Leveraging mini grants for nonprofits
Supporting YCore has allowed me to create a long-lasting, meaningful impact in my community, and I was recently able to give back to YCore through a grant award with my company, KPMG.
KPMG is one of many corporations that provide employees various methods to support nonprofits that are important to their people. For KPMG, this is part of what they describe as their “commitment to lifelong learning and equitable access to transformational learning opportunities.” The KPMG Foundation has a few stated giving priorities — lifelong learning, diversity, equity & inclusion, healthy communities, and environmental sustainability — but they also allocate a portion of their giving to causes employees are passionate about.
The experience of applying for the mini grant was really easy. KPMG posts their corporate giving programs on their website, but employees can also reach out to folks working at the foundation or corporate responsibility department. The whole process took a few months, and everyone on the KPMG team was incredibly encouraging throughout. It felt like a nice way to connect my corporate life with a cause that’s important to me.
Every company looks different, but many offer small grants to nonprofits similar to the one I got from KPMG. I would highly recommend looking into it on your company’s website or reaching out to your company's foundation, corporate responsibility department, or employee engagement/HR representative. Many companies also have other options to give, like employee matching programs or Dollars for Doers (donations based on your volunteer hours). There is usually a lot of assistance available, and taking advantage of it is a great way to increase the impact you are already having as a volunteer or donor.
I would highly recommend checking mini grant programs out, because they are usually very simple to apply for. I am thrilled that KPMG has the means and desire to invest in nonprofit organizations like YCore and has helped me increase the impact I have on my community.
