This year, Enterprise Mobility celebrates its fifth year of the ROAD Forward initiative, which was launched in 2020 to advance social equity in the communities where the organization operates. To date, more than 1,150 organizations – including global key partners and local nonprofits – have received a collective $64 million in grant funding across North America and Europe. More than 320 of the local community-based organizations are five-time grant recipients, accounting for nearly $28 million in donations.

"ROAD Forward is driving real impact in the areas we serve, as evidenced by the incredible work our nonprofit partners have accomplished over the past five years," said Carolyn Kindle, president of the Enterprise Mobility Foundation. "These positive outcomes underscore our organization's commitment to opening doors for youth and adolescents in communities that are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to health and education resources."

ROAD Forward was originally established as a five-year, $55 million commitment. Of this, $20 million was allocated to four key partners in the United States: UNCF, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Girls Inc. and Parents as Teachers. The remaining $35 million was committed to supporting local nonprofits, all of which have been selected over the years by Enterprise Mobility’s 70+ operating groups. This approach has empowered team members to identify the organizations best equipped to address social equity gaps in their neighborhoods.

Since 2020, the initiative has helped nonprofit organizations make significant progress in addressing social equity gaps across three focus areas: early childhood development, youth health & wellness and career & college preparation.

• UNCF launched the ROAD Forward Scholarship Program providing renewable need-based scholarships for first-generation college students attending UNCF member institutions. This spring, 67 of these student scholars graduated, nine of whom did so free from any student debt. This includes Lawrenz Ellman-Sanders, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Voorhees University and is now pursuing an MBA. Lawrenz shares, "This next chapter is fueled by the same passion and purpose that guided me through undergrad: to build generational wealth, give back to my community and open doors for others the way Enterprise Mobility opened doors for me."


• My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance has proudly certified 45 communities nationwide since 2020 and designated four of these as MBK Model Communities for their proven success in improving outcomes for boys and young men of color. For example, MBK Newark implemented strategic violence prevention efforts that led to a historic 67% reduction in homicides, and MBK Omaha achieved its five-year target for reduction in homicides ahead of schedule, with a remarkable 56% drop. In New York, MBK Yonkers holds the highest graduation rate in the state, at 86%, for boys and young men of color.


• Girls Inc. reached over 120,000 girls across the United States and Canada with new resources designed to provide them with support around emotional intelligence and awareness. This includes the launch of the Program Initiative – a curriculum update across 10 core identity programs designed to help equip girls with the skills and behaviors necessary to thrive and maximize their potential. Additionally, Girls Inc. launched its first cohort of the Leadership Accelerator, equipping 30 emerging leaders with the skills needed to advance into executive roles within the organization.


• Parents as Teachers increased the percentage of children and families served by 10% since 2021 and increased the number of model certified parent educators across nearly all demographic areas. A randomized control trial investigated the effectiveness of Parents as Teachers and found that the program significantly improves problem-solving, parent efficacy, parent-child interaction, personal care, role satisfaction, social support and lowered depression and family risk. These positive findings have allowed Parents as Teachers to effectively demonstrate the success of their programs, which will enable them to grow and serve more people.

"At the core, ROAD Forward is about strengthening communities by driving local impact," said Errin Braddock, chief diversity officer at Enterprise Mobility. "We are excited to continue down the road, alongside our incredible nonprofit partners, and drive positive change and opportunity for youth in the places where we live and work."

Locally across North America and Europe, organizations like Children’s Advocacy Center in Texas, Birth to Five in Indiana, Pace Center for Girls in Florida, EvenStart for Children’s Foundation in Canada and Strahlemann-Stiftung in Germany are laying the building blocks of empowerment through early childhood development and education, generating enthusiasm for life-long learning.

To support opportunities for youth to engage in positive behaviors, organizations like A Greater Good Foundation in Chicago, The North Grove in Canada, The Shona Project in Ireland and Girls Out Loud in the United Kingdom are helping nurture physical, mental and emotional well-being.

And, as youth make the transition from childhood to adulthood, organizations like Bridge the Gap in California, CARI St-Laurent in Canada, Crée ton Avenir in France and Fundación Juan XXIII in Spain are providing programs that promote mentorship, career development coaching and skills training needed to thrive.

To build on these five years of success, Enterprise Mobility announced earlier this year that the ROAD Forward initiative will be expanded. By 2030, nearly $165 million will be granted to local nonprofits and 18 global key partners, 14 of which are new to the initiative as of this year.

Click here for more information about Enterprise Mobility’s philanthropic initiatives.