Inside Philanthropy

Go beyond 990s.

General Motors Company

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OVERVIEW: General Motors Company conducts its philanthropy through an in-house corporate giving program. Its two primary social impact pillars are STEAM Education and Road Safety, with significant current investments in workforce development and communities where GM operates, particularly Michigan.

IP TAKE: General Motors (GM) is primarily a relationship-driven corporate funder, and its regular grantmaking is currently invitation-only. The company says it does not accept unsolicited funding requests, so grantseekers should not rely on the open letter-of-inquiry process GM offered in previous years.

That does not mean GM is entirely inaccessible. The company periodically launches open competitions and works through intermediary partners. As of September 2026, its Stars, Stripes & Skilled Trades initiative is accepting proposals from eligible nonprofits through September 30. Other pathways have included the GM on Main Street program administered with Main Street America and locally selected Community Impact Grants in communities where GM has facilities.

For organizations seeking longer-term relationships with GM, strong alignment matters. Good prospects generally work in STEAM education, workforce development or road safety; demonstrate measurable outcomes; and, particularly for place-based work, operate near a GM facility. Relationships with GM employees, facilities, existing grantees, employers, community colleges and other organizations already participating in GM-funded networks may provide more realistic routes onto the company’s radar than a cold approach.

PROFILE: The General Motors Company (GM), based in Detroit, conducts grantmaking through its Corporate Giving program since unwinding its corporate foundation in 2017. The new philanthropic strategy aims to “create inclusive solutions to social issues in the communities in which [its employees] live and work around the world.” Stated areas of interest include STEAM education and vehicle safety.

GM currently directs its philanthropic funding through two primary social impact pillars: STEAM Education and Road Safety. STEAM funding seeks to strengthen foundational reading, math and science skills, expand resources that support educators and classrooms, and increase participation and success in STEAM careers. Road Safety funding supports reliable transportation access, awareness and access to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and safer behavior in and around vehicles.

Grants for K-12 and STEAM Education

STEAM education is one of GM’s two primary giving areas. The company’s current goals include increasing foundational reading, math and science learning, expanding access to resources that support classrooms and educators, and encouraging people to explore and pursue STEAM careers. See GM’s Social Impact Pillars

  • GM has recently expanded this work considerably. In 2026, the company said it had committed $50 million in funding aligned with STEAM education, including more than $15 million for STEAM educator resources and professional development.
  • Recent nonprofit partnerships illustrate the types of programs GM supports. The company has worked with DonorsChoose to provide STEAM classroom resources nationwide, including a $1.1 million matching campaign in 2026. It also supports First Book in connection with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Summer Brain Gain program and has funded programs that expose students to STEAM careers and provide career training.
  • Grantseekers should note that GM’s regular corporate grants are currently invitation-only. Organizations offering strong, measurable STEAM programs in GM communities or working through established national education networks are likely to be better positioned than organizations making unsolicited approaches.

Grants for Higher Education and Workforce Development

GM does not currently present higher education as a separate social impact pillar. Rather, colleges, universities, community colleges and other training institutions appear within its broader STEAM and workforce-development strategy.

  • Since 2021, GM says it has provided more than $110 million to programs advancing technology education across secondary schools, trade schools, community colleges, universities and other training settings. Its current partnerships include the American Association of Community Colleges’ EmployED initiative, which works to align community college education with advanced-manufacturing workforce needs.
  • Workforce development has become an increasingly visible element of GM’s philanthropy. In 2026, GM said it tripled its workforce-development grantmaking to $15 million. A recent example is a $1 million grant to Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to expand Bridges to Career Opportunities, which combines occupational training with career and financial coaching.

Higher education grantseekers should not assume that GM maintains a standing open college or university grant program. Current evidence suggests that much of this work occurs through strategic partnerships rather than unsolicited institutional applications.

Grants for Michigan

Michigan is an especially important geography for GM’s philanthropy. In May 2026, the company announced a $50 million commitment to Michigan communities through 2030, expanding its investments in education, workforce development and community partnerships across the state.

  • Current Michigan priorities include supporting foundational PK-12 STEAM skills, providing educators with tools and resources, and helping more people move into skilled trades and other in-demand careers. GM describes the commitment as statewide, expanding upon its longstanding giving in Detroit and other Michigan communities.
  • GM also maintains a history of local grantmaking near its facilities. In 2024, for example, its Flint-area plants awarded $270,000 in Community Impact Grants to eight Genesee County nonprofits, including Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint, Communities First, Flint River Watershed Coalition, Kettering University, Flint Children’s Museum and United Way of Genesee County. GM said funding decisions for those grants were made locally.

