Jeans Day Employee Charitable Giving Program #CharityJeansDay

The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Jeans Day

Employees of The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod wearing Yarmouth Police Foundation’s Thin Blue Line t-shirts during the special #CharityJeansDay benefiting the family of fallen Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean M. Gannon.

The impetus for #CharityJeansDay created in 2009, was to give employees an opportunity to create some good for the local community in a fun and engaging way. We really wanted to design a program that the employees could “own.” This program is completely managed by employees. A great side-benefit is we get to dress more comfortably and casually a couple of days each month…the banking industry, as you know, is pretty conservative!

How it works:
Every other Friday, all employees at The Coop are given the option to wear jeans to work. That includes employees in the executive offices and on the front lines in the branches. The only requirement is that the employee has to make a minimum donation of $5 to the Jeans Day fund.
Every other week, a charitable organization is designated as the beneficiary. The organizations are nominated by employees and selected by the employee-based Jeans Day committee. The only criteria for nominations is that the organization be affiliated with Cape Cod and a registered 501(c)3.

Why it works:
Employees appreciate the opportunity to dress more casually at work on a Friday, but also love the chance to support local non-profit organizations in our community. Because the employees help choose the organizations that benefit, they feel invested in the program. This is truly an employee-owned program that’s a win for everyone!

Who it helps:
The organizations we’ve supported range from small groups that fly under the radar to well-known programs like “Stuff a Bus” and “Be a Santa To a Senior.” It also gives us an opportunity to respond to tragedies that unexpectedly impact our community. After the tragic death of Sgt. Sean M. Gannon, for example, our employees initiated a special Jeans Day and raised $2,270 for The Cape Cod Foundation in care of Sgt. Gannon’s family.
With more than half of our employees participating on a regular basis, and often donating more than the $5 minimum, we’re on track to hit our goal of raising $25,000 in 2018! That includes a pledge from the Bank to match up to $500 of each Jeans Day donation.

For more on The Coop’s #CharityJeansDay:

Want to help?

To learn more about some of the organizations we’ve helped through our #CharityJeansDay program, you can visit their websites below:

My name is Johanna and I’m part of the Residential Mortgage team at The Coop. I’m also part of an internal team that’s been running a very cool employee program – “Charity Jeans Day.”