Caterpillar Foundation pledges $2.5 million to boost volunteerism and civic pride
Caterpillar tied a $2.5 million America 250 pledge to 250,000 volunteer hours, mixing Smithsonian funding with a visible hunger-relief image.
On June 25, Caterpillar Foundation paired a $2.5 million America 250 pledge with a goal of 250,000 employee volunteer hours by April 2027. The announcement also came with a photo of a Caterpillar employee sorting boxes at Midwest Food Bank in Peoria, Illinois.
Most of the money, $2.3 million over three years, will go to the Smithsonian Science Education Center for STEM and AI education for K-12 students. The grant includes a new Smithsonian STEAM Schools of Distinction cohort, professional development for educators, an AI-focused STEM learning guide and virtual training for teachers in 40 communities. It builds on 20 years of Smithsonian support, including grants tied to new museums plus science education and entrepreneurship programs. The Smithsonian will also hold its 2026 National Education Summit from July 14 to July 16 in Washington, with more than 40 sessions and a civics-heavy theme centered on Together We Thrive: Towards a More Perfect Union.
The remaining funds will support Points of Light’s Mobilizing Millions campaign for America’s 250th anniversary. The campaign will engage employees and communities, build nonprofit capacity and support a long-term goal of doubling volunteers nationwide to 150 million by 2035. America250 launched America Gives on January 1, 2026, and is aiming to make 2026 the largest year of volunteerism in U.S. history. It is aiming for 350 for 250, or participation from all 350 million Americans.
Midwest Food Bank's network includes 2,400 local nonprofits and 37,000 volunteers, and it provided more than 130 million meals last year. A Simple Gesture’s green bag model matches surplus-food donors with vetted nonprofits and runs near zero-cost, with a $1 donation converting to more than $30 of food for food banks and pantries.
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