Enterprise Holdings Foundation
/OVERVIEW: As the charitable arm of the national car rental company Enterprise, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation awards grants to groups working disaster and recovery efforts around the world; organizations serving or based in Missouri; community development; the environment and clean energy; and education.
IP TAKE: Even though this is a rather large foundation, its grants are typically modest. This is not necessarily a funder to approach for organizations looking for high dollar grant amounts; however, it makes big grants to organizations it chooses on its own accord like its long-time annual United Way campaign, which is the only matching program in which the foundation participates.
The foundation largely offers grants either through employee-led giving or strategic partners. As the foundation’s giving fact sheet reflects, 98% of its grants are awarded due to employee requests. So, don’t hesitate to network with an employee of one of its car rental companies who might be able to make your case. The Foundation matches 50 percent of employee contributions.
The Foundation does not support multi-year grants. It also does not fund an organization’s ongoing operating expenses, salary costs, or budget deficits.
PROFILE: Jack Taylor, founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, established the Enterprise Holdings Foundation in 1982. The company now includes the Alamo and National car rentals brand. Like many corporate nonprofits, the foundation was established as a means for the company to give “back to the communities where our customers and employees live and work.” Areas of grantmaking focus include community development, education and environmental stewardship.
In 2019, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation donated $51.4 million; however, the Taylor family has given roughly $92 million in grants to local, Missouri outfits separately from its corporate foundation. EHF, in addition to global grantmaking, also funds local efforts in Missouri, where it is based. The Enterprise Holdings Foundation conducts both global and national/local funding in its areas of giving.
At the global level, EHF engages in work:
Providing financial resources to worthwhile nonprofit initiatives that are actively supported and championed by loyal partners and employees and their spouses/legal domestic partners.
More sizable grants to nonprofit groups or causes that have significant strategic or social importance to the company and its employees.
Supporting relief projects or causes the company deems important, such as natural disasters that affect partners and employees.
Assisting many local causes by providing a 50 percent match of employees’ contributions to the United Way in the U.S. and Canada as well as the “Give as You Earn” program in the U.K.
Grants for Disaster Relief
Enterprise is a relatively large foundation, but disaster recovery grantmaking is modest up to $5,000. However, it has partnered with the American Red Cross after which their disaster program is named. The Red Cross receives about $1 million in funding from Enterprise each year. EHF also bestows the United Way with some of its largest grants, in the millions. If the EHF believes its gift could be important to the company, in terms of a disaster’s effects on partners and employees, then it gives large grants in this area.
EHF also gives much in-kind awards through rapid-response technology. Beyond supporting mobility and infrastructure needs during times of emergency, Enterprise also works with nonprofit partners to assist with disaster relief efforts. However, EHF does not give cars in any form. As natural disasters have increased in intensity, the EHF has increased the size of its disaster relief grants year-over-year.
Past disaster relief grantees include, in response to Hurricane Irma, $250,000 to Americares and $750,000 to the American Red Cross. Similar to what was done for customers impacted by Hurricane Harvey, Enterprise Holdings’ three brands – Enterprise, National and Alamo – have waived one-way rental fees for customers who rented vehicles in Southeast Florida and needed to drop them elsewhere, as they were evacuating. EHF has also provided grants to the Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Florence, the California wildfires, and Hawaii’s record-breaking flooding and Kilauea Volcano eruption, and ongoing recovery in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria.
Grants for LGBTQ
Enterprise does not have a grantmaking program dedicated to LGBTQ communities; however, tax filings indicate a strong interest in this field. Past LGBTQ-related grantees include organizations such as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and the Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation. Employees drive awards.
Grants for Violence Prevention
While Enterprise prioritizes its health-related grantmaking, it also awards its violence prevention grants through its community improvement grantmaking. This funding predominantly addresses violence against women, rape prevention and gender justice. Past grantees in this field include the Alamo Rape Crisis Center and Women Against Abuse.
