By Ryan Hudnall, Starbucks partner resources associate and The Starbucks Foundation grant ambassador

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts which provide an introspective look at the partnership between Starbucks and The Community Foundation which resulted in more than two decades of grant support to tackle the various issues that local communities face.

Recognizing the memorial fund and its grants in the Starbucks store on Wisconsin Avenue

In December 1997, the Starbucks Memorial Fund (funded by Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation) was created at The Community Foundation in response to the tragic killings of three Starbucks partners (employees) during an attempted robbery of their Georgetown store. The fund was created to help support nonprofit organizations who were working to help better communities in order to help mitigate issues of violence. It’s been more than 20 years but the memory of Mary Caitrin Mahoney, Aaron David Goodrich, and Emory Allen Evans continues to burn brightly in our hearts and in the Washington, DC community with the help of the fund created in their honor. Their store on Wisconsin Avenue continues to be a living tribute. Over two decades, the fund supported more than sixty nonprofits based in the Greater Washington region with more than $1.3 million in grant support.

Grants have supported a variety of local organizations, from those providing emergency services to survivors of domestic violence and child abuse, to organizations leading violence prevention programs through peer education and advocacy. In 2016, the focus of the Starbucks Memorial Fund shifted to supporting local organizations that create opportunities for underserved populations and that strengthen communities in Washington, DC, including supporting job training opportunities for Opportunity Youth, veterans, and refugees.

“Participating in the process to select beneficiaries of the Starbucks Memorial Fund allows our local store leaders to both learn about philanthropy and the local nonprofit landscape, as well as share their valuable perspectives and experiences from engaging with community both inside and outside our stores.” – Stephanie Jasek, Starbucks district manager and Washington, DC regional community lead

The grantees support causes that many local Starbucks partners are passionate about. Local Starbucks partners participated in the review of grants every year under the guidance of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s philanthropic advisory services team to select organizations that serve the diverse needs of the city. Starbucks partners were also encouraged to invest in building relationships and volunteering their time to support programs led by the Starbucks Memorial Fund grantees.

Starbucks partners have shared their personal and professional experiences with Opportunity Youth participating in workforce readiness training and have served as mock interviewers and mentors. They have also prepared meals, served coffee at community events led by the grantees, and helped to raise awareness and other financial support for the organizations. Many of these relationships have lasted long beyond the term of the grant and continue to be valuable in strengthening Starbucks partner and customer connections to the Greater Washington community.

“Our partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation over the past 20 years has helped us identify and support local organizations that truly share our mission and values. With the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s deep insight into the nonprofit ecosystem and issues affecting the community, combined with our Starbucks partners’ commitment to creating community in our third place, we hope to both honor the memory of our partners and build a strong community in partnership with local DC nonprofits for years to come.” – Virginia Tenpenny, executive director, The Starbucks Foundation and vice president, Global Social Impact, Starbucks Corporation