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Ford’s Community Projects Around the World

We organize our community investment activities around our three strategic priorities: community life, education and driver safety. We developed these priorities to focus our efforts, and intensify the benefits of our community investments. We also focus on these areas in ways that help us to make the most of our financial contributions, as well as the unique skills of our company and employees.

Click on the icons above for examples of our programs and projects from around the world in each of these focus areas.

Community Life

Helping to strengthen the communities in which we operate is a core priority for Ford – and has been since Henry Ford started the company over 100 years ago. We work closely with communities to understand what their needs are and how we can contribute to improving community life. This is by far the broadest of our strategic priorities and includes efforts focused on hunger relief and poverty alleviation, community infrastructure improvements, and support for elderly, disabled and other under-served populations. Community life also includes our investments in environmental initiatives and efforts to improve water conservation and access to clean drinking water.

Some examples of our community life programs and projects from around the world include the following:

Shanghai, China

In Shangai, China, during our Global Week of Caring, 100 Ford employees volunteered approximately 800 hours to help the Shanghai Homeless Children Protection Center (HCPC) at Jiangong University and Minhang Community Public Center on several projects for homeless children. Ford volunteers worked with a team of experts to identify homeless children on the street and offered them support; built temporary homes for older homeless children; ran activities for children under 15 living at the centers; and shared the children’s stories on social media platforms to inform residents of the realities of homeless youth in Shanghai. HCPC rescues over 500 homeless children annually. It is Shanghai’s oldest and largest specialized state-run orphanage and has been used by the central government as a model for orphanages throughout the country. Children are rescued who were abandoned at the train station, stores and hospital; others with physical handicaps have been found in dumpsters, public restrooms or rice paddies.

Preatoria, South Africa

In Preatoria, South Africa, as part of our Global Week of Caring, six Ford volunteers used a mini-grant from the Ford Fund as well as 48 hours of their time to purchase and install a “PlayPump” at a local school yard. The PlayPump will provide clean water to the school and the entire community. Using this system, borehole water, which is pumped as children play on a roundabout, is stored in a 2,500 liter tank. In South Africa hundreds of schools have no clean drinking water. Girls frequently miss school as they must walk long distances to collect water for their families. In addition, water sources are often not sanitary and waterborne illness is common. The PlayPump will provide clean drinking water for the entire community and allow girls to attend school.

United States

In the U.S., Ford has supported the American Red Cross mission for more than 30 years. In 2013, the Ford Fund and Ford Motor Company contributed over $1.4 million to support disaster relief and service to military families. Ford pledges support in advance of major disasters, ensuring that the Red Cross is adequately prepared for an immediate response for disasters of all sizes. In addition, Ford provides funding for emergency preparedness youth education programs and vehicle donations. As part of the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, the Ford Fund has provided over 250 Ford Blue Oval Scholarships for veterans and their families to receive certified nurse-assistant training for careers in health care.

United States

In the U.S., through the Ford Community Corps, we created a network of six Michigan colleges and universities that work with Ford to create new service learning initiatives that recognize scholastic achievement while encouraging service to the community. Unlike traditional volunteer programs, Ford Community Corps programs seek to match student know-how with specific nonprofit needs, connecting teams of students with work-related projects created by local nonprofit organizations. This allows students to provide more value to their nonprofit partners, while at the same time gaining valuable work-related skills and experience. In 2013, the program supported 59 projects and 225 students resulting in over 8,500 volunteer hours positively impacting more than 14,000 people.

India

In rural India, our Sustainable Urban Mobility with Uncompromised Rural Reach (SUMMUR) program, which began in 2012, seeks to improve women and children’s access to health programs through the use of a Ford vehicle that has been specially modified to allow its Ford SYNC® system to transmit data, turning the vehicles into mobile medical labs. Using these vehicles, over 100 doctor visits have been completed, more than 20 health camps completed, and over 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) traveled. This program has facilitated safe deliveries for 41 high-risk pregnant women. By the end of February 2013, the program had visited 44 villages and reached more than 3,100 people to facilitate community awareness programs about maternal and child health care.