Grants for the Environmental Conservation and Clean Energy
Enterprise Holding Foundation gives broadly to environmental concerns. The bulk of its environmental conservation work centers on animals and wildlife. Enterprise does not have a grantmaking program dedicated to protecting animals and wildlife; however, tax filings indicate a broad, undefined interest in the field driven by employees’ interests. Past animal and wildlife grantees include organizations such as Helping Animals Live On (HALO) and the Feline Rescue Association. The EHF, related to its disaster relief grantmaking, gave$50,000 to SPCA International, which supports shelters and rescue groups helping animals abandoned and displaced by natural disasters.
The Enterprise Company also oversees separate, but related grants in this area of giving, which could dictate future giving. It established the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels with a $35 million award to develop and apply technologies meant to enhance the potential of oilseed crops, algae and bioenergy grasses as sources of sustainable bioenergy. It also funded the “Routes & Roots: Enterprise Healthy Rivers Project” with a $30 million grant over the course of five years in order to support The Nature Conservancy’s long-term water resource management initiatives.
Across California, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has funded the planting of nearly 2.4 million trees as a part of the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge, a philanthropic program established in honor of the company’s 50th anniversary through a unique public-private partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. Beginning in 2006, one million trees will be planted annually through 2056 to support reforestation efforts around the world and help restore ecosystems after wildfires or other natural disasters strike.
Grants for Diseases
Enterprise does not have a grantmaking program dedicated to fighting diseases; however, tax filings indicate a strong interest in this field, as it relates to health giving, which dominates the foundation’s grantmaking. Past health grantees include large national organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association, as well as, lesser-known organizations such as the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.
Grants for Missouri
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports community-focused projects and also global initiatives. However, EHF does not typically fund K-12 schools, athletic teams, or houses of worship. It provides only single-year grants and does not consider requests for ongoing operating expenses. Past local grantees include the Saint Louis Public Schools Foundation, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis.
In 2003, as part of Enterprise Holdings’ strategy for long-term growth, the company launched the Jack Taylor Founding Values Award to honor regional Enterprise Holdings subsidiaries for their commitment to integrating the company’s core values into their daily operations. The annual award recognizes those who remain committed to six business priorities, which make up what is known as the Cultural Compass. On behalf of each regional team that wins the Founding Values Award, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation provides $40,000 in grants to benefit area nonprofits.
Important Grant Details:
Average grant amounts typically fall in the $1,000 to $5,000 range and the foundation limits first time grantees to awards not exceeding $1,500. Grantseekers should note that EHF awards more than 95 percent of its grants to organizations actively supported by employees, their spouses/partners and “loyal customers.” The Foundation accepts donation requests from Enterprise Holdings employees and their spouses/legal domestic partners only. The grantseeker must be “personally and actively involved in the organization. In addition, Enterprise Holdings’ employees may make requests on behalf of established partners who use our services on a regular basis. If you are an employee, you may access the grant request link from the company’s intranet under “Enterprise Holdings Foundation.””
However, some grants range up to $1.5 million, generally to established or large organizations and institutions with which the company has partnered strategically and is separate from employee-led giving.
EHF awards grants for 12-month periods in one of three annual meeting cycles. Because EHF considers related giving a personal choice, it will not fund schools (other than higher education); athletic teams; and churches, synagogues or other houses of worship.
This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. Instead, the private Enterprise Holdings Foundation primarily accepts requests for donations from employees of Enterprise Holdings and its network of independent regional subsidiaries, as well as its affiliate Enterprise Fleet Management. The grant-application link for employees is located on the Enterprise Holdings Foundation space on the company intranet.
Requests may be submitted during open cycle periods (closed from the submission deadline through the meeting review period). The Enterprise Holdings Foundation Board meets three times each year to consider requests. Board meetings typically take place in Winter (January or February), Spring (April or May) and Fall (October). Submission deadlines are posted on the company's intranet site. Direct general questions to the staff at 312-512-5000.
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