Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc.

 

Americans spend a lot of time with their co-workers, often forming important bonds and friendships that extend beyond the normal workday hours. What happens when someone from your work family meets with a crisis and could use assistance?

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. established its Sunshine Fund back in 1994 to answer this question. Faced with numerous natural disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005, the Company found that employees wanted to help one another. Funded mostly by employees, the Sunshine Fund is designed to fill the gaps between local, state and federal assistance.

The Company moved to St. Louis in 2006 and sought input from the St. Louis Community Foundation to consolidate its numerous accounts into one. The Foundation created a program based on the Isle of Capri’s needs and culture and federal guidelines for emergency and disaster relief grants. The Community Foundation receives, evaluates, and processes all applications to assure fidelity with the goals and intent of the program.

Isle of Capri team members from every property have been creative and persistently generous in their support of the Sunshine Fund. Gifts to an employee care fund at the St. Louis Community Foundation are  charitable gifts for tax purposes.

“This program is one of the purest forms of charity that we have at the Community Foundation. It is employees helping employees, helping someone that they know is just like them. They give to the Sunshine Fund hoping they never have to apply themselves but knowing it’s there if they need it,” said Amy B. Murphy, director of scholarships & donor services with the Community Foundation.

“The  St. Louis Community Foundation does an excellent job administering Isle’s Sunshine Fund,” said Jill Alexander, senior director, corporate communication. “Our company operates in six states, soon to be seven, and we have a diverse employee population. Sometimes the need is individual, impacting only one person and other times the Foundation works with us to coordinate grants for a more far-reaching disaster like a hurricane, flood or tornado.”