|
Corporate Social Responsibility
News
2.25.2008 - 09:51am ET
|
CSR News from:
|
|
|
News Categories: |
| | |
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation Report 2007 Philanthropic Giving of $49 Million in Alcoa Communities Worldwide
(CSRwire) PITTSBURGH - February 25, 2008 - Alcoa (NYSE:AA) and Alcoa Foundation, one
of the largest corporate foundation in the United States, announced today
philanthropic giving in 2007 exceeded $49.0 million. Now entering its 56th
year, Alcoa Foundation has invested over $465 million since its inception
in 1952.
"Over the years, Alcoa's goal has remained clearly focused on making a
positive contribution in our communities. This year is no exception," said
Chairman and CEO Alain Belda. "The greatest value we bring is using our
ability to make a lasting difference in our communities through our
resources, volunteerism, and sustainable partnerships. There is no better
testament to a company’s values than to improve the lives of our fellow
citizens."
Special Areas of Focus
In 2007, Alcoa Foundation continued to build its conservation and
sustainability portfolio of strategic longer-term partnerships, funding
larger investments and projects, which address sustainability. The
Foundation is supporting climate change projects totaling more than $8
million and has entered into partnership with various groups to encourage
action to address climate change, inform public policy, build capacity,
and raise understanding and awareness about this global issue.
During 2007, Alcoa employees volunteered more than 634,000 hours in
community service projects. This earned non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) in 28 countries approximately $3.7 million in grants under
Alcoa’s employee engagement programs.
Alcoa Foundation also placed emphasis on programs designed to build global
education and workplace skills, with focus on access and retention, and
career awareness and training. Grants totaling more than $1.1 million
supported more than 40 programs in community colleges, technical schools,
apprenticeships and entry-level worker readiness programs. Another 31
grants, totaling more than $1.1 million, were made to programs designed to
foster math and science studies by young people, particularly girls.
Highlights of 2007:
Alcoa Foundation made 848 grants totaling $28 million to 1,111
organizations in more than 36 countries, including investments in new
Alcoa communities such as Iceland.
In 17 countries with developing economies, Alcoa Foundation
contributed over $8 million for 107 projects focused on eradicating
hunger, increasing access to universal education, combating diseases and
ensuring environmental sustainability, aligning with the Millennium
Development Goals and national development plans to halve extreme poverty
by 2015.
Recycling was targeted as a major sustainability issue, with over 30
projects totaling more than $1 million assisting community-based recycling
programs from Indianapolis and Morristown in the USA to Arad in Romania,
Amorbieta in Spain, and across Quebec in Canada and Victoria, Australia.
These projects are working at lifting recycling rates by targeting major
sporting venues and schools, using innovative recycling facilities and
education campaigns to raise awareness, set targets and measure
results.
Long-term partnerships were developed with NGOs in conservation an
sustainability projects:
- Conservation International and Affiliates in Brazil, China and
Guinea;
- Jane Goodall Institute in China and Guinea;
- Rainforest Alliance in Honduras, Mexico and Vietnam;
- The Nature Conservancy in Australia, China and United States;
- World Resources Institute in Brazil, China and the United States; and
- World Wildlife Fund in China.
A strengthened focus on employee volunteering, including Alcoa's
second annual Worldwide Month of Service last October, involved more than
17,000 employees in 784 events at more than 200 locations in 36 countries.
A record 47,000 people participated in volunteer activities during the
event--up nearly one-third from 2006. Volunteer efforts included service
to nearly 37,000 community residents, planting of more than 12,000 trees
and direct assistance to nearly 200 schools.
Alcoa Foundation's $8.6 million, six-year Conservation and
Sustainability Fellowship Program is advancing knowledge and supporting
exemplary research and project work in conservation and sustainability by
more than 30 Academic Fellows and 42 Practitioner Fellows worldwide.
Alcoa Foundation developed new partnerships with leading NGOs to
address climate change issues and promote community action to decrease
greenhouse gas emissions. Alcoa believes individual action on climate
change is also essential. Alcoa Foundation has awarded a grant to the Pew
Center for Global Climate Change for a community-focused project to raise
awareness and encourage action about climate change in Alcoa communities
throughout the U.S. This program builds off Alcoa's successful "Make an
Impact" project with Greening Australia, which is centered upon a
dedicated web-based carbon calculator to track individual, household and
community emissions.
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation jointly sponsored a variety of arts and
cultural exhibitions and projects designed to foster cultural development
and exchange, including:
- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's exhibition, Art in America: 300
Years of Innovation, in Beijing and Shanghai, Moscow and Bilbao, Spain.
The exhibition was seen by more than 1.5 million people.
- The Amazonia Brasil multicultural exhibition that brings the inherent
diversity, beauty, wealth and knowledge of the Amazon Forest to the world,
giving voice to local communities and forest peoples by portraying the
Amazon from the viewpoint of those who live and work there. Amazonia
Brasil will be in New York City from April - July 2008.
Community Investments around the Globe
Alcoa's global footprint has created opportunities for comprehensive
partnerships in communities old and new, and new opportunities to extend
our corporate philanthropy. Examples of 2007 investments in Alcoa
communities:
Brazil: Associação Comunitária dos Moradores da Vila Cabral
Miranda in Juruti and União dos Moradores da Vila Coquilho in São Luis,
Brazil, the construction of two community schools in rural areas. When
these schools are completed, 885 children will be able to pursue education
near their homes and beyond the minimum level.
USA: In Davenport, Iowa, Alcoa Foundation assisted the
Handicapped Development Center through a grant for the expansion of the
facility and physical therapy programs to serve more people with
disabilities. In Charleston, S.C., Alcoa Foundation is supporting an
apprenticeship program with the United States Trident Technical College
Foundation to train entry-level workers with basic industrial and
employability skills in an area of high economic growth in the
manufacturing sector.
Iceland: In the northern part of the country, Alcoa Foundation
is supporting local NGOs in a number of social and economic development
projects including a home for the disabled, transportation services for
children in rural areas, to exercise and health programs, promoting
tourism and producing renewable fuel with organic waste from farms.
Germany: Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. is receiving Alcoa
Foundation support for a national project to restore the wetlands in
several areas of the country. Restoring the wetlands is part of a larger
initiative to mitigate the harmful effects of global warming by decreasing
the carbon footprint of communities.
Australia: Alcoa Foundation contributed to the Clontarf
Foundation Academies to support Indigenous male youth through their
teenage years to adulthood (10-20 years of age), and equip them to be
functional, contributing members of society with healthy levels of
self-esteem and life skills.
Guinea: In the Boke region, the Jane Goodall Institute is
training community leaders in sustainable natural resource management.
This is helping increase the odds of chimpanzee survival by focusing on
sustainable economic development and developing community capacity.
China: The Forum of Environmental Journalistsin Beijing is
supported to provide an environmental program to educate volunteers at the
2008 Olympic Games about "green" practices. The long-term benefit will be
increased public awareness on environmental protection, role models for
"green" practices.
Mexico: Alcoa Foundation is supporting Freedom from Hunger for
a regional capacity-building program with a national NGO – Alcance - that
will offer integrated educational services to local institutions working to
alleviate chronic hunger for the rural poor living near or around the
communities of Acuña, Torreón, Piedras Negras and Juárez, Mexico.
Russia: Alcoa Foundation Technical Education Support Program
is in its third year with partners from Samara State Aerospace University,
Don State Technical University, and Moscow University of Steel and Alloys.
Grants have been awarded to the Institute of International Education, the
program administrator. To date, 240 engineering students have received
scholarships, 26 faculty members have received development stipends for
research and publications, and the teaching and research capacities of two
universities were developed with purchases of instructional and research
equipment.
Vietnam: The Rainforest Alliance is introducing its coffee
certification program with farmers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam to
improve production, to enhance biodiversity and other natural resources,
and to develop markets for certified sustainable coffee from Vietnam.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary
aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and
growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves
the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction,
commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design,
engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to
customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including
flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also
markets Alcoa(R) wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment
castings, and building systems. The Company has 97,000 employees in 34
countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations
in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More
information can be found at www.alcoa.com
About Alcoa Foundation
Alcoa Foundation is a separately constituted nonprofit U.S. corporate
foundation with assets of approximately $542 million. Its mission is to
actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide.
Throughout its history, the Foundation has been a source of positive
community change and enhancement, with nearly $466 million invested since
1952.
The Foundation's grants address global and local needs in over 36
countries by partnering with Alcoa communities around the world to make a
difference. Global and local grantmaking is responsive to the needs and
aspirations of Alcoa communities and marshals the combined expertise,
energies, and values of Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation to provide a
world-class standard of excellence in corporate citizenship.
In 2007, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation invested a combined total of $49.0
million in community programs in 36 countries, focusing on four areas of
excellence: conservation and sustainability, global education and
workplace skills, business and community partnerships, and safe and
healthy children and families. Alcoa Foundation manages the Alcoa employee
volunteer programs ACTION and Bravo! For more information, visit www.alcoa.com, under
Community.
|
|
