In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., originally announced a commitment of $8.5 million to support global communities. Part of the funding included a 2:1 match for a limited time for United States employee and retiree donations made to eligible nonprofits.
Strong support from Caterpillar employees and retirees, the $1 million matching cap was surpassed in a matter of days. As a result, the Foundation increased the match cap to $2.5 million, raising its overall commitment to $10 million in support of global COVID-19 response efforts and organizations impacted by the pandemic. Including the Foundation’s match, employee and retiree donations reached $3.9 million to help organizations.
“The Caterpillar team of both present and past employees are incredibly generous and have a well-earned reputation for giving back to the communities in which they live and work,” said Asha Varghese, president, Caterpillar Foundation. “Together, they donated $1.4 million to help keep our communities safe and strong during this difficult time.”
From foodbanks to hospitals to educational organizations, more than 500 non-profits across 43 states were positively impacted through the generosity of Caterpillar employees and retirees and the Foundation’s match program. The contributions are assisting organizations like the Central Illinois Dream Center in providing shelter, food and personal hygiene items to individuals and families most affected by challenging economic conditions resulting from the virus. Other examples of organizations benefitting from the donations include Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and multiple food banks in numerous Caterpillar communities, like the Second Harvest Food bank in Tennessee and the Houston Food Bank.
Also as previously reported in RER Reports, the Foundation also donated $1 million split between the Equal Justice Initiative -- an organization committed to challenging racial and economic injustice – and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. For more on Caterpillar’s contributions to fight racism and social injustice, press: https://www.rermag.com/news-analysis/headline-news/article/21134984/caterpillar-foundation-announces-commitment-to-help-fight-racism-and-social-injustice.
