A firm commitment to the Auburn Gresham community "Corporate investments boost community revitalization"

Chicago is known for its diverse and dynamic neighborhoods – with distinct characters, histories and communities. While many have faced challenges and disinvestment over the years, that doesn’t stop them from shining bright and lifting up their communities. One example of such a neighborhood is Auburn Gresham.

Located on the far south side, Auburn Gresham is a vibrant neighborhood with a rich history known for its strong sense of community, pride, and its infamous 79 ^th Street Renaissance Festival. In recent years, Auburn Gresham has experienced significant revitalization efforts to improve its residents' quality of life. These efforts have been led by the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC).

GAGDC, led by CEO Carlos Nelson, is the heartbeat of the community and spearheads the Auburn Gresham Neighborhood Network through its partnership with the United Way of Metro Chicago (UWMC). Due to their tireless efforts, GAGDC was awarded the $10M Chicago Prize from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation in 2020 for their “Always Growing, Auburn Gresham” initiative – allowing them to restore a long-vacant building on 79 ^th Street and transform it into a state-of-the-art Healthy Lifestyle Hub facility.

Around this time Chicago’s business community, known for their strong sense of philanthropy and community-giving mindset, had started to take notice and so did the corporate impact leaders of KPMG LLP in Chicago.

KPMG, a U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, has been a longtime supporter of United Way nationwide and especially in Chicago. During the summer of 2020 teaming with United Way, KPMG Chicago shifted their multi-year investment through the United Way Neighborhood Network Initiative exclusively into the Auburn Gresham community.

KPMG stands behind United Way’s belief that the zip code a person lives in should not determine their destiny. But even more importantly, KPMG and GAGDC have shared community commitments.

GAGDC is deeply committed to education and combating childhood illiteracy. In fact, their bold goal is that by 2027, 80% of Auburn Gresham third graders will be reading at or above the reading level. And KPMG shares a similar community vision. At KPMG, lifelong learning means advancing your knowledge and skills at all stages of life. They envision a world where there is equitable access to transformative education opportunities for all, and they support programs and efforts designed to empower everyone to be a lifelong learner.

When KPMG propositioned GAGDC in 2020 through United Way to be a corporate partner, they welcomed them with open arms. The leaders at KPMG had a goal to team with GAGDC in a meaningful way, by building lasting relationships with them and their neighborhood agencies, along with the community’s leaders, teachers, residents and families. So they got to work – and haven’t pressed the brakes since.

GAGDC introduced KPMG to several schools and libraries in the Auburn Gresham Neighborhood Network to start establishing partnerships through KPMG’s Family for Literacy (KFFL) program. In 2021, KPMG donated 2,500 books to Joplin Elementary School and sponsored a virtual family reading night featuring local authors/guest speakers. Most notably, KPMG donated their 1 millionth book in Chicago to Woodson Regional Library and they continue to go back every year to distribute books during Chicago Public Library’s Summer Learning Challenge.

While literacy brought these two organizations together – their partnership has become much more than that. KPMG is an ongoing supporter of GAGDC’s Breakfast & Blues event, its annual benefit dinner, and its 79 ^th Street Renaissance Festival. KPMG volunteers were out at GAGDC’s mobile food pop-ups at the height of the pandemic, and they regularly participate in annual service days helping beautify the 79 ^th Street business corridor.

“GAGDC is such an incredible organization that has been purposefully working to revitalize and strengthen their community,” said Travis Hunter, managing partner of the KPMG Chicago office. “We are all about community vitality and making a real impact here at KPMG – and GAGDC is the real deal. We’re lucky to have this partnership with them and be a part of their journey. We’re in it for the long haul. We know meaningful impact and change doesn’t happen overnight and we are committed to being a part of the solution working side-by-side with the people who live, work, learn and play in this neighborhood.”

KPMG is so committed to community vitality that the KPMG Foundation recently announced new community vitality grants to be distributed in various cities across the country. In Chicago, GAGDC was selected to receive one of the $150,000 grants. The grant will support GAGDC’s ongoing efforts in economic development, education and community wellness.

“We were thrilled to be recipients of the KPMG Community Vitality grant this year,” said Carlos Nelson. “KPMG has been such a strong supporter of ours over the years and a real partner showing up and doing the work alongside us. We’re so grateful to have their support.”

KPMG is not the only one committing to neighborhood revitalization efforts through investments and nonprofit partnerships. Over the past 5 years, BMO has made sizable investments into the Austin neighborhood on the west side as a part of the INVEST South/West initiative, a partnership between the City of Chicago and United Way’s Neighborhood Network, designed to reduce economic disparities and create sustainable opportunities in disadvantaged neighborhoods across Chicagoland.

In 2021, Discover Financial Services (Discover) opened a call center and community center in the south side neighborhood, Chatham, with the goal of creating 1,000 jobs and providing free space for use by community-based organizations. With the current proposed acquisition of Discover, Capital One Financial Corporation plans to not only stay committed to Discover’s investment in Chatham but to double down by expanding their efforts in that community and enabling them to reach their employment goal this year.

With this recent wave of investments, Chicago’s business community feels a responsibility to support the neighborhoods and communities in which they do business. By continuing to work shoulder to shoulder with community-based organizations like GAGDC, KPMG hopes to be a part of this important work by making a deeper impact and providing more opportunities to create a healthy, safe and sustainable neighborhood and drive sustainable growth for the Auburn Gresham community.