China

Conservation and Environment Grants, China (CEGC) is the company’s flagship philanthropic program in China, focused on supporting grassroots environmental/sustainability nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders and their organizations. Over the past 14 years, Ford of China has awarded RMB 16.1 million (U.S. $2.6 million) in grants to 325 grassroots environmental leaders and NGOs. In 2013, a Ford Fund investment allowed Ford of China to expand the CEGC program, linking it to employee volunteerism and to rewarding environmental NGOs that seek to make environmental protection part of the everyday lives of people in communities, allowing communities to become leaders in their own environmental protection.

China

In 2012, the Ford Fund with Ford of China launched the Level Up! initiative, designed to build the organizational capacity of over 100 grassroots environmental NGOs in China. Through this program, more than 70 percent of environmental groups in Beijing, Shanghai and Kunming are undergoing significant organizational change and development. Efforts include workshops and training for grassroots environmental leaders, coaching and mentoring projects, capacity-building training and development, and assistance in building grassroots support networks for more than 100 NGOs.

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Education

We believe that education is a building block for success for everything else in our communities. Education creates a sustainable society. Without a sustainable society, we don’t have a sustainable company for employees, customers, investors or dealers. We have developed a range of ongoing education programs, and we focus on education in our Volunteer Corps projects. For example:

Kuluszyn, Poland

In Kuluszyn, Poland, as part of our Global Week of Caring, 50 Ford volunteers spent 500 hours providing support to the 35 children living at the Falbogi State Orphanage in Eastern Poland as part of a long-term project that began in 2009. The goal is to give the 35 children tools, knowledge, supplies, equipment and experiences so they can plan for their future and make educated choices for their adult life. The orphanage is isolated in a rural area and children rarely leave the property except for school trips that are funded by Ford volunteers. Also, they have very limited access to the internet due to lack of equipment. Volunteers used a mini-grant from the Ford Fund to create a small computer room including two desks equipped with a desktop computer, software, printer and scanner to help children develop necessary skills and help them to find a job in future. Ford volunteers also provide relevant computer and Internet skill training to help children gain practical skill sets that they need to succeed in their post-orphanage years.

Cologne, Germany

In Freiluga, Cologne, Germany, Ford volunteers spent over 100 hours building an outdoor environmental education interactive classroom. Volunteers built a wooden garden house to dry herbs, cleaned the garden area, and cut down overgrown bushes and grass. As a result of these efforts, dozens of children now have an updated, hands-on, outdoor classroom devoted to teaching about protecting and enjoying the environment.

São Paulo, Brazil

In São Paulo, Brazil, as part of our Global Week of Caring, 23 Ford volunteers worked with the Guarda Mirim Institution, which provides administrative assistant training to 15- to 17-year-olds from humble backgrounds. The students are placed with companies as apprentices. Ford employees pioneered a development forum program to help broaden their view of the professional opportunities that will be available to them. Each term, 500 students benefit from this program.

United States

Our Ford Blue Oval Scholars program awards hundreds of scholarships to students throughout the U.S. The program includes a Web-based initiative that links scholarship winners together through an online portal, allowing them to connect with Ford and others in a variety of ways. The program also sponsors an annual “Heart Behind the Oval” scholarship contest that recognizes and rewards students making a difference in their communities. In 2013, the Ford Fund awarded more than $1 million in college scholarships. For more information on the program, please see https://www.fordscholars.org/scholarships.

United States

The Ford College Community Challenge invites college partners to work with their local communities to put together innovative, student-led proposals that use the school’s resources and capacity to address a social need or problem in the local community. Proposals must address the Challenge’s theme – Building Sustainable Communities – in an innovative way, and must also address the issue of alternative energy and its role in building a sustainable community. In 2013, the Ford Fund awarded $225,000 to nine projects. Since the program began in 2008, we have awarded $1.6 million to build sustainable communities. For more information on the program and projects it has funded, please see https://www.fordscholars.org/ford-college-community-challenge.

