Listening and learning are critical to adding true value to our communities. Altria’s approach to philanthropy is informed by:
- ongoing conversations with community leaders to ensure alignment of our giving priorities with community needs;
- peer benchmarking and best-practice sharing among other philanthropists; and
- focused conversations with grantees who are leaders in the fields of education, the arts, environment and positive youth development to understand trends and changing needs.
Together, these interactions provide important insights and enhance our ability to respond appropriately to complex community challenges. For example: in 2011, Altria responded to its philanthropic partners by hosting engagements on impact measurement in two of our key areas – arts and culture and the environment. We created a forum for sharing best practices and gathered partners’ ideas on measuring the impacts of activities we sponsor. We also encouraged partners to build sustainability by using measurement to demonstrate the value of their work.
Altria also maintains memberships and involvement in organizations that provide professional learning and networking opportunities in the field of corporate giving. These include:
Altria participates in multi-stakeholder initiatives to advance progress in key areas of focus. For example, we are an active corporate partner in the Richmond, Va. implementation of Bridging Richmond, a cradle-to-career education model for improved youth outcomes. Bridging Richmond works with the national Strive and ReadyBy21® programs. We also participated in the Richmond Talent Dividend Network of CEOs for Cities, an organization working to address critical urban issues.
