A sharpened focus for the Polaroid Foundation
The Polaroid Foundation, