Community Engagement & Philanthropy

People thrive in strong communities. That’s why we’re committed to helping strengthen communities across the globe through a range of initiatives. Our philanthropic work and community engagement programs aim to bridge the digital divide, protect the environment and support people during times of need. Bolstered by the passion and generosity of our employees, our efforts provide tools, resources and opportunities that can make a difference in a community.

In 2023, we supported communities across the globe in a number of ways. Some highlights:

• Our global volunteer program focused on AT&T’s two Social Good Commitments: helping to bridge the digital divide and addressing the effects of climate change.
• To help bridge the digital divide, AT&T employee volunteers supported underserved learners at AT&T Connected Learning Centers®. These centers provide free broadband internet access, digital education tools, and digital literacy tutoring and mentoring, based in communities that most need connectivity. Employee volunteers also participated in device and school supply distribution events at the centers.
• In support of our focus on the environment, employees volunteered to plant trees, clean up parks and lakes, and recycle e-waste, among other hands-on activities. They also delivered educational workshops.
• More than 1,100 employees donated their time and more than $135,000 to support those impacted by disasters, including the Syria-Turkey earthquakes, Hawaii wildfires, Hurricane Otis, floods, tornadoes and more.
• We engaged with strategic nonprofit partners to support communities in the aftermath of disasters across all phases of the disaster preparation and recovery life cycle, including resilience, preparedness, immediate relief and long-term recovery. In 2023, our corporate disaster relief giving totaled more than $1.8 million.
• To support the mental and physical health and wellness of first responders, the FirstNet Health and Wellness Coalition^TM published a white paper identifying five key recommendations that establish tangible next steps to better implement health and wellness programs and lay the foundation for public safety legislative advocacy going forward. More than two dozen public safety organizations and more than 40 collaborators endorsed the white paper. And as public safety’s partner with FirstNet—America’s only network built with and for first responders and those who support them—AT&T hosted the FirstNet Health and Wellness First Responders Summit in December 2023 to build out a roadmap for implementing the white paper recommendations.
• Through FirstNet, we also supported first-responder wellness through our therapy dog program, “ROG the DOG,” which was deployed 44 times in 2023 to support America’s emergency responders, including after the Maui fires, and following several line-of-duty deaths around the country. In addition, we’ve provided support to the groundbreaking work of the Boulder Crest Foundation for post-traumatic growth, which has helped more than 15,000 responders with mental health and wellness trainings, as seen on Morning Joe.
• Additionally, we are supporting climate change awareness and resilience with the award-winning Climate Risk and Resilience Portal (ClimRR) that we have developed in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Argonne National Laboratory. ClimRR provides communities with critical climate data to better understand and address the expected future impacts of climate change. In 2023, we promoted awareness of ClimRR at Concordia’s Annual Summit during Climate Week, the Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting, and the Climate Leadership Conference. For more information, see our Climate Change & Greenhouse Gas Emissions issue brief.

Philanthropy at AT&T

Philanthropic giving⁸ is an important part of AT&T’s efforts to support digital inclusion, literacy, learning and employment solutions that help connect people with skills, resources and opportunities for success in school and in life. Our giving is designed to impact predominantly underserved and low-income communities. In 2023, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation contributed $77.5 million to philanthropic organizations, including $71.9 million in cash and $5.5 million in in-kind giving.

The Governance and Policy Committee of the AT&T Board of Directors oversees our policies and procedures for philanthropic giving, including the allocation parameters of corporate giving to the foundation, and annually reviews all corporate and foundation contributions. The AT&T Corporate Contributions Council, which approves all corporate contributions, and the AT&T Foundation, which approves foundation grants, are composed of senior executives charged with supervising our philanthropic investments.

More information about our funding priorities can be found in our Philanthropy Policy.

