VMLY&R employee giving program surpasses $3M milestone

Earlier this year, the VMLY&R Foundation celebrated a wonderful milestone, surpassing the $3 million mark in collective charitable contributions since its inception in 2005. This achievement was made possible thanks to the abundant generosity of VMLY&R employees who participate in the U.S. employee giving program through payroll giving. 

VMLY&R Foundation participants have exclusive access to two primary charitable financial benefits: 

• The opportunity to request an unrestricted financial grant for a nonprofit organization that holds a personal connection for the employee. 
• A $2 to $1 matching gift benefit, effectively tripling the impact of Foundation members' personal philanthropic efforts. 

Each year, employees direct hundreds of charitable donations in the form of unrestricted grants and matching gifts. Every organization receiving a donation is recommended by a Foundation member, and the list of causes continues to grow each year. 

In addition to our ongoing support for employee-directed giving, the VMLY&R Foundation proudly partners with VMLY&R’s equality, inclusion and belonging (EI&B) imperative. Additionally, there are special matching gift programs that address timely matters such as natural disasters, humanitarian aid and employee resource group (ERG) initiatives. 

Most recently, the Foundation launched two global special matching campaigns:

• Together for Ukraine, a global crowdfunding drive for our colleagues based in Ukraine.
• Support for Maui, a fundraising partnership with the B.EAST ERG providing aid to the Hawaii wildfire relief efforts.

Together, these efforts raised tens of thousands of dollars and exemplify our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us through the power of peer-to-peer giving. 

The VMLY&R Foundation also guides year-round programming. Every full-time VMLY&R employee has 16 hours of paid community service time to use each year, in addition to our agency’s global day of service, VMLY&R Worldwide Foundation Day. Each office also donates time and talent to support pro bono initiatives big and small.