National Partnerships That Work
KPMG Finds Success With Event-Driven Partnerships

By Julio Argüello, Jr.

Carefully selected partnerships can help an organization create a compelling work environment for its employees. John-Anthony D. "J.A." Meza, national manager of community involvement of KMPG LLP (KPMG), emphasizes that "Involve is really about helping KPMG employees make an impact and meeting its goal of making KPMG an employer of choice."

Involve is the national community involvement program of KPMG, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm of KPMG International. Through Involve, the firm's partners, employees, and alumni have greater access to carry out their personal visions of volunteering.

KPMG partners with the American Red Cross, among other national nonprofits. Working with the ACR, KPMG held 90 blood drives and donated 1,500 units of blood last year. Overall, KPMG holds more than 600 local volunteer events yearly with 9,000 employees participating.

All potential KPMG partners go through a selection process that includes meeting the following criteria:

• Support of KPMG's mission as it relates to community service and volunteering volunteers
• Willingness to help employee volunteers meet a KPMG impact goal (i.e., environment, supporting the underprivileged, etc.)
• Agreement to work with KPMG to develop a memorandum of understanding that clarifies roles and responsibilities and goals of partnership
• Ability to identify goals related to meeting the "specific" needs of both organizations
• Commitment to engage in activities that maximize KPMG's volunteer impact

Feedback mechanisms allow the KPMG national office to gauge the needs, goals, and interests of employee volunteers. Each time the national office launches a season of events they arrange kick-off calls with local volunteer coordinators. In addition, KPMG's Information Technology department recently developed an online feedback tracking database that allows the national office to combine gathered information into aggregated reports. Based on these reports, the national office learns about local partnerships and, if they spot a trend, consideration is given to developing a national partnership.

A recent online survey captured useful information about employee volunteer goals. "The survey has gotten a tremendous response," explains Meza. Local KPMG programs administer the standardized survey and store data in a centralized database accessible by the national office.

With the use of their multiple methods of feedback and well-established process for strategically selecting partners, " Involve will enter its second decade with many ideas that can help drive it to further success," says Meza.

KPMG LLP is a member of Connect America, an initiative of the Points of Light Foundation, a diverse network of national organizations working together to leverage volunteering and other resources to increase both individual and collective impact on communities.