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May 21, 2021

AGC/Moss Adams Community Service Award

Photo from Sellen Construction
Sellen employees participate in several donation drives each year.

Sellen Construction

Community support has always been a part of Sellen; the spirit of service is a part of its DNA. Today, Sellen employs a full-time community-outreach manager and last year contributed more than $415,000 to nonprofit organizations in the community through Sellen and the Sellen Community Foundation.

The company holds two workplace giving campaigns each year and, last year, despite managing the giving campaigns virtually, employees still donated more than $200,000 to nonprofits.

Sellen employees also participate in several donation drives each year, extending their personal philanthropic giving and often including their family members in their endeavors. Sellen offers employees VTO (volunteer time off) and, in the last few years, Sellen employees have contributed over 2,000 paid volunteer hours back into the communities where they work, live and play. Employees are encouraged to use their VTO time toward causes they are passionate about, or are welcome to join a company-wide service day.

In 2019, the company launched Executive Service Days, where a team of Sellen leaders select a local nonprofit and rally Sellen employees to join them in their volunteer efforts. Sellen and the Sellen Community Foundation partner to offer a Dollars for Doers program that will donate $500 to a charitable organization to which an employee is donating time. Sellen believes that a company has both the responsibility and honor to make a significant impact in its community — and there is no doubt that the events of 2020 changed lives and our community forever.

When Sellen went virtual, it remained committed to its community by offering employees safe or at-home volunteer opportunities, and by hosting Zoom events with various nonprofits. Additionally, the Sellen Community Foundation contributed over $67,000 in emergency grants to local nonprofits fighting food insecurity, critical health care needs or housing evictions due to COVID-19 impacts.

Last year, Sellen and the Sellen Community Foundation made substantial, sustainable philanthropic commitments to local nonprofit organizations fighting for racial equity and social justice — thus far, committing an additional $50,000 to advance this work, including $15,000 in scholarship funds at local universities to fund diverse students.

Sellen recognizes the need and responsibility to create opportunities for those underserved in the community and underrepresented at all roles in the construction industry. This year, Sellen launched a campaign to raise funds for a local nonprofit that helps break down barriers into the trades — especially for BIPOC and womxn — and asked specialty contractors to donate as well. To date, over $60,000 has been raised toward this mission.

Throughout its 76 years in Seattle, Sellen has embraced its core value of community. While the company knows that it still has much work to do, it is fortunate to be able to serve its purpose — to improve the lives of those around it as builders, partners and neighbors — through this work.


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