Coming Together for Literacy: Inside KPMG’s Community Impact Day

For nearly 20 years, KPMG U.S. and the KPMG Friends & Family for Literacy (KFFL) have partnered with First Book to increase children’s access to books, support educators, and inspire a love of reading among children in low-income communities. As part of the firm’s 5th annual Community Impact Day, KPMG mobilized 16,000+ employees across 77 offices with 700 volunteer opportunities to support the communities where they live and work.

A focus area of the day included engaging with students and educators to expand access to books. Through more than 110 literacy-focused events across 66 offices, 2,000+ KPMG employees stepped into classrooms, libraries, and community programs, to distribute more than 26,000 brand-new books to children in just one day. These books will support classroom learning and afford students the opportunity to read and treasure books of their very own over summer break.

At Alfred Vail Elementary School in New Jersey, one of the many schools receiving books during KPMG’s Community Impact Day, volunteers joined classrooms for a morning of read-alouds and fun, hands-on activities. KPMG volunteers engaged directly with the students to reinforce the importance and joy of reading.

“Creating opportunities for children to build strong literacy skills takes collaboration,” says KPMG US Senior Director for Community Impact, Meghan Bracken. “We are especially grateful for the hard work of teachers, who are at the heart of this effort.”

“Working alongside First Book, educators, and communities over many years has reinforced the importance of expanding access to books and creating experiences that inspire a love of reading. Community Impact Day reflects that shared commitment and the impact that’s possible when people come together to support the next generation.”

One of the defining aspects of Community Impact Day is the energy and commitment KPMG employees bring to their communities. Employees volunteer side-by-side, strengthening relationships among their colleagues and with their communities. Research from KPMG Friends @ Work 3.0 in collaboration with Civic Science shows that employees with close friends are four times more likely to volunteer weekly (32%) than other groups (8%). These opportunities give employees a chance to form deeper bonds with their team or create new relationships around shared purpose.

For First Book, the partnership with KPMG helps extend our mission to connect educators with the books and resources they need to best serve their students. For KPMG, it’s an opportunity to turn employee passions into an impactful moment of connection. And for the children and educators we serve, the impact is lasting and profound! When volunteers step into classrooms and read with students, it shows children that their learning matters and it shows educators that they are supported. Most importantly, kids walk away with a new love for reading, a book to call their own, and the knowledge that adults in the community care about literacy and about their education – and that they are important. Thank you, KPMG and KFFL, for such an impactful partnership!

First Book provides access to quality education for children in need across the country. With our partners’ help, we have distributed more than 250 million books and educational resources. Find out how your partnership with First Book can shape brighter futures.