Jake & Charles Nabholz
Join the Association of Fundraising Professionals Arkansas Chapter on November 16 at the National Philanthropy Day Luncheon and celebrate the collective compassion and dedication of this year’s honorees – individuals, organizations and businesses that are transforming the lives of all Arkansans.
By Barrett Gay | Photography by Sara Reeves
WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM
For more than six decades, Nabholz Corporation has been building better communities, with an uncompromising reputation for quality and integrity. In 1987, founder Bob Nabholz recognized that the company needed a sustainable way to facilitate its corporate philanthropy, so he established the Nabholz Charitable Foundation. Bob’s brother Charles, a committee member on the Nabholz Charitable Foundation Board of Directors and Chairman Emeritus of The Nabholz Group, notes that its “primary mission is to support institutions who serve in the health and education fields, such as Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Hendrix College. The donated funds most often are spent on specific project needs, including medical and lab equipment or other capital improvement needs of the institution.”
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY is a business philosophy at Nabholz that motivates its extraordinary generosity. “I believe all people feel a social responsibility to help one another,” Charles explains. “Each by their own means, such as the story in the Bible about the Widow’s Mite. However, as a successful business corporation, the stakes are much higher. We believe in giving back to the communities in which we do business and giving forward to support the critical needs of worthy non-profit and charitable institutions that serve our communities so well.”
FOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT JAKE NABHOLZ, the foundation’s support of local institutions resonates with his family, as his son spent nearly five months in the NICU at ACH. “We are very grateful and humbled to be selected for this award,” Jake says. “In addition, I want to say thank you to all the employees at Nabholz. If it wasn’t for their hard work and dedication to our clients, we would not have a foundation or the ability to support so may worthy causes.”
FIGURES WHO INSPIRE CIVIC LEADERSHIP
“I was first inspired when I was a high school key club member at St. Joseph School. I attended a Kiwanis Club and observed the goals and objectives of the organization and its members in our community who supported worthy causes. I also observed many great leaders in our community who sacrificed their time and money in order to effect positive growth in our communities. I was motivated to follow those good examples set by folks whom I admired and respected.” – Charles
GREATEST LIFE LESSON
“The importance to balance family, church, business, social, civic and all other activities in a proactive rather than a reactive way. Don’t let commitments overwhelm you. Better to under commit and over perform!” – Charles
“Nabholz’ giving is not an afterthought, it is part of their corporate culture. This was set into motion early on by the Nabholz family. They care about the community where they construct new buildings, therefore they give back to the good work being done by the non-profits within their community. They are one of the best corporate citizens I am aware of and have a long track record of serving the state in an ethical and upstanding manner. Nabholz exemplified corporate social responsibility before it was a buzzword.”
– Chief Development Officer Ashley Riggin Coldiron, Arkansas Community Foundation
