The Aprio Foundation Names Community Impact Grantees, Awards $55,000 to Nonprofit Organizations in Second Quarter 2022

ATLANTA – Aprio, LLP is proud to share that the firm’s charitable arm, the Aprio Foundation, has awarded nine grants totaling $55,000 to nonprofit community partners. Our House Inc., Blessings in a Backpack, Inc., Bobby Dodd Institute, Giving Kitchen, Second Helpings Atlanta, SHARE Charlotte, EarthShare Georgia, Living Bridges Ministry, and CHRIS 180 are named as the Aprio Foundation’s second quarterly community impact grant recipients for 2022.

“The Aprio community is honored to support these organizations for the meaningful work they do in their communities and beyond,” said Executive Director of The Aprio Foundation, Michele Blondheim. “We strive to make an impact in education, on the environment, by supporting entrepreneurship and the economically disadvantaged, and we’re proud to recognize both organizations that Aprio has partnered with before as well as 5 new nonprofits, all that showcase how our team members live our fundamental of making a difference.” 

The second quarter grantees join the previous 8 grants that were awarded in first quarter 2022. 

• Our House, Inc.: Founded in 1988 in Decatur, GA, Our House offers refuge and revitalization to families with young children experiencing homelessness with a goal to break the cycle through a holistic, two-generational approach. 
• Blessings in a Backpack, Inc.: Blessings in a Backpack has pursued their mission to provide weekend nutrition to hungry children through volunteer and community support since 2008, serving more than 87,000 school children in over 1,000 schools.
• Bobby Dodd Institute: A workforce innovation leader, The Bobby Dodd Institute offers support for all ages, stages and levels of need for individuals with disabilities and their families in metro Atlanta, as well as equips them with skills and connects them with jobs. 
• Giving Kitchen: Giving Kitchen provides emergency assistance for food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources. 
• Second Helpings Atlanta: Since its inception as a social action project in 2004, Second Helpings Atlanta’s impact increases each year as they collect and deliver fresh and healthy surplus meals to neighbors and community members struggling to find consistent access to food.
• SHARE Charlotte: SHARE Charlotte is a one-stop shop for community members to connect and find local nonprofits, with the goal to support their 500+ nonprofits and help them scale their businesses through entrepreneurial workshops and professional development programs. 
• EarthShare Georgia: Operating as an arm of EarthShare, the national employee giving program, EarthShare Georgia supports environmental causes through tree planting, environmental education programs, and park/river clean-ups. 
• Living Bridges Ministry: Based in Valdosta, GA, Living Bridges Ministry serves economically disadvantaged individuals and families in their community by providing food resources, mental health classes, and educational work programs.
• CHRIS 180: CHRIS 180 was founded in 1981 by the Junior League of Atlanta with a mission to improve the community by providing economically disadvantaged children, adults, and families with high-quality, trauma-informed behavioral health services and support systems.

The Aprio Foundation exists to fund and support employee-driven initiatives and nonprofits with a vision to provide opportunities for every Aprio employee to positively impact their local community, through values that include inclusion, diversity and equity, and positive social change to ensure community impact. Since inception in 2016, the Foundation has supported local and national nonprofit organizations through financial contributions, community impact grants and in-kind donations. The community impact grants aim to propel each of the nonprofits’ annual programs, new strategic initiatives, special projects and overall mission. Over 75 percent of applicants were awarded with a grant in second quarter and in total, the Aprio Foundation has awarded over $92,000 in grants this year alone.

Grant applications are accepted throughout the year and are reviewed at the Board’s quarterly meetings. To learn more about The Aprio Foundation or to apply for a grant, visit https://www.aprio.com/about/aprio-corporate-citizenship/.