SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 19, 2026 – Kia America has announced that its fifth annual "Accelerate the Good" Dealer Match program raised more than $4.7 million for nonprofit organizations across the United States in 2025, with contributions coming from both the company and its network of nearly 800 retailers nationwide. The total includes donations of more than $1.5 million each to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and No Kid Hungry, with additional funds directed to organizations working in children's health, hunger relief, veterans' services, disaster response, and community well-being. The program has now completed five years of operation, steadily growing its reach and the number of causes it supports.
How the Program Works
Accelerate the Good operates as a dealer match initiative, meaning Kia America matches contributions made by its retailer network, amplifying the impact of local giving. That structure lets individual dealerships direct support toward organizations relevant to their own communities — local food banks, children's hospitals, shelters, and youth programs — while national-level contributions flow to larger charities with broader reach.
Beyond writing checks, the initiative includes employee-led volunteer activity: food pantry service, beach cleanups, clothing drives, and the assembly of art kits for children in hospitals. That hands-on component reflects an effort to connect the program to actual community presence rather than keeping it purely transactional.
Who Received the Funding
The list of supported organizations in 2025 covered a wide range of causes. National recipients included the American Red Cross, Angel Wings for Veterans, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Covenant House, Feeding South Florida, No Kid Hungry, Operation Homefront, Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Toys for Tots, among others. Regional and local organizations received support through individual dealer partnerships, with causes ranging from hunger relief to military family services and youth development.
Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America, described giving back as central to the company's identity: "Together, we are proud to support organizations that deliver lifesaving care, strengthen families, fight hunger and create meaningful opportunities for people across the country."
Part of a Broader Social Commitment
Accelerate the Good sits within a larger framework of Kia's social investment activity. The brand also funds scholarships for underserved students and provides grants supporting environmental innovation, ocean conservation, and animal welfare — the last of these reflecting Kia's ongoing partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, which recently announced an expansion of plastic-waste interception operations in Greater Los Angeles ahead of the LA28 Olympic Games.
For a car brand, this kind of sustained, structured charitable infrastructure is relatively uncommon at the dealer-network level. Most manufacturer giving programs operate centrally; Accelerate the Good's dealer match design pushes responsibility and decision-making out to the local level, which tends to produce more targeted community impact. Five years in, the cumulative total across all editions of the program represents a significant commitment that goes well beyond a single promotional cycle.
Why It Matters for Kia Buyers
For consumers who factor a brand's community role into purchase decisions, programs like this offer something concrete to point to. The $4.7 million figure for 2025 alone is substantial, and the breadth of causes — from children's cancer research to veterans' support to hunger relief — means the program's reach extends across most communities where Kia dealers operate. It's also worth noting that this kind of initiative tends to reinforce dealer relationships with local customers, which can translate into better service experiences at the retail level.
Mini FAQ
Q: What is Kia's "Accelerate the Good" program? A: It is an annual dealer match initiative in which Kia America matches charitable contributions from its nationwide retailer network to support nonprofit organizations across the US.
Q: How much did the program raise in 2025? A: More than $4.7 million in total, including over $1.5 million each to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and No Kid Hungry.
Q: Is this a new program? A: No — 2025 marked the fifth year of the Accelerate the Good initiative.
Q: What types of causes does the program support? A: Children's health, hunger relief, veterans' services, disaster response, military families, youth services, and community well-being, among others.