Highnoon, a marketing and strategy agency headquartered in Tempe, has announced the formation of their nonprofit foundation, Highnoon CARES. The foundation is under application for 501(c)3 status and its mission will be to support a broad spectrum of youth education initiatives.

Highnoon CARES has as its mission the very acronym for which it is named: to serve the Community with Accountability and Responsibility, through the Engagement of others with a passionate sense of Service.

“We’ve supported some amazing nonprofits over the years, and we are excited to take our community service to the next level,” said Ken Bonham, Highnoon partner. “As an agency, we always strive to conduct ourselves responsively and with purpose, so it only made sense to create a foundation that ensures we are making the greatest impact in our community.”

Bonham will serve as chairman of the board of directors, which is comprised of fellow Highnoon partners Joe Pizzimenti and Scott Kaufmann and five at-large directors. They include PRO EM Chief Executive Officer Amir Glogau; Bell Bank Vice President of Human Resources, Latasha Causey; Arizona Highways Magazine Publisher Kelly Mero; retired advertising executive Linda Srere; and Carvana Associate Counsel Hannah Speirs. Highnoon Vice President of Community Affairs Ray Artigue will serve as executive director.

The primary focus of the foundation will be to work with independent, local non-profits that are able to articulate how financial support will further their mission and impact the young people that they serve. Priority will be given to smaller, emerging organizations – or individuals– that will most benefit from the foundation’s support. Grant eligibility and application information will be available upon certification of Highnoon CARES, expected later this year.

“Highnoon CARES is an example of the agency’s strong corporate social responsibility doctrine and the foundation will allow for financial support and development of youth through education. Agency staffers are already actively volunteering throughout the community, and the foundation will supplement their personal commitments with ongoing financial support,” said Artigue.

According to Bonham, Highnoon has adopted a formal CSR Charter that applies not only to the agency but also to its affiliate partners, vendors, and any subsidiaries. “We believe business is about more than just making money and that we should utilize our financial and human resources to invest in the lives of others,” he said.

Volunteering in the community is strongly encouraged at Highnoon and employees are encouraged to take time off work to pursue their volunteer commitments, supported by a self-managed PTO program. The agency has four employee-guided task forces focused on bettering the community through animal welfare efforts, eliminating food insecurity, increasing sustainability and environmental awareness, and empowering and educating valleywide youth.

For more information about Highnoon CARES—please visit highnooncares.org.