KultureCity selected as top nonprofit in U.S.

Microsoft named Vestavia Hills’ KultureCity as a one of the best nonprofits in the nation this week.

KultureCity, an organization geared toward helping individuals with autism and their families, was selected as part of the company’s UpgradeYourWorld Nonprofit Campaign and notified on Thursday, Oct. 15. Over the next year, Microsoft will partner with and support KultureCity.

As a nonprofit that was founded in 2013, KultureCity is the youngest organization Microsoft has chosen to partner with.

“I think basically that it’s very nice because we are home grown … and it’s nice to see that an organization that was started about 20 months ago has grown so rapidly,” said Dr. Julian Maha, founder and CEO of KultureCity.

The support and excitement KultureCity has seen since Microsoft’s announcement has led to a lot of love in the KultureCity community, said Regan Goldberg in business and community relations for KultureCity. She said it was like the KultureCity families and community embracing them over social media.

While Microsoft looked at the community vote, Goldberg said she believes KultureCity’s model helped it stand out from other nonprofits. The final decision was based on an extensive vetting process Maha said.

“I think of course they’ve looked at the voting, but I think it also helps that we are new and we are forward thinking,” Goldberg said.

The partnership with Microsoft will provide $50,000 in donations and technology. Maha said the technology might be used for its tabletKULTURE programs, which utilizes different types of tablets. They have talked about using the partnership to transition to the Microsoft Surface tablet.

The money, Maha said, will likely be used to fund the lifeBOKS program, which aims to help protect individuals with autism from harm related to wandering. KultureCity also plans to work with Microsoft in more ways than through funding.

“The biggest thing is using this partnership really to engage Microsoft. Microsoft has been a really good employer of people with autism, especially adults,” Maha said.

Around 50 percent of individuals with autism do not have opportunities for employment, Maha said.

“Microsoft by taking a lead in this is not only being a trailblazer but at the same time is really creating a better future for all of these individuals,” he said.

The support, Maha said, also shows KultureCity’s emphasis on putting people before dollars.

“The biggest thing we’ve always emphasized is the fact that we always put the people we serve above and beyond anything,” he said.

KultureCity doesn’t let donor dollars drive its mission and instead emphasizes impact, Maha said, and he believes this recognition reflects that.

“Winning an honor like this is a testament that we are doing that correctly,” he said.

For more information about KultureCity, visit kulturecity.org.