2023 MLK LDI graduates at HACC
Greenlee Partners
230 State St., #1, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Why does giving back matter to your business — and how does supporting local nonprofits shape your company culture or values?
The Greenlee Partners team consists of accomplished professionals with a single-minded focus on delivering superior client service. Moreover, they are skilled and passionate individuals who are personally invested in strengthening the communities where they live and work. Strengthening the communities we live and work in has been a focal point of the firm for over 40 years.
Our team takes volunteering seriously. Many of our team members devote time away from the office to champion the causes they care about. We believe that touching the lives of others has a positive impact on the entire community. Giving time, talent and treasure to community groups that are important to our associates helps further the legacy of Greenlee’s philanthropic efforts.
Additionally, we support the Harrisburg community on a company-wide level. Over the years, we have engaged in numerous charitable efforts, allocating substantial time and resources to worthwhile endeavors throughout the area. We’re thrilled to be recognized as much for our community involvement as our lobbying efforts.
What drew you to this nonprofit, and what does your support look like in action (time, leadership, funding, advocacy, etc.)?
The Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute (MLK LDI) seeks to strengthen personal and professional leadership skills for individuals serving their community. The community mobilization panel, in particular, seeks to provide leaders and aspiring leaders with the tools they need to impact public policy in an effective way. The scholars come from all walks of life, seeking ways to make their communities a better place.
Today, perhaps more than ever in recent history, understanding how to engage with our political leaders in civil discourse and advocate issues effectively to others is a necessary skill to possess. Without the ability to do so, changing public policy or even feeling heard in the community becomes difficult or impossible.
By volunteering time to work with the scholars at the MLK LDI, the scholars hopefully leave the program with an understanding of how they can make an impact regardless of their post in life. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”
The MLK Leadership Development Institute
What problem is your organization working to solve, and how does partnership with local businesses help you create measurable impact?
The MLK Leadership Development Institute is working to address the persistent gap in access to leadership development, economic opportunity and civic empowerment for historically marginalized communities. Too often, talented individuals lack the social capital, professional exposure and practical leadership training needed to translate potential into sustained impact. Our Institute equips emerging leaders with skills in ethical leadership, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and community advocacy—grounded in Dr. King’s principles of service, equity and collective responsibility.
Partnerships with local businesses are essential to creating measurable impact because they connect leadership development to real-world outcomes. Through these partnerships, participants gain mentorship, internships, job placement opportunities and hands-on experience solving actual business and community challenges. Local businesses benefit from a diverse, prepared talent pipeline, while we track outcomes such as employment rates, career advancement, business creation and community engagement. This ecosystem approach ensures our work moves beyond theory, producing tangible economic mobility for participants and measurable returns for the broader community.
As you look ahead to 2026, what type of corporate or foundation support would most help you grow or deepen your mission?
As we look ahead to 2026, the corporate and foundation support that would most help us grow and deepen our mission comes from organizations that are intentionally investing in their communities through both human and social capital. Financial contributions remain important, but the most transformative partnerships are those that engage people, expertise, and long-term commitment alongside funding.
We are seeking local business partners that are willing to invest their employees as mentors, instructors and social justice partners—sharing industry knowledge, leadership experience and professional networks with our participants. This type of human capital support accelerates leadership development, strengthens workforce readiness and creates authentic pathways to career advancement and entrepreneurship.
Equally important is social capital: access to networks, relationships and opportunities that are often out of reach for emerging leaders. Corporate and foundation partners can open doors by connecting participants to internships, apprenticeships, project-based learning, board service and community-based initiatives. When organizations leverage their influence and relationships, they help our participants move from preparation to placement and from leadership training to real civic and economic impact.
By investing in both human and social capital, corporate and foundation partners become co-creators of community change rather than just funders. These partnerships allow us to deepen our programming, scale our impact, and build sustainable pipelines of leaders who are equipped, connected and empowered to strengthen the communities we all share.
