Merchant Warehouse gives back to the community in 2008
In 2008, everyone at Merchant Warehouse made it clear how important Corporate Philanthropy is to our organization. We aren’t just another credit card processing company. We are members of our community. Here is a summary of what we accomplished:
MW Casual Friday Charity Donations
Last year, our average donation to charity each Friday was about $250.00. We increased that for 2008 to $300.00 per week. In addition, we raised a total of $14,770.00 which was donated to local, national and international charities. Here is part of the snapshot of where your donations went:
- Organization in the fight against cancer: $4,487 (72% increase from 2007)
- Organization benefiting children: $3636
- Organizations battling hunger and homelessness: $1,660
- Neighborhood & Community Organizations: $772
- Organizations battling specific diseases: $1,181
MW in the Community
MW employees donate a lot more than money; they also donate their time and efforts in the community. We began the year with the Dash for the Difference through Boston Cares. This “Amazing Race” style service event found the MW team taking home the first place finish in the corporate division. In doing so, we helped contribute to the $25,000 raised for Boston Cares.
In May, we completed our second annual Corporate Volunteer Day with Boston Cares where employees cleaned, painted, organized and planted at the Saint Ambrose Shelter in Dorchester. The work they did allowed St Ambrose to continue providing shelter, support, and hope for homeless families in transition.
Through our work with Habitat for Humanity, MW employees helped rehabilitate a house. They did everything from scraping and painting to securing flooring and building a porch.
MW finished up the year with their highest participation of any event with Frosty’s Friends. Through this program with Boston Cares, employees doubled the number of gifts they gave in 2007, reaching out to 80 children at the East Boston ABCD Head Start Center. In addition, MW donated hundreds of dollars worth of sports equipment and art supplies to the Casa Nueva Vida shelter for women and children in Jamaica Plain.
Walks and Runs
In May, employees participated in the 20 mile Walk for Hunger. Participants raised money and walked for Project Bread who funds more than 400 emergency food programs in 135 communities statewide.
At the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge we had 22 employees who walked and ran the three mile race through Boston. The proceeds from the challenge went to Camp Harbor View, giving at-risk children from Boston the opportunity to attend summer camp.
In September, MW participated in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, joining in the battle against cancer, and raising $2,651.00 in the process. The money raised benefitted the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to help change the odds for patients facing all forms of cancer.
We finished the year by with the Best Buddies 5K Gobbler. This Thanksgiving 5K helped raise money for Best Buddies in their quest to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
Partnerships in the Community
Merchant Warehouse was extremely excited to begin its partnership with Best Buddies through their Jobs program which has received national recognition. The President’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities has recognized Best Buddies Jobs as a national model of supported employment focusing on white collar and other non-traditional employment opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities.
In addition, MW sponsored Boston Cares through their Summer Nights, Fenway Lights fundraiser. As a Grand Slam sponsor of the event, Merchant Warehouse helped support Boston Cares and their ability to run more than 100 volunteer projects every month.
Greening our Company
Over the course of the year, MW purchased 519 green tags to offset our carbon emission by investing in clean, renewable energy through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. These tags represent the offset of 389.25 US Tons of carbon emissions to our environment. We also made the switch to using 30% recycled paper in our office for all of our printing needs.
In addition, we have set a course to introduce a number of new initiatives to help our company be more green in 2009. Keep an eye on the About Us section of our website for a new Green Page which will be coming out soon.
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, money and passion over the past year. We saw a huge increase from 2007 in how we were able to contribute to the community, and we have set 2009 up to be a truly great year of giving back.
Digital Transactions Turns to Henry Helgeson About Change to Interchange Rates
In the coming months, merchants and ISOs will begin seeing changes to Interchange fees.
To help further explain what these changes will mean, why they are coming about, who will be impacted and how they can mitigate the costs associated with these changes, Digital Transactions turned to Henry Helgeson, President and Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse, to help sort out the answers.
In the article, “Trends in the Electronic Exchange of Value”, Helgeson said that he expects many merchants to start seeking clarification on these new fees. He also predicts that processors will be passing these fees down the line to merchants, mainly because they are ill-equipped to bill these fees directly.
To learn more about what to expect when these fees take effect, click here.
Merchant Warehouse Appears in Transaction World
In the March 2009 issue of Transaction World Magazine, Merchant Warehouse’s Henry Helgeson, President and Co-CEO, provided his insight regarding the impact that the economic strife has had on the payment card industry.
In columnist Jim Romeo’s article, “Building After the Bubble Has Burst”, Helgeson explained that although 2009 will be a tough year, innovative products, a strong focus on costs, and a good strategy to deal with the changing landscape will allow some in the industry to survive and be stronger in the end.
Helgeson also provided tips to ISOs that may help them weather the downturn such as, making sure existing customers are satisfied, taking a closer look at costs, and maintaining a close eye on those merchants that are in the business of future delivery to avoid chargeback penalties.