Ups Foundation

Charity Number: CUSTOM_3A20AD88

Annual Expenditure: £36.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $36-50 million USD globally
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only process)
  • Decision Time: Variable (relationship-based process)
  • Grant Range: £20,000 - £400,000 (approx. $25,000 - $500,000 USD)
  • Geographic Focus: US-based with international reach (Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada)

Contact Details

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA (US-based foundation)

Website: https://about.ups.com/us/en/our-impact/community.html

Phone: +1 (404) 828-6000

Email: Contact through local UPS Community Relations Manager

Important Note: The UPS Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Organizations must either have UPS employee volunteers or be approached as strategic partners.

Overview

The UPS Foundation, established in 1951 (originally as the 1907 Foundation, renamed in 1976), is the charitable arm of United Parcel Service (UPS), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The foundation has invested more than $3 billion globally over 70 years, with recent annual giving between $36-50 million USD. Led by President Nikki Clifton since 2020, the foundation's mission is to “help build safer, more resilient and inclusive communities around the world” by combining cash grants, in-kind support, and passionate employee volunteers. The foundation operates through a unique model that prioritizes organizations where UPS employees actively volunteer, creating grassroots partnerships that demonstrate mutual commitment. With international reach across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Canada, the foundation emphasizes leveraging UPS's logistics expertise and transportation assets to create measurable community impact beyond traditional grant-making.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Regional Impact Grants: $25,000 - $100,000 USD

  • Available to community-based nonprofits in UPS's ten domestic US regions plus international communities in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Canada
  • Requires nomination by UPS employees and evaluation by regional committees
  • Application through relationship with local UPS Community Relations Manager

Global Volunteer Month Grants: $10,000 USD

  • Awarded annually in October to 14 organizations (one per US region/business unit)
  • Requires minimum 50 group volunteer hours logged in Neighbor-to-Neighbor system
  • Must be nominated by UPS's local Community Involvement Committee

Strategic Partnership Grants: $25,000 - $500,000 USD

  • For preeminent organizations within focus areas
  • Foundation solicits proposals directly (not open application)
  • Rolling basis for strategic partners

Priority Areas

Health & Humanitarian Relief: Improving well-being of people and communities through UPS partnerships and logistics expertise, including disaster response and community safety ($10 million annual investment in humanitarian relief program)

Equity & Economic Empowerment: Addressing systemic education and economic barriers, creating opportunities for underserved women, youth, and marginalized communities. Recent recipients include United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and vocational training programs.

Local Community Engagement: Promoting volunteerism and building nonprofit capacity through employee volunteer partnerships

Planet Protection: Environmental sustainability initiatives aligned with UPS's logistics network

What They Don't Fund

  • No unsolicited proposals accepted - This is the primary restriction
  • Organizations without UPS employee volunteer engagement (minimum 50 volunteer hours required for consideration)
  • Organizations outside the four focus areas
  • Note: Detailed exclusion policies exist in foundation governance documents but are not publicly accessible online
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Governance and Leadership

President: Nicole “Nikki” Clifton, President of Social Impact and The UPS Foundation (since 2020). As Vice President for Social Impact at UPS, she oversees global philanthropy and international community affairs, leveraging UPS's logistics network across 220+ countries.

Chairman: Darrell Ford, EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at UPS, Chairman of The UPS Foundation Board of Trustees

Board Members:

  • Carol Tomé, Chief Executive Officer, UPS
  • Norman M. Brothers Jr., EVP & Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, UPS

Leadership Quote: Former president Eduardo Martinez stated: “Our mission at The UPS Foundation is to help build stronger and safer communities around the globe. By combining our philanthropy with the expertise and the volunteer spirit of UPSers who live and work in over 220 countries,” the foundation aims to have measurable impact.

Philosophy: The foundation emphasizes that “giving means more than writing a check,” focusing on combining employee skills and passion with company logistics expertise.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The UPS Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Path 1 - Employee Volunteer Pathway:

  1. Build relationships with UPS employees who volunteer with your organization
  2. Encourage UPS volunteers to log hours via the Neighbor-to-Neighbor system (minimum 50 group hours required)
  3. Connect with local UPS Community Relations Manager to express interest
  4. Await nomination by UPS's local Community Involvement Committee

Path 2 - Strategic Partner Pathway:

  1. Foundation identifies and solicits proposals from preeminent organizations within focus areas
  2. Organizations are approached directly by the foundation

Evaluation Process:

  • Regional committees (composed of UPS employees and community experts) evaluate submissions
  • Assessment based on eligibility, impact, and alignment with focus areas
  • Shortlisted applicants may be invited for interviews or site visits

Decision Timeline

Timeline is variable and relationship-based rather than following fixed cycles. Global Volunteer Month grants are awarded at the end of October each year.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available due to the invitation-only nature of the process. The foundation does not operate on an open application model, making traditional success rate metrics inapplicable.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable in the traditional sense. Organizations maintain ongoing relationships with UPS through employee volunteer partnerships, which can lead to continued funding opportunities over time.

Application Success Factors

Critical Success Factor - UPS Employee Engagement: The most important pathway to funding is having active UPS employee volunteers. Organizations should focus on building authentic volunteer partnerships before pursuing funding.

Volunteer Hour Threshold: Ensure UPS volunteers log a minimum of 50 group hours of community service in the Neighbor-to-Neighbor system, aligned with the foundation's four focus areas.

Strategic Alignment: Demonstrate clear alignment with one or more of the four focus areas (Health & Humanitarian Relief, Equity & Economic Empowerment, Local Community Engagement, Planet Protection).

Leverage UPS Expertise: Projects that can benefit from UPS's logistics expertise, transportation assets, or skilled employee volunteers are particularly attractive. The foundation values opportunities to contribute more than just financial support.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples:

  • Operation New Hope (Jacksonville, FL) - $250,000 for vocational training and Emerging Leaders Training program
  • Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers - significant grant for professional development
  • United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund - education equity programs
  • Road safety education programs expanded to UK, Germany, Canada, and China

Measurable Impact: Foundation seeks programs with clear, measurable community impact that can demonstrate results.

Geographic Presence: Priority given to communities where UPS has operational presence and employee volunteers.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Volunteer relationships are essential: Without UPS employee engagement, funding is virtually impossible. Build authentic volunteer partnerships as the foundation of any funding strategy.
  • Think beyond traditional grants: Position your organization to benefit from UPS's logistics expertise, in-kind support, and skilled volunteers, not just cash grants.
  • Focus on relationship building: Connect with your local UPS Community Relations Manager early. This is not a traditional application process - it's relationship-driven.
  • Align with focus areas strategically: Ensure your programs clearly demonstrate impact in Health & Humanitarian Relief, Equity & Economic Empowerment, Local Engagement, or Planet Protection.
  • International applicants note: While the foundation is US-based, it does make grants in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Canada. UK organizations should connect with UPS's European regional operations.
  • Patience is required: This is not a quick grant process. Building the necessary volunteer relationships and partnerships takes time and authentic engagement.
  • Do not submit unsolicited proposals: This cannot be emphasized enough - unsolicited applications are not accepted and will not be reviewed.

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