Community Impact

At AT&T, our hundreds of thousands of employees have long held this core value: We do not simply support our communities; we are members of them, too. That's why for more than a century we have helped shape those communities though our philanthropic efforts. Through volunteerism and giving, our people make a difference.

For more than 26 years, the AT&T Foundation has been pivotal in enriching and strengthening the diverse communities we serve. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and programs that foster inclusion and create opportunities for diverse populations.

Impacting Lives

The company is committed to enriching and strengthening communities across the country through the AT&T Foundation. AT&T supports programs that address quality-of-life issues, with an emphasis on improving education and advancing community development. Within AT&T's service region, the Foundation consistently reaches ethnic and racial minority groups with its grant-making at levels surpassing these groups' proportion of in-region population.

In 2011, AT&T and its employees contributed $115 million million through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T has a strong legacy with organizations focused on the empowerment of the African-American, American Indian, Asian, Asian American, Hispanic, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT), as well as military and veteran communities.

In addition, AT&T is committed to supporting underserved populations including women, seniors, youth, people with disabilities and low-income families. For example, the company has long been a pioneer in technology innovation. We're a leader in creating usable and accessible products and services for our customers by incorporating Universal Design (UD) principles. AT&T has shared its UD approach with the public to help support industry-wide innovation in design of wireless products and services.

• AT&T Mobility was the first major wireless carrier to offer screen-reading software to make telephone handsets accessible to customers who are blind or have low vision.
• The OASIS Institute Connection is a national non-profit organization in 27 cities across America that helps mature adults develop skills, use resources and build confidence to use technology effectively in their personal lives and at work. OASIS provides computer and Internet training to thousands of mature adults. The organization wants age 50-plus adults across the country to have opportunities to pursue vibrant, healthy, productive and meaningful lives.
• AT&T's Advisory Panel on Access & Aging (AAPAA) comprises national leaders in assistive technologies, aging and cross-disability issues. It provides advice and counsel to AT&T's subsidiaries, affiliates and leadership teams regarding issues of mutual interest. AAPAA meets three times a year to discuss specific areas of the business with external speakers and subject matter experts.

Making a Difference in Growing Minority Entrepreneurship

AT&T supports several supplier-diversity-development programs around the country. In recent years, the company has provided more than a million dollars to support minority business development programs. We work with leading-edge business schools with programs and scholarships to provide expert coaching and resources to incumbent and prospective diversity suppliers. Some examples: the Women's Business Enterprise National Council; the Management Development Program for Entrepreneurs at the Anderson School at UCLA; the Minority Business Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College; and the Minority Business Management Seminar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Additionally, AT&T supports Peace Through Business, a training program that provides business education to women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda.