In 2020 in partnership with United Way of Metro Chicago, KPMG Chicago shifted our investment through the United Way Neighborhood Network Initiative into the Auburn Gresham community. KPMG stands behind United Way’s belief that the zip code a person lives in should not determine their destiny. By shifting our attention to Auburn Gresham, we hope to make a deeper impact and provide more opportunities to create a healthy, safe and sustainable neighborhood.
Why Auburn Gresham? We have a common agenda and aligned community focus.
- At KPMG, lifelong learning means advancing your knowledge and skills at all stages of life. KPMG envisions a world where there is equitable access to transformative education opportunities for all, and we support targeted and customized programs and efforts designed to empower everyone to be a lifelong learner.
- The Auburn Gresham Neighborhood Network is just as equally invested in equitable education for all. They are committed to ensuring early literacy training for children pre-K to third grade and providing families with access to comprehensive social supports. Their bold goal is that 80% of their third grade students are reading at or above grade level by 2027.
Watch this video to learn more about Auburn Gresham
Our Auburn Gresham partnerships:
1
United Way of Metro Chicago & Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation
KPMG was introduced to the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) in 2020 by United Way of Metro Chicago as we embarked on our new partnership and investment in the Auburn Gresham community. GAGDC is the heartbeat of the community, leading the Auburn Gresham Neighborhood Network – they welcomed KPMG with open arms as a new corporate partner. Since then, we have volunteered at the GAGDC mobile food pop-ups at the height of the pandemic, donated back to school kits to SOS Villages’ Auburn Gresham campus, established a KPMG Family for Literacy (KFFL) partnership with Joplin Elementary by donating 2,500 books and sponsoring a virtual family reading night featuring local authors/guest speakers, and donated our 1 millionth KFFL book to Woodson Regional Library.
2
Big Shoulders Fund & St. Ethelreda
KPMG has been a longtime supporter of Big Shoulders Fund, dating back to the 90s, and provides books to all 61 of its Chicago area elementary schools through Bernie’s Book Bank and our KFFL program. In 2020, we began a deeper partnership with a Big Shoulders Fund school in Auburn Gresham. St. Ethelreda is an extraordinary school led by Principal Dr. Denise Spells, offering an educational experience that allows its graduates to flourish in high school and beyond. Over the last three years, we have hosted numerous back to school volunteer events, continued our book donations, and kicked off a mentoring program. By partnering with St. Ethelreda, KPMG hopes to create a deeper impact at one school and build meaningful relationships with faculty, staff, students, and family members.
3
Dreams for Kids / Rapunzl Investments & Leo High School
Dreams for Kids & Rapunzl provide equitable access to financial literacy through teacher training programs, contextualized curriculum, and a real-time investing simulator. Their program demystifies financial concepts and empowers students with the knowledge to harness financial markets and build generational wealth. KPMG launched our first Dreams for Kids pilot with the freshmen class of Leo High School in 2021 and worked with over 60 high school freshmen. KPMG hosted top-performing students at the Chicago Ignition Center for lunch, a panel with leaders from our Chicago African Ancestry business resource group, and distributed $3,500 in scholarships. After a successful first year, KPMG and Dreams for Kids are excited to have expanded the program at Leo High School to now include 120 students, freshmen and sophomores, along with other high schools in the Auburn Gresham community, starting with Simeon Career Academy in 2022.
Chairing from the Heart: Linda Imonti’s Commitment to Community
KPMG Chicago Office Managing Principal Linda Imonti joined the United Way of Metro Chicago Board in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why? Be...
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