Altria Employees Provide $2.4 Million to Non-profits

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 08/23/2012

The Altria Companies Employee Community Fund (ACECF) has awarded more than $2.4 million in grants to 120 non-profit organizations based in communities where Altria's companies have facilities. This year, the ACECF marked its twelfth year in Richmond, Virginia, and second in Franklin Park, Illinois, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Nashville, Tennessee, and King of Prussia and Limerick, Pennsylvania. "Throughout the past 11 years, the ACECF has awarded 1,313 grants totaling $34.7 million to non-profit organizations in communities where Altria companies'employees live and work," Altria said in a note posted on its website. "Given these difficult economic times, the needs of many nonprofits have increased in order to continue supporting their community," said Jennifer Hunter, chairperson, ACECF’s board of directors. "With this unique opportunity, employees are able to help make a difference through their commitment in the places they call home." "Employees from all levels of the company manage and support the ACECF, which is one of the only employee driven workplace-giving programs that are publicly reported among U.S. companies according to the Changing Our World organization," the note added. "Since Altria makes a contribution to cover ACECF's administrative costs, every employee dollar raised goes directly to supporting local non-profit organizations. "Employee committees in each community reviewed the grant requests and selected the non-profit organizations for funding. This year, employees chose the 120 grant recipients from about 220 proposals…" Enditem