8. Giving Back >
8.1 Ben & Jerry’s Foundation >
8.1.1 Employee-directed Grant-making
Employee-Directed Grants
Ben & Jerry’s employees are extensively involved in the grant-making activities of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation because the Foundation’s monies derive from the hard work of the Company’s staff. The Foundation administers three programs that award grants under the direction of Ben & Jerry’s employees.
National Grant-making Program
A nine-member Employee Grant-making Committee representing each of the three Ben & Jerry’s sites in Vermont makes grants to national and Vermont-based nonprofit organizations to support progressive social change and environmental work. Members volunteer to join the committee and are selected by Foundation staff. They are expected to serve three-year terms. Grants are made ten times a year and range from $500 to $15,000.
In 2006 the Employee Grant-making Committee distributed $939,593 in grants.
A complete list of national grants can be found on the Foundation website.
Community Action Teams
Each of the Company’s Vermont sites (Waterbury, St. Albans, South Burlington) also has an employee Community Action Team or CAT. These teams review and decide on small grant requests, generally $100 to $1,000, to support the work of local, Vermont-based, nonprofit organizations.
In 2006 the three Community Action Teams distributed $165,200 in grants to organizations such as:
- Rural Community Transportation, Inc.
- Women’s Rape Crisis Center
- South Hero Land Trust
- Intervale Foundation
Employee Matching Gift Program
In order to encourage and support employees’ personal generosity, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation initiated an Employee Matching Gift Program in 1998. When employees make donations to nonprofits of their own choice, the Foundation matches dollar-for-dollar up to $2,000 per employee annually.
In 2006, 16% of staff participated and the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation matched $29,192 in employee donations.