3M 2006 Annual Report Download - page 16

3M at work in the community
Strengthening communities 3M actively supports educational,
health, social services and other programs in the many communi-
ties where we do business. 3M Foundation grants, employee and
retiree volunteerism and 3M product donations all come together
to help raise the human care quotient of 3M communities. In 2006,
donations of cash and products totaled more than $37 million in
the United States alone.
3M is a major supporter of the United Way. In 2006, employees
and retirees set new highs in giving for the fi fth consecutive year,
with campaign pledges totaling $5.5 million. In addition, the 3M
Foundation awarded the United Way $3 million in grants. Together,
these funds benefi t the millions of people served by the 80 United
Way organizations in 3M communities across the United States.
Employee and retiree gifts play an important role in other com-
munity outreach efforts, as well. Each year, the 3M Foundation
matches – dollar for dollar – employee and retiree contributions
to higher education and public broadcasting. In 2006, 3M’s
matching gifts totaled $2 million, of which $1.7 million supported
higher education.
3M employees and retirees also commit extensive volunteer time
to their communities. In recognition of this, 3M contributes to the
organizations where employees and retirees volunteer. In 2006,
1,600 volunteers earned grants totaling $320,000 for their favorite
schools and non-profi ts. This money went to 630 schools and
non-profi t organizations in 35 states and the District of Columbia.
In 2006, the 3M Foundation became the fi rst corporate sponsor
of the USO’s United Through Reading program, which helps U.S.
military families stay connected. Through this program, military
men and women on duty outside the United States videotape
themselves reading a book that their children would enjoy.
The DVD and a copy of the book then are sent to their children
back home, helping to reassure them that their military parent
is doing well.
Our support of K-12 education is directed toward raising student
achievement in math, science and economics, all the while urging
young people to pursue careers in these important fi elds. 3M’s
Ingenuity Grants are awarded to exceptional third- through eighth-
grade teachers, giving them the resources to learn and employ
innovative teaching methods in their classes. In 2006, these
awards benefi ted 25,130 students studying math, science and
economics in 60 schools in 11 states.
In the area of higher education, 3M Foundation grants support
programs that promote interest in technical and business careers
and contribute to the academic success of students in these fi elds.
For example, our Engineering Retention Initiative helps engineering
students at four Midwestern universities attend summer bridge
programs to help them prepare for their fall coursework. Mentors
and other assistance also are provided to help students succeed.
At Tuskegee University, in Tuskegee, Ala., $1 million in 3M Foun-
dation grants, payable over two years, are helping the university
equip a new business school with state-of-the-art technology. 3M
donated $500,000 toward the new school in 2006.
3M understands how important the preservation of natural eco-
systems is to the livability of communities around the world. In
2006, the 3M Foundation completed a $1.4 million commitment
to The Nature Conservancy for a project to protect the hardwood
forests and restore the riverbanks along the Paint Rock River
in Alabama. A project to protect forests and safeguard streams
important to central New Jersey’s water supply was supported
by a grant of $1.5 million that also was completed in 2006.
Photo by USO