Corporate philanthropy: Giving, and getting back

“Growing Up Healthy” is a five-year, $5 million initiative of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation to combat childhood obesity.

Ask Karen Voci, executive director of the foundation, why it chose to focus resources on one issue, and she will tell you that obesity is the top health issue of our generation, causing chronic disease and impacting our economy. And, if we don’t address it, she says, “all of our region’s investments in education and economic development are threatened – chronically ill young adults are significantly less likely to finish college or succeed on the job.”

The foundation, with offices in Bedford, strategically plans its giving and employee volunteer service to align with its distinct corporate culture, she says.

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