For MNP, charitable giving is ‘part of our values’
National firm making an impact in Waterloo Region through WRCF’s Community Fund
Accounting firm MNP describes itself as being national in scope and local in focus.
That includes Waterloo Region, which is home to about 120 of the national company’s nearly 10,000 employees.
Being local in focus extends beyond the accounting, consulting, tax and digital services it provides. Charitable giving has played a significant role in MNP's ethos throughout its nearly seven decades in business coast-to-coast.
“It’s part of our values and our way of doing things,” said Rohit Aggarwal, MNP’s Regional Managing Partner in Waterloo Region. “It is not something that is just for business. It’s part of who we are — and we do this consistently.”
The company’s approach to giving is not of the one-off variety. MNP focuses on providing sustainable, year-round support to those in need with the goal of helping the community prosper.
MNP team members at a volunteer day: rare Charitable Research Reserve
‘Beyond just a campaign’
“We support the communities where our people live, work, and play, or raise their families. When our communities thrive, we thrive as well,” Rohit said, referring to an internal saying at MNP. “Every effort we make individually or as a team, for us, should go beyond just a campaign.”
MNP puts its beliefs into action and recently established the MNP Community Fund, a fund within Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF)’s Community Fund. The Community Fund is flexible year after year, and funds go to shifting areas of need in the community — including future needs that often can’t be anticipated when the fund is established. Grant decisions are made through a committee comprised of local volunteers from diverse backgrounds. This process is managed through WRCF, taking the burden of decision‑making off the Fundholder and making it easy for them to create meaningful impact in the community they love.
‘Trust’ is key to the process
"This reflects how we trust WRCF, and how we trust their process of allocating those funds and evaluating who is in need,” Rohit said. “We believe that community needs evolve year over year. This way, we are supporting whatever is needed for that period, that time.”
"This fund is not about MNP, it's about a collective effort,” Rohit added.
Each year, MNP holds an employee giving campaign. Employees and the employer raise money for the fund over three weeks. Each campaign comes with unique messaging. Last year was ‘small acts, big impact’ — meaning every donation matters, big and small. Included among the various activations was a lunch-and-learn event where employees got a glimpse into WRCF and where their donations were ultimately going. Throughout the campaign, employees made donations while participating in various games and activities in the office. MNP, and even some of its more senior employees, then matched donations.
“We focused on helping with what you can, because in the end, as a team, as a group, as a community, every effort is meaningful,” Rohit said.
MNP team members at a volunteer day: Anishnabeg Outreach
MNP’s long history of giving back in the community goes beyond dollars and cents. Company representatives regularly volunteer their time and expertise in the community and champion causes that promote equity, inclusion, and social wellbeing. Every year, team members are encouraged to use working hours to volunteer at local organizations, witnessing firsthand the impact of their contributions.
The company's efforts to give back bring a “sense of pride, a sense of belonging, and a sense of responsibility,” Rohit said, and he believes it’s a “shared feeling between all team members” at MNP.
He added: “If the MNP Community Fund can minimize the gap between what is needed and what we are able to collectively fund... then it’s doing its job.”
Rohit encourages anyone mulling over the idea of creating a fund to spring to action.
“Don’t wait for the perfect timing, or to have a perfect initial amount to establish your fund,” he said. “Start with whatever you have because it will grow over time. And it will grow over time because people will be more involved.”
Partnering with WRCF “allows you to focus on your corporate values while they handle the structure and manage all the fund allocations,” he added. “We hope that this inspires others to join us in making this a shared community experience.”
For more information on the MNP Community Fund, visit wrcf.ca/mnp.
WRCF offers a range of fund types to choose from, depending on philanthropic interests and desires for specific levels of involvement in annual granting decisions. Learn more at wrcf.ca/types-of-funds.
Funds can be established in your name, or in the name of your family, your organization or anyone you wish to honour. If you would like to learn more about setting up a fund, contact Dan Robert at dan@wrcf.ca or 519-725-1806 x 205.
For more information about WRCF, visit wrcf.ca.