The Altria Companies Employee Community Fund (ACECF) said last week that it had awarded more than $2.9 million in grants to 140 nonprofit organizations based in some of its operating communities.
“Given these difficult economic times, many nonprofits are in more need than ever to continue their missions to address acute needs in their communities,” said Jennifer Hunter, chairperson, ACECF board of directors. “With this unique opportunity, Altria companies’ employees are able to help make a difference in the places they call home through their commitments of money and time.”
The ACECF—an employee-funded charitable giving program managed and supported by Altria companies’ employees—is one of the only employee-driven, workplace-giving programs publicly reported among US companies, according to the Changing Our World organization.
Throughout its history, the ACECF, which is based in Richmond, Virginia, USA, and which has been in existence since 2000, has awarded 1,452 grants totaling $40 million to nonprofit organizations in some of the communities where Altria companies’ employees live and work.
Employee committees in each community select the ACECF grant categories, review the grant requests and select the nonprofit organizations for funding.
The recent focus areas for grant requests were domestic violence, emergency services, hunger relief, homelessness and youth and adult services.
Since Altria makes a contribution to cover ACECF’s administrative costs and also makes a contribution to the fund, every employee dollar raised goes directly to supporting local nonprofit organizations.