How is Coca-Cola helping to build healthy, sustainable communities?
We believe our success depends on the sustainability of the communities where we operate – and for us, that means having positive economic, social and environmental impacts on our local communities. Throughout our history, we have supported local communities through grant funding, in-kind donations and volunteer assistance for vital programs. We also play an important role in economic development by providing jobs and paying taxes.
How much support does Coca-Cola provide to communities?
In 2011, The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation donated $123.5 million to local communities worldwide, including $49 million to communities across North America. The Company gives back at least 1% of its operating income annually to support communities worldwide.
What is The Coca-Cola Foundation?
The Coca-Cola Foundation, our Company’s main international philanthropic arm, partners with organizations around the globe to support community needs. The Foundation awards quarterly funding to organizations and programs where we can make a unique and sustainable difference. Since 1984, the Foundation has donated more than $500 million to support communities worldwide.
How does Coca-Cola determine which organizations it will support?
Coca-Cola supports community organizations that align with our strategic giving priorities. In North America, our priorities are: active healthy living, water stewardship, community recycling, education, and diversity and inclusion. We support hundreds of local and national organizations that align with these priority areas – such as The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Keep America Beautiful, the United Negro College Fund, the Breakfast Clubs of Canada and many more.
What are some examples of organizations Coca-Cola supports?
We support Girls Inc., Teach for America, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, NAACP, Keep America Beautiful, The Human Rights Campaign, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Special Olympics, The National Park Foundation, ParticipACTION, the Breakfast Clubs of Canada and many others. To learn more, visit LivePositively.com or LivePositively.ca
How does Coca-Cola support active, healthy communities?
Coca-Cola supports active, healthy communities by encouraging everyone to balance “calories in” with “calories out.” We do that by offering a wide variety of beverage choices, providing calorie counts on the front of our packages and supporting vital community programs that give people more ways to be active. In 2012, Coca-Cola gave more than $15 million to active, healthy living programs across North America. Examples include Triple Play, a Boys & Girls Clubs program that gets kids moving after school, and Coca-Cola Troops for Fitness, a program that empowers military veterans to teach fitness classes.
How is Coca-Cola supporting recycling in local communities?
The majority of our packages are 100% recyclable, and we are advancing consumer recycling programs across North America. Our goal is to recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell. Today, we recover about 43% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans we place in the market. Our goal is to recover 50% by 2015. To support this goal, we place “Give It Back!” recycling bins in hundreds of public places. Through the Coca-Cola Bin Grant program, we’ve donated over 29,000 collection bins to local communities. In 2011, Coca-Cola gave $2.9 million to support recycling initiatives worldwide, including $430,000 to programs across North America.
What is Coca-Cola doing to protect local water resources?
We work to replenish water in our local communities through our support of healthy watersheds and community water programs. With partners like World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy, we support more than 60 community watershed projects that help to protect and conserve local water resources across North America. We’ve also donated more than 22,000 syrup drums for re-use as rain barrels and helped create 13 community rain gardens that replenish clean water to local waterways. In 2011, Coca-Cola gave $21.6 million to water stewardship programs worldwide, including $1.4 million to programs in North America.
How does Coca-Cola foster diversity and inclusion in local communities?
Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of our business, and we strive to provide our associates and our surrounding communities with equal access to information, development and opportunity. We partner with organizations like the Special Olympics, National Urban League, Human Rights Campaign, National Council of La Raza, the National Association of Asian American Professionals and the National Organization on Disabilities to ensure that diversity and inclusion become a reality inside and outside of the workplace. In 2011, Coca-Cola gave $22.3 million to support diversity and inclusion in North America.
How is Coca-Cola advancing education in local communities?
We support educational programs for students of all ages to drive socioeconomic development. Our programs focus on mentoring, school drop-out prevention, reading and literacy, scholarships and other local needs. Since 2002, Coca-Cola has contributed more than $212 million to education through groups such as The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, First Generation Scholars, The Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and My Coke Rewards for Schools.
What is My Coke Rewards for Schools, and how can I participate?
When you purchase Coca-Cola products in the U.S., you can donate the points found on the packages to your local school through the “My Coke Rewards for Schools” program. Schools can redeem the points for much-needed items like art supplies and sports equipment. Even the smallest point contribution can lead to great opportunities for students in your community. To get started, visit MyCokeRewards.com.
How does Coca-Cola contribute to the local economy?
Our products are made, sold and distributed locally, which creates local jobs for our business and supports job growth for our customers and suppliers. Industry studies have shown that for every job created in a community by the beverage industry, an estimated four additional jobs are generated for our suppliers and retail partners.
Does Coca-Cola support volunteerism in local communities?
Yes. Coca-Cola believes in the importance of community involvement, and we encourage all our associates to get involved in the communities we serve. As a Company, we support a number of volunteer organizations, such as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Summit, International Coastal Cleanup and American Red Cross blood drives. We also empower our associates to volunteer for a variety of causes they choose in their local communities. In 2011, Coca-Cola associates volunteered for 34,558 total hours in North America and 184,512 hours globally.
What if a group in my community wants to request a grant or sponsorship?
Grant and sponsorship requests must be submitted through our online application system at www.cocacolacommunityrequest.com. Foundation grant requests are reviewed and funded on a quarterly basis, and community sponsorships are responded to on a monthly basis. Requests that meet specific guidelines and align with our philanthropic priorities (active healthy living, water stewardship, recycling, education, diversity/inclusion) will be considered for funding. Applicants will receive an email confirmation when a completed application is received.
Is there a dollar amount limitation for community support?
No, there is no dollar limitation.
Is there a deadline to apply for community support?
The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation accept applications for contributions, fundraising dinners and community sponsorships year-round at www.cocacolacommunityrequest.com.
What is the Coca-Cola Bottles for Benefits Fundraising Program?
The Coca-Cola Bottles for Benefits program gives educators, parents and communities an easy way to raise much-needed funds for their local schools. Through the program, schools can purchase up to 50 Coca-Cola brands at a discounted rate and offer them to parents and community members at retail value to raise money for school programs or local organizations. To help support your community, ask your local education officials if they’d like to participate in Bottles for Benefits and direct them to www.Coca-ColaBottlesforBenefits.com to get started.
What is The Coca-Cola Company Employee Matching Gifts Program?
This program allows U.S.-based, full-time Coca-Cola employees, their spouses/domestic partners, retirees and board members to contribute financial support to charitable organizations that are making a difference in our communities. Participants may contribute a cumulative maximum of $10,000 from personal funds, per calendar year, to a single or multiple qualifying organizations. These funds will be matched on a 2-for-1 basis by The Coca-Cola Foundation, allowing for a maximum total match of $20,000 per calendar year. Sign-up forms are available on the Company intranets. For more information, contact the Matching Gifts Program toll free at 866-223-4498 or by email at coca-cola@easymatch.com.