Good deeds, daily

BY SUSAN BIRKHOLTZ

With Thanksgiving this month in the United States and the December holidays a blink of the eye away, November ushers in what many call the "season of giving." At this time of the year, people often think about giving to those in need in their communities. What many may not realize, however, is that those needs exist all year long.

Addressing those needs year-round takes many forms and involves countless community-based organizations that require the ongoing support of volunteers—as well as of the companies in those communities. Boeing takes this responsibility seriously. Being an active, engaged corporate citizen in the towns where company employees live and work worldwide has been a commitment throughout the company's history, said Toni Bailey, vice president, Community and Education Relations, the Boeing function that manages corporate charitable investments and provides administrative support for employee giving.

But when many people think of charitable giving, especially from large companies like Boeing, they think of huge amounts of money given to nonprofit organizations. Those days of "checkbook philanthropy" are long gone, Bailey said. In many cases, money may have little to do with how companies choose to express their commitment to good corporate citizenship.

"Contributing money is just a part of what we do. It's one of several tools we use to build better communities," Bailey said. "Our business is built on people working together to create innovative solutions that shape the future. We approach our community investment efforts in the same way, often serving as a convener, collaborator or an advocate for the organizations we support—which allows us to leverage a much broader base of resources than simply cash."

Indeed, Bailey said the company's people are its greatest resource. "They are at the center of Boeing's community involvement efforts overall and are an integral means by which we collectively live out our role as a corporate citizen," she said.

Boeing's good citizenship efforts do not stop at the U.S. border. Boeing's global charitable strategy was launched in 2003 and is being implemented in phases that support the company's overall global business strategy, with 14 countries and eight regions participating thus far.

In the United States, Boeing strategically focuses its community involvement in six main areas: early learning/K-12th grade education, higher education, health and human services, arts and culture, civic, and environment. Outside the United States, Boeing's strategy is to focus on health and human services issues, as well as on primary and secondary education.

The stories on the following pages provide examples of how Boeing carries out these strategies. They illustrate the breadth and depth of the company's efforts to make a measurable difference in its communities, as well as show how these efforts interconnect and build off one another.

"My hope," Bailey said, "is that Boeing employees who read these stories will have a better sense of what it means when we say that Boeing is a 'good corporate citizen'—and that they become inspired to do what they can in their individual towns to make life better for all citizens." 

susan.l.birkholtz@boeing.com