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Contributing to Community—Approach
Through the Alcoa Community Framework, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation work with the communities in which we operate to develop partnerships with community organizations, fund projects designed to address priority community needs, and contribute to the sustainability of each community.
Alcoa’s business model has community sustainability at its core. Through the Alcoa Community Framework, the Alcoa Executive Council sets an overall target for engagement between Alcoa and our community stakeholders. This engagement is implemented as part of our overarching corporate goals through consultation, communication, community assessment, employee engagement and service, government and media relations, and regional representation.
Together, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation implement the framework, working alongside our communities to partner on issues and projects that address priority community needs and contribute to the sustainability of each community where Alcoa has a presence.
This results in strong portfolios of social investments, funded both through Alcoa Foundation and by Alcoa business units and developed with input from regional and business unit lead teams within Alcoa and community advisory groups worldwide. These teams and groups make project recommendations for their locations and develop community investment and engagement strategies based on their assessment of local community needs, conditions, and opportunities to help Alcoa make a difference as a socially responsible corporate citizen in those communities.
In addition to delivering programs and partnerships that strengthen communities, we work to leverage the combined expertise, energies, talents, and resources of Alcoa, Alcoa Foundation, and our employee volunteers to provide a world-class standard of excellence in corporate citizenship.
Alcoa Foundation works across the business to develop larger, cross-regional partnership grants aligned with our broad social development goals. These projects are intended to address particular community priorities and are implemented with strong local engagement. In addition, Alcoa Foundation has developed partnerships with leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and public policy institutions to make our contribution to projects addressing priority global issues, particularly in the area of conservation and sustainability with a focus on climate change.
In 2008, our combined giving reached more than US$50.6 million. Alcoa Foundation provided nearly US$26.2 million in grants in 35 countries where Alcoa operates, with Alcoa and Alcoa-related foundations contributing another US$24.4 million to support projects and partnerships with NGOs around the world.
Alcoa Foundation’s community investments continue to be guided by five strategies that align with Alcoa’s aspirations as a company:
- Strong Program Focus—Alcoa Foundation programs have one core focus—delivering positive change by addressing priority issues in communities in which Alcoa operates and seeking results in measurable outcomes and impacts.
- Leveraging for Positive Change—Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation leverage funding, organizational expertise, assets, and values to strengthen the services and performance of NGOs to better contribute to the sustainability and quality of life in communities in which Alcoa operates.
- Globalized Programs and Networks—Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation’s global presence across diverse countries and communities means that the Foundation achieves reach and impact by combining its expertise with the on-the-ground knowledge and experience of Alcoa employees in business units around the world.
- Operating Efficiently and Measuring Outcomes—Alcoa Foundation increases its efficiency in managing community investing and pursuing impact through measurement, evaluation, and application of learning for improvement of program outcomes.
- Communicating and Sharing Best Practice—Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation use global expertise to bring visibility and share knowledge with Alcoa employees, their communities, and stakeholders to enhance the impact and potential of Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation investments.
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