Employee Community Engagement

Our community engagement efforts reflect our company purpose: connecting people to greater possibility. Helping employees support the causes they believe in boosts employee satisfaction and creates a happier and healthier workplace. Our internal research shows that employees who participate in our community engagement programs are more likely to recommend AT&T as a great place to work, feel empowered to make a difference, and believe they will stay with AT&T long-term. To give back to our communities and create a stronger workforce, we are committed to engaging 50% of our employees worldwide in communities through grassroots volunteerism and giving initiatives by 2030. We have made strong progress to date, with 33.1% of employees engaged in volunteerism and giving in 2023.¹² In 2023, our employees volunteered 400,800 hours through community engagement activities,² time that is valued at $12.7 million.¹⁵

AT&T Believes^SM

AT&T Believes^SM, is our company-wide volunteering and giving program—it’s how our employees demonstrate our commitment to our communities. AT&T Believes^SM makes a positive impact in the world by combining employees’ passion, creativity and generosity to unleash their spirit of service within the community. Through AT&T Believes^SM, we offer employees the opportunity to participate in company-sponsored volunteering and giving opportunities tied to our two key commitments: helping bridge the digital divide and addressing the effects of climate change.

• Digital Divide Volunteerism: In 2023, U.S. employees volunteered to support underserved learners at AT&T Connected Learning Centers® (CLCs) through tutoring and mentoring programs, both virtually and in person, and through digital literacy workshops. The CLCs give underserved students and families free access to computers and the internet, and the tools they need to complete homework assignments, participate in distance learning, look for employment and more. Additionally, more than 8,000 employees participated in our summer Bridge to Possibility campaign, in support of students at 32 AT&T Connected Learning Centers®. Our employee volunteers filled nearly 17,000 backpacks with school supplies and digital learning tools to be given away at the CLCs. They also wrote more than 16,000 notes of encouragement for the students who received these backpacks. In India, employees launched two mobile science labs, as well as education initiatives that will help teach STEM education to more than 20,000 students in 2023 and 2024. For more information on our efforts to bridge the digital divide, please visit our Digital Divide issue brief. 
• Environmental Stewardship: Our Environment Champions program provides a way for employees to take action on issues related to climate change and environmental stewardship. Nearly 2,000 AT&T employees participate, working together toward reducing our environmental impact by living more sustainably at work and at home. We also have volunteer projects that focus on environmental stewardship in communities around the world, including building bee habitats, planting trees and seed balls, recycling and refurbishing electronic devices, and cleaning up parks and lakes. Employees also participated in a series of educational workshops delivered by The Carbonauts to learn how to reduce their carbon footprint by developing a personal sustainability plan. 
• AT&T Latin America Volunteerism: In Mexico, our Revive tu Cancha (Restore Your Court) campaign aims to recondition 50 multi-sport courts in public schools and locations throughout Mexico. More than 850 AT&T volunteers collaborated with students, teachers, local authorities and other community members to paint 50 courts by the end of 2023, accomplishing our goal. We also held our first two Revive tu Cancha events outside of Mexico in 2023, celebrating the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial in San Diego, Calif., and El Paso, Texas. In Brazil, we supported more than 350 low-income families near our São Paulo office with food and other necessities. Volunteers mentored young job seekers and participated in a letter-writing exchange with children to help them develop literacy skills. In addition, we donated more than 55 used computers from AT&T to nonprofit organizations to support online learning classes. In Argentina, 20 employee volunteers facilitated a program for 28 children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. The workshop offered resources on cybersecurity, digital identity, and internet usage and hazards, instructing on topics such as privacy, cyberbullying and appropriate utilization of mobile devices.
• AT&T Believes^SM International: In addition to U.S. domestic and Latin America, AT&T Believes^SM International has supported many educational and relief causes throughout the Western and Central Europe, Asia and Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions. International employee engagement in 2023 increased 4% to 9.2%, not including AT&T Mexico Mobility. Highlights of our international engagement activities include:  
  • India: AT&T inaugurated our first AT&T-branded Mobile Science Lab at our Bengaluru office. As part of our focus on the digital divide and homework gap, AT&T partnered with the Agastya Foundation to support 20 schools, more than 4,000 students and 300 teachers through two Mobile Science Lab vans in Hyderabad. The Mobile Science Lab vans will help Agastya reach some of the most underserved students in rural parts of Telangana and Karnataka state.
  • Germany: Through its focus on connected learning, AT&T Believes℠ supported the Hacker School in Hamburg in its efforts to provide digital education to students, especially to girls and young women. The school’s computer programming courses help get more women into technology roles.
  • Czech Republic: AT&T volunteers supported Hope Home, a residence for elderly individuals in Brno operated by international relief agency ADRA. The volunteers beautified the home's garden, polished planks, fixed broken benches, painted benches and huts, and trimmed trees.
  • Slovakia: AT&T supported the Rodicovske Zdruzenie Pri Zakladnej Skole Sidlisko NGO and its efforts to educate the Roma minority students in the Trebisov region. The contribution assisted with educational materials, travel, techniques for distance education, interactive whiteboards and tables in the classroom, as well as nutritional meals for the children while in school.

