SAN DIEGO—Giving back is in Cuningham Group Architecture's DNA, principal Phil Soule tells GlobeSt.com. The firm is marking its 50th anniversary this year with a series of community-service programs named Uplift 50. Founder John Cuningham will travel to each city to participate before his retirement in October of this year.
“For 50 years we have felt that architecture is more than just shelter; it also has the capacity to uplift the human spirit,” says Cuningham in a prepared statement. He adds that community-service events are part of our commitment to the communities in which we live.
A core team from each office will lead volunteers in that city. In addition, a group of “ambassadors” from each office will travel to other offices to participate in the community-service events, called “Days of Giving.” On January 22, Cuningham, members of the firm's San Diego office, its Uplift 50 travel ambassadors and guests launched the event as 26 volunteers staffed the lunch shift at Father Joe's Saint Vincent de Paul Village by preparing, scoping, filling, serving, running, busing and cleaning for approximately two-and-a-half hours. The office also celebrated by flying kites at Centennial Park on Coronado Island, overlooking San Diego.
Soule tells GlobeSt.com that these types of events have always been a part of the company's practices. “In the past, we have done pro bono work for Boys' and Girls' Club, designing and remodeling projects, and we've volunteered at charity organizations. We have been doing this for a long time, so it's not just a one-time thing.”
Cuningham's San Diego practice is primarily focused on not-for-profit healthcare, so it's been a natural evolution for the company to participate in volunteer work for its clients, Soule adds. “We've helped with planning events, and we're on the board of Tri-City Medical Center. We have been doing this for 30 years.”
In the company's Minnesota office, Cuningham contributes to a creative exhibit, whereby employees from all over the country make pieces of art that are sent there and auctioned off. The proceeds go to a different charity every year.
“A lot of sponsors will have golf outings to raise money for something, do design-build work or contribute to scholarships for people majoring in architecture in some fashion,” says Soule. For CRE companies that don't yet have Cuningham's longevity under their belt, Soule advises, “It's all about relationships; it's pretty basic. That's also why we enjoy the charitable stuff—it's about giving back to the community.”
Soule adds that it's pretty rare to make it to 50 years in this industry, and it's “nice to be a part of that.”
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Carrie Rossenfeld
Carrie Rossenfeld is a reporter for the San Diego and Orange County markets on GlobeSt.com and a contributor to Real Estate Forum. She was a trade-magazine and newsletter editor in New York City before moving to Southern California to become a freelance writer and editor for magazines, books and websites. Rossenfeld has written extensively on topics including commercial real estate, running a medical practice, intellectual-property licensing and giftware. She has edited books about profiting from real estate and has ghostwritten a book about starting a home-based business.
