Ford has a long history of investing in the communities in which we operate by making charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations. In 2006, Ford contributed a total of $87 million, of which $58 million was grants awarded by Ford Motor Company Fund and the remainder corporate was giving. This amount is a reduction compared to previous years, which reflects challenging business conditions that affected the amount of money Ford was able to donate. Despite these challenges, Ford's commitment to supporting our local communities remains unchanged. Indeed, even in difficult times, we believe it is important to continue these programs.
Ford Motor Company Fund
Ford Motor Company Fund supports organizations in three strategic areas: education, auto-related safety and American heritage and legacy. The following are examples of some of our most significant or new programs:
- Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS) is our flagship education program. Its objective is to provide high school students with academically rigorous 21st-century learning experiences. By combining the resources of high schools, community-based organizations, higher education institutions, government entities and businesses, Ford PAS teaches a curriculum based on real-world skills. In 2006, Ford PAS was active in 21 states, reaching more than 10,000 students.
- In 2006, Ford Motor Company Fund launched the Ford Career Academy Innovation Community, the newest component of our innovative education strategy. Career academies are small learning communities that draw on career themes to bring real-world relevance to academic instruction. When they are successfully implemented, career academies improve attendance, grades, graduation rates, transition to post-secondary schools, and financial success after high school and college. They also are thought to reduce the need for remediation at post-secondary institutions, foster more rapid acquisition of proficiency in the English language and improve test scores. In partnership with education policy specialist Social Marketing Services, Ford Motor Company Fund designed a 12-point action plan to serve as a guide to career academies. Academies adhering to the plan have the opportunity to receive start-up grants, as well as implement the Ford PAS curriculum. In 2006, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Coachella Valley, California, were designated Ford Career Academy Innovation Communities.
- Ford Motor Company Fund supports teen safe driving through implementation of Driving Skills for Life, a safe driving curriculum and training program aimed at teens. Developed in 2003 by Ford, the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts, the free program educates teens with a combination of ride-and-drive events, educational materials and an interactive Web site.
- Ford Motor Company Fund partnered with the National Latino Children's Institute and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to support Corazón de Mi Vida, a national bilingual initiative about child passenger safety. See Human Behavior.
- In 2006, Ford continued to support organizations and initiatives that preserve America's heritage, aimed at honoring the country's past and providing a window into the future. For example, Ford sponsored the Ford Orientation Center at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, which opened its doors in 2006. In addition, Ford is a major contributor to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, which broke ground in November of 2006.
- Ford employees and Ford Motor Company Fund are major supporters of the United Way in the United States, giving more than $13 million in 2006 to support numerous community-based social services organizations.
Ford also supports a wide variety of organizations through corporate contributions and sponsorships. Highlights include the following:
- For more than 20 years, Ford has been involved in helping find a cure for juvenile diabetes. In 1998, the grassroots initiative now known as the Ford Global Walk Team began, and, since 2002, Ford has been the top corporate sponsor of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF). Ford volunteers also donate significant time to leverage the Company's financial support of the JDRF. In 2006, an estimated 20,000 Ford employees, retirees, families and friends in 10 countries participated in walkathons and held books sales, silent auctions and raffles to raise money for diabetes research. Together, they raised more than $3.1 million, bringing the total amount raised by Ford volunteers to more than $20 million since 1998.
- Ford has also been a long-time supporter in the fight against breast cancer. Since 1995, the Company been a National Series Sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure®. During that time, Ford has donated more than $87 million to the Foundation in donations and in-kind gifts. In 2006, Ford launched a new initiative in its fight against breast cancer called Warriors in Pink – Powered by Ford. The initiative raises funds for the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through the sale of specially designed clothing and accessories on www.fordcares.com. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from Warriors in Pink gear benefits the Komen Foundation. In addition to providing financial support, the Company encourages employees and dealers to get involved. To date, more than 50,000 Ford employees and thousands of dealers have participated in Races across the United States.
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