NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR today published Engaged. KKR COVID-19 Relief Effort Progress Report (the “COVID-19 Report”), which discusses the relief fund formally established by KKR and its employees in May 2020 to provide support for those most affected by COVID-19 and the resulting economic dislocation. As part of this initiative, KKR also announced the 82 grants awarded to small business owners and nonprofits in the final rounds of the KKR Small Business Builders (“SBB”) and KKR Grants programs.
The COVID-19 Report details the four key initiatives of the relief effort – KKR SBB, KKR Grants, portfolio company support programs and employee giving – which were established with an emphasis on impact and equity. Over the past two years, KKR and its employees have contributed more than $50 million in community funding to support over 20 million people across 19 countries. The results include the following:
- KKR Small Business Builders: 278 small business owners received grants of $10,000 or more and mentorship opportunities through the SBB program. In total, 30,508 small businesses and entrepreneurs were engaged and offered support through the program’s strategic partners, Hello Alice and GEN Global.
- KKR Grants: $32 million in KKR Grants awarded to 147 nonprofits focused on three priority areas: helping frontline workers and first responders; serving the most vulnerable populations; and creating pathways for education and workforce recovery. KKR Grants also created an incubator model to help find and support social entrepreneurs who are creatively tackling the pandemic’s largest challenges, funding ongoing programs in collaboration with Echoing Green (Americas), Impetus (EMEA) and the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (APAC).
- Portfolio Company Support: KKR companies provided comprehensive support offerings for KKR portfolio company employees, including programs for health care, financial coaching, mental health support and job outplacement services for employees impacted by the pandemic. The costs of the programs were fully subsidized for those displaced by the pandemic.
- Employee Giving: Over $18 million in charitable giving by KKR employees directly to nonprofits, including over $10 million contributed to causes directly addressing the impacts of the pandemic. Through the relief effort, KKR’s Citizenship team enhanced programs designed to engage employees in the relief work and in their communities. This included increasing the matching ceiling to $8,000 per employee annually, offering a two-to-one match for all COVID-19 and equity-oriented giving, supporting paid time off for volunteering and placing KKR employees with nonprofit boards and other mentorship opportunities.
“Over the past two years, we have provided support for the most vulnerable members of our communities who were disproportionally affected by the unprecedented global health, social and economic crisis,” said Ken Mehlman, Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs and Co-Head of Global Impact at KKR. “By focusing on small business owners, growing our strategic philanthropy, drawing on our employees’ skills and passion and creating support systems for our portfolio companies, our goal has been to engage with our communities to build a healthier, more resilient world. We know there is more work to do as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, and we remain committed to investing in and staying engaged in our communities.”
Final Round of KKR Small Business Builders
In connection with the progress report, KKR announced the recipients of the final rounds of KKR SBB and KKR Grants programs, two of the cornerstone initiatives of the KKR relief effort focused on providing grants and support to small businesses and nonprofits worldwide.
In the final round of the KKR SBB program, 49 small business owners in 47 cities spread across 24 states in the United States, as well as in Singapore, were selected to receive $10,000 grants. The businesses selected in the final round of SBB grants are 71% minority-owned, 25% owned by veterans or their immediate family members, 14% owned by persons with disabilities and 10% LGBTQ+-owned. To date, 67% of KKR’s SBB grantees are from historically underrepresented groups and the LGBTQ+ community. Notably, 54% of recipients have reported being able to increase wages for employees, 57% have reported an increase in revenue and nearly 75% say their KKR grant was a difference-maker in their ability to survive the pandemic.
Final Round of KKR Grants
The final round of KKR Grants through the relief effort included commitments of more than $3.1 million to 33 nonprofits. The grants were awarded to organizations whose missions are aligned with priority areas, including delivering immediate aid to vulnerable populations impacted by the pandemic, providing innovative pathways of workforce recovery and development, and supporting our heroes including teachers, first responders, essential workers and front-line medical professionals.
“The recovery from the pandemic will be lengthy and complex, requiring continued and reliable support for the nonprofit sector; our findings underscore this reality, and we are committed to ensuring help is on hand,” said Pamela Alexander, Managing Director and Head of Corporate Citizenship at KKR. “As we evolve our philanthropic programming beyond the relief effort, we aim to ease these challenges and ensure that communities around the world receive the support they need as they recover and rebuild.”
To access the KKR COVID-19 Relief Effort Progress Report, click here.
