Crafton Tull

Crafton Tull of Rogers wanted to do something special to celebrate its 50th year as an engineering firm, so its marketing department held a brainstorming meeting.

At one point, graphic designer Annie Lorton offered up a suggestion that immediately swept the room: 50 acts of kindness, one for each year of the company’s existence. “We all just pounced on it,” said Clare Dunn, the company’s communications and media coordinator. “Matt loved it and went to the board and got us a budget increase.”

Matt is Matt Crafton, the company’s CEO, and he matched each act of kindness with a $500 donation by the company.

Charitable donations are nothing new for Crafton Tull, which matches employees’ charitable donations through its Crafton Tull Foundation. Employees donate to the foundation through payroll deduction and then apply for donations to specific organizations.

Since 2011, the foundation has provided $40,000 in grants to organizations such as the ALS Association, the Soderquist Center, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Easter Seals Arkansas. Company employees also donate pro bono services for designs for various parks and arts centers.

The 50/50 acts began with rehabilitation of the Crisis Pregnancy Outreach warehouse in Jenks, Oklahoma, and concluded with a donation to the Haven House in Conway. The 50 acts were divided among the company’s six offices in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Dunn said Crafton attended nearly every activity.

The charitable acts continued after the official campaign ended, Dunn said. Dunn said Crafton Tull employees donated more than 700 hours during the 50/50 campaign. “It sounds so cheesy but it is contagious,” Dunn said. “It’s the best kind of selfish.”