Social Commitment
Corporate Citizenship and philanthropy
Dialogue and understanding are of fundamental importance to living together in a globalized world. And it is in this spirit – as well as for the sake of the company’s own commercial interests – that DaimlerChrysler pursues the goal of contributing to the dialogue between cultures and thus improving people’s opportunities in the various regions of the world where the company operates. Social responsibility is an integral part of business strategy. DaimlerChrysler’s commitment is therefore focused on activities that utilize its expertise and experience as a global automobile manufacturer.
The brand- and product-related sponsorship activities, which in many cases also benefit society as a whole, are coordinated by the individual business units and the corporate sponsorship unit. The Group’s philanthropic activities and its support for environmental and social projects, art and culture are coordinated – depending on specific requirements – by Group headquarters as well as local units.
Supporting the democratic process: When it comes to making contributions to political parties, DaimlerChrysler maintains strict compliance with legislation and with the Group’s internal guidelines on political contributions that were introduced in 2006. DaimlerChrysler made no contributions to any political parties in Germany in 2006. Because the German parliamentary election was moved forward to an earlier date, the planned contributions to the German political parties CDU, CSU, SPD and FDP for 2005 and 2006 (totaling € 770,000) were combined and paid out in 2005. In DaimlerChrysler’s second home market, the U.S., contributions of corporate funds to politicians or political parties are not allowed. However, voluntary donations by management staff are permissible. With such contributions, in 2006 the DaimlerChrysler Political Support Committee donated a total of US$ 382,175 to political parties and candidates for political office (2005: US$ 569,590).
Involvement in local communities and corporate citizenship.
DaimlerChrysler supports the voluntary activities of its employees in social institutions and civic organizations at the local and regional levels. In support activities for community projects, the company looks for flexible and individualized promotional programs that enable it to respond in a sensitive way to special local and regional conditions.
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In the U.S., Mexico and Canada, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund supports numerous charitable organizations. In so doing, it targets mainly communities in which the company or its employees are actively involved. This commitment, to which the company allocated a total of around US$ 23.6 million in 2006, focuses on the four areas of community development, employee involvement, future workforce and cooperation with the sphere of politics.
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In 2006, more than 3,000 employees of DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas (DCFS) were involved in over 300 projects in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. The focus was on establishing financial management skills in diverse groups of society, as well as in other areas such as public policy, community development, arts and culture. DCFS Americas has also implemented a corporate guideline which allows employees to take off one day a year in order to work in community-related projects.
Other focuses and priorities of DaimlerChrysler’s social commitment are as follows:
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Education and training programs in selected regions (e.g. Afghanistan, Russia, Palestine, Kuwait, Mongolia and South Africa). DaimlerChrysler continued to expand its training network in 2006.
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Sponsoring art and culture to promote lively cultural dialogue through projects ranging from the creative arts and theater to music, literature and film.
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Promotion of sports – from professional sports to general sports programs – by all business units.
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Foundations: In some countries DaimlerChrysler supports its own foundations in order to consolidate its activities directed toward social goals. Figure 35
For more information, refer to MAGAZINE p.76 f. and www 18.
Please note
The information in the "Sustainability" section mainly refers to the 2006 reporting year. It thus may not always reflect the com- pany's current situation.
