MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Utilizing the Groundswell platform, Wisconsin-based Wipfli LLP has launched a new charitable program that provides each employee $150 and matches an additional $500 that can be distributed to charity how, when and where the employee chooses. To power this program, Wipfli chose Groundswell, a venture-backed company founded by former University of Wisconsin football player Jake Wood, that is aiming to disrupt corporate philanthropy by shifting power to employees. Since Wipfli’s Groundswell launch, the new program has already seen the number of associates participating in charitable giving increase more than fourfold.
Wipfli, a Milwaukee-based professional services firm with over 3,000 employees, has a long history of giving back. However, with research indicating millennial and Gen Z employees are seeking more purposeful work, Wipfli determined it could better meet the shifting expectations of its associates by directly funding some of their charitable interests.
“Today, more than ever, associates are looking to us to support them, to remove barriers to giving and create benefits that empower them. This new platform checked all those boxes, providing them more opportunities to contribute to causes they believe in,” CHRO and firm principal Maureen Pistone said.
For the last century, corporate philanthropy has been a mostly centralized function overseen by top executives. Recent decades have seen a rise in employee donation matching programs, but these programs have generated anemic participation, due to poor program design, high administrative burdens, and a lack of privacy for employees. Groundswell, launched in 2021, has built a mobile-first solution that provides employees with tax-advantaged personal giving accounts. These accounts are a modern approach to corporate philanthropy, effectively treating charitable giving as an employee benefit.
“Wipfli has a long history of corporate citizenship and innovation. We are excited to combine these two competencies and radically rethink how companies can drive impact in their communities,” said Wipfli partner Ken Kortas, who is also President of the Wipfli Foundation.
Groundswell founder and CEO Jake Wood, a 2005 graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Business, previously partnered with Wipfli at Team Rubicon, the disaster response nonprofit he founded. Together, Wipfli and Team Rubicon built the world’s most innovative disaster and volunteer management software.
“I saw firsthand Wipfli’s commitment to impact while running Team Rubicon and am excited to continue driving that impact by helping them launch a modern charitable program that helps add to Wipfli’s culture of giving and gratitude.”
About Wipfli:
With more than 70,000 clients and approximately 3,100 associates, Wipfli ranks among the largest accounting and advisory firms in the nation. We bring integrated solutions to help our clients turn data into insights, optimize workflows, increase margins and transform through digital innovation.
About Groundswell:
Groundswell is a modern corporate giving platform for companies that want to make philanthropy an employee benefit. Groundswell allows companies to support charitable demand by providing tax-advantaged personal giving accounts to employees, like a 401(k) for charitable giving. Groundswell’s proprietary Philanthropy-as-as-Service platform gets a company’s giving program up and running within hours and eliminates the administrative burden of managing a donation matching program. Founded by serial social entrepreneurs, Groundswell aims to democratize corporate giving and unlock the modern philanthropist in everyone. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA and backed by GV, Human Ventures, Felicis, and Moonshots Capital. To learn more, visit www.groundswell.io
