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For Open for Business Oklahoma (OFBO) member company Halff, improving lives and communities is something employees put into practice in the communities where they live and work every day.

 

In 2017 the Halff Community Initiative (HCI), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, was established to expand the employee-owned, full-service infrastructure consulting firm’s longstanding commitment to giving back. Funded entirely through voluntary employee contributions, HCI allows employees to support causes that are meaningful to them through financial contributions, volunteer hours and in-kind donations. 

 

Each Halff office is home to an HCI Committee responsible for selecting causes to support and planning volunteer events. Employees bring forward causes for consideration they’re passionate about or local community needs they see firsthand. Last year marked an important milestone for HCI, with the initiative surpassing $1 million in total giving. In 2025 alone, HCI provided $265,000 in support to 155 organizations across its 31 offices in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida. 

 

The Halff Community Initiative carries forward the legacy of Dr. Albert H. Halff, who founded the firm in 1950. Known for his innovative solutions for flood control, public works, transportation, and other urban challenges, Dr. Halff was just as well known for his kindness and generosity. Each August, the firm celebrates the founder’s birthday with HCI Giving Week, creating opportunities for employees to get involved throughout the week.

 

In Oklahoma, recent HCI Giving Week efforts included a pancake breakfast fundraiser, a Feed the Children food packing event, a canned food drive and preparing meals for those staying at Hope Lodge in Oklahoma City, a home away from home for people facing cancer when treatment is far away. Employees have also participated in numerous “Litter Blitz” cleanup efforts and fundraising drives like Angel Tree and Sweet Cases, decorating bags filled with comfort items for children entering foster care.

 

Employee volunteer efforts offer more than just a chance to give back; they bring employees from different departments together and help blur the lines between traditionally segmented groups. Whether preparing a meal, decorating bags or picking up litter, employees have an opportunity to connect with not only their own team but with colleagues they might not otherwise work alongside.

 

For Halff, community impact is connected to the work the firm does every day. The firm’s multidisciplinary designs benefit society, and the work done through HCI is an extension of that, giving employees a way to directly support local people and organizations in need.

 

As an OFBO member company, Halff is one example of the many businesses investing not only in Oklahoma’s economy, but in the people and communities that make the state a great place to live, work and do business. 

 

OFBO is always looking for stories that highlight the ways our members are investing in Oklahoma. Have a success story to share? Contact Emily Lang or Callie Collins.