A $1,500 grant from the Sundt Foundation funded the purchase of new shoes for 150 children living in poverty in Tucson, Ariz. The money, awarded to the Educational Enrichment Foundation, was used to throw a holiday shoe shopping party at a local Payless Shoe Store on a recent Friday before Christmas. Employees from Sundt’s Tucson office attended the party and helped each of the children select a new pair of shoes. Each child also received three new pairs of socks, a book and a cookie.
The Educational Enrichment Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501c3 organization that supports the students and teachers within Tucson Unified School District schools. It is the oldest foundation of its kind in Arizona and serves 53,000 students annually.
The Sundt Foundation was established in 1999 by Sundt Construction, Inc., as a way for its employee-owners to give back to the communities in which they work. In addition to funding grants every quarter, the Foundation also sponsors volunteer activities to benefit nonprofit organizations. The grant money comes primarily from contributions made by Sundt employees, which are matched dollar-for-dollar by the company.
Since its inception the Foundation has made grants totaling nearly $6 million to hundreds of worthy organizations. Approximately 75 percent of the money goes to help disadvantaged children, with the remaining 25 percent dedicated to community issues. Employees can also earmark their donations for charitable organizations that benefit members of the military and their families.