There’s no doubt NST has a long history in the San Diego community and in the communities in which we do business. Just about everywhere we go, we hear stories of how our company’s founders and previous leaders contributed in significant ways to the causes they cared about – and we’re honored to carry forth the firm’s history of service in new ways with the launch of NST’s Make Things Better initiative.
Named as an extension of our company purpose – to better ourselves, our partners and the world around us – the Make Things Better initiative embraces a three-pronged approach that allows our entire team to get involved and make a difference:
- Umbrella program that will be sustained over time
- Annual plans that take aim on a new cause or initiative each year that the team selects
- Support for individual team members to make a difference in areas that matter to them by company matched donations and paid time off to encourage volunteerism
For 2023, employees were asked to provide ideas on causes that resonate with them and align with NST’s mission, purpose and values. The result? The team selected literacy as its 2023 priority, and the San Diego Council on Literacy as its annual partner.
Literacy is a skill that is not only core to our industry, but also one that has the ability to improve lives and communities. Literacy is about creating opportunities for individuals and societies to learn, express themselves and become stronger. It’s about fostering creativity and exploration to open doors and create possibilities. Literacy is a gateway to freedom and democracy.
This year, NST will support the council and the issue of literacy through a multi-faceted partnership that lends the agency’s time, talent and treasure to the effort. As part of this work, we’ll partner with the San Diego Council on Literacy on a minimum of four events, along with year-round efforts to raise awareness and funds for literacy.
First up is support for the Financial Literacy Superheroes Competition, which encourages children in San Diego to get creative and submit graphic art entries with a financial literacy or money management message for various prizes. As a sponsor for the event, NST will be assisting in the distribution of entry applications to local libraries and businesses across San Diego, serving as a judge for the competition, and supporting the awards ceremony being held at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum.
While NST has a history of service and philanthropic involvement, the Make Things Better initiative is taking things to the next level with the goal of making an even bigger impact. That said, we believe that in order to truly make the world a better place, no one person or company can do it alone, rather we all must do our part. With that, we encourage all our friends, partners and collaborators to find their way to make their mark and join us as we – by working together – truly “make things better.”