Multi-Generational Giving from a Silicon-Valley Tech Company with a Big Heart

This is a guest post from Kurt Klein, the CEO of DataEndure

DataEndure (formerly Computer Media Technologies) opened its doors in the heart of the Silicon Valley in 1983, just as the first rudimentary notebook computers were trickling into the marketplace and the 3.5-inch floppy disk was a novel idea, still a year away from introduction.

Kurt Klein, the CEO of DataEndure has kept the legacy of philanthropy within his company. For over 10 years he has made a yearly commitment to Second Harvest Food Bank and Pursuit of Excellence.

Along with volunteering his time, Kurt has inspired the entire team of 50+ employees at DataEndure with the passion to collect food donations for this fine organization. Every year the entire staff travel to the local grocery store just before Thanksgiving and each employee fills an entire cart of meats, dried and canned goods and everyone checks out and DataEndure picks up the entire tab. The whole team then loads up a truck with all of the groceries and deliver them to the food bank.

DataEndure and its employees provide food to Second Harvest Food Bank with an annual employee Thanksgiving food donation drive. Over the years, the event becomes an internal competition of sorts whereby the company tries to outdo its donations of the previous years. Just last year, the company sent over more than 4,000 pounds in total food weight in just one day. Imagine that happening each year for the past ten years the company has been doing this and it’s clear to see the commitment .CEO Kurt Klein sponsors the charity event and closes the office for two hours. In addition to the food donation, DataEndure matches cash contributions to provide to Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

As one of the largest food banks in the nation, Second Harvest provides food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month. DataEndure’s efforts will support Second Harvest’s goals to mobilize individuals and companies, enabling community partners to connect people to the nutritious food they need.

“It’s firmly engrained in our culture to support community charitable efforts, and the Second Harvest Food Bank performs incredibly important work to combat hunger in our area,” Klein said. “We are honored to help Second Harvest assist those who are struggling to put food on their tables.”

Community outreach and giving back has been at the forefront of DataEndure’s culture for the last 30 plus years. Kurt is a mentor for an organization that is very near and dear to his heart, Pursuit Of Excellence.

Every new school year, Pursuit of Excellence brings in 30 plus teenagers and provides these motivated young people with tuition, room and board, even spending money for the time it takes them to take it to graduation. Klein, a CEO with a mission to motivate, takes on four mentees.

He contributes his time to helping these teenagers with whatever they may need to reach their goal of becoming a college graduate. And it’s more than money. The organization provides them with a support system that teaches them financial oversight and money management. Kurt even took his group on a tour of Facebook’s campus and comes to their holidays and graduations.

“I treat them just like they are my own children,” says Klein, a father of two. “ A few years ago I had one mentee named Jaime, and it was great to see him put on that cap and gown. Now, I’m mentoring his little sister at UC Santa Cruz, and it’s a wonderful feeling to be part of this family’s progress.” The secret? The perfect combination of a little nurture, and of course a lot of support. Sometimes he’ll nudge them to a field, such as business, but for the most part, he’s happy to see them graduate and go off on a path knowing he helped guide them to that shining moment of graduation day.

He wants all of his employees to follow in his and his father’s footsteps, creating a company culture of being a part of the community they work in. But it’s not just these two organizations Klein feels strongly about. DataEndure also offers gift cards to other organizations in a matching offers contest. If any employee is nominated by a peer for demonstrating one of the company’s culture pillars, DataEndure will make a donation to a charity of the employee’s choice.

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