Corporate Money

We take a look at what drives the charitable arm of the oldest and largest mutual bank in the country and why this funder is focusing on early childhood development in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

The Western Union Foundation has long focused its international grantmaking on education. Now, it’s launching a new program to help people who’ve been forcibly displaced get a fair shot at integrating into the global economy. 

News out of Kentucky provides yet another example of donors rehabilitating their brands through higher ed philanthropy. But this story also features corporate intrigue, disputed gifts, and the funding inequities facing black universities.

By 2035, more young people will be joining Africa’s workforce each year than the rest of the world combined. No grantmaker is more focused on this challenge than the Mastercard Foundation—tapping a $17 billion endowment.

Walmart’s business in India is growing rapidly. That economic stake—along with the company’s CSR goals around its supply chain—helps explain why its philanthropic arm is making $25 million in grants to boost farmers.

Home Depot has been engaged in storm recovery work for more than 20 years. Its foundation now has a well-developed model for providing both short-term relief efforts and long-term community rebuilding when disaster strikes.

Society pays a heavy price when foster care systems fail children. To change that, a grantmaker founded by an adopted child who went on to great wealth gives millions every year to programs supporting foster care transitions.

The Levi Strauss Foundation, an early funder in the fight against HIV/AIDS, continues to step up in changing times, meeting a roll-back of hard fought gains in the areas of diversity and inclusion with expanded support for the trans community. 

Corporate grant support has soared, more than tripling since 2012. But major companies back LGBTQ communities in many other ways, too. We look at the big picture of this giving, along with the bottom-line considerations that drive it.

Wells Fargo is one of the most scandal-ridden banks in the U.S. It also funds environmental work and Native American communities, among other causes. Its recent gifts for renewable energy underscore major tensions in corporate philanthropy.

Gilead Sciences is a leading player in HIV/AIDS funding in the U.S. South, with a major grantmaking program aimed at tackling an epidemic that’s still raging in this part of the country. Where’s the money going?

Comcast-NBC Universal Foundation’s work on the digital divide, as well as its other philanthropic efforts, focuses strongly on communities where the company has a presence. Here’s an inside look at how this media giant does its giving.

An estimated 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, threatening vital marine ecosystems, and most of it comes from rivers. Can a new partnership between the Benioff Ocean Initiative and Coca-Cola “turn off the tap” of river plastic?

The lack of savings in underserved communities leaves vulnerable populations ill equipped to weather unexpected emergencies and achieve financial security. JPMorgan Chase recently unveiled a new $125 million effort to address this problem.

Atlanta has the highest level of income inequality of any city in America, with nearly half of residents in its Westside area living in poverty. The SunTrust Foundation is part of a new collaboration that’s coming together to try to turn things around.

A growing number of philanthropic initiatives are zeroing in on the many teenagers and young adults who aren’t engaged in either school or work. The latest effort, from a major financial products company, is addressing this vexing problem at a global level.

Students in San Diego schools are at risk of encountering or experiencing human trafficking. A new private-public collaborative seeks to help teachers and children take on this devastating issue.

Citizens Financial Group is one of the largest financial institutions in the U.S., but its Citizens Charitable Foundation focuses on the New England region, especially Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Here are four things to know about its grantmaking.

The Conservation Alliance is a network of outdoor industry companies coming together and making grants to protect the wild lands they rely on. Members pool dues and vote on grantees, mimicking the popular giving circle model at the corporate level.

Arby’s is more than just a fast-food restaurant; it also has a philanthropic foundation that awards grants. Here are three things to know about Arby’s Foundation giving in the Southeastern U.S.

The IT company Cognizant launched a foundation last year as part of its efforts to bolster STEM skills in the U.S. It recently started grantmaking and appointed an executive director. A focus on girls and women has figured prominently in its early moves.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has one of the most well-established and accessible grantmaking programs in Major League Baseball and gives out grants three times each year. Here’s what local grantseekers need to know.

The Barnes Group Foundation has been supporting local groups in Connecticut and other location where it operates for nearly 75 years. We identify its key philanthropic avenues and initiatives, including a robust employee volunteer program.

Following a $70 billion merger, CVS Health and Aetna are doing more than fusing companies—they’re combining their corporate giving and have already made millions of dollars in grants. What’s the strategy? And which nonprofits are getting money?

Micron Technology typically isn’t mentioned in the same breath as Google, Microsoft, or Intel, but when it comes to boosting gender parity and diversity in the STEM field, its giving arm punches well above its weight.

New casinos are often the focal points of controversy, and the Encore Boston Harbor is certain no exception. Here’s what it has been doing to turn its image around and connect with the local Boston community.