Despite being among the wealthiest states in the country, more than 428,000 Connecticut residents — or 12.3 percent of the state’s population — are considered food insecure, according to a new study by the Connecticut Food Bank and Feeding America. Such alarming figures have attracted the attention — and philanthropic support — of Walmart, which has committed $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations to a five-year national initiative to address hunger related issues.
The effects of that massive investment are already being felt in Connecticut, where Walmart has made several $100,000 corporate grants to hunger-related organizations, including End Hunger Connecticut, Foodshare and Connecticut Food Bank, which also received an additional $100,000 from Walmart Associate Choice.
“As a national priority, we are committed to addressing hunger,” said Christopher Buchanan, Walmart’s director of public affairs and government relations for southern New England and New York. “Aside from that, our strategy is to keep our charitable giving decisions very local.”
That’s good news for nonprofits in Connecticut where it seems the retail giant is doing more than rolling back prices; they’re rolling out philanthropy. In fact, in 2011, in Connecticut alone, Walmart has allocated $2.5 million through its company’s statewide giving program, an increase of 19 percent compared to just three years ago. This heightened engagement in the Nutmeg state reflects the company’s growth — with 33 Walmart and three Sam’s Club stores and 8,000 employees statewide — in recent years.
And with grants starting at $25,000, there is no shortage of funding requests for Walmart’s statewide grants. Lucky past recipients in Connecticut include First Tee of Connecticut, which teaches children character development through golf, and Jr. Achievement, which provides job readiness training for youth from elementary school through high school.
“Our local giving council [which accepts requests twice per year] typically reviews about 100 proposals,” Buchanan said. “For each cycle, we typically fund between 10 to 12 organizations.”
While that highly competitive process might seem daunting to some nonprofits, Buchanan said the statewide council makes a concerted effort to address many communities and not simply places with a Walmart presence. “We make substantial investments in Connecticut’s urban areas, where there is often great need,” Buchanan explained, “but we also support rural communities which might face some similar challenges — such as food insecurity.”
To make sure funding decisions are fair and strategic, the company’s Connecticut giving council is comprised of a diverse pool of employees — from market managers to store managers to associates — who represent different regions across the state. “We feel our local employees best understand the local needs in their communities,” Buchanan explained, “and are best equipped to direct appropriate funding to meet those needs.”
With $2.5 million in charitable support on the table, and plenty of social services needs statewide, Walmart should keep a lot of Connecticut nonprofits smiling.
• • •
McGurk roasted at MCC
Community Allies Serving Together raised more than $30,000 with a celebrity roast of Bill McGurk, retiring president and CEO of Rockville Bank. The sponsoring group is a fundraising partnership involving Hockanum Valley Community Council, Visiting Nurse and Health Services of Connecticut, and ECHN’s Woodlake at Tolland. The funds benefit their programs.
The panel of roasters — Raymond H. Lefurge, chairman of the board, Rockville Bank; Jonathan Daube, president emeritus, MCC; Howard Pitkin, commissioner of banking; Brad Davis, WDRC radio personality; Peter J. Karl, president and CEO, ECHN; David Lentini, president and CEO, Connecticut Bank and Trust; and Mary McGurk, thought of by many to be the Patron Saint of Rockville Bank — sat on the Manchester Community College stage in front of a backdrop that read “Old Bankers Never Die, They Just Pass The Buck!”
Community Allies Serving Together also presented a $1,500 check to Gena Glickman, president of Manchester Community College, for the William J. McGurk — Rockville Bank Scholarship.
• • •
Grant expands workforce program
American Savings Foundation in New Britain has awarded a grant of $25,000 to support Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford, a public/private partnership working toward an educated, economically self-sufficient workforce with the skills needed by area employers.
The collaborative helps lower-skilled employees advance to mid-skill jobs by providing a mix of training and supports. The grant from American Savings Foundation will go toward expanding and supporting collaborative projects in the New Britain area.
Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford is a regional collaborative associated with the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, a $30 million, five-year effort to strengthen and expand effective workforce initiatives around the country.
