Beer & the Community – New Belgium
To understand the impact that New Belgium has on local communities, one need only visit its brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is a bustling hub of activity: employees are biking to and around the facilities, Colorado tourists are visiting for a tour of one of the most environmentally friendly breweries, locals are biking in to refill their re-usable beer jugs to prevent wasting and drink tap beer at home, and there are preparations under way for the night-time ‘bike-in movie’ on the side of the building.
This is only a small part of community efforts made by the company. It was founded by a social worker and electrical engineer in 1991. The couple and now company have maintained this combination of values through its growth, emphasizing that community efforts are not only philanthropy, but also a fundamental part of the worker-owned company. Employees even receive half their hourly wage for volunteering.
Two of its biggest programs are donations to local non-profits pegged to barrel production and sales, and a biking/beer/fundraiser event called ‘Tour de Fat’.
For every barrel of beer produced, New Belgium donates one dollar to local non-profits, totaling over $1.6 million since its inception. In order to make sure that funds are going back into communities proportionately, it pegs donations per state based on sales in that state. Areas of giving fall into four main categories: environmental, social, cultural, and drug and alcohol awareness.
The process of decision making regarding donations has also added value internally to the company. The Philanthropy Board to review grant applications and award funds consists of interested employees who volunteer on the board. Anyone can join, from beer packagers to management. This has not only served to help the corporate culture but also to empower employees, showing that the company belongs to everyone and that all employees have decision-making power.
There is a grant application on its website, and all applications are considered and reviewed annually. This process ensures that all non-profits interested are considered, and that networking relationships don’t hold too much power. Furthermore, rather than auditing non-profits regarding what they did with funds, all organizations are required to re-apply every year, encouraging a dialogue.
In new communities where its name is not yet out there, New Belgium often has trouble finding enough non-profits to fill its quota. In these cases they do two things: rely on the ground sales force to look around and get the information out there, and cosponsor events with local non-profits.
One example of these events is the ‘Tour de Fat,’ a ‘fun bike festival’ named after New Belgium’s most popular beer, Fat Tire. Local nonprofits, often bicycle advocacy groups, are designated to receive all proceeds from beer and t-shirt sales, and local bands perform. As the beer grows so also does this festival, happening in 11 cities this year.
These festivals are consistent with New Belgium’s efforts to be involved in the local community, and serve as a marketing tool for the company. Considering it almost a ‘cult’ of beer drinkers, they help New Belgium tap into groups of people looking for a good product that also does good in society.
While a bike festival may seem an odd event for a beer company, it is consistent with the foundations of the company. Fat Tire beer refers to the tire on a bicycle and was conceived on a bike trip through Belgium. All employees are given a bicycle for their 1-year anniversary at New Belgium. This community of cyclists ties New Belgium to its community fundraising events, and its community of consumers.
These activities are a central part of the legacy that New Belgium founders and employees want to leave behind. Great beer, great people, and strong involvement.
Summary by Louise Doyle.
Based on Susan Hyatt’s audio interview with Brian Simpson, media relations at New Belgium. To listen to the full interview:
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<p>More information on New Belgium can be found at: http://www.newbelgium.com/
