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Philanthropic Program Case Studies: Community Mobilization
The Prudential Foundation
Prudential Financial Inc. has a proven record of corporate citizenship.
- Prudential's Community Resources Division strives to build self-sufficiency among children and families
- Local Initiatives coordinates employee volunteerism and fosters community partnership
- The Social Investment Program originates and manages socially beneficial investments
Charitable giving totaled $25 million in 2001, in addition to $11 million in company contributions.
Prudential made its first HIV/AIDS grant in 1986. As a member of the Greater Newark AIDS Initiative (GNAI), which was founded in 1997 to support programs in Newark and surrounding urban areas, the Prudential Foundation is among the major HIV/AIDS funders in New Jersey. To date, the GNAI has awarded $1,230,000 to local HIV/AIDS organizations.
In 2001, in response to the continuing toll of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New Jersey, the Prudential Foundation doubled its support for the GNAI—from $300,000 to $600,000 per year.
At the same time, the foundation also:
- Revised GNAI funding priorities to focus on HIV prevention among target populations as identified by the New Jersey HIV Prevention Community Planning Group, a publicly convened advisory body. This approach not only ensures that GNAI contributes in those areas where the need is greatest, but also respects the community-driven process whereby HIV prevention priorities are set through a formal process.
- Shifted to larger (average $50K/year), multiyear awards, which allow the foundation to support more innovative approaches that may require significant start-up time and resources.
- Promoted effective programming and emphasized outcome and performance monitoring for grantees by awarding a grant to the Washington, DC-based Academy for Educational Development to provide technical assistance and training to grantees, to assist them in developing the capacity to conduct program evaluation.
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