Pajamas Delivered to 1,400 Needy Children
From international organizations to hometown charities, Booz Allen’s unique grant programs fund hundreds of worthwhile efforts.
Since 2001, the nationwide Pajama Program has donated over 350,000 pajamas and 140,000 books to children in need, many of whom live in orphanages, shelters, foster care, or group homes.
Booz Allen Hamilton senior vice president Corrine Kosar used a Volunteer Service Grant (VSG) from the firm to give 1,400 pairs of those pajamas to local children.
“The $5,000 VSG check from Booz Allen was sent to the Pajama Program’s headquarters, which buys pajamas from major manufacturers at steep discounts,” Kosar says. “We purchased 1,400 new pairs at less than $4 each.”
Infants through teenagers are supported by the Pajama Program. Kosar has been involved for two years. “Many children in foster care, orphanages, and shelters have no possessions except the clothes on their backs; they often go to school in the same clothes they sleep in,” she says.
Since 2000, Booz Allen’s Giving Station and VSG programs have made it easy for staff members to get involved in the firm’s corporate philanthropy programs. Employees use the online Giving Station to donate to their favorite charities using a personal credit card or payroll deduction to make a one-time or recurring pledge. Booz Allen underwrites administrative costs, so 100% of the employee’s donation goes directly to the nonprofit.
“VSGs and the Giving Station empower our staff to get engaged,” says principal Joe Suarez. “The cornerstone of the firm’s approach to philanthropy is volunteerism, and the firm wants to honor that volunteerism. These programs are the frontline of our employee-centric contribution model; they say to our employees, what’s important to you is important to us.”
The firm donates an average of $650,000 in VSGs each year. Kosar received her check for the Pajama Program about two weeks after she applied; in past years, she also applied for and received VSG funding for the Coast Guard Foundation and the Carpenter’s Shelter in Alexandria, Virginia.
A Source of Comfort for Displaced Children
For decades, Booz Allen has supported many nationally and internationally known nonprofits as well as more than 650 smaller, local organizations that serve the communities in which the firm’s employees live. Booz Allen relies on its staff to help determine where it should put its resources.
Kosar’s sister-in-law is the Pajama Program’s chapter president for Virginia. She stores, sorts, and sends out pajamas to organizations that include Reston Interfaith, where several Booz Allen employees volunteer, and the Carpenter’s Shelter, where volunteers from the firm cook lunch for residents each month.
“Organizations have specific requests for the quantity and sizes of pajamas they need,” Kosar says. “Kids are getting involved as well; for their birthday parties, they’re asking guests to bring pajamas or books to donate rather than gifts.”
To receive a VSG, an individual must be a full- or part-time Booz Allen employee for at least one year and contribute a minimum of 40 volunteer hours annually to an approved charitable or educational organization. Eligible employees can apply for up to two VSGs per fiscal year for two different nonprofits by searching Booz Allen’s database of 2,500 nonprofits or making a suggestion for a nonprofit to be included in the database, and completing an online application.
The list is vetted by Truist, an external vendor, to ensure organizations included meet the firm’s best practices standards, which include applying the majority of funds it raises to its programs, not to its operating costs. When a nominated organization is accepted for a VSG, the organization is vetted, which takes about a week.
The grant amount ranges from $250 to $750 and is determined by the employee’s level of involvement, role, and responsibility in the organization, and the organization’s impact and footprint. When a VSG is approved, the employee receives a check from Booz Allen, payable to the designated organization, in about 45 days.
Learn more about the Pajama Program.
story posted January 26, 2010
