Bacardi Limited is the largest privately held spirits company in the world. The Company produces and markets a variety of super premium and premium spirits that are distributed and sold globally. We are committed to managing our operations responsibly to benefit our people, consumers, customers, suppliers, local communities and to protect the environment.
The roots of Bacardi philanthropy and community involvement go back a long way. In 1852, ten years before the Company was established, founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó volunteered as a key organizer to secure and distribute aid after a devastating earthquake struck Santiago de Cuba. Thus began a legacy of giving
Don Facundo’s descendants and Company followed his example – in donating the first public museum, library and schools in Santiago de Cuba, as well as establishing orphanages and funding public works throughout Cuba. Such a commitment to “giving back” continues globally to this day.
BACARDI LIMITED AND ITS BRANDS
In fiscal 2009, the total monetary amount of our Philanthropy and Community Involvement support was $3,921,479. But that is not the whole picture. Bacardi and its brands also supported communities through employee volunteering and partnering with organizations to leverage events through in-kind donations.Environment
The Bacardi Corporation in Puerto Rico financially supported Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín, an educational and conservation foundation dedicated to recovering land and creating an arboretum of trees from around the world. Bacardi Thailand fostered team spirit by involving employees in planting seedlings in the eroded coastal mangrove ecosystems of the Ampawa district of Thailand, about 90 kilometers from Bangkok. Employees of Bacardi Germany made contributions throughout the year to support “Viva con Agua,” dedicated to providing clean drinking water in developing countries.Education
Bacardi U.S.A. continued its long-standing support of educational diversity by donating to the Medgar Evers College Educational Foundation to endow scholarships. Bacardi U.S.A. also supported The Thurgood Marshall College Fund as the presenting sponsor of its annual Awards of Excellence. The contributions allowed for merit scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students attending 47 historically black public colleges and universities.In Spain, Bacardi continued as a corporate partner in both the school of law and business school at the Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ESADE), one of the top global centers of management education. Similarly, Bacardi in Italy made a donation to the Torino branch (near the Bacardi facility) of the European School of Management, to support students achieving master’s degrees in management and European business.
Health and Social Services
As a company that has spanned eight generations of the Bacardi family, it is not surprising employees around the world are drawn to helping children. For example, in India employees raised funds to build a home for children living with the HIV virus. In Russia, Bacardi supported the Action for Russia’s Children ball, raising funds to provide alternatives to the Russian state orphanage system. In the Dominican Republic, the Company has helped produce a documentary promoting the inspiring work of the International Children’s Heart Foundation, which organizes teams of medical volunteers to help infants with congenital heart problems. In France, Bacardi-Martini employees had the opportunity to volunteer for Les Toiles Enchantées, an organization which brings entertainment to children in hospitals. And Bacardi in Switzerland chose to make donations in suppliers’ names to UNICEF, instead of purchasing holiday gifts.As well as helping children, Bacardi has provided support for adults in need. The U.K. Company made a donation to the Parkinson’s Disease Society, while Bacardi Canada helped sponsor an event in Montreal supporting women with cancer.
Arts and Culture
Bacardi Mexico regularly supported featured art exhibits at the Mexico City International Airport and the Architecture Museum, and also sponsored the opening of the “Love till Madness” exhibition at the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City, which featured paintings on love spanning the centuries. Bacardi Corporation in Puerto Rico has also been active in supporting the arts including the Museo de Arte de Ponce, which promotes a deeper understanding and enjoyment of art and fosters awareness of Puerto Rico’s cultural heritage. In Italy, Martini & Rossi, along with other companies, is working to preserve the historical heritage and support the restoration of Turin.Disaster Relief Assistance
Bacardi has a long history of giving back to the community, especially when aid is most urgently needed. In response to devastating natural disasters, Bacardi and its operating companies contribute much needed support to various relief efforts. Such support includes financial assistance, employee volunteer time and donation, as well as aid and supplies. In 2008, we supported the Pan American Development Foundation’s (PADF) Cuba Development initiative to help the Cuban people when the island was hit by three powerful storms. More information can be found here: Responding to disaster in Cuba.GAINING A BETTER PICTURE OF OUR GLOBAL ACTIVITY
We aim to promote best practice across the Company through sharing experiences with each other. To this end we developed and launched a database for recording Bacardi philanthropic and community activities from around the world in a consistent format.In fiscal 2010, we will be further developing the database by encouraging our brand and country operating companies to provide us with more comprehensive descriptions of the programs they support, including more detail about how their initiatives have benefited the local community.