In a time when many businesses are cutting back and digging in, KLNB has stepped up in a big way to assist neighbors in need. KLNB, a mid-Atlantic based commercial real estate firm with offices in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, has opened a new donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation of Howard County (CFHoCo) to provide emergency relief to local nonprofits during the global pandemic. The KLNB Community Assistance Network Fund, or KLNB CAN Fund, was created to inspire and coordinate company-wide philanthropy, to pool resources for maximum impact and to raise awareness to the good work being done by area nonprofits.
In early April, executives at KLNB began discussing ways to create a process and platform for a company-wide charitable initiative. The group wanted to put together a program to give back to its community during the COVID-19 emergency, but also create a vehicle for sustained corporate philanthropy.
“During meetings our team members we’re asking how they could help meet the challenges in the community,” stated Tiffany Conaway, Director of Operations for KLNB. “We wanted to create a platform that could not only address immediate needs, but could be a long-term charitable program for us. The KLNB Community Assistance Network was born. In the future, all company-sponsored volunteer opportunities, fundraising efforts and more, will fall under the KLNB CAN banner.”
Abby Glassberg, a principal at the firm, suggested the Community Foundation of Howard County as a partner. Glassberg serves on the board of the Real Estate Charitable Foundation of Maryland, a part of the Community Foundation. She also has a personal charitable fund set up at CFHoCo. With a mission to inspire lifelong giving and connect people, places and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County and beyond, CFHoCo was an ideal organization for a partnership for a company with KLNB’s geographic footprint.
CFHoCo delivers turnkey services to set up a new fund and provides the resources to process donations, track gifts, produce tax receipts and make grants. CFHoCo’s recommendation of a donor-advised fund permits the KLNB team to have a “philanthropic savings account,” allowing the KLNB team to easily select the nonprofits it wants to direct funds to whenever it wants.
“At KLNB, we believe it is our duty to do what we can to support our communities,” stated Conaway. “We’re so proud to see so many of our KLNB team members stepping up with individual contributions. Without a doubt, one of the hardest hit industries during the coronavirus pandemic is the restaurant industry. In a space that KLNB conducts business, it only feels right to give back. With that, we have decided to support two regional restaurant relief funds.”
“In addition, with the closure of schools and businesses, and a soaring unemployment rate, an increasing number of our neighbors are at risk of losing income and will look to our local food banks for help. KLNB will also be donating to local food banks.”
KLNB is matching dollar-for-dollar all private gifts to the KLNB CAN Fund, up to $10,000. Gifts collected in the month of May 2020, will be split equally and donated to four organizations selected by KLNB. To date, $13,420 has been raised.
“It’s fantastic to see what KLNB is doing,” said Beverly White-Seals, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Howard County. “The needs of the community are staggering. We are in an unprecedented crisis, but we are so gratified at how KLNB has taken a leadership role to take care of people in need.”
“We would like to say thank you to all the amazing organizations and individuals who consistently work hard to serve and protect our communities,” said Conaway. “Throughout May, our KLNB Community Assistance Network will raise awareness and donate funds to the following non-profit organizations: DC Coronavirus Worker Relief Fund in partnership with Hook Hall Helps, Baltimore Restaurant Relief, Maryland Food Bank, and Capital Area Food Bank.”
Below is more information on the four nonprofits selected by KLNB to be initial recipients of KLNB Community Assistance Network funding:
DC Coronavirus Worker Relief Fund – During this challenging time as businesses and individuals navigate the Coronavirus and its impact on industry, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) and Hook Hall started Hook Hall Helps to support restaurant and food service industry workers who may need assistance with supplies, community support, family meal, and more. RAMW’s Education Foundation, Educated Eats, has partnered as a conduit to receive donations which Hook Hall Helps and Educated Eats will work together to distribute to support worker relief measures. Your donation to the RAMW Educated Eats Coronavirus Worker Relief Fund in partnership with Hook Hall Helps is tax deductible. RAMW Educated Eats Tax ID: 20-0703265.
Baltimore Restaurant Relief – In Baltimore, thousands of people have been laid-off in the hospitality, restaurant, and beverage industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this crisis, The Baltimore Restaurant Relief Group was formed on Facebook to galvanize and create a resource for industry workers, operators, and owners to get answers, ask questions, and have a sense of community in this unsettling time. Now we are expanding on this resource by introducing…The Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund, a fund specifically devoted to rebuilding the Baltimore restaurant and hospitality industry. The Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN #85-0504171.
Maryland Food Bank – The Maryland Food Bank is a non-profit organization leading the movement to end hunger in Maryland. We have an extensive network of community and organizational partners across the state that distribute food to the Marylanders who need us. We supply the food to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and faith-based organizations that serve food-insecure Marylanders. We supplement this work with outreach programs that provide direct food assistance, educate the public on the importance of good nutrition, and fight hunger through innovative means. The Maryland Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Capital Area Food Bank – The Capital Area Food Bank is the anchor of the hunger relief infrastructure in our region, providing more than 30 million meals to people in communities across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Every day, our partners, donors, and volunteers help to change hunger and job training for thousands of people in need by enabling us to source, and distribute an average of 88,000 daily meals per day—more than 30 million meals a year. Capital Area Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) organization.