In 2021, we launched our annual MCA Day Grant, which acknowledges nonprofit organizations across the 13 states where MCA has a presence by awarding them charitable grants. For last year’s MCA Day Grant, we honored 8 organizations with individual grants of $8,000 each.
For this year’s MCA Day Grant, we decided to increase both the number of nonprofits that received awards and the size of the grant. In 2022, 9 nonprofits received charitable grants of $9,000 each.
Before we list the winners of this year’s grants, we would like to discuss the purpose of the MCA Day Grant and the role the MCA Spartans played in selecting the winners.
What is the MCA Day Grant Program?
As we mentioned above, we began the MCA Day Grant last year to honor nonprofits that had a huge impact in their communities. MCA Day Grant celebrates the anniversary of our company’s founding while also demonstrating what it means to take a service-first approach—the motto of our company.
Nonprofits can be nominated for an MCA Day Grant under four categories:
First Responder Organizations: Programs that support law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, health care professionals, and disaster relief first responders.
Military: Organizations that help active-duty military, military veterans, and their families.
Education: Programs that advance STEM education, as well as the acquisition of technical and vocational skills.
Public Health and Community Groups: Local organizations that ensure that our communities have access to health care and other critical human needs.
This year’s selection process was especially difficult. We had 39 very qualified applicants nominated to receive 9 grants of $9,000. We relied on the MCA Spartans to select those 9 nonprofits that would receive charitable grants.
MCA Spartans
Who are the MCA Spartans? Nominated by their peers and leadership, the MCA Spartans are members of our workforce who go above and beyond in exhibiting the service-first mentality of our company in their interactions with clients and their community.
Referencing our company headquarters in Spartanburg, SC, the MCA Spartans mentor other team members and embody our values as a company. In order to become an MCA Spartan, you must:
- Be a leader at MCA.
- Treat our customers with the highest standards of service.
- Mentor other members of our work family.
- Provide feedback to senior leadership on important issues that help our organization grow.
- Epitomize the following values: a service-first mentality, and a commitment to teamwork, growth, and safety.
MCA Spartans serve an integral role in spreading the values of our organization. They take on additional service responsibilities such as selecting the nonprofit organizations that receive awards on MCA Grant Day.
2022 MCA Day Grant Winners
With 39 excellent applicants, the MCA Spartans had their work cut out for them. We carefully evaluated and assessed each application before deciding on the following MCA Day Grant Winners.
And the winners are (drumroll please):
The South Carolina Firefighter Foundation (South Carolina)
Hub City Farmers Market (South Carolina)
HEADstrong Foundation (Maryland)
Princess Anne Courthouse Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department (Virginia)
Alabama Concerns of Police Survivors (Alabama)
Hidden Valley Elementary School (North Carolina)
Southern Reins Center for Equine Therapy (Tennessee)
K911-KY (Kentucky)
Hookset Brothers Combat Recovery (Texas)
As you can see this is a diverse group from many different states. We encourage you to look up each organization so you can learn more about the great work they’re doing to help their communities thrive.
Giving Tuesday and Support for Our Veterans
While we were in the giving mood, we just didn’t feel like stopping. We encouraged our MCA family to consider making a private donation to the 30 applicants that weren’t selected for an MCA Day Grant this year. Giving Tuesday, which is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is the perfect time to donate to any of these worthy nonprofit organizations.
In addition to MCA Day Grant, our Spartans wanted to do something more for our communities, and with Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving in November, we decided to show our appreciation for our most dedicated and patriotic citizens—our military veterans.
The MCA Spartans banded together to launch programs such as “Sweats for Vets.” In offices around our company, we are collecting cozy clothing for our less fortunate veterans. We are also collecting and donating toiletries, food, and even equipment, such as commercial coffee makers, to local veteran centers around the country.
MCA to Continue Our Charitable Giving
Next year, we plan to make an even bigger splash still with MCA Day Grant 2023. We will be increasing the number of grants we award next year to 10 at $10,000 each. For more information about how to apply for an MCA Day Grant or general inquiries about the award, please contact us at [email protected].