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Supporting Our Communities

GCI employees embrace the holiday spirit and raise more than $33,000 for three Alaska nonprofits

AWAIC, Anchorage Cops for Community, and Toys for Tots each receive an $11,100 donation

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – In the spirit of the season of giving, GCI employees recently raised more than $33,000 for three Alaska nonprofits – Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis, Inc. (AWAIC); Anchorage Cops for Community; and the Alaska Marines Toys for Tots. Each organization received an $11,100 donation. GCI’s Corporate Properties team led the effort, relying on a tried-and-true tactic – a good ol’ garage sale.

More than 500 GCI employees contributed to the fundraiser, bidding on items to upgrade their home offices.

“When COVID-19 prompted GCI’s rapid transition a virtual workplace, workspaces and office equipment were left largely untouched for months at a time,” said Senior Manager of GCI Corporate Properties Liz Irwin. “Eventually, it became clear that most employees wouldn’t return to the office, so we had tons of desks, chairs, computer monitors and other electronics that needed new homes.”

Prior to the pandemic, just over 5% of GCI employees worked remotely. Today, that number has climbed to approximately 70%.

“A lot of employees spent the early days of the pandemic working from kitchen tables and hastily cobbled together home workspaces, so we wanted to give them an opportunity to purchase commercial-grade ergonomic furniture at discounted rates,” said Irwin. “When we opened up the garage sale to employees, there was a lot of enthusiasm around electronics, but the hottest item by far were height adjustable desks – we sold out!”

To facilitate the move to a virtual office space, all GCI remote employees receive a $900 stipend to offset the costs of setting up their home offices.”

When Irwin and her team proposed using the funds raised through the garage sale to provide more support for Alaska nonprofits, the response from GCI leadership was a resounding “YES!” She worked closely with GCI Gives, the company’s philanthropy program, to ensure the funds would have the biggest-possible impact over the holidays.

“While providing support to those who need it most is always a priority for GCI, it’s especially top-of-mind during holiday season,” said Senior Manager of GCI Contributions & Events Tiffany Vassar. “There’s no shortage of organizations doing amazing work for those in-need, but after talking with Liz and her team, we decided to provide an extra boost to our community partners at AWAIC, Anchorage Cops for Community, and Toys for Tots.”

GCI is one of Alaska’s leaders in corporate philanthropy, donating approximately $2 million each year in cash, products and connectivity to organizations across the state. GCI is committed to giving back to the communities it serves and provides employees with 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer with local organizations.

For more information about GCI Gives, visit https://www.gci.com/why-gci/gcigives.

About GCI

Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.