Zinner & Co. has held steady to many founding principles. The integrity of the firm is supported by a long-held belief to not only to show community support through fundraising events and company sponsorships, but also from a boots-on-the-ground approach.
It is no surprise that now 78 years after Harry Zinner’s philanthropic vision, the spirit of giving remains a tenet of the firm. Zinner & Co. as a brand holds a visual presence in long-standing events, newer initiatives and a handful of in-house designated activities to support the greater good through the efforts of our staff.
But it is the individual initiatives that forgo the command of the slick logo, the liner in a program book or a crafty verbal mention come event day. The staff are the quiet giants that uphold the Zinner philanthropic vision; each workday, 26 employees come together to blend their diverse backgrounds that meld education, experiences and intellect with one commonality – a shared character trait and inherent spirit of doing good.
For Barb Theofilos, CPA and tax manager, the annual Walk for MS (multiple sclerosis) has special meaning as it has affected someone close to her family.
“I have participated in Walk MS for the past few years. The Cleveland event is held each April –which for us, is close to the end of tax season. You can imagine the number of hours we spend preparing taxes six days a week, so this is a refreshing way to wrap up our busiest time of the year-- by gathering together with family and friends to support such a great cause.”
For Barb, a quick internal email each year reminding her coworker family of the annual event and a soft ‘ask’ to donate or participate is always inspiring. “I am so grateful for the amount of support I receive through donations, kind words and inspiration from my coworkers. Zinner has always encouraged me and my fellow staff to get involved for a good cause.”
Many staff shares their personal stories of tragedy and triumph among one another, largely because of the firm size, as relationships are forged quite easily and the ‘work family’ simply becomes ‘family.”
“We understand our staff; we know their families, their children, grandchildren, spouses. Because firm retention is high, we are able to become keenly supportive and uniquely caring through our relationships with not only our employees, but also their families. To simply say “good luck on your event” would be unnatural. We are a culture of doers, supporters, givers -- as individuals, and collectively, as colleagues of the firm,” said Sue Krantz, CPA, partner of the firm.
Mike Jaworske, Network Administrator, also goes the extra mile, literally, participating in an event that fit the bill for this Brookpark husband and father of young twin boys. Mike is also an avid cycling enthusiast and for the last two years, he has participated in the Great Cycle Challenge, an event based on your own mileage goals in a specific duration attached to a fundraising goal. The funds raised benefit children’s cancer research.
“I liked the event because it wasn’t your typical “cents-per-mile” fundraiser. “As a father, there is that special something inside that remembers that a child's health is precious. Plus, it’s an event that my whole family can participate; my wife and kids also ride and their miles contribute toward my goal.” For Jaworske, a goal of 500 miles for the month of June is the “for starters.” Ideally, he would like to accomplish 2500 miles by the time next snowflake flies. Like most, Jaworske has been riding since he was a kid and was into BMX biking throughout his teen years. “If I didn’t have to drive a car, I’d just bike,” he added.
“I was pretty overwhelmed that my coworkers donated; I was definitely taken aback to see the generosity and supportive words. It was very inspiring. To me, I’m simply riding my bike...and because of it, it is creating awareness. Instead of ‘just’ riding, I can do some good and go beyond, setting an example for my kids while also helping other kids.”
Most weather-friendly days, Mike will trek to the office, using the building fitness center to shower and then tackle day...all before 9:00 a.m. After a full work day, he heads back out and completes the 50-mile round trip, Monday through Friday.
Like Barb, Mike sends a brief email to the Zinner family to let them know about the event as more of a way to start the conversation and create awareness than to ask for donations.
As the firm staff is involved in many events throughout the year, they created a shared calendar that gives the year-at-a-glance. This helps co-workers plan participation, donations, and scheduling.
“It just works,” said Krantz. “It’s never a question of if we will support our staff’s charitable initiatives; more importantly, we ask how can we support your initiatives?”
