Community giving

CSM Corporation and CEO Gary Holmes understand that creating exceptional spaces where people work, live, and visit is about more than just real estate — it’s about building vibrant communities, too.

That’s one reason why Gary and the Holmes Family Foundation have made generous contributions of time, money, and other resources to local and national organizations over the past decade.

Over the years that same spirit of giving has become an integral part of our employee culture at CSM. As part of that commitment, CSM employees provide special support to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) — a nonprofit organization that helps provide a “home away from home” for the families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment.

The RMHC annual budget of $3.2M is augmented each year with $1.2M in volunteer time and $500,000 in in-kind donations. CSM is RMHC’s largest corporate donor and the company’s fundraising surpassed only by the money drops located at McDonald’s restaurant drive-thru and cashier stations throughout Minnesota. Yearly, CSM contributes over 1,500 volunteer hours to RMHC. In the last five years, CSM Cares efforts have raised more than $593,000 for RMHC with a mission of exceeding over $1 million by year 10.

CSM’s Annual Shop & Sip Charity Event

Shop & Sip is CSM’s largest fundraiser for RMHC. This event, held in November to coincide with the holiday shopping season, is a delightful evening of food and beverages hosted in premiere event spaces at the CSM-owned Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot. Shop & Sip features a large silent auction of over 300 items with a value of over $100,000.00 annually.

This year marks the 11th Annual Shop & Sip. CSM is expanding the event into a larger space in 2018 that will allow up to 1,500 attendees. A new corporate sponsorship program has already raised an additional $30,000. Following this milestone event, over $1 million will have been raised directly from Shop & Sip for RMHC and other charities.

Our employees also served numerous meals through the Cooks for Kids program, and have cleaned and performed maintenance throughout the Ronald McDonald House. It’s a cause that has grown near and dear to our employees’ hearts.

In addition to Ronald McDonald House Charities, Gary Holmes and CSM Corporation are major contributors to the following organizations, significantly improving many lives in the communities where we do business:

• A Chance to Grow

• Breck School

• Children’s Cancer Research Fund

• Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship (at Carlson School of Management)

• Gillette Children’s Specialty

• Matter

• Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation

• University of Minnesota Foundation

• University of St. Thomas School of Law