Cavignac & Associates Employees Donate Over $21,000 to Local San Diego Charities

SAN DIEGO - Dec. 11, 2018 - PRLog -- As part of a 19-year-long Christmas holiday tradition, employees of Cavignac & Associates, a San Diego-based risk management and insurance brokerage firm, donated to those less fortunate in the community, giving more than $21,000 out of their own paychecks to a number of local nonprofit organizations.

         The $21,000-plus worth of donations represents a 17% increase over what the company's employees donated last year.  The employee donations were in addition to substantial donations made by the company during 2018.

         The employee donations were dispersed from Cavignac & Associates' Employee Charity Fund, a program established 19 years ago that enables individual employees to uphold the company's mission of being an "effective corporate citizen" by donating both time and money to nonprofit organizations they determine to be most deserving of their support.  All employees are given the option to participate by having specific amounts deducted from their paychecks throughout the year.  As in past years, almost all of the company's 55 employees contributed this past year.

         "There are so many great San Diego charities that support worthwhile causes, and the need for financial assistance and volunteer help was strong this year," said Kelly Potter, an account executive with Cavignac & Associates.  "The Charity Fund committee members take it upon themselves to research various organizations before carefully selecting the ones they are most passionate about and feel are doing the greatest good. The program goes a long way to open their eyes to various social issues and connect their hearts to under-privileged individuals within the community."

         The Cavignac & Associates Employee Charity Fund is governed by a committee comprised of a chairperson, treasurer and interested employees. The underlying principles of the committee are to support under-funded, tax-deductible 501(c)3 organizations that help the under-served population of San Diego, including seniors, children and teenagers, the physically disabled, veterans, military families, and the homeless.

         This year, the employees of Cavignac & Associates directed monetary contributions to 17 different organizations including, but not limited to, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Emilio Nares Foundation, Feeding San Diego, The Monarch School, and the San Diego Humane  Society.

         In addition to making monetary donations to 17 charities, Cavignac & Associates' employees once again participated in the SAY San Diego "Adopt A Family" program by sponsoring three families, including one family with four sons ages 9, 11, 13 and 17; one family with a daughter, age 7, and son, age 4; and a family with three daughters, ages 2, 18 months and five months.  Company employees shopped for each member of the three families, and fulfilled items on their individual Christmas wish lists.  Recently they gave up their lunch hour to wrap all the gifts and later delivered them to SAY San Diego for presentation to the families in need. Marisa Dunfee organized the Say San Diego "Adopt a Family" effort this year.

         In October, Cavignac & Associates employees participated in the Challenged Athletes Foundation 2018 Surf Clinic & Triathlon, donating their time to work alongside children with physical disabilities and help them experience the joys of surfing and playing in the ocean.

         Cavignac & Associates employees assisted The Monarch School with staging its annual prom.  For the Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, they volunteered their help with the annual golf tournament and "Casino Night."  They participated in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event for the YWCA.  For The Monarch School, employees also participated in their intern program and were honored by the school as "Volunteer Group of the Year."

         Each month during 2018, four or five Cavignac & Associates employees volunteered their time to serve lunches to seniors at the downtown Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center.  They also served meals at the center on Thanksgiving and will lend a helping hand with serving Christmas dinner.

         Kelly Potter chaired the Cavignac & Associates Employee Charity Fund Committee in 2018, while Marisa Dunfee served as secretary.  Other committee members included Ariana Benavente, Bonne Mongold, Brittany Aceves, Carolyn Konecki, Chris Malicki, Dan Smith, Erin Green, Jolinda Kramer, Kathy Majam, Linda Lopez and Darcee Brackett.

         "Community giving is intrinsic to our company's work culture," stated Potter. "It's extremely rewarding for the employees to have the means to mirror the company's values and support the causes closest to our hearts.  It certainly makes the spirit of the holidays a lot more meaningful, both to us and those we're able to help."

About Cavignac & Associates:

         Founded in 1992, Cavignac & Associates is a leading risk management and commercial insurance brokerage firm providing a broad range of insurance and expertise to design and construction firms, as well as to law firms, real estate-related entities, manufacturing companies and the general business community. Company principals are Jeffrey W. Cavignac, CPCU, ARM, RPLU, CRIS, MLIS; James P. Schabarum II, CPCU, AFSB; Scott A. Bedingfield, AAI, CIC, CRIS; Patrick Casinelli, RHU, REBC, CHRS; Matthew Slakoff, CIC, CRIS; and Matthew Noonan, RHU, CIC, CHRS, CCWS. The firm employs a staff of more than 55 people at offices located at 450 B Street, Suite 1800, San Diego, Calif., 92101.  More information about the company can be found on the Web at www.cavignac.com.