In 2005, The Walt Disney Company contributed more than $190 million dollars in cash, in-kind support and public service air time, and Disney VoluntEARS—employees who lend their time and expertise to outreach projects—contributed more than 442,000 hours of service in their communities worldwide. The $190 million is approximately 7.5 percent of Disney’s $2.533 billion in net income. The total donated over the last five years is $754 million and more than 2 million hours of time.
A history of giving
The Walt Disney Company’s legacy of charitable giving started with its founders. Under Walt and Roy Disney, relationships were formed with Boys Clubs of America, now known as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, as well as the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program, nearly 60 years ago. Walt also gave financial support to St. Joseph’s Hospital, across the street from the studio, and even had Disney Legend Mary Blair create the Disney murals to decorate the hospital’s children’s wing.
Walt Disney films a promotional spot for Toys for Tots. The train logo that the organization still uses today was designed by Disney artists. Photo © Disney.
In the early days, much of the work was handled by Walt’s secretaries. Most of the donations focused on supporting charities dedicated to helping children in need, a focus that the company still holds. Over the years, different charitable initiatives started in the company’s various business units, with some eventually expanding company-wide. For example, the Disneyland Community Action Team program started as a joint initiative between the Disneyland Cast Activities and Human Resources groups back in 1983. The program’s popularity with employees and positive reception in the community led it to eventually grow into the corporate-wide VoluntEARS program.
Getting it together
As these initiatives cropped up in business units throughout the company, it was decided that there should be consistency and coordination between all of the programs to ensure that the maximum benefits could be achieved from the collective efforts. As a result, on February 14, 2001, Disney Corporate Public Service was born—known today as Disney Worldwide Outreach.
Make-A-Wish kids (left to right) Mary (18), Celeste (15), Sarah (15), Diane (15), Lauren (16), Brianna (18) and Christopher (12) attended the Pirates of the Caribbean 2 premiere as part of their special wishes granted through Disney’s support of organizations that serve children with life-threatening illnesses. Photo © Disney.
The department’s projects were originally referred to under the nickname “DisneyHand” in order to convey the feeling that it was lending a “helping Disney hand” to the beneficiary organizations. However, the DisneyHand name is being phased out, with the exception of the group’s Web site (DisneyHand.com), in order to more closely identify the company’s charitable work with the Walt Disney Company proper.
Led by Jody Dreyer, senior vice president, Disney Worldwide Outreach (formerly Michael Eisner’s Special Assistant and head of Synergy, as well as a former Walt Disney World Ambassador and College Program member), Disney Worldwide Outreach strives to provide comfort to children during hospital stays, gives books to children who have never had their own, helps to create safe places for children to go after school, and assists in ensuring that no child goes without a toy during the holidays.
Major Partnerships
Disney has five major charitable partnerships: the aforementioned Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as well as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation and First Book.
Twelve-year-old Ashley Gallup, whose wish was to meet Disney Channel star Raven and attend a red carpet with her, signs autographs and poses for photos with Raven at a Make-A-Wish Foundation event aboard the Disney Magic last summer. Photo by Shoshana Lewin.
Disney is the number-one wish of children with life-threatening medical conditions, and Disney fulfills more than 5,000 wishes each year for the Make-a-Wish Foundation alone. Since the beginning of the partnership in 1980, Disney has granted over 50,000 theme park wishes. Other wishes have included Disney cruises, visits to film and television sets, spending time with animators and meeting Disney stars. Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin’s commitment to the group has led to his recent appointment to the organization’s board of directors.
First Book is a national nonprofit organization with the mission of giving children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Disney has already donated more than 8 million books to the First Book National Book Bank to support this mission. Disney has also created the Reading Together initiative in conjunction with First Book to encourage parents and caregivers to learn fun and engaging ways to read to children.
Each year, in cooperation with Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, Disney donates a “Compassion Kit” to every children’s hospital or pediatric wing in the country with 25 or more beds. These kits feature Mickey Mouse plush, books, movies, video games, music and board games—enough to fully stock a hospital room, waiting room, children’s play room or other appropriate venue in order to brighten a child’s hospital stay.
A broad spectrum of support
There are many other programs, as well. For example, at this year’s annual shareholder meeting, Disney Worldwide Outreach and Disney Consumer Products debuted Pooh Wishbands (link). All net proceeds from sales of these pairs of silicone “friendship” bands (available on DisneyShopping.com) go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since their debut in March, sales of the Wishbands have raised more than $48,000.
Larry the Cable Guy, the voice of Mater in “Cars,” took some time out from the movie premiere to spread smiles when he paid a surprise visit to the Presbyterian Hemby Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo © Disney.
The department’s wide reach also includes the annual Disney Teacher Awards (this year’s ceremony will be held on August 1) and community outreach activities around the globe.
Disney has not shied away from giving large financial gifts to its five key partners and other charitable organizations. A few examples include a gift of $2.5 million toward the building of the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial in Washington, D.C. in March; $1 million to UNICEF in April and $1.5 million to rebuild 16 Boys & Girls Clubs in the Gulf Coast to repair hurricane and flood damage. In July, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, created in 1995 during the design and construction of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, gave $1.4 million in awards to non-profit environmental groups and universities studying endangered species, bringing the total given by the fund to more than $10 million, to 450 projects in more than 68 countries.
In times of global crisis, the company also shows its generous side. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the company donated $1 million to the American Red Cross, $1 million to rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region, and $500,000 to the Points of Light Foundations’ Volunteer Center National Network. In the wake of the December 2004 tsunami that ravaged Southeast Asia, Disney gave $1 million to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.
People power
The Disney VoluntEARS program allows employees to donate their time to outreach projects in every corner of Disney’s global business. From the Los Angeles Mission in California to the Give Kids the World Village in Florida, from public school I.S. 90 in New York City to telethons in Paris, from SARS camps in Hong Kong to Habitat for Humanity projects, organizations large and small benefit from the time and efforts of Disney VoluntEARS.
Disney VoluntEARS are hard at work building a house with Habitat for Humanity for a family in Glendale, California. Photo © Disney.
In the United States, some of the most popular Disney VoluntEAR programs include being “huggers” or assisting with the children involved in the Special Olympics, reading to children in local elementary schools, knitting or crocheting blankets for children in hospitals or emergency shelters and feeding the homeless and/or adopting families over the holidays.
Looking ahead
In coming years, Disney plans to continue the expansion of programs in Disney’s emerging markets, while continuing to support both individual and family volunteerism. For example, in India—where Disney has a fast-growing presence—Disney and Make-A-Wish granted the first wish to meet Mickey Mouse for a 6-year-old boy.
The department’s Communications Director, Maria Gladowski, sums it up: “As Disney’s corporate philanthropy arm, Disney Worldwide Outreach works with all of Disney’s businesses to ensure that together we are striving to fulfill Disney’s mission of brightening the lives of children when they need it most.”
It sure looks like they’re doing just that.
