KKR Announces Progress of the KKR COVID-19 Relief Effort – Business Wire

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR today published Engaged. KKR COVID-19 Relief Effort Progress Report (the COVID-19 Report), which discusses the relief fund formally established by KKR and its employees in May 2020 to provide support for those most affected by COVID-19 and the resulting economic dislocation. As part of this initiative, KKR also announced the 82 grants awarded to small business owners and nonprofits in the final rounds of the KKR Small Business Builders (SBB) and KKR Grants programs.

The COVID-19 Report details the four key initiatives of the relief effort KKR SBB, KKR Grants, portfolio company support programs and employee giving which were established with an emphasis on impact and equity. Over the past two years, KKR and its employees have contributed more than $50 million in community funding to support over 20 million people across 19 countries. The results include the following:

Over the past two years, we have provided support for the most vulnerable members of our communities who were disproportionally affected by the unprecedented global health, social and economic crisis, said Ken Mehlman, Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs and Co-Head of Global Impact at KKR. By focusing on small business owners, growing our strategic philanthropy, drawing on our employees skills and passion and creating support systems for our portfolio companies, our goal has been to engage with our communities to build a healthier, more resilient world. We know there is more work to do as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, and we remain committed to investing in and staying engaged in our communities.

Final Round of KKR Small Business Builders

In connection with the progress report, KKR announced the recipients of the final rounds of KKR SBB and KKR Grants programs, two of the cornerstone initiatives of the KKR relief effort focused on providing grants and support to small businesses and nonprofits worldwide.

In the final round of the KKR SBB program, 49 small business owners in 47 cities spread across 24 states in the United States, as well as in Singapore, were selected to receive $10,000 grants. The businesses selected in the final round of SBB grants are 71% minority-owned, 25% owned by veterans or their immediate family members, 14% owned by persons with disabilities and 10% LGBTQ+-owned. To date, 67% of KKRs SBB grantees are from historically underrepresented groups and the LGBTQ+ community. Notably, 54% of recipients have reported being able to increase wages for employees, 57% have reported an increase in revenue and nearly 75% say their KKR grant was a difference-maker in their ability to survive the pandemic.

Final Round of KKR Grants

The final round of KKR Grants through the relief effort included commitments of more than $3.1 million to 33 nonprofits. The grants were awarded to organizations whose missions are aligned with priority areas, including delivering immediate aid to vulnerable populations impacted by the pandemic, providing innovative pathways of workforce recovery and development, and supporting our heroes including teachers, first responders, essential workers and front-line medical professionals.

The recovery from the pandemic will be lengthy and complex, requiring continued and reliable support for the nonprofit sector; our findings underscore this reality, and we are committed to ensuring help is on hand, said Pamela Alexander, Managing Director and Head of Corporate Citizenship at KKR. As we evolve our philanthropic programming beyond the relief effort, we aim to ease these challenges and ensure that communities around the world receive the support they need as they recover and rebuild.

To access the KKR COVID-19 Relief Effort Progress Report, click here.

KKR Small Business Builders Final Round Recipients

Vernishia Robinson

A Healing Touch Chiropractic Center, LLC |

Columbia, SC

Alison Cox

Ali Cox & Company, Inc. | Turlock, CA

Christian Parker

Alternative Home Care Services LLC |

Indianapolis, IN

Marisol Villalobos

Amasar LLC | Jayuya, PR

Amber Jones

Amber's Addictions LLC | Fort Worth, TX

Amyanna Germany

Amyanna's Cosmetics | Bossier, LA

Sherry Chao-Hrenek

Asian Bite | San Antonio, TX

Jamila Musayeva

Avocado Toast LLC | Santa Monica, CA

Breanna Leonard

Bels Dispatching | Columbus, GA

Daphne Tay

Bluente | Singapore

Rose Limon

Borracho Products LLC | Canutillo, TX

Jessica Bussert

Wave Therapeutics | Nashville, IN

Nancy Cruz

Caribella | Chicago, IL

Candy Caboverde

City Roofing and Construction Inc | Miami, FL

April Hendrix-Buckle

Criselle Collection | Sterling Heights, MI

Duygu Karaolan Altop

Cubtale | Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, CA

Rachel Daily

Cure Studios | Austin, TX

Natalie Boone

Ensemble Therapy | Austin, TX

Amari Carrington

Family Matters to Us Inc. | Milwaukee, WI

Sylvia St.John-Martinez

FishBowl Radio Network | Bedford, TX

Ali Rose VanOverbeke

Genusee | Flint, MI

Malia Powell

Go N' Glow Travel | Marietta, GA

Amy Renz

Goodness Gracious, LLC | Marblehead, MA

Margie Traxler

Grain Free Mama's | Henderson, NV

Monika Dharia

GreenGear | Albertson, NY

Ruth Linton

Highland Orchards Farm Market | Wilmington, DE

Jennifer Harden

JenRan Holdings, LLC | Westlake Village, CA

Johannah Easley

Joh So Good Food LLC | Minneapolis, MN

Melissa Wharton

Workout Anytime | Jeffersonville, IN

Jennifer Brogee

KaffeeScape LLC | Lima, OH

Shimere Burrell

Konnect Services, LLC | Charlotte, NC

Cindy Soto Seyford

Local Pour House Inc. | Queens, NY

Dana M. Persico

Long Island Nail Skin & Hair Institute | Levittown, NY

Lindsay Smith

LYS, A Licensed Clinical Social Worker Corporation | San Jose, CA

Nikki Riojas

Made in Corpus Christi, LLC | Corpus Christi, TX

Kellee James

Mercaris | Silver Spring, MD

Andrea Johnson

Tumbleweed Farm Sanctuary | Salina, KS

Tara Ghorashi

Morning Star Child Development Center | Knoxville, TN

Camille Kapaun

Nightingale | New York City, NY

Shane Brown

Pretty in London LLC | Douglasville, GA

Donna Childs

Prisere LLC | Cranston, RI

Trinetta Powell

Reveal and Restore Counseling | Frisco, TX

Laura Fleet

SendaRide, Inc. | Oklahoma City, OK

Lisa Ludwinski

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KKR Announces Progress of the KKR COVID-19 Relief Effort - Business Wire