Community engagement plays a crucial role in the work of community-based organizations in the Northwest. We are proud of our staff members who volunteer with nonprofit organizations in communities where they live and work.
To demonstrate our support, in 2007 Kaiser Permanente Northwest established the KP Gives — Volunteer Donation Program, which provides limited funding to select nonprofits based on employee engagement with the organization.
This highly competitive program was restructured in 2021. We receive many more proposals than can be funded. Some previous recipients may no longer qualify under the new program requirements as outlined below.
Donation criteria
- KP Gives volunteer donations are guided by Community Health priorities and strategies, which also respond to our Community Health Needs Assessments, or CHNA, and inform where Kaiser Permanente Northwest resources will make the greatest impact.
- Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations that Kaiser Permanente Northwest employees and clinicians donate their time, and the organization’s mission and programs must also align with Community Health priorities and strategies. Please draw direct parallels to one or more of these priorities in your proposal.
- Demonstration of high impact, ongoing engagement of volunteering with the organization is required, for example, serving as a board member, leading a board subcommittee, regular hours of service, or long-term history of service. Employee volunteer hours alone are insufficient.
- Employee must have 35 volunteer hours accumulated in the past 12 months for eligibility (MLK Days of Service hours do not qualify).
- If the nonprofit is not already a network partner in Connect Oregon or Unite Washington, the nonprofit must attend one information session:
- The Employee Engagement Questionnaire portion of the application must be completed documenting high-impact, ongoing engagement of volunteering with the organization.
- Donation amounts are up to $10,000.
- Donation request must fit within Kaiser Permanente’s organizational mission.
- Donation request must be from a qualified nonprofit organization or government entity.
- Donation request must be for programs and services that are open to the broader community.
- Donation request must be submitted by the organization, not by a Kaiser Permanente employee.
- Donation request must be for a program within Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s service area (see counties listed in service area below).
- Organizations must not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, economic status, educational background, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, nor marital status in their programs, services, polices, hiring practices, and administration.
- Proposals are reviewed once a year. The 2022 submission deadline is July 15.
- Donations are announced approximately 60 days after the application deadline.
Service area
Counties within the Kaiser Permanente Northwest service area include:
- Oregon state: Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, Yamhill
- Washington state: Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Wahkiakum
Kaiser Permanente is unable to fund:
- Any religious or faith-based organization that solely provides services and programs to its congregation/membership/students or provides services for the purposes of advancing religious doctrine or philosophy, regardless of its tax-exempt status (includes any activity, event, or program where the proceeds will be used to support the religious or faith-based organization's general operation)
- Funds requested for an individual
- General funds for governmental agencies (private and public schools are not eligible; however, requests to fund a special project may be considered)
- One-time events such as youth or adult teams, travel costs, runs, walks, fundraisers, conferences, competitions, and memberships
- Endowment or capital improvement campaigns
- Foundations that strictly make grants
- Debt retirement for organizations
Special instructions
To submit a proposal, please access our application portal. The KP Gives — Volunteer Donation Employee Engagement Questionnaire must be completed and uploaded to the final question of the application.
For more information or for help completing an application, contact community.benefit@kp.org.