Philanthropy
ABOUT US
Durham County (DCo) Cares is the Durham County Government Annual Employee Giving Campaign in which Durham County Government asks its employees to donate their personal funds to nonprofit organizations that service the community. DCo Cares is the internal entity that administers the campaign to allow employees this annual opportunity for charitable giving via Durham County Government.
Our Mission
To positively affect change by raising funds and awareness for nonprofit organizations whose goals are in keeping with the Durham County Strategic Plan and who serve the Triangle Community.
Our History
DCo Cares was established in 2011, after a conversion from our previous campaign format to an internal, annual, federated campaign, which is designed to benefit deserving non-profit organizations that serve the Triangle Community. Durham County Government employees have donated over $1.5 million dollars since the establishment of our charitable giving campaign, and since its inception in 2011, DCo Cares has received approximately $900,000 in Durham County Employee contributions, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to our recipient organizations.
The categories under which DCo Cares Recipient Organizations are classified, are now aligned with the Durham County Government Strategic Plan. Therefore, applicant organizations will fall under one of the following categories:
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COMMUNITY & FAMILY PROSPERITY
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HEALTH &WELL-BEING FOR ALL
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SAFE & SECURE COMMUNITY
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ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
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MISCELLANEOUS/MULTIPLE AREA SERVICES
Our Heartbeat
This campaign is conducted by the DCo Cares Committee, which is comprised of a select group of Durham County employees, representing every department within Durham County Government, who donate their time and service annually to making this campaign successful. There are no positions within Durham County Government that are designated specifically for DCo Cares, so all of the employee efforts for this campaign are voluntary.
Durham County Government thanks the DCo Cares Committee for their tireless efforts, our wonderful sponsors for their continued support, and most of all, our employees whose generosity to our community knows no bounds.
Campaign Info.
Note: This is an EMPLOYEE FUNDED CAMPAIGN and a COMPETITIVE PROCESS where only ten (10) Recipient Organizations will be SELECTED BY EMPLOYEES.
Our Application Process opens up in the first quarter of each calendar year. Once the application process is closed, a Selection Committee, comprised of Durham County Employees, many being experts in applicable fields (i.e. Environmental Issues, Health Issues, etc.) and line employees, will review all completed applications and select finalist organizations per category, based on various criteria. Once the finalist organizations are selected, voting is open to all County Employees to select their preference for the Recipient Organizations. This is an Employee Funded campaign, so our employees determine which organizations are selected.
Once the Recipient Organizations are chosen, Durham County Employees donate contributions for a period of 2-3 weeks (generally in the early fall), via payroll deduction. The contributions collected begin disbursement to the Recipient Organizations on a quarterly basis, beginning the next calendar year (i.e. 2023 campaign contributions will begin disbursement in January 2024). These contributions are not grants and do not have a set level of funding. These donations are employee contributions, therefore the amounts donated per organization can vary greatly.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Durham County Cares cannot achieve success without the support of our sponsors!
If you represent a corporation or business, we have excellent sponsorship opportunities that will recognize your business as a philanthropic pillar of the Triangle Community.
Please visit our Sponsorship Page to see how you can you can become a DCo Cares Community Partner TODAY!