United States

Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL), the Ford Fund’s flagship education program, mobilizes educators, employers and community leaders to develop a new generation of young people who will graduate from high school prepared for both college and careers. Ford NGL improves teaching and learning, promotes the development of career- and interest-themed high schools to better serve students, and aligns business and civic engagement in education to improve student and work-force outcomes. Through this program we work with national, regional and local partners to prepare young people to compete successfully in higher education and in the global, 21st century economy. For more information on Ford NGL, please see the Investing in the STEM pipeline.

United States

Through the Henry Ford Academies (HFA) program, Ford has replicated its award-winning small high school model – which we started with the original Henry Ford Academy, located on the grounds of The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan – in Detroit and San Antonio. Students at these schools benefit from the new HFA model curriculum, which is thought to be the first in the nation to focus explicitly on innovation and creativity.

United States

Ford Driving Dreams Through Education program is a competitive, grant-based initiative in partnership with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The initiative allows LULAC councils throughout the country to implement localized programs to address high school dropout prevention in their communities. To date, 36 communities have been positively impacted by the program. Building on the success of Ford Driving Dreams Through Education, Ford developed the Ford Driving Dreams Tour. The program raises awareness about the importance of education by energizing youth, broadening community-wide support and providing resources for area schools and students. Through scholarships, motivational student assemblies, peer-to-peer support and an innovative contest, the signature program motivates students to graduate from high school on time and enroll in college. The pilot program launched in 2012 and targets schools with high Latino student populations. It has visited 15 high schools in Irving, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and Miami, Florida. It is scheduled to visit additional high schools for the 2014-2015 school year. To date, the initiative has reached nearly 25,000 students.

Mexico

Since 1966, Ford of Mexico’s employee and dealer civic committee has funded the Ford of Mexico School Building Program, to build elementary schools that provide quality education to children living in underprivileged areas. So far, the program has built 212 schools in nearly every state of Mexico. More than 1.6 million children have graduated and 150,000 children attend Ford Schools every day. They also sponsor a Quality in Education Program that provides education and sports programs for children, parents and educators. This program includes computer skills training for students, self-esteem and anti-drug education, and advanced training opportunities for school teachers and principals.

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Driving Safety

As an automotive company, the safety of drivers and pedestrians is an obvious priority for us. The Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program is the centrepiece of our efforts to improve driver safety.

Worldwide

The Ford Fund continues to support safe driving through its award-winning DSFL program, a free safe-driving curriculum that has trained hundreds of thousands of drivers through Web-based and in-person driving sessions. In 2013, the program celebrated 10 years in operation. In the U.S. the program focuses on teen drivers. It was developed by Ford, the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts to address the No. 1 killer of teens in the U.S. – traffic crashes. In 2013, Ford DSFL reached more teens, parents and educators than ever before through new awareness campaigns, high school assembly programs, social media promotions and nearly 30 days of hands-on training throughout the United States. Ford DSFL is the nation’s most comprehensive driving skills program, with free professional driver instruction, a Web-based curriculum, state grants and free materials. Since 2003 in the U.S., Ford DSFL has hosted hands-on training in 40 states and Puerto Rico, and conducted programming in thousands of schools. Ford DSFL continued to expand internationally, launching in five new countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The programs in Europe trained more than 1,300 novice drivers and we plan to add more countries in 2014. Programs also grew in Asia Pacific, which also plans to add two new countries to its Ford DSFL footprint. In total, Ford DSFL is training drivers to be safer in 16 countries around the globe and plans to grow to 23 countries before 2015.

Worldwide

We also focus on driving safety in our Volunteer Corps projects. For example in Chennai, India, 15 Ford volunteers spent 102 hours organizing a Driving Skills for Life sessions for 500 recruits of the Mechanical Transport Training Institute Air Force station in Avadi, Chennai, to help improve driving safety in the area.

