Community Impact

From our CLA Foundation to our commitment to community engagement, our purpose is to impact our communities through education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Knowing and helping our communities

Engaging with our communities has always been a fundamental part of our CLA culture. We believe investing goes beyond making a monetary donation — it’s about creating a measurable impact in our communities by intentionally engaging with nonprofit organizations to contribute our time, talent, and treasure. 

  • CLA family members celebrate Giving Day.
  • CLA Bellevue family members volunteer with Farestart.
  • CLA Foundation grantee, Byte Back, believes every adult deserves the chance for free tech training and a pathway to a successful career.
  • CLA Plymouth Meeting team presents a CLA Foundation check to Bucks County Opportunity Council.
  • CLA Minneapolis family members prepare to volunteer.
  • CLA St. Louis team presents a CLA Foundation grant check to Starkloff Disability Institute.

Contributing to the success of our society

While all engagement is important, CLA’s community impact work focuses on education, employment, and entrepreneurship — what we call our “Three Es” — as they are foundational to the success of us as individuals and to our society as a whole.

Education
is critical to the personal and professional success of every human being and is the greatest hope for breaking the generational cycle of poverty.
Employment
is essential to both social and economic success as well as providing a sense of fulfillment through productivity, purpose, and financial security.
Entrepreneurship
drives innovation, job opportunities, and productivity, so we need to help our communities become vibrant places for creating, launching, and growing a business.
Investing in progress
See how purpose-driven giving is shaping lives and communities, and explore the CLA Foundation’s latest milestones, in the 2024 Impact Report.
Get the Report

CLA Foundation

Since its inception in 2015, the CLA Foundation has granted more than $13 million to advance career opportunities in communities across the nation. The CLA Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) organization funded solely by donations from CLA family members, and does not accept grant proposals from outside organizations — all grant nominations originate from CLA family members.

Each year, CLA family members are invited to nominate organizations they believe are not only making a difference in their community, but also share the Foundation’s intent to promote and support diverse individuals and organizations that align with our mission of “connecting diverse networks to create career opportunities through education, employment, and entrepreneurship." We are proud of the opportunities we have been able to create together.


Celebrating generosity

Retired CLA Principal Kurt Kilwein donated more than $400,000 to the foundation to keep his parents’ philanthropic spirit alive.

CLA Foundation Celebrates Milestone Gift

The CLA Foundation is proud to honor the unwavering commitment and generosity of a member of the CLA family. Kurt Kilwein, a retired CLA principal, donated a total of $403,000 to the foundation.

"A defining moment came after both of my parents passed away. I felt compelled to do more to keep their philanthropic spirit alive,” he said. “My passion for helping others, buoyed by the kindness of my parents, allowed me to become one of the largest donors to the CLA Foundation.”

Since its inception, the CLA Foundation has granted more than $13 million to advance career opportunities in communities across the nation. The foundation is funded solely by donations from CLA family members and supports the mission of connecting diverse networks to create career opportunities through education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Kurt first donated to the CLA Foundation when his firm joined CLA in 2018. He then became a regular significant donor.

"Over time, I learned more about the foundation and the positive impact of employee donations in CLA communities,” he said. “My family has always been involved in charitable activities. When I was young, money was often tight, which taught me the value of volunteering and community engagement.”

The CLA Foundation is incredibly grateful for Kurt’s remarkable generosity.

"His legacy serves as a testament to the profound impact that one individual's dedication can have on a community,” Foundation Executive Director Susan Carter said.

Community engagement 

For us, community engagement means more than just volunteering. With the talent and passion we have within our CLA family, we believe we can use our inherent skills and experience to drive real change. That’s why we work to provide organizations that align with the Three Es a network of support within CLA that includes working collaboratively to solve problems and learning from each other to strengthen our communities.

Across the country, CLA family members use paid volunteer hours to connect with professional and charitable organizations in a variety of ways. We invest time, talent, and treasure in opportunities to create lasting impact.