KKR Small Business Builders Final Round Recipients |
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Vernishia Robinson A Healing Touch Chiropractic Center, LLC | Columbia, SC |
Alison Cox Ali Cox & Company, Inc. | Turlock, CA |
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Christian Parker Alternative Home Care Services LLC | Indianapolis, IN |
Marisol Villalobos Amasar LLC | Jayuya, PR |
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Amber Jones Amber's Addictions LLC | Fort Worth, TX |
Amyanna Germany Amyanna's Cosmetics | Bossier, LA |
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Sherry Chao-Hrenek Asian Bite | San Antonio, TX |
Jamila Musayeva Avocado Toast LLC | Santa Monica, CA |
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Breanna Leonard Bels Dispatching | Columbus, GA |
Daphne Tay Bluente | Singapore |
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Rose Limon Borracho Products LLC | Canutillo, TX |
Jessica Bussert Wave Therapeutics | Nashville, IN |
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Nancy Cruz Caribella | Chicago, IL |
Candy Caboverde City Roofing and Construction Inc | Miami, FL |
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April Hendrix-Buckle Criselle Collection | Sterling Heights, MI |
Duygu Karaoğlan Altop Cubtale | Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, CA |
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Rachel Daily Cure Studios | Austin, TX |
Natalie Boone Ensemble Therapy | Austin, TX |
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Amari Carrington Family Matters to Us Inc. | Milwaukee, WI |
Sylvia St.John-Martinez FishBowl Radio Network | Bedford, TX |
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Ali Rose VanOverbeke Genusee | Flint, MI |
Malia Powell Go N' Glow Travel | Marietta, GA |
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Amy Renz Goodness Gracious, LLC | Marblehead, MA |
Margie Traxler Grain Free Mama's | Henderson, NV |
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Monika Dharia GreenGear | Albertson, NY |
Ruth Linton Highland Orchards Farm Market | Wilmington, DE |
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Jennifer Harden JenRan Holdings, LLC | Westlake Village, CA |
Johannah Easley Joh So Good Food LLC | Minneapolis, MN |
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Melissa Wharton Workout Anytime | Jeffersonville, IN |
Jennifer Brogee KaffeeScape LLC | Lima, OH |
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Shimere Burrell Konnect Services, LLC | Charlotte, NC |
Cindy Soto Seyford Local Pour House Inc. | Queens, NY |
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Dana M. Persico Long Island Nail Skin & Hair Institute | Levittown, NY |
Lindsay Smith LYS, A Licensed Clinical Social Worker Corporation | San Jose, CA |
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Nikki Riojas Made in Corpus Christi, LLC | Corpus Christi, TX |
Kellee James Mercaris | Silver Spring, MD |
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Andrea Johnson Tumbleweed Farm Sanctuary | Salina, KS |
Tara Ghorashi Morning Star Child Development Center | Knoxville, TN |
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Camille Kapaun Nightingale | New York City, NY |
Shane Brown Pretty in London LLC | Douglasville, GA |
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Donna Childs Prisere LLC | Cranston, RI |
Trinetta Powell Reveal and Restore Counseling | Frisco, TX |
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Laura Fleet SendaRide, Inc. | Oklahoma City, OK |
Lisa Ludwinski Sister Pie | Detroit, MI |
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Jasmin Graham Spiritchill Wellness | Oak Park, IL |
Marlana Turner Steamaway Cleaning Services LLC | Deland, FL |
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Nancy Ames Sullivan House Bakery | Gorham, ME |
Elizabeth Willard The Pickled Beet | Miami, FL |
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Amanda Stefl Timber Hill Winery | Milton, WI |
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KKR Grants Final Round Recipients |
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COMMUNITIES Helping vulnerable populations with their most critical needs including food, housing and healthcare |
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Attack Poverty Texas, USA |
North Texas Food Bank Texas, USA |
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Waste Not Arizona, USA |
Urban Justice Center New York, USA |
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Big Sunday California, USA |
Jacaranda Housing California, USA |
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Peninsula Bridge California, USA |
Breaking Ground Housing Development Fund New York, USA |
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Human Rights Watch New York, USA |
Kara California, USA |
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New Yorkers for Children New York, USA |
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OPPORTUNITIES Supporting job training, workforce recovery, and upskilling programs |
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BridgeYear Texas, USA |
Operation Stand Down Tennessee Tennessee, USA |
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Pounds of Care Alabama, USA |
Andromeda Community Initiative Inc. New York, USA |
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Association to Benefit Children New York, USA |
Breakthrough New York New York, USA |
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Genesys Works New York City New York, USA |
KIPP NYC New York, USA |
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Northside Center for Child Development New York, USA |
Rebuilding Together NYC New York, USA |
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South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) New York, USA |
Urban Dove New York, USA |
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Juma Ventures California, USA |
La Chispa Incubadora Florida, USA |
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One Digital World California, USA |
Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University California, USA |
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Harlem Lacrosse New York, USA |
National Immigration Forum Washington D.C., USA |
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Squash and Education Alliance New York, USA |
UK Youth United Kingdom |
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HEROES Supporting teachers, first responders, essential workers, and medical personnel |
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Silicon Valley Education Foundation California, USA |
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About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.
