Hilcorp taps The Alaska Community Foundation to manage giving

Hilcorp Alaska and The Alaska Community Foundation announced a philanthropic partnership Jan. 31 that will lead to more than $5 million of giving in the coming year.

Foundation CEO Nina Kemppel called the partnership “innovating news” for philanthropy in the state and said in a formal statement that it is based on similar work Houston-based Hilcorp Energy has done with charities in its home city.

“Hilcorp has a successful history of enhancing its social investment through the Greater Houston Community Foundation, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to take that proven model and help Hilcorp expand its corporate giving to Alaska beginning with $5 million over the next 12 months,” Kemppel said.

Under the partnership, The Alaska Community Foundation will assume administration of Hilcorp Alaska’s corporate giving program, which seeds each new employee with $2,500 to donate to the nonprofit of their choice and then matches employee donations with up to $2,000 per person per year for as long as they’re employed with the company.

Foundation Vice President of Communications and Development Elizabeth Miller said Hilcorp Alaska employees will simply log on to an online account and pick any eligible 501(c)3 organization to donate to, at which point The Alaska Community Foundation will take over and disperse the funds.

Since it was announced last August that Hilcorp had agreed to purchase all of BP’s Alaska assets there have been questions among Alaska’s nonprofits about whether or not Hilcorp would fill the pending void left by BP’s departure.

The London-based oil giant had established numerous philanthropic relationships over its 60-year run in the state and was generally seen as a strong corporate giving partner.

Hilcorp Alaska Senior Vice President Dave Wilkins has said in several recent public appearances that the company plans to triple its current Alaska workforce of approximately 500 people, which will add greatly to the amount of money the company donates through its individual giving program.

He also routinely notes that more than 90 percent of the company’s Alaska workers also reside in the state.

“There is no better organization than (The Alaska Community Foundation) to help our employees invest in Alaska,” Wilkins said in a formal statement. “Whether it is an after school program for at-risk youth, their church or a homeless shelter, we empower our employees to become lifelong philanthropists and determine how best they can help their communities.”

Hilcorp employees have donated more than $15 million to U.S. nonprofits since the inception of the company’s corporate giving program in 2007, according to a joint statement.

— Elwood Brehmer