Support for Employee Community Engagement

AT&T supports employee volunteerism through the following:

• External Volunteer Recognition: We encourage employees to log their volunteer hours. This enables us to recognize their commitment through programs such as the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), awarded by the President of the United States to individuals who have dedicated at least 100 hours to their communities during the year. In 2023, 1,143 AT&T employees were recognized as PVSA recipients for their 2023 volunteer time. We also recognized 34 employees internationally who volunteered 100 hours or more in 2023.
• Community Impact Award: The Community Impact Award recognizes AT&T employees who embody the corporate value “Make a Difference” by demonstrating the spirit of service within their communities. Employees vote to choose the award winners, and the CEO recognizes them. Since its inception in 2019, we have awarded 19 employees with the Community Impact Award. Both finalists and winners have directed $520,000 in Charity Rewards to their favorite nonprofit organizations.
• Community Day: In addition to company-sponsored volunteer activities, we offer our management employees a paid Community Day each year to encourage them to volunteer and support the nonprofit of their choice.

Employee Giving

In 2023, more than 36,000 AT&T employees generously donated $14.8 million, or an average of $400 per employee donor, to nearly 14,000 charities in support of causes they care about.⁹ We support employee giving through the following efforts:

• Matching Gifts: AT&T offers employees a year-round giving program providing the flexibility to support the causes they care about most and give when it is most convenient. Through the employee giving platform, employees can donate to any of more than 1.5 million charities, with eligible donations matched 50%, up to $500 per employee per year.
• Volunteer Rewards: AT&T is committed to helping employees further their community impact. In addition to matching employees’ charitable donations, we also offer Volunteer Rewards, which are grants based on time volunteering in the community that can be directed to the eligible 501(c)(3) charity of their choice, up to $500 per employee per year.¹⁰ In 2023, more than 47,000 employees earned Matching Gifts and Volunteer Rewards.
• Special Fundraisers: In 2023, more than 1,100 employees directed more than $135,000 through special fundraisers to support those impacted by the Syria-Turkey earthquakes, Hawaii wildfires, Hurricane Otis, floods, tornadoes and more. Outside of the U.S., more than 600 employees walked and jogged more than 120,000 miles using the Charity Miles app to raise $25,000 for the International Rescue Committee in response to the Syria-Turkey earthquakes. In addition, strategic fundraisers for the AT&T Employee Relief Fund, AT&T Connected Learning Centers® and device donations provide a way for employees to support colleagues and AT&T’s social-good goals.

Disaster Response

When disaster strikes, we assist victims and affected communities through partnerships with relief organizations and volunteerism. In 2023, we surpassed our goal to help 1 million people prepare for and recover from the impacts of disasters by 2030, serving more than 1.35 million people from 2021 to the end of 2023. We achieved this goal through efforts such as:

