A Partnership for Global Impact
Transforming a corporate client’s international and domestic giving strategyBackground
This case study outlines the challenges faced by a well-known, multinational Fortune 500 corporate client seeking to streamline their international and domestic giving strategy. The client wanted to expand their philanthropic reach but required expert guidance to manage their foundation’s international grantmaking while also supporting their corporate giving program. They were seeking a partner who could provide comprehensive advisory services, grant management, and help them overcome the complexities of global philanthropy.
The Challenge
In 2018, a well-known, multinational Fortune 500 corporation approached CAF America with a need to simplify and enhance their global philanthropic strategy. The company sought to reduce the administrative burden of managing its international grants and align both its foundation and corporate giving programs. They required a partner capable of providing both international and domestic grant management expertise, regulatory guidance, and ongoing program support.
Additionally, the organization was dealing with an increasing number of grant applications and wanted a solution that could handle the application processing efficiently, while also offering tailored advisory services to maximize the impact of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.
The Solution
CAF America worked closely with the corporate client to develop a tailored solution. Initially, the client established a donor advised fund (DAF) at CAF America to support international grants through their foundation. Over time, CAF America’s expertise became essential to the client’s broader grantmaking strategy. In 2020, the company expanded its partnership with CAF America by creating a second DAF to manage their corporate grant programs.
By 2021, the company transitioned a significant portion of its domestic granting responsibilities to CAF America, outsourcing the administration of their grant programs and significantly reducing their CSR team’s workload. To support this transition, CAF America helped establish two Invested DAFs – one for corporate grant programs and another for foundation grants – enabling the company to achieve seamless alignment across all their philanthropic efforts.
CAF America also developed a custom grant portal and application system, designed specifically to handle the client’s high volume of applications. The portal not only streamlined the intake and vetting process for the 350+ annual grant applications reviewed annually, but also served as a place to collect bespoke information about grantees. This allowed the client’s CSR team to be better informed about the kinds of organizations they’re funding.
Cross-Border Considerations
One of the primary challenges in managing the client’s international grants was navigating the complex regulatory environment across different countries. As the client’s program areas evolved, CAF America provided continuous advisory support, helping them stay compliant with global grantmaking regulations and ensure that their grant programs were structured effectively.
Impact and Efficiency Gains
By leveraging CAF America’s advisory services, regulatory guidance, and grant management expertise, the corporate client was able to significantly improve their operational efficiency. CAF America’s team reviewed grant criteria and processed applications, ensuring that all grants were thoroughly vetted and compliant with global regulations.
We also collaborated with the corporate client to enhance one of their highly visible CSR programs by creating a shared database of hundreds of eligible organizations. We created a list of our existing charity partners and paired them with unique identifiers and information about their eligibility status. This list was integrated into the client’s Smartsheets system, allowing their CSR team to select pre-approved organizations easily. The organizational information is then shared with the fund manager, allowing for faster grant processing and validation tracking, with monthly updates to ensure up-to-date eligibility information.
The partnership has allowed the corporate client to increase their focus on program work, rather than administrative tasks, resulting in a higher impact from their philanthropy. Today, they manage over 400 grants annually across four continents with CAF America’s support, using streamlined processes and tailored advisory services to achieve their global philanthropic goals.
Client Testimonial
The corporate client has praised CAF America’s expert team and the seamless collaboration with their Fund Managers, who act as an extension of their internal CSR team. The client particularly values CAF America’s responsiveness to all inquiries and their ability to provide both strategic and day-to-day support.
Conclusion
This partnership highlights the value of working with a trusted philanthropic advisor like CAF America. By providing comprehensive grant management and advisory services, CAF America enabled the client to expand their global impact while reducing their administrative burden and maximizing their giving strategy. The relationship continues to evolve, ensuring that the client’s philanthropic goals are met with efficiency and expertise.