David Yaskulka, Vice President for marketing and communications at Halo, Purely for Pets, an all-natural pet food company, says that the company’s commitment to donate 1.5 million pet meals per year reflects the shared passion of the investors, Ellen DeGeneres and Pegasus Capital Partners, and of CEO Steve Marton. Yaskulka explained, “Through the Halo Pet Foundation, our corporate giving is committed to be at least five times the national corporate average – but in practice, that giving has exceeded the national average by more than a factor of 10 since animal advocate Ellen DeGeneres became co-owner in 2008.”
The annual donation of 1.5 million meals began with a little girl. According to Yaskulka, “In August 2010, we became the official pet food sponsor of Freekibble.com, a site founded by an 11-year-old girl, Mimi Ausland. Freekibble.com is a pet-related trivia site where more than 125K daily visitors come to answer questions. For every question answered, Freekibble donates 10 pieces of kibble to shelter pets. Through this partnership, Halo donates more than 1.5 million meals per year to shelter pets.”
Corporate philanthropy or corporate social responsibility takes on an almost infinite number of forms.