Organizations serving communities near GM facilities may therefore have an advantage in place-based giving, although GM does not currently advertise an open general Michigan application process.

Grants for Road Safety

Road Safety is GM’s other primary social impact pillar. Funding aims to increase access to reliable transportation, expand awareness and access related to EVs and charging infrastructure, and improve safe behavior in and around vehicles while reducing risky road behavior.

  • GM says it invested more than $40 million in road-safety programs over a recent two-year period. Current and recent nonprofit partners include the Governors Highway Safety Association, National Safety Council and Teens in the Driver Seat, among others.
  • A particularly accessible example is GM on Main Street, a partnership with Main Street America that supports transportation and road-safety improvements in commercial districts near GM facilities. In 2026, the program awarded five grants of $60,000 each to nonprofit and municipal recipients in Arizona, California, Michigan, New York and Ohio for traffic-calming and road-safety projects. Since launching in 2023, the program has awarded $1 million to 21 organizations. The 2026 competition has closed, but prospective applicants may want to monitor Main Street America for future rounds.

Other Grantmaking Opportunities

GM periodically operates funding opportunities outside its normal invitation-only process.

  • The Stars, Stripes & Skilled Trades initiative is a current nationwide workforce-development RFP supporting veterans, transitioning service members and military-connected family members pursuing careers in manufacturing, automotive work and skilled trades. GM has allocated $3 million to the initiative, with 12-month grants available at $100,000, $250,000 and $500,000.
    • Eligible applicants must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations with an existing workforce-development program and a demonstrated record of placing participants in careers. At least 70% of participants must be military-connected. Strong applicants will have employer and training-provider relationships, measurable outcomes and a clear job-placement strategy. GM also says it will give strong consideration to programs operating near GM facilities or in areas with significant military-connected populations. See the full RFP guidelines.
    • Applications are due September 30, 2026. GM’s live Corporate Giving page lists August 21 as the opening date, while the detailed RFP guidelines say August 20; both sources agree on the September 30 deadline.
  • GM has also operated Community Impact Grants, a locally focused program supporting organizations in communities where the company has facilities. GM reported awarding more than $13 million through this program between 2019 and 2023, and Community Impact Grants were still being awarded in Flint in 2024.
  • However, GM does not currently advertise a separate open Community Impact application cycle on its main Corporate Giving page. Older Community Impact Grant guidelines describe employee, facility and local-community pathways into the program, but grantseekers should not assume those procedures remain open under GM’s current invitation-only policy.
  • GM also operates GM Cares, its employee giving and volunteer program. Since 2011, GM says employees have contributed more than 1.3 million volunteer hours and more than $16.3 million in direct nonprofit donations through the program. GM Cares is not a conventional competitive grant program, but relationships with employees and facilities may help locally active nonprofits build visibility within GM communities.
  • Another intermediary pathway worth monitoring is GM on Main Street, a partnership with Main Street America supporting road-safety and traffic-calming projects in commercial districts near GM facilities. In 2026, the program awarded five grants of $60,000 each. The 2026 round has closed, but prospective applicants may want to monitor Main Street America for future funding rounds.

Important Grant Details:

Awards vary considerably by program. Recent examples range from $60,000 GM on Main Street awards to $100,000-$500,000 grants offered through Stars, Stripes & Skilled Trades and a $1 million strategic grant to LISC. Smaller Community Impact Grants have also historically been made in GM facility communities.

  • GM’s general corporate grantmaking is currently invitation-only, and the company says it does not accept unsolicited funding requests. Invitations are extended to nonprofits that align with GM’s social impact pillars and funding priorities. See GM’s current funding information.
    • This represents a change from GM’s 2025 grantmaking guidelines, which described an annual letter-of-inquiry process with a September 30 deadline. Although GM’s website still links to some older grantmaking materials and an LOI portal, its live Corporate Giving page explicitly states that unsolicited requests are not accepted. Grantseekers should follow the current webpage rather than rely on the older LOI instructions.
    • There are exceptions. GM periodically issues open RFPs or works through intermediary organizations. The Stars, Stripes & Skilled Trades RFP is currently open through September 30, 2026, while GM on Main Street has operated competitive rounds through Main Street America.
  • The givingback@gm.com address identified in GM’s grant materials is intended for technical assistance with the online application system, not for pitching proposals or discussing pending funding requests.

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