GM invests $270K in Flint nonprofits, including STEM programs

General Motors said Monday it is providing grants to 157 nonprofit organizations in the communities surrounding its U.S. factories. The grants will total $3 million.

As part of it, GM is earmarking $270,000 to go to eight nonprofits in Flint, where GM has Flint Assembly and Flint Engine plants. GM makes its heavy-duty pickups at Flint Assembly. Of that grant, $20,000 will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint to implement a hands-on, activity-based STEM curriculum in their after-school and summer programming. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

The grants are through GM’s Community Impact Grants program, which was created in 2010. Its goal is to help local GM leaders and employees direct funding toward nonprofits that address local issues.

“Through the Community Impact Grants program, we are able to support our facilities and the organizations they believe in by utilizing our local relationships and the generosity of our workforce to strengthen our communities and build upon the incredible work these organizations do every day,” said Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, in a statement.

Here is the funding provided to local nonprofits in these other cities:

• Arlington, Texas: Six grants totaling $160,000, including $30,000 to a program that provides free skills training and employment services to veterans and their family members at the Community Learning Center.
• Toledo, Ohio: Seven grants totaling $100,000, one of which supports the Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, an organization that GM employees have volunteered with for 20 years.
• Fairfax, Kansas: Seven nonprofits received grants totaling $125,000, including a $35,000 grant to the United Way of Greater Kansas City’s Family Empowerment Initiative, which will support at least 20 families through the eviction prevention program.

Since 2019, GM said it has provided more than $13 million through the Community Impact Grants program. The grants support GM’s philanthropic priorities that focus on STEM education, vehicle and road safety, and community development. GM also makes targeted investments to enhance the quality of life in the factory communities, GM said.

Last year, GM said it gave $60 million to more than 400 nonprofits “dedicated to helping create inclusive solutions to social issues around the world.” GM employees donated 158,000 volunteer hours and more than $5 million in donations, it said.