The Maryland Chamber of Commerce and Baltimore Business Journal awarded the Maryland Business Philanthropy Awards yesterday during the annual Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) - Maryland Chapter Philanthropy Day Luncheon in Baltimore.

“The purpose of the Business Philanthropy Awards is to recognize the extraordinary businesses that are contributing and incredible amount of employee time and charitable contributions to their communities,” said Maryland Chamber Chairman Betty Buck, President of Buck Distributing Company, Inc.

Congratulations to year’s winners:

Small Employer Winner (1-100 employees)
Howard Bank: Community involvement is one of Howard Bank’s core values. Every executive is required to serve on the board of a local charity or non-profit agency. Though only four years old, Howard Bank has provided bank resources and monetary support to more than 50 organizations. Bank employees have provided countless volunteer hours to many organizations, including Big Brothers and Big Sisters, The Arc of Howard County, Cystic Fibrosis of Central Maryland, Girl Scouts of America and more. It has also developed or participated in a variety of financial literacy programs and other educational programs for people of all ages.

Medium Employer Winner (101-500 employees)
Battelle: Nominated by the United Way of Central Maryland, Battelle distributes at least one fifth of its net operating income each year to civic, arts, health and human services, and educational needs. About two-thirds of its philanthropic dollars go to educational projects, from early childhood education to college, especially in the science technology, engineering and math areas. Battelle’s commitment to the environment is demonstrated through Team Battelle programs like the Godman Guild and the Rivers and Strreams Beautification Team that are committed to recycling and reducing waste. Hundreds of Battelle employees volunteer their time to non-profit organizations and participate as peer mentors, science fair judges, and advisory panel members.

Large Employer Winner (501+ employees)
Erickson Retirement Communities: Erickson increased its corporate giving in 2008 by 65 percent over last year. Its targeted charitable contributions will reach $2 million this year, one half of which is donated to Maryland-based nonprofits. In addition, Erickson provides each corporate employee with up to four hours per month to volunteer their time to charitable organizations during work hours. It provides an annual $100,000 grant to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to support a fellowship in geriatric medicine, and it recently launched partnerships with the United Negro College Fund and Gloucester Institute to create college scholarships in support of minority students interested in careers in health services, public policy or management in the field of aging.