EBJ Business Achiever of the Week: Golder Associates

This week we recognize Golder Associates (Atlanta, GA), winner of a 2010 Business Achievement Award for “social contribution,” for establishing The Golder Trust for Orphans (GTO), a charitable organization providing support for children orphaned by the HIV/AIDs pandemic in Africa. By the end of 2007, nearly 12 million children were orphaned in sub-Saharan Africa due to HIV/AIDS. Seeing the growing disaster, Golder Associates founded GTO in 2003 to provide support to orphaned and displaced children and families there. The GTO provides financial support to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) caring for orphans through both one-time grants and equity funding directed towards development projects. Since 2003, GTO has raised over $1.5 million U.S., with just over $800,000 distributed to date, supporting over 1,000 children through nine projects in five African countries. All funding for the GTO comes from donations from Golder employees, clients, and friends. Golder Associates funds the day-to-day costs of running the charity, so every donor dollar goes directly to projects. In addition, each year, groups of Golder employees spend their own time and money to travel to Africa and volunteer directly in one of the communities being supported by the GTO.For a full list of EBJ’s 2010 Business Achievement Award winners, please visit www.ebiresearch.com/2010_EBI_%20Awards. EBJ will begin accepting nominations for 2011 Business Achievement Awards in October.