A pillar of our organization's history, giving back to the community is at the core of our organization today and serves as the basis for our values—safety, integrity, respect, innovation, entrepreneurship and stewardship.
We have a long-standing commitment to giving back to our communities and lending our time and expertise to help make them better places to live, work and raise a family. We do this in collaboration with the Opus Foundation and partners in our communities through a variety of methods.
Founded in 2000, the Opus Foundation has awarded nearly $58.4 million to help build communities. The Foundation is committed to improving conditions that disproportionately affect historically disinvested individuals and communities.
We're committed to giving back 10% of our annual pretax earnings to support the communities where our associates live, work and raise families.
Of that money, 9% provides additional funding to support the Opus Foundation's giving, furthering the impact of the Foundation. And 1% is donated directly from Opus to worthy, local causes that can reach beyond the Foundation's focus areas, based on input from our offices across the country.
We're proud participants in the Minnesota Keystone Program, which recognizes companies that donate at least 2% of their pre-tax earnings to the community. Created in 1976 by business leaders, including our founder Gerry Rauenhorst, the program recognizes and encourages charitable giving.
We have many opportunities for associates to get involved in philanthropic activities.
Since 2012, we've honored the founding of our organization by hosting a company-wide volunteer day.
Founder's Day commemorates the day Gerry Rauenhorst signed the first contract for the
construction business that would become the Opus of today. Associates across the company volunteer
with local affiliates of Rebuilding Together and Habitat for Humanity.
Check out past Founder's Day events
We build strong team bonds while building awareness, raising money and volunteering during our annual campaign.
Through our volunteer efforts during the week, associates also contribute to the wellbeing of our communities.
Check out past United Way campaigns
The Opus Volunteer Council (OVC) is an associate-driven initiative to plan and execute volunteer activities for Team
Opus. The OVC's purpose is to engage associates who are committed to and passionate about volunteerism and
to identify, organize and promote opportunities to volunteer in our communities.
Learn more about OVC
Associates in each office serve as the link between the community and the Opus Foundation. They help increase scale and impact by connecting the Foundation with community members, recommending grantees and providing input on funding strategies.
As a commercial real estate developer, designer and design-builder, connecting with our communities and supporting workforce development in these verticals just makes sense.
Along with the Opus Foundation, it's our vision to cultivate a pipeline of qualified, diverse workers across our industries. We're doing this through resourcing underrepresented and underinvested communities, volunteering with nonprofits on the ground doing the work, taking the opportunity to speak with students in the classroom and on the jobsite and so much more.
The Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award honors our founder's legacy of giving. Fueled by unwavering optimism, Gerry demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and a commitment to finding a better way to build a business, community and value-centered life. With an enduring belief that business has a responsibility to strengthen society, Gerry ensured giving back was a cornerstone of our organization.
Annually, the Opus Foundation awards a grant to an impactful nonprofit totaling $1,000 for each year since Gerry founded the business that would becAbout_ome the Opus of today.
We don't just say we value community stewardship – we show it in our actions and priorities. Our initiatives have earned numerous recognitions confirming the impact of our work, including the following:
Over the last four years, the Opus Foundation has supported Girl Scouts River Valleys with grants totaling more than $220,000 for recruitment of racially diverse members and expansion of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
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Committed to building community for a better tomorrow, in December 2024 the Opus Foundation awarded over $3.4 million in grants.
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