Reynolds operating companies' foundations, corporate and employee giving broadly center on three critical areas: education, economic and social development, and arts and culture. Even so, our companies and employees have interests that don’t always fit neatly into these three categories, so we do address other issues of need.
Education
Reynolds American Inc. and its foundations support public school and community programs that prepare children to enter school ready to learn, as well as programs that focus on improving academic performance in impacted schools working to better the outcomes of students. Improving education helps our communities thrive and contributes to a high-quality future workforce for our companies. Our National Merit Scholarship Program rewards the hard-working children of our employees and by providing support for their collegiate education.
Over the years, our educational giving also included support for:
- Project Impact, supporting the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools;
- Forsyth Technical Community College; and
- Winston-Salem State University.
Corporate and foundation giving is also coordinated with our youth tobacco prevention efforts, including the We Card Program and RDRN, our free YTP program.
Economic & social development
Supporting economic and social development of the communities where employees live and work is the right thing to do for our communities and our businesses. Contributing to the overall well-being of our communities creates an attractive environment for recruiting and retaining a high-performing talent base to our companies. We do this through the work of our foundations, gifts of land, buildings and cash, and employee volunteerism.
In addition to monetary donations, Reynolds operating companies remain committed to ensuring our formerly used facilities continue to play a vital role in economic development. Our giving heritage began with Richard Joshua Reynolds and his family’s donations of land and buildings to organizations such as Wake Forest University. In later years, our donations of land and property have led to the redevelopment of portions of downtown Winston-Salem to what is the now-vibrant Innovation Quarter, as well as the development of the former Whitaker Park manufacturing site.
Arts & culture
Reynolds American Inc. and its foundations support preserving and promoting arts and culture, as well as preserving the history of our communities. The arts are vital to the vibrancy of our communities, benefit our current and future employees, and contribute to our local economies.