KPMG Foundation

OVERVIEW: The KPMG Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the multinational accounting firm KPMG. Its grants support education and disaster relief.

IP TAKE: In 2005, the foundation’s multinational sister firm admitted to creating tax shelters for its clients and paid over $400 million in fines to avoid criminal prosecution in what was then the largest criminal tax case ever filed. How this has impacted its philanthropy is unknown since its grantmaking process is not transparent.

This funder is somewhat opaque and not accessible; at this writing, its website was not accessible. The foundation mainly works through signature programs, and many of its grants consist of matching donation programs for colleges and universities.

PROFILE: The KPMG Foundation was established in 1968 as the charitable arm of the multinational accounting firm KPMG, which traces its roots back more than three centuries and has a presence in over 150 countries. The KPMG Foundation “seeks to bring about systemic change in business and society—specifically, an increase in the diversity of ideas.” Its main philanthropic concerns are education and disaster relief.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education 

KPMG’s Education initiative focuses on math and business education for K-12, and promoting diversity in higher education. The foundation’s latest education initiative, Reaching New Heights, which aims to “promote access and equity in higher education, increase awareness of pipeline diversity at institutions and create opportunities for collaboration between KPMG professionals and educators within our communities.” Grants consist of an initial $25,000 award to institutions of higher education for the purpose of starting or supporting existing diversity programs. Initial grants are followed by a donation period during which schools “participate in a 2:1 match up to $500,000 in eligible donations made by KPMG professionals, partners and retired partners.” Inaugural grantees of the new program include LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York; Central Washington University; Wagner College in Staten Island, New York; and Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Past grantmaking from KPMG has also supported K-12 education, with grants supporting organizations including Junior Achievement’s Finance Park financial literacy and career readiness program and ENACTUS, a program that recruits college business students to teach K-12 students about entrepreneurism, leadership and communication. During the COVID-19 school shutdowns, KPMG also posted a series of free and easily-accessible Virtual Field Trips to help K-12 students think about careers in fields related to arts and sciences.

Grants for Disaster and Humanitarian Relief

KPMG’s disaster relief funding supports “[p]referred NGO and development organizations,” such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. The foundation also awards grants to other disaster relief organizations through its regular grantmaking programs. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $75,000. In the past, KPMG awarded grants to organizations responding to typhoons in Asia, earthquakes in Nepal and floods in the United States.

Important Grant Details:

KPMG grants typically range in amount from $5,000 to $75,000. Larger grants have been awarded for multi-year partnerships. The KPMG Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. The KPMG Foundation is led by Anita Whitehead, who can be reached by telephone at (703) 286-8245.

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