Kohl’s Corp. has pledged $2 million to eight Milwaukee-area nonprofits, the Menomonee Falls-based retailer announced this week.
Five of the selected organizations are focused on advancing Milwaukee’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) or diverse communities, which Kohl’s has committed to supporting with $20 million by 2025.
“Kohl’s is committed to serving families in the Milwaukee community, and we are proud to support these organizations that make a positive impact in our hometown,” said Tara Geiter, Kohl’s director of community relations.
Kohl’s announced commitments to the following organizations:
- Acts Housing – $500,000 over two years to help increase the number of Black and Brown individuals and families who receive pre-approval for home loans and who purchase homes for owner-occupancy in Milwaukee.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee – $275,000 to continue to provide access to leadership and character programs, including mentoring, community involvement, social-emotional well-being, and college and career planning.
- Employ Milwaukee – $250,000 to further advance and scale its DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts by enhancing Basic IT skills training, device distribution, connection to free and reduced quality internet and expansion of virtual service delivery platform.
- Greater Milwaukee Urban League – $100,000 to support its mission to lead through education, employment and advocacy to achieve economic vibrancy and equal access to all industries and disciplines that position Black communities to create wealth and live a better quality of life. The donation will also support the organization’s 2022 Black & White Ball.
- Milwaukee Art Museum – $500,000 to offer free admission for children 12 and under, and raise awareness of this benefit within traditionally underserved Milwaukee communities. The two-year grant will also support Kohl’s Art Studio, where MAM will continue to offer drop-in art making for families; expand Kohl’s Art Studio online; and extend Kohl’s Art Studio into the community by providing art making at Milwaukee festivals and events.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin – $150,000 over two years to provide a spectrum of supportive programs for families with children seeking medical care at area hospitals.
- Safe & Sound – $350,000 to continue its mission of providing safe neighborhoods for all residents in Milwaukee. Over the next two years, Safe & Sound and Kohl’s will work to create neighborhood coalitions to survey local communities; develop and implement neighborhood action plans focused on safety and community resources; assess the impact of the collective impact strategy in current neighborhoods; and evaluate opportunities for expansion into additional diverse neighborhoods.
- Zoological Society of Milwaukee – $500,000 grant to offer Kohl’s Wild Theater as a way to provide fun, educational, conservation-themed theater performances using drama, songs and puppetry to engage children and their families. The two-year grant term will expand Kohl’s Wild Theater’s conservation-themed educational shows into schools within 60 miles of the Milwaukee County Zoo, as well as fund on-stage performances at the zoo from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day on the Kohl’s Wild Theater Stage.
“Kohl’s hometown partners touch a wide range of social causes, which continue to be a priority for our community. We are excited to help these organizations expand their reach, and we look forward to deepening these hometown partnerships in the years to come.”
The beneficiaries of Kohl’s most recent gift represent about half of the company’s Hometown Partnerships. Since 1988, Kohl’s has given more than $144 million to Milwaukee-area nonprofits and nearly $815 million to nonprofits across the country.
“The hometown partnership with Kohl’s has helped us to amplify our reach and expand our workforce development programming impact in multiple areas ranging from digital literacy to transportation solutions to name a few,” said Chytania Brown, president and chief executive officer at Employ Milwaukee. “We are grateful for the renewal of the partnership and look forward to ongoing collaboration with such a community-minded corporate partner.”