• Collaboration & Partnerships: AT&T is committed to working with strategic nonprofit partners to provide solutions across all phases of the disaster preparation and recovery life cycle, including resilience, preparedness, immediate relief and long-term recovery. AT&T has partnered with Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), an organization of volunteer technology professionals that provides connectivity and cellphone- and medical-device-charging solutions to support survivors, public safety personnel and responding nonprofit organizations in times of crisis. AT&T has also partnered with SBP to help shrink the time between disaster and recovery. SBP rebuilds homes damaged or destroyed by disaster. In addition, they help increase resilience before disasters occur and streamline the disaster recovery process. AT&T volunteers participate in rebuilding homes in disaster areas. Internationally, AT&T partners with Télécoms Sans Frontières, the leading NGO for emergency technologies. During a humanitarian crisis, they allow affected people to reconnect with their loved ones by setting up emergency communication centers for local and international humanitarian organizations.
• Supporting First Responders: We recognize the toll disaster response can have on our nation’s first responder community. That’s why we’re honored to deliver FirstNet—America’s public safety network—and help establish the FirstNet Health and Wellness Coalition to coordinate first responder holistic health and wellness support. Initiatives include our “ROG the Dog” animal-assisted therapy, external support-organization engagement and more. In 2023, FirstNet and the Coalition developed and published a white paper, Helping the Helpers, identifying the major barriers to mental health program adoption among first responder agencies and developing five key recommendations to improve the health and wellness of public safety. While the issues facing emergency responders are complex, the recommendations target all levels of cultural change, including deepening leadership engagement, integrating wellness education into training, allocating dedicated funding and resources, defining national wellness standards and improving communications. In 2023, FirstNet brought health and wellness trainings to more than 15,000 first responders, as well as deploying “ROG the Dog” 44 times to both planned and critical incident response sites, including the Maui fires. 
• Supporting Employees: In addition to our work supporting emergency responders across the nation in their health and wellness, we recognized that our own employees were responding to those same disasters and facing similar stressors as those on the front lines. As a result, in 2023, AT&T launched the FirstNet Peer Support Team, training a select group of employees in providing support to employees in need. To date, the group has contributed more than 1,400 hours in peer support and educational briefings on mental health and wellness. Based on the success of the program, in December 2023, we expanded the team to 20 individuals. For more details, visit the AT&T Blog.

To learn more about our disaster response efforts in support of our network operations and first responders, please visit our Network Quality & Reliability issue brief.

Corporate Disaster Relief

In 2023, our corporate disaster relief giving totaled more than $1.8 million. Our approach to corporate disaster relief includes:

• Nonprofit Support: We provide immediate and long-term support to national relief organizations, including ITDRC, SBP, Télécoms Sans Frontières, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and many additional local nonprofits.
• Disaster Relief Volunteering: Our employees give their time to support disaster relief efforts across the globe through in-person and virtual volunteering. Throughout 2023, employees assembled hygiene and relief kits and distributed bottled water and meals in communities recovering from disasters and provided support to those affected by the wildfires in Maui.
• AT&T Employee Relief Fund: The AT&T Employee Relief Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity funded by employee donations and matching grants from the AT&T Foundation. The Fund provides financial support to employees experiencing challenges beyond their control, including natural disasters, house fires or unexpected personal hardships. In 2023, the Fund¹¹ provided just over $1 million in relief to almost 600 AT&T employees recovering from hardship around the world.

AT&T is committed to being a trusted partner to our communities by leveraging our company’s talent and resources. In 2024, we will continue to work to strengthen our communities through the following efforts:

• We will continue to engage employees in AT&T’s work to bridge the digital divide through continued volunteer opportunities with AT&T Connected Learning Centers®, at laptop distribution events across the country and more. We also will expand our environmental awareness and engagement programs for employees.
• We will continue working with FEMA and Argonne to drive awareness and utilization of ClimRR, helping to improve America’s preparedness for future climate impacts. We will offer ClimRR technical assistance webinars, leveraging our public sector relationships and forging new strategic alliances in the climate-resilience space. We will also continue to build out the capabilities of ClimRR by incorporating additional climate risks into the model.
• We will work to further strengthen the advocacy and work of the FirstNet Health and Wellness Coalition. We’ll do so through developing working groups and action plans with our national public safety associations, including a legislative tool kit and working to develop national first-responder wellness standards in collaboration with our partners. Through FirstNet, we will continue to support the Peer Support Team, “ROG the Dog,” health and wellness trainings, and new and emerging technologies to address wellness.
• AT&T will continue to work with our strategic nonprofit partners, providing connectivity solutions, charging stations, humanitarian relief and long-term recovery projects.
• We will continue to offer our year-round giving program by spotlighting special fundraisers that support our strategic digital divide and environment programs and programs that help those affected by disasters and current events as they unfold.

• American Red Cross
• Argonne National Laboratory
• AT&T Blog on FirstNet Peer Support Team
• AT&T Connected Learning®
• AT&T Philanthropy Policy
• Climate Risk & Resilience Portal
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• FirstNet, Built with AT&T
• Helping the Helpers White Paper
• Information Technology Disaster Resource Center
• President’s Volunteer Service Award
• Salvation Army
• SBP
• Télécoms Sans Frontières