Our Approach

The goal of our community investment is to strengthen the communities where our employees live and work. Investment is focused in three core areas: education, environment and safety. Over 50 percent of our contributions are directed towards educational programs and initiatives. Secondary focus areas are youth, social, arts and culture and civic initiatives. Within these focus areas, investment decisions are shaped by:

• The needs of the community. We work directly with the community and through our Community Investment, Stakeholder Engagement and Operations teams to understand community priorities.
• Our business interests. We focus our investment in communities where we operate and that support our workforce.
• The sustainability and self-sufficiency of the program or organization. We support groups that provide measurable results and build capacity in the community.

Our offices across Western Canada manage investment in their communities, supporting a large number of grassroots organizations. This local involvement can make a significant difference to the success and continuation of small organizations and programs in many communities. Through our main office in Calgary, we support programs that have an impact not only within the city, but on a provincial and national scale.

Safety

Safety is our first business priority and we invest in programs that help protect those who play a part in our operations and live in the communities in which we operate. This is reflected in our investment in cellphone-free driving initiatives and programs. We support the University of Alberta's Students for Cellphone-Free Driving program to educate youth about this danger. Two University of Alberta medical students spent a summer developing an interactive presentation, which is having a broad impact. Over 2,000 students in Edmonton and surrounding areas have seen the presentation and even more will benefit as the program is spreading across Western Canada through the work of more interested high-school and university students, rural teachers and an online module.

Volunteerism

Our employee volunteers are a driving force behind ConocoPhillips Canada’s community investment initiatives and help us realize our goal of enriching lives and strengthening communities. Our staff dedicates thousands of hours every year to important community groups like the Calgary's Drop-In and Rehab Centre. In 2003, a 10-member team from ConocoPhillips Canada began serving lunch once a month at the Centre. Since then, the effort has expanded to include 370 volunteers serving 110 meals in 2009. Entire teams have served, and some staff members have recruited their families for volunteering.

The Drop-In and Rehab Centre has passed on its appreciation for the dedication of our volunteers, particularly the Thursday morning group, who are the only volunteers that come on a regular basis for the early shift. Breakfast is a tough shift to fill, since it starts at 6:45 a.m. The close relationship between Drop-In Centre staff and ConocoPhillips Canada’s volunteers will ensure this program continues to flourish.

Matching Employee Contributions

Our community investment efforts are enhanced by the support of all ConocoPhillips Canada employees. The company is supporting the volunteer and charitable contributions of its staff through:

• The Valuing Volunteers Fund, which invests in community organizations, supported by the volunteer efforts of ConocoPhillips Canada’s employees. This fund provided $89,500 to community organizations in 2008 and $79,000 in 2009.
• The Employee Education Match Program, which matches employee donations to accredited universities and colleges. In 2008, $8,180 in donations were matched; in 2009, $6,700.
• A strong annual United Way campaign that includes awareness building, fundraising and volunteering. ConocoPhillips matches employee contributions, doubling the financial support to the United Way or to the employee’s chosen charity. The 2008 and 2009 campaigns each raised more than $1.1 million.