"Treat others as you would like to be treated works in business too," is the Golden Rule at the heart of the Certes philosophy and is the foundation for our corporate giving initiative, Certes Serving Others. We are proud to give back to the local community through sharing our time and talent with those in need.

The mission of Certes Serving Others is to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us by supporting organizations that subscribe to the Golden Rule too. Below is a listing of the organizations we've supported since the inception of our program in 2008:

CommonBond Communities is the largest nonprofit developer, manager, and service provider of affordable homes in the Upper Midwest. Their mission is to build community by creating affordable housing as a stepping-stone to success. With a national reputation for excellence, CommonBond Communities promotes economic independence for adults and academic achievement for youth, bolstering independent living and lifelong learning for seniors and people with special needs.

The Cookie Cart is a unique youth employment program that takes the form of a retail/commercial bakery. Located on West Broadway Avenue in the heart of North Minneapolis, neighborhood teens (ages 14-17) bake, package and sell cookies to hundreds of businesses and nonprofit organizations as well as thousands of retail customers in their bakery and at promotional sales events throughout the year.

The Cookie Cart has been serving North Minneapolis youth since 1988. It couples real life experiences in a small business setting with skill building, leadership training and the guidance of successful adult role models. Through this model, youth gain the life skills necessary to transition to traditional employment and to enjoy successful, productive futures.

Feed My Starving Children is a nonprofit organization committed to feeding starving children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: people join together to hand-pack meals designed specially to meet the nutritional needs of starving children, and FMSC ships the meals to more than 50 countries around the world – giving hope to the hungry.

Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Committed to inclusiveness and treating individuals with respect, Girl Scouts of Greater Minneapolis believes that the development and enrichment of girls is of vital importance to the community and the world.

Go Red for Women celebrates the energy, passion, and power we all have to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke in women. We are proud to live and work in Minneapolis - St. Paul, recently named the nation’s top heart-friendly area based on the lowest hypertension and cardiac mortality rates and the highest exercise rates in the country.

Certes Serving Others looks forward to the opportunity to continue our support of organizations with honorable missions and steadfast commitment to improving life here and around the globe. Contact us if you represent an organization that would like to be considered for our program.