Trimble Foundation Fund Transforms Communities Around the World
The Trimble Foundation Fund, a donor-advised fund established in 2017, is quietly transforming the way the world works through international philanthropic efforts, giving back to the communities where Trimble does business and helping those in need.
“Trimble, Inc. has always been a purpose-driven company, so giving back in the communities where we live, work and operate is not a new concept for Trimble. The Trimble Foundation Fund is focused on doing things right, and doing the right things,” said Rob Painter, Trimble CEO and chair of the Trimble Foundation Fund Advisors.
Each of Trimble’s major business divisions nominates a volunteer fund advisor to serve on the foundation’s advisory board, including Trimble Transportation’s Alicia Jarosh, vice president of customer insights and Sejal Kadakia, vice president of IBMi.
The foundation supports two main focus areas: natural disaster relief and recovery plus female education and empowerment. These were chosen by the board of directors as areas that are in line with Trimble’s values, and where the foundation could do the most good.
Natural Disaster Relief & Recovery
Trimble has a long history of donating money, time and product to assist with recovery from major natural disasters around the world. The company is in a unique position of having access to a deep breadth of solutions – as well as experts – that can aid in recovery and rebuilding efforts, from data collection to infrastructure rebuilding, transportation management and agricultural needs.
The foundation has engaged with Engineers Without Borders and its Engineering Service Corps (ESC), which is involved in a variety of different projects across the world, including rebuilding after disasters. Trimble Foundation Fund has granted $100,000 to support the ESC’s efforts to significantly build capacity by training and certifying more engineers who can respond locally to natural disasters and provide damage assessment and engineering services.
Trimble has also focused its mission to work with organizations that can utilize the expertise of Trimble employees and technology-enabled solutions, particularly around developing resilience and rebuilding sustainably.
“The Trimble Foundation Fund is committed to having a positive and meaningful impact on our communities, especially during times of special need, such as in the event of natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and wildfires that affect our people and the markets that we serve,” Painter said. “We are excited to partner with organizations that help communities ‘build back better’ when natural disasters strike.”
Female Empowerment & Education
The foundation’s other major focus area is the advancement and empowerment of females throughout the world, specifically in countries with developing economies.
“We’re ultimately looking to help improve gender equality and education for women and girls across the globe,” Jarosh explained. “The future of our world really relies on equal representation of everyone’s voices around the world.”
The Trimble Foundation Fund aims to work with organizations that focus on education and empowerment – not only funding organizations that promote female education, but also those that address the social and economic barriers that have traditionally prevented women and girls from receiving an education or participating in their communities.
Since 2018, the Trimble Foundation Fund has granted $200,000 to CAMFED, supporting nearly 1,200 female students receiving a secondary education in Ghana.
Additionally, the foundation has partnered with Tostan's Community Empowerment Program to fund a collaborative project that amplifies social change in 150 West African communities, creating inspired spaces for a new generation of female leaders.
“What I find interesting about Tostan is their approach to partnering with a community to identify the change that they want to experience, and supporting those efforts, rather than them coming into a community and telling them what needs to change,” Jarosh added.
Kadakia echoed a similar sentiment, adding that she’s proud that the organization focuses on creating a lasting impact and social reform on a grassroots level, beyond a one-time contribution.
“Female empowerment means a lot to me. I was lucky to have the opportunity to receive an education, and I want to make sure other women and girls have that opportunity as well.”
The foundation has also granted funds to organizations focused on female education and empowerment in Mexico and India.
Local Office Charitable Giving
In addition to this work, the Trimble Foundation board of advisors also helped set up a framework for local Trimble offices with over 50 employees, to help guide their own philanthropic efforts. Because Trimble has over 11,500 employees across the world, this framework helps offices support the causes closest to their hearts and give back to the communities where they live and work.
“Trimble has so many offices across the globe, and there was already this great spirit of volunteerism and serving the community across Trimble,” Jarosh added. “So, the foundation spent some time on creating and providing a framework to help them determine what their own local initiatives could be.”
Kadakia mentioned several initiatives that offices throughout the Transportation division have organized, including a “Socktober” clothing drive, food drives, support for animal shelters and donations of funds and volunteer time to local recovery assistance efforts following the tornado that swept through Nashville, where her office is located, in March 2020.
Trimble Foundation Makes a Global Impact
Kadakia says she was excited to serve on the foundation’s advisory board when the opportunity arose in 2019.
“The Trimble Foundation is something to be very proud of,” Kadakia said. “I am so excited to contribute as a Trimble employee, and work for a company that has the vision of not only running a business, but also giving back to our communities.”
Overall, Jarosh says the foundation brings together Trimble’s employees and unites them in their passion for improving the world, and the communities they are a part of.
“I feel very proud to work at Trimble and be a part of the Foundation Fund’s work,” Jarosh added. “I just think it’s remarkable and wonderful that we’re part of a company that’s so focused on the spirit of volunteerism, equality and empathy.”
Interested in learning more about the Trimble Foundation? Visit the foundation’s website to get additional details on its mission and some of the key initiatives it is supporting.