Truebeck Wins Silicon Valley Business Journal Community Impact Award

Each year, the Silicon Valley Business Journal recognizes people, organizations, and companies that give back to their communities. This fall, the Business Journal honored Truebeck with their prestigious Community Impact Award. Receiving this award is a testament to the commitment Truebeck has for service and giving back. This year alone, Truebeck volunteered for 50+ non-profit events and donated over $250,000 toward worthy local causes. To learn more about Truebeck’s philanthropic endeavors, visit this link to see the Silicon Valley Business Journal article, or read the article below.

Truebeck Construction forms foundation to give back to community

By Danny King – Silicon Valley Business Journal Contributor

From a philanthropic standpoint, Truebeck Construction has always had the advantage of being able to contribute to the community through projects in its proverbial wheelhouse.

“Our first project was a little community center in East Palo Alto that was a full-day volunteer project,” said Truebeck Co-Founder Sean Truesdale. “It involved carpentry, landscaping, and painting to improve a school building.”

From that modest project sprang a philanthropy presence that’s expanded along with the growth of the company, which was founded in 2007. Truebeck employees volunteered at about 50 events in the past year, with participation ranging from about 10 to 40 employees. In addition to those hours, the company contributed about $250,000 in funds and raised about $200,000 more from its construction partners during the past year, with much of the focus on helping socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

The company also formalized such efforts last year by starting a philanthropy nonprofit arm called the Truebeck Foundation, whose four full-time employees coordinate the efforts of the approximately 100 workers who regularly volunteer at events around the region.

“When we were first formed, philanthropy was more about donating your time and giving back”, Truesdale said. “Then it became about giving back time and money. More recently, it’s been about donating time, money, and fundraising to help raise money.”

One such example is Truebeck’s work with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, where employee volunteers packed and shipped Hope Kits filled with items such as fuzzy socks, inspirational bracelets, and journals for breast-cancer patients.

Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow assembles Hope Kits in partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The company worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation on building a backyard basketball court, complete with a custom-painted Golden State Warriors logo, for a local teenager with cerebral palsy.

Truebeck has also long worked with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. Since launching its philanthropy partnership with the food-bank operator in 2010, Truebeck employees have contributed more than 1,300 service hours, either through food sorting at warehouses or giving out groceries at Second Harvest’s distribution sites. Shobana Gubbi, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley chief philanthropy officer, said:

“Truebeck is clearly a company that cares about the communities their employees live and work in.”

Truebeck volunteers at food packing and distribution events with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

Truesdale is quick to point out the benefits of having such a public-facing company in such a visible industry associated with giving back.

“When people see the Truebeck name, we want people to think about a company that does good, said Truesdale. I grew up in the Bay Area, and I feel blessed to have the ability to give back.”

• Headquarters: San Mateo
• Website: www.truebeck.com/stewardship
• Mission: The Truebeck Foundation supports six initiatives: youth, health, education, workforce training, military and the environment.
• Annual operating budget: Approximately $1 billion
• Volunteers: 100
• Paid staff: 650
• Number of people reached/served/impacted in 2022: More than 25 charities supported and over 50 events/fundraisers.
• Interesting tidbit: The Truebeck Foundation’s philanthropy partners range from the Surfrider Foundation to Autism Speaks to the Positive Coaching Alliance.