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Expanding our Global Reach

As we continue to expand our business in new markets across the globe, we are also expanding our community investment and volunteering efforts internationally. In 2013 we continued to expand our global reach through our Operation Better World Program. Launched in 2012, Operation Better World is a coordinated, strategic approach to how Ford engages with communities everywhere that we do business. In 2013, we expanded the program from India and China to South America, Mexico and Europe. Through this program, Ford Fund works with NGO partners in four key areas: education, auto safety, community needs and sustainability (with a focus on water). The Ford Fund works to ensure that programs meet local community needs, align with the One Ford business plan, have a measurable impact and, where possible, can be replicated in other markets. This grassroots engagement in the community is implemented and led by the local Ford teams in each region.

Ford Motor Company Direct Charitable Contributions, Sponsorships and Employee Donations

In addition to the projects described in the graphic above, the list below highlights some of Ford Motor Company’s primary direct charitable contributions and sponsorships.

  • For more than 20 years, Ford has been involved in helping find a cure for type 1 diabetes. We are the largest global sponsor of JDRF, the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Ford employees organize and participate in a wide range of fundraising activities each year and we raise funds through corporate initiatives like vehicle auctions. We have raised over $40 million for JDRF.
  • Ford has been a major supporter of the United Way both nationally and in Southeastern Michigan for many years. In 2013-14, Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields was the chair of the United Way for the Southeastern Michigan chapter’s fundraising campaign. In this capacity, he helped to raise over $40 million for the regional chapter, a 14 percent increase from the previous year and the largest year-over-year increase for United Way in Southeastern Michigan in 17 years. In 2013-14, Ford contributed $7.4 million to United Way for Southeastern Michigan, including employee, UAW1, retiree and corporate contributions. Ford gave a total of $9 million to United Way chapters across the country, including Southeastern Michigan in 2013-14 to support numerous community-based social services organizations.
  • Ford has a long history of working with disabled American veterans. Ford is a major contributor to the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship Program including funding scholarships to students who volunteer at local Veterans Administration medical centers. For over a decade Ford has also been a sponsor of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, which allows hundreds of disabled veterans to go the mountains of Colorado to participate in adaptive winter sports. In 2013, Ford donated funds for Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to purchase seven new vehicles for its headquarters and the DAV Transportation Network, in addition to providing $45,000 to the DAV’s youth volunteer scholarship program.
  • We continue to expand our Ford Mobile Food Pantries program, which helps social service organizations in Southeast Michigan collect and distribute food to those in need. In 2013, Ford helped the Mobile Food Pantries to serve more than 1.1 million meals in Southeast Michigan, and to provide more than 3.5 million meals over the last three years. Since the program began in 2009, we have donated 35 vans for food collection and delivery nationwide, including 13 vans in Southeastern Michigan.
  • Ford has also been a long-time supporter in the fight against breast cancer. For 20 years, Ford has been a National Race Series sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® and has dedicated more than $120 million to the cause in donations and in-kind gifts. Ford’s commitment goes well beyond the October race; it lasts 365 days a year and focuses on raising awareness, support and donations for this cause, including apparel that is sold on fordcares.com. This specially designed “Warriors in Pink®” clothing and accessory line is dedicated to those fighting this disease, and 100 percent of net proceeds go to the fight against breast cancer. Since 2006, we generated more than $5.6 million from apparel sales for the cause. In addition, more than 75,000 Ford employees and thousands of dealership employees are involved in races and supporting the cause in their local communities. In 2012, Warriors in Pink expanded the family of charities we work with to include the Young Survival Coalition, the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and The Pink Fund in addition to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Consumers can designate which of these charities they help by selecting the charity of their choice at checkout. We also introduced nine female and two male survivors as part of our Models of Courage program. The inspirational stories of these survivors can be found on fordcares.com.
  • Ford volunteers raised $500,000 for the March of Dimes. Ford Vice President Jim Tetreault and UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles served as UAW/Ford sponsors for the 2013 March for Babies campaign. Over the past nine years, the UAW/Ford team has raised more than $3.5 million.
  • Ford volunteers raised nearly $380,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Michigan Chapter in 2013, exceeding their 2012 donation by over $60,000. We were also named #1 Corporate Sponsor in Michigan and were recognized by the Circle of Distinction award by the organization.
  1. UAW originally stood for United Auto Workers; the full name today is the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.