About the Grant

Paul gave of himself tirelessly to many educational causes and firmly believed we have an obligation to ensure everyone – regardless of where they live or other circumstances – has access to a quality education.  To make sure the educational organizations he served and guided were focused on that end, Paul often asked a very straightforward question: “Do the kids win?”

To celebrate Paul’s legacy and to make sure kids continue to win, Baird associates are invited each year to nominate 501(c)(3) educational organizations in which they play a volunteer leadership role and which meet specific criteria as possible recipients of the Paul Purcell "Kids Win!" Annual Baird Education Grant:

• A Baird associate who has direct insight into the educational organization’s impact, ideally from serving in a leadership or governance capacity, must sponsor and be engaged in the grant application submission.
• Educational organizations must have 501(c)(3) Public Charity tax status and serve students in the United States, with a focus on markets where Baird associates live and work.
• Priority will be given to organizations or programs that serve diverse populations of students and/or first-generation students or those with limited financial means.

The inaugural "Kids Win!" grant recipients were announced May 20 at Baird’s 2021 Annual Meeting and received a total of $700,000 in grants.  Deserving 501(c)(3) educational organizations will be announced at each Annual Meeting going forward.

The Paul Purcell "Kids Win!" Annual Baird Education Grant is funded by Baird, Baird Foundation and Baird associates. With continued successful fundraising, the number and total dollar amount of the annual grants should grow. Contributions from those outside of Baird who may want to honor Paul’s legacy are not being accepted at this time, but may be considered in the future.