Giving Back

"No matter what you achieve, don't ever forget where you came from — and don't ever forget to give back."

That's what Joel Carver's grandmother Vivian, a social worker who spent her life serving families with limited access to opportunity, told him growing up. It's not a framed quote at Carver Companies headquarters. It's the operating principle.

Joel and his husband, Dr. Van Millin, carry that principle forward — treating philanthropy not as a side project, but as a core leadership responsibility, tied directly to business success and community well-being.

Carver Cares, the charitable arm of The Carver Companies, invests in the communities where the company actually operates — guided by equity, access, and compassion, not just a check-writing calendar.

Its most meaningful partnership is with Backpack Buddies, a nonprofit ensuring at-risk children have food and essential items outside of school. The connection runs deeper than most corporate partnerships: Backpack Buddies is led by Carol Williams and Dale Adams — and Dale was personally mentored by Joel's grandmother, Vivian. One woman's mentorship, still creating impact decades later, through the people she shaped.

Carver Cares also maintains long-standing partnerships with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Human Rights Campaign Fund, ICEF, and the In the Spirit Awards — organizations advancing health equity, civil rights, education, and cultural inclusion. Its alliance with the Point Foundation supports high-potential LGBTQ+ students building academic and leadership careers, reflecting the belief that representation and access are foundational to real leadership pipelines.

In 2017, The Carver Companies — along with Joel and Dr. Millin personally — established two lasting commitments at Pearl River Community College: the Harold P. and Bertha S. Carver Endowment, honoring Joel's parents, and the Smith-Carver Family Criminal Justice Scholarship, recognizing Smith-Carver family members who served in law enforcement and supporting students pursuing criminal justice careers.

As Chief Development Officer, Charley Carter puts it: "We don't need to do things differently — we need to do them better." At The Carver Companies, that means a portion of every dollar of profit gets reinvested into communities and causes that expand opportunity.