When your employees are global, inclusive grantmaking becomes a powerful way to inspire connection and lasting impact. Learn how global financial services leader
Principal — in partnership with Benevity — launched their modern granting program in 2022, reimagining their approach by removing barriers, streamlining systems, and adopting a long-term funding model that strengthens nonprofit relationships.
Hear from Jo Christine Miles and Alyssa Nelson of Principal as they share how their shift towards sustained, inclusive grantmaking transformed their program from transactional to transformational — and how you can apply the same strategies to build a scalable, global granting program. Between their various initiatives in 2024, 7,100 employees drove $19.1M in contributions, logged 95,616 volunteer hours and supported 5,330 causes through the Benevity platform - the impact speaks for itself!
Key learnings:
1. Scaling a grantmaking program starts with intentional design and the right infrastructure. Principal built a more inclusive, efficient, and insight-driven program by centralizing their grants, in-kind giving, and sponsorships through Benevity's granting solution — showing how the right tools can unlock greater impact without increasing complexity.
2. Strategic program design reduced admin burden - for both internal teams and nonprofits. Principal simplified applications, accepted nonprofit annual reports as reporting, and consolidated everything into one system - reducing friction and freeing up time to focus on partnerships and impact.
3. Global programs are most effective when they balance global reach with local relevance. Principal’s global rollout emphasized accessibility by streamlining currency options and tailoring experiences to each region. Inclusive design is key to meaningful engagement at scale.
4. Deep partnerships with nonprofits drive lasting impact. Through two-year grant terms, off-cycle engagement, storytelling workshops, and co-branded activations, Principal built trust-based relationships that extended beyond funding and empowered nonprofits to thrive.
5. “Plan for your future self” as a guiding mindset. As Jo Christine shared, building in extra time, setting clear processes, and getting curious in the face of “no” were key to getting buy-in and reducing future friction. Practical systems helped transform strategic values into operational success.
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