Chamber honors most generous businesses

Austin’s most philanthropic businesses got some well-deserved accolades from the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which bestowed the annual Austin Gives Generous Business Awards on a group of big-hearted businesses. The Austin Gives program “recognizes businesses that have pledged 1 percent or more of pre-tax earnings – such as volunteer time, products, services and financial contributions – to the local community.” The nominees are separated into categories based on the size of the company. Bloom Communications was honored as the most generous small business; behemoth banking corporation Bank of America was recognized as the most generous extra-large business; A+ Federal Credit Union earned the distinction of being the most generous large business; and PIMCO won the award in the medium business category. This year, the awards also recognized employee engagement, with SourceDay winning in the small business category and Silicon Labs taking the ribbon in the large business category. The Volunteer of the Year award went to Raquel Valdez, while Earl Maxwell, CEO of St. David’s Foundation, was given the Bobby Jenkins Philanthropic Leadership Award, which goes to “a business leader who exemplifies a commitment to philanthropy and promotes the welfare and well being of others.”