$7m for 700 non-profits to advance social & racial equity

Enterprise Holdings has awarded grants to around 700 non-profit organisations to address social and racial equity gaps facing youth and families in communities across the globe.

Combined, the grants made through the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, total more than $7 million in 2021. This is another step in the ROAD Forward initiative to allocate $35 million over five years to more than 70 global Enterprise operating teams to drive local impact, as part of its five-year, $55 million commitment.

The grant programme empowers Enterprise Holdings’ 80,000+ employees to take the lead on identifying local organisations best equipped to drive change in their own communities, across three key areas: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. 

“A commitment to the communities where we operate has been fundamental to our company since its founding in 1957,” stated Enterprise Holdings Foundation President Carolyn Kindle Betz. “ROAD Forward’s local grants will support the many outstanding organisations that are leading efforts to advance equity in their communities; and ultimately strengthen the areas where our employees live and work, one neighbourhood at a time.” 

ADVANCING EQUITY

Recipients of the grants, nominated by Enterprise employees, include:

• Brotherhood Crusade, a 50-year-old grassroots organisation working to improve quality of life and serve unmet needs of low-income, underserved, underrepresented and disenfranchised individuals in South Los Angeles, including health disparities and poverty-associated public health conditions. The non-profit has provided human and social services to more than 100,000 South Los Angeles residents. 
• Young Men United, a non-profit in Baltimore with a mission to close gaps in racial education and earning by helping 25,000 young men of colour over 10 years to increase post-secondary attainment and workforce preparedness. The organisation provides participants with mentoring opportunities, guidance throughout the college search and application process, financial and educational support, and internships and job experiences. 
• Youth Opportunities Unlimited, an organisation based in Cleveland focused on helping local youth become economically self-sufficient through mentorship, skills and credentials training, career exploration, and internship and job searches. Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, the non-profit has helped more than 160,000 teens and young adults obtain jobs and internships. 
• More than 60 of the local grants will support renowned non-profit organisations and communities where the company operates in Europe. This includes support of 17 national organisations across the continent, such as National Literacy Trust (UK), The Girls’ Network (UK), Children’s Books Ireland (Ireland), Children for a better World e.V. (Germany), Sport dans la Ville (France) and Fundación MAPFRE (Spain), amongst others.

ROAD FORWARD COMMITMENT

Enterprise Holdings first announced the ROAD Forward commitment in November 2020. The initiative focuses on Respect, Opportunity, Advancement and Diversity (ROAD) for youth and families by addressing three areas in need of urgent attention: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. 

• Early childhood development: The foundation for future success is built on access to preschool, pre-K, kindergarten and other opportunities for introducing learning and literacy. It believes in laying the building blocks of empowerment through early development and education to generate enthusiasm for life-long learning. 
• Youth health and wellness: Health disparities are unfortunate symptoms of racial and socioeconomic inequality. It’s supporting the creation of opportunities to engage in positive behaviours that nurture physical and mental well-being. This enables self-sufficiency and closes the gap in healthy outcomes among youth. 
• Career and college preparation: The transition from childhood to adulthood is a crucial time for establishing a productive and healthy life. So the foundation is investing in programmes and organisations that provide college admissions and financial aid guidance, exposure and access to employers, career development coaching, skills training and interview preparation. Equal access to these critical resources promotes long-term financial stability and mobility. 

DE&I COMMITMENT

“ROAD Forward demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our communities,” said Enterprise Holdings Chief Diversity Officer Errin Braddock. “This is a companywide priority; and through this initiative, as well as efforts inside our own walls, we are doing the work that is necessary to help our communities advance lasting change.” 

In addition to $35 million in local-market grants, the commitment includes $20 million across four renowned non-profit organisations – The Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, UNCF, Girls Inc and Parents as Teachers – to support young people in underserved communities. 

ADDRESSING EDUCATION & FOOD INSECURITY

Since November, Parents as Teachers has been able to hire its first National Director of Equity and address language translation needs to increase access to curriculum for parents and educators. UNCF has launched the Enterprise ROAD Forward scholarship to support 72 students attending historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs). The ROAD Forward grants are also enabling Girls Inc to develop social and emotional learning approaches for the girls it serves and My Brother’s Keeper to enhance support of its community leaders on the ground and through new virtual platforms. 

In conjunction with the ROAD Forward initiative, the foundation invested an additional $40 million in November 2020 into Enterprise Fill Your Tank; a six-year, $60 million programme launched in 2016 to address food insecurity – an issue that often disproportionally affects people of colour. The additional investment will extend the programme for another four years with funds being distributed among food banks and charities throughout North America and Europe.

Recently, the Ford Foundation announced a $15 million commitment to address key issues facing Black women worldwide. Click here to read more.