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National Recovery Services LLC, an Ottawa, Kan.-based collection agency, this week has announced a philanthropic initiative, Collectors for Change, designed to assist various charities.
As part of the program, NRS employees will be able to donate loose change and the company will match the monthly employee contribution. Collectors will select their favorite charity and each month a drawing will be held to determine which charity will receive all of the funds from that month.
"I came up with this idea as way to help people in need while at the same time showing the public that the illegal agencies, while more visible, are definitely in the minority," Brad Dekraai, NRS' president and CEO tells Collections & Credit Risk.
"Let's face facts, our industry, due to its very nature walks around with a perennial black eye. We are the people that make a living off of the mistakes and misfortunes of other people," Dekraai says. "To top it off, it seems like every other day, there is some story in the mainstream press about collection agencies using some form of illegal tactics to collect money."
The Collectors for Change program has two goals, Dekraai says, to combine resources with other like-minded agencies and to change the public perception of collection agencies.
"NRS is striving to make a positive impact in the areas that matter most to the public at large, in both the local and national community," he says adding that he hopes other agencies will take part in some way. Dekraai points out that if 100 agencies donated $2,500 a month, the industry would be giving $250,000 a month to charities in need.
