Can $2,500 Change the World?
Maybe not the whole world—but it can make a meaningful impact on a local organization close to your heart. At the Making a Difference Foundation, part of our mission is to support the volunteer passions of CHG Healthcare employees by providing grants to the nonprofits where they give their time.
Here’s how two CHG Healthcare employees put a local grant to work—and helped strengthen the causes they care about most.
Surf’s Up—and So Is the Impact
“I guess the word we would use in Hawaii is ‘pretty stoked!’” Miranda says with a laugh. That’s how she described her organization’s reaction upon learning they’d received a $2,500 gra
nt from the Making a Difference Foundation.
Miranda, a tax specialist for CHG Healthcare, also serves on the board of Surf for Special Needs. She got involved with the group seven years ago, when her family moved from Utah to Hawaii. She thought it would be a great opportunity for her son, Preston.
Preston was born with cerebral palsy and experienced severe epilepsy. While brain surgery relieved his seizures, he still lives with physical disabilities. Surf for Special Needs pairs children and adults with disabilities with experienced volunteers for surfing sessions tailored to their abilities. The group hosts water events several times a year, welcoming hundreds of participants.
“They took Preston out for the first time when he was six, and he’s been surfing with them at every activity,” Miranda says. “We haven’t missed an event since.”
Over the years, Miranda’s involvement grew. She now helps manage the organization’s finances as a board member. When she learned about the Making a Difference Foundation’s local grant program, she thought, “I bet we could qualify.”
Despite concerns that the nonprofit might be too small, the application process was simple—and within weeks, Miranda got the good news. Thanks to the grant, the group could finally purchase adaptive surfboards and other much-needed equipment.
“Every little bit makes a difference,” Miranda says. “I’m so grateful CHG made this possible.”
The Cows Come Home
It all started with a walk around the neighborhood. Shortly after moving to the small farming town of Creswell, Oregon, MaKayla discovered that her neighbor ran a rescue shelter for farm animals. Cast-off cows, chickens, pigs, and even a few dogs and cats were living peacefully at Welcome Home Animal Sanctuary.
MaKayla, an insurance coordinator with CHG Healthcare’s legal team, had always been involved in animal rescue work. She asked for a tour—and soon after, a chance to volunteer. Though the couple who ran the sanctuary were initially hesitant, they eventually agreed.
Seeing how overwhelmed the owners were trying to care for the animals while holding down full-time jobs, MaKayla offered to help in a new way: by building a website to attract volunteers and raise funds.
“I had no idea how,” MaKayla admits. “I don’t have a business background or anything like that. So, a lot of it was YouTube videos and Googling it.”
But she made it happen. After launching the website, she began organizing fundraising events and community outreach efforts.
Remembering the Making a Difference grants from her Foundational Training class—and knowing her CHG team’s strong service culture—she applied.
The result? A $2,500 grant from the Making a Difference Foundation.
“We used that for bedding and food,” she says. “The money that we would have put towards food, we paid off some vet bills.”
For MaKayla, it wasn’t just about the money—it was about recognizing the passion and effort behind the work.
“You work so hard. It’s your passion,” she explains. “Putting a spotlight on the work that’s being done is just a big sense of accomplishment.”
Making a Difference, One Grant at a Time
From surfboards in Hawaii to sanctuary supplies in Oregon, the Making a Difference Foundation is proud to support CHG Healthcare employees who are giving back to their communities. Because even a small grant can help create a wave of change.
