Case Study

A corporate foundation was doing good work granting out nearly half a million dollars per year. After surveying employees, however, the company discovered that many of its workers had a negative perception of the giving program. The leadership approached Bob Kelly to help them figure out why.

​

Bob and team interviewed both employees and managers and concluded that many on the team felt they couldn’t access the company’s philanthropy. Nearly all of the grants had been going to fund programs in low-income neighborhoods, but when employees requested funding for causes in their own neighborhoods like scouts and little league they were rejected.

​

The BK team developed a new program that would direct 50% of all grants to the areas where the company’s employees lived, while the other 50% would be unrestricted. They also set up an employer matching program so that team members who were raising money for causes could apply to receive matching funds from the company.

​

In two years, employee attitudes shifted dramatically, and a new survey yielded a 100% satisfaction rate with the company’s charitable giving. Team members reported that seeing the corporate logo on banners at community events made them proud to work for the company.