Corporate Charitable Contributions Policy

Since 1907, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has demonstrated its commitment to civic and social responsibility. Although our business has evolved and the needs of the communities we’ve served have changed over the years, our basic commitment to community prosperity continues.

At Nielsen-Massey, we believe we have a responsibility to invest in enhancing the quality of life for our Chicagoland and Southeast Wisconsin communities. In the true spirit of diversity, we work with groups from many different backgrounds, tailoring our relationships and our assistance to meet their needs whenever possible.

Nielsen-Massey’s Community Relations initiatives encompass three main objectives:

• Building relationships with the communities in which we live and work;
• Showing our commitment through financial contributions to charities in support of education, youth, veterans and the environment;
• Actively promoting volunteer service among our employees and demonstrating as a team that we make a difference.

Through our charitable contributions, Nielsen-Massey seeks to address critical issues and needs by providing assistance to accredited schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. We are committed to being a responsible corporate citizen by supporting the local and regional communities, projects and organizations, where our employees live and work, with financial, in-kind and volunteer resources.

While we recognize there are many important issues facing our communities today, Nielsen-Massey focuses on the four key areas listed below to achieve more effective results.

Education

Education is a critical building block in the success of individuals, the community and the future workforce of our communities. Nielsen-Massey supports education initiatives that focus on preparing at-risk individuals to become productive employees, community leaders and responsible citizens. Contributions fund organizations that support:

• Culinary education
• Literacy
• School readiness
• Teacher professional development
• Expanding and improving educational opportunity and access
• Scholarship funds and college access
• Career training

At-Risk Children & Youth

The children and youth of our communities are simply our future and, as such, Nielsen-Massey believes in providing them with pathways to success. By strengthening the quality of opportunities for children and youth involvement and leadership, we are helping them prepare for the future. Contributions fund organizations that support:

• After school programs
• Mentoring programs
• Good character and citizenship building
• Leadership development

Military and Veterans Organizations

Nielsen-Massey respects and honors the sacrifices the many brave individuals and their families have made and continue to make in order to keep all of us safe. Contributions fund organizations that support:

• Wounded military services
• Military social services
• Family support services

Environment Protection

The sustainability of our communities lies not only on a solid economic foundation, but also in the strength and preservation of the natural ecosystems. We partner with organizations that demonstrate leadership in protecting our natural resources and promoting sustainable environmental practices in our communities. Contributions fund organizations that support:

• Stewardship and revitalization of natural resources
• Conservation advancements
• Energy conservation
• Biodiversity and habitat preservation

As a rule, we do not provide grants to:

• organizations without a non-profit status;
• programs that promote religion;
• religious organizations for religious purposes;
• political organizations, campaigns or candidates for public office;
• lobbying groups;
• fraternal organizations, except for local/regional police and fire organizations;
• individuals;
• travel and related expenses;
• athletic groups or activities, including charity-benefit sporting events;
• charter schools*;
• bands or choirs;
• capital campaigns;
• administrative expenses or salaries;
• organizations providing services primarily to animals;
• communities outside of the Chicagoland and Southeast Wisconsin regions;
• organizations whose programs discriminate based on race/ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital/parental status, pregnancy/childbirth or related conditions, religion, creed, age, disability, genetic information, military service/veteran status, disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, other protected veteran, Armed Forces service medal veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

*Consideration for support for Charter Schools will be given to those with 1) open enrollment and those 2) held to the same standards as other public schools. 

How to Submit a Request for a Financial or Product Contribution

If your requests meet the criteria outlined above and you wish to request support, please contact us via mail or at donations@nielsenmassey.com. Requests are reviewed by an employee committee and granted on a quarterly basis (March, June, September, December). Since donations are granted on a quarterly basis, to be considered, ensure your submissions are received by the end of the following months: February, May, August or November. You will be required to include the following information in your application.

1. Non-profit name
2. Tax Exempt Number
3. Contact name, title, address, phone number, email address
4. Brief history of the organization, mission statement, goals and objectives
5. Type and scope of services offered, and the geographical area serviced
6. Specific details as to how requested funds would be used
7. Project budget and amount requested
8. Demographic impact
9. List of other corporate funders
10. List of directors and/or officers, and their affiliations

Only one request will be accepted per organization per year. While we ask that each organization make only one request per year, your request may include multiple events/programs. Each event/program should be submitted as a unique proposal (i.e. if you have three events, submit three proposals). To be considered part of a single request, all proposals must be submitted at one time.

Advertising/Branding

In addition to making charitable contributions to non-profit organizations, the company also participates in select brand sponsorship opportunities. Sponsorships that include advertising elements are evaluated by the Marketing team. Special consideration is given to those organizations or media sponsorships that promote the focus areas outlined above.

Advertising/Branding contact:

marketing@nielsenmassey.com