Photo via Fast Company
MG2, an architecture and design firm affiliated with Colliers Engineering & Design, has shifted its approach to corporate philanthropy with a critical realization: writing checks alone doesn't build community resilience. According to the firm's leadership, many companies fall into a pattern of concentrated giving that fails to reach far enough into the communities where they operate or engage employees at all levels.
The firm's Day of Giving program inverts traditional corporate volunteering by requiring genuine participation rather than optional giving. Once annually, every employee—regardless of role or seniority—takes a paid day to work alongside nonprofit partners on real projects: food preparation, trail restoration, home construction, and neighborhood improvements. This approach recognizes that community engagement cannot be delegated to a single department or leadership tier.
According to MG2's CEO Mitch Smith, the program succeeds because shared volunteer experiences create shared values among employees and strengthen connections with the communities they serve. The firm learned that presence, time, and listening matter more than financial contributions alone. When employees work directly with nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, it shifts community work from a peripheral corporate responsibility to a central mission.
For Nashville-area business leaders, the model offers a template for deeper community investment. Rather than concentrating resources in flagship projects, spreading volunteer participation across all employees builds internal culture while addressing broader community needs. Smith notes that stewardship—not recognition—drives lasting engagement, suggesting that companies strengthening Nashville's future should focus on accountability and consistent action over visibility.
