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“Paying it forward” can look like a lot of different things — smiling at a stranger, donating school supplies, writing a LinkedIn recommendation for a coworker or even picking up trash when you see it. While the actions vary greatly, what doesn’t change is how gratifying the experience of giving back can be. At Kin + Carta, we strive to embed this type of kindness into our culture, which is why our Philanthropy Committee is so important to our organization.

Kin + Carta’s Philanthropy Committee is a self-organized group of employees who volunteer to find new, innovative ways for us to use our business as a force for good. The committee welcomes all who are eager to be a part of planning monthly volunteer events, strategize long-term community impact and contribute to our firm culture that is committed to making a difference in our communities.

This fall, the Philanthropy Committee organized one of our favorite days of the year — Pay it Forward, what we call our annual day of giving back. It’s during this day that Kin step away from work to volunteer together. Year over year, the reach of Kin + Carta’s Pay it Forward grows, as does the passion of our employees to serve their communities together.

This year, 246 Kin across six of our office locations donated their time, expertise and care to 28 charitable organizations. What’s more is that for each individual involved, $10 was donated to our regional charity partners. This totaled $2,460 of monetary donations to Techbridge Girls and Por Igual Más.


Here's some of what happened:

Across Argentina, Kin sorted food donations and supported a few marketing campaigns to fundraise and drive volunteers for a local non-profit’s upcoming fundraising.

Collage of employees volunteering

In Colombia, Kin improved the space for animals at a local animal shelter, re-designed a non-profit’s website, hosted a marketing campaign for the organization and sorted food donations.

Collage of employees volunteering

In the Eastern states of the US, Kin served lunches and prepared dinner at a local shelter, unloaded groceries to meal distribution sites, supported an animal shelter by cleaning up the space and packed clothing for an upcoming drive.

Collage of employees volunteering

In the Central states of the US, Kin gardened at a youth center, supported the coordination of a gaming convention, cleaned spaces across a ‘no kill’ animal shelter, packed meals and restocked food at a local food pantry, assisted with set-up for a fundraising event and repainted residences.

Collage of employees volunteering

In the Western states of the US, Kin sorted through donations at a resource center, put together food bags for local Denver students, helped customers at a food market shop for their week’s groceries and landscaped at a free-roam shelter.

Collage of employees volunteering

And virtually, Kin coordinated a transcribe-a-thon event, recorded themselves reading books for use by a children’s hospital, wrote cards for Veterans to receive on Veteran’s Day, became citizen scientists alongsize NASA, wrote letters for Meals on Wheels meal recipients, and donated books to a local-to-Chicago non-profit.


But these experiences don’t even get close to representing all of the work done on Pay it Forward 2022. Here is the complete list of the incredible organizations who welcomed Kin + Carta for the day and gave us the opportunity to support their missions: Animal Haven, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Banco de Alimentos, The Bowery Mission, Chicago Youth Centers, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, East End House, Feed My Starving Children, Food for Thought, Fundación Casa Grande, Fundación Hablemos por Ellos, Fundación Haiko, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, Martha’s Table, Meals on Wheels, Metro Caring, NASA Citizen Science, Nourishing Hope, Open Books, Oregon Humane Society, Path Home, PAWS Chicago, Portland Fruit Tree Project, A Precious Child, Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue, Smithsonian Transcription Center and Volunteers of America. What’s more is that Kin + Carta will be making a donation to each organization worked with.

It was rewarding to see tangible impact across the communities we volunteered within, and we never take for granted any time that we can spend with one another. We’re already counting down until next year’s Pay it Forward!

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