video above.

To support National Volunteer Month, AIPMA’s team will combine efforts with Strategic Education Technologies (SET) and Foresters Financial to create a green learning space for the Boys & Girls Club of Troy. We look forward to building and painting raised garden beds, preparing the garden beds, planting a pollinator garden, and building a garden bench.

We also anticipate the continuation of Integrity’s Time Out for Charity later this year as part of Game Time 2024 and many more fundraising and volunteering opportunities to help the local community. To submit your organization as a candidate for AIPMA’s support, please email marketing@aipma.com with details on how we can make a difference in your efforts.