Contributions

We support programs that help make a difference in communities where our employees live and work, as well as in farming communities where we source tobacco. We work together with local non-profit organizations to identify solutions to the most pressing social needs. In 2012, we gave over $38 million to more than 250 organizations in over 60 countries around the world to implement programs in our focus areas of Hunger and Poverty, Education, Rural Living Conditions, Domestic Violence and Disaster Relief.

Hunger and Poverty
Programs that provide direct relief to the poor and hungry are a priority. The programs we fund aim to break the cycle of poverty through training, job creation and micro-financing.

In Mexico, the “Nutrivida” program, launched by Fundación Merced, provides advice to thousands of people on how to grow safe and nutritious food for consumption and income generation.

In Serbia, we have seen new jobs created and much-needed economic development in neighborhoods where unemployment is high through our support of the EcoNomic Expert Community Association to help small business start-ups and to offer vocational training to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Education
We focus our resources in regions where many young people simply have no access to schooling. Programs range from building and renovating schools to scholarships and training for teachers.

In Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, we work with Total Land Care to provide children access to education in farming communities by building new schools and improving existing infrastructure.

In Romania, we work with Asociaţia “Hrăniţi Copiii” to provide medical care, tutoring and counseling to school children from families in need and, in so doing, help reduce the level of absenteeism.

Rural Living Conditions
We fund programs that improve living conditions in rural communities where tobacco is grown. These include a variety of innovative programs to protect and enhance natural resources, such as reforesting the land, providing clean water and ensuring food security for families.

In Indonesia, we partner with the local government in Surabaya and the IDEP Foundation on a program to conserve more than 1,500 hectares of mangrove forest, thereby protecting biodiversity, ensuring employment for farmers and fishermen, as well as creating eco-tourism opportunities for surrounding villages.

In the Dominican Republic, we support a project of the Asociacion Para el Desarrollo that empowers women in rural communities by offering financial support and equipment to help them set up businesses.

Domestic Violence
Domestic violence has a significant impact on families and communities around the world and has been one of our main giving areas for several decades. We support programs ranging from increasing public awareness to directing services in prevention and protection.

In France, we support the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes to provide specialized training for volunteers and staff from a variety of organizations to better serve survivors of domestic violence.

In Japan, we work with many non-profit organizations that provide a comprehensive range of services, including telephone hotlines, counseling, emergency shelters, awareness campaigns and financial assistance to those in greatest need.

Disaster Relief
We help local communities respond to unexpected disasters through emergency response and reconstruction programs and by building capacity and preparedness for future emergencies.

Last year in the Philippines, through the American Chamber Foundation, we provided immediate assistance to thousands of flood victims and their families affected by the heavy monsoon rains that flooded much of Manila.


Thailand:

Making a Difference

Many of our employees volunteer their time to support our charitable programs. For example, from left to right, Srikon Tonphu, Territory Sales Executive, Khuanthida Seekornti, Field Sales Specialist, Chanwit Chaiworn, Territory Sales Executive, Montikan Buain, Manager Area Sales, Kajohnsak Ooibumrung, Territory Sales Executive, Thitaree Sitthitanaphong, Territory Sales Executive, and Nutthadon Kruamanorome, Manager Area Sales, assisted with the construction of dams in the northern Thai tobacco province of Prae to help prevent flash floods and soil erosion.