The Opus Group® & Opus Foundation®:
Committed to Building Community for a Better Tomorrow
"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. "
Working together, The Opus Group and the Opus Foundation are building community for a better tomorrow. Through financial giving and volunteerism, we're serving our community and improving the places we live, work and play.
Check out our 2019 philanthropy annual report to see a summary of our philanthropy in action.
Table of Contents
Opus Foundation Grants
The Opus Foundation makes impactful grants to support early childhood education, youth development, workforce development, community revitalization and pressing/emerging needs. Learn more about the focus areas on our Giving page.
Featured Grants
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Our Associates Giving Back
Founder's Day
Honoring the origins of our organization, we celebrated our eighth Founder's Day in May with our annual company-wide volunteer day. Associates across the company volunteered with local affiliates of Rebuilding Together and Habitat for Humanity.
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United Way Campaign
In November, we formed strong team bonds while building awareness, raising money and volunteering to improve the wellbeing of our communities.
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Looking for Unique Ways to Give Back
Associates across Team Opus found tangible ways to give back to our communities, often in alignment with the group's overall mission and goals.
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Opus Volunteer Council
Launched in 2017, the Opus Volunteer Council was designed to engage associates who are committed to volunteerism. Office Champions plan volunteer activities throughout the year that improve the communities in ways personal to them.
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Volunteer Time Off
Opus associates receive two days per calendar year to volunteer in ways that enhance and improve the communities in which we live and work. Associates are able to choose their own community initiative.
Working Together for a Greater Impact
Associates from Opus and the Opus Foundation take collaboration to a whole new level with the Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award and Future Builders.
5th Annual Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award
The Building Community Award honors our founder's legacy of giving and celebrates our history by awarding one winning nonprofit with a grant valued at $1,000 for each year of our organization's history and $5,000 to each of the remaining seven finalist.
Fueled by unwavering optimism, Gerry Rauenhorst 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.
Future Builders
Future Builders is our strategic focus on introducing and preparing youth for careers in the construction industry. A true partnership between the Foundation and associates, it pairs strategic grantmaking and hands-on activities planned and executed by associates
In 2019, the total giving crossed over $1 million when the Opus Foundation awarded grants to Construction Careers Foundation (Minneapolis), Building Futures (St. Louis) and Emily Griffith Foundation (Denver).
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2019 Opus Foundation Grantees
- 360 Communities
- A New Leaf
- Ability360 Inc.
- Academy of Holy Angels
- ACE Mentor Program of Colorado
- ACE Mentor Program of St. Louis
- Adam's Camp
- AGC Construction Education and Research Foundation
- Amarillo Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
- Anawim Housing
- Balance Autism
- Ball State University Foundation
- Banner Health Foundation
- Beyond Ball
- Beyond Housing
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
- Blank Children's Hospital
- Boy Scouts of America, Grand Canyon Council
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands
- Boys and Girls Club of Rochester
- BoysGrow
- Building Futures
- Camp Fire Minnesota
- Cardinal Ritter Senior Services
- Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis
- Child Crisis Arizona
- Children's Mercy Hospital
- Christopher House
- Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
- City Year Kansas City
- Clayton Century Foundation
- Clayton Education Foundation
- Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
- Completely KIDS
- Construction Careers Foundation
- Cradles to Crayons Chicago
- Cristo Rey Kansas City
- CU Real Estate Center, Leeds School of Business
- Deborah's Place
- Denver Kids
- DinoMights
- Dougherty Family College
- Downtown Tempe Foundation
- Dress for Success Twin Cities
- Elmhurst Art Museum
- Emily Griffith Foundation, Inc.
- Environmental Learning for Kids
- Feed My Starving Children
- Fraser
- Free Bikes 4 Kidz
- Freedom for Youth Ministries
- Friends of Kids with Cancer, Inc.
- Gateway Region YMCA
- Giving the Basics
- Great River Greening
- Greater Chicago Food Depository
- Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity
- Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
- Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation
- Greater Twin Cities United Way
- Green Beret Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona
- Habitat for Humanity Chicago
- Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City
- Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver
- Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis
- Handicapped Development Center
- Heart for the City
- Hearts & Hammers
- Home Sweet Home
- Homeless Youth Connection
- iMentor Chicago
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
- Jefferson County Library Foundation
- Jewish Vocational Service
- Jobs for Arizona's Graduates
- Junior Achievement of Arizona
- Just Food
- Kesem
- KidsTLC, Inc.
- Lattof YMCA
- Laumeier Sculpture Park
- Loaves & Fishes - Naperville
- Meals from the Heartland
- Metro Leadership League
- Mile High United Way
- Minnesota Architectural Foundation
- Mokena Miracles
- New Pathways for Youth
- North Loop Neighborhood Association
- North Side Community School
- Northern Star Council
- Northside Achievement Zone
- Oasis for Youth
- Operation Breakthrough, Inc.
- Partners For Progress, NFP
- PREP-KC
- Progress Valley Inc.
- Project for Pride in Living, Inc.
- Project IOWA
- Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago
- Rebuilding Together Twin Cities
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis
- Safehome
- Second Harvest Heartland
- Sioux Empire United Way
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul Twin Cities
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Special Olympics Minnesota
- St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation
- St. Louis County Library Foundation
- St. Mary's Child Center
- St. Thomas More Center and Catholic Youth Camp
- STEP - St. Louis Park Emergency Program Inc.
- Tempe Community Action Agency
- The 30-Days Foundation
- The Ames Foundation
- The Children's Place, Inc.
- The Knothole Foundation, Inc.
- The Link
- The Salvation Army - Northern Division
- The Social of Greenwood
- Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
- Twin Cities R!SE
- United Way of Central Indiana
- United Way of Central Iowa
- United Way of Greater Kansas City
- United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
- United Way of Greater St. Louis
- United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
- University of Denver - Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management
- University of St. Thomas Center for Engineering Education
- The Upper Room
- Urban Boatbuilders, Inc.
- Urban Land Institute
- Valley of the Sun United Way
- Van Go
- Westminster Legacy Foundation
- YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities
- Youth Frontiers, Inc.
2019 Opus Foundation Board of Directors
- Kristine Widmer, Chair
- Joe Downs
- Dave Menke
- Tim Murnane
- Anne Peacock
- Jeff Rauenhorst
- Kristine Rauenhorst
- Carolyn Roby
- Mary Weber