KSM’s Biggest Community Day Event Boosts Organizations in Indianapolis and Nationwide

After a three-year hiatus, Katz, Sapper & Miller employees were eager to put their normal work aside for a day to participate in KSM’s 11^th day of service – what we call Community Day. A favorite KSM tradition built on KSM’s longstanding commitment to our communities, Community Day provides all of us an opportunity to make a real difference in our communities over the course of one work day.

On Friday, Nov. 17, KSM closed its offices, and nearly 90% of our 565 KSM and Noble Consulting employees volunteered with nearly 90 nonprofit organizations across the U.S., making 2023’s Community Day the largest and most impactful yet.

“Serving our communities has always been a pillar of KSM’s culture, and it was wonderful to see our employees so excited for Community Day’s return this year,” said Tim Cook, KSM’s CEO and president. “With the growth of our firm over the past several years and the expansion of our remote workforce, we were humbled to serve so many nonprofits all across the U.S. doing important work. It was truly an amazing day!”

Making a Difference Across the Country

In Indianapolis, where KSM is headquartered, Community Day volunteers tackled 14 projects across 11 different nonprofit organizations focused on addressing food insecurity and helping people experiencing poverty. KSM’s Fort Wayne office volunteered with Junior Achievement and teamed up to teach JA lessons to 19 different classes at a local elementary school. In New York City, KSM employees helped Project Renewal decorate its emergency shelter for men for the holidays. Oklahoma City employees volunteered with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma where they helped pack individual portions of kiwi fruit for distribution to the food bank’s clients.

Remote KSMers opted to work individually or as groups with nonprofit organizations in their own communities and nearby cities, including Chicago; Denver; New Orleans; Pittsburgh; St. Louis; Evansville, Indiana; and Tampa, Florida. In fact, Community Day 2023 helped some remote employees connect with teammates they hadn’t realized they were in proximity to.

“With the growth of our firm over the past several years and the expansion of our remote workforce, we were humbled to serve so many nonprofits all across the U.S. doing important work.

– Tim Cook, CEO and president

“I actually got to meet someone else participating in KSM’s Community Day, which was unexpected,” said one remote employee. “I enjoyed connecting with my fellow Pittsburgh remote employees,” said another. “Thank you for making that an opportunity for us!”

Wherever they volunteered, KSMers enjoyed sharing time together, creating positive change, and introducing colleagues to the organizations and causes they feel passionate about.

Their enthusiasm translated into an impressive level of productivity that nonprofit leaders noted and appreciated. Whether their task was painting rooms, sorting donated goods, or making peanut butter sandwiches to help feed hungry neighbors, Community Day teams made quick work of the job — “Getting more done in a day than other volunteers typically do in a week,” in the words of one grateful organization leader.

Sparking Gratitude

While many individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations will benefit from the collective efforts of Community Day volunteers, participants found the experience quite rewarding as well. As KSMer Jimmy Burnett put it, “We are tired but had a blast!”

Kelly Hogan, who spent the day with her KSM colleagues sorting bins of donations to send to Wheeler Mission’s shelters and stores in Indianapolis, summed up her feelings as she thought ahead to the Thanksgiving holiday: “I am so thankful that KSM prioritizes giving back to the communities that we live and work in. Such a good reminder that the world is bigger than us and we have so much to be thankful for.”

A Look at KSM’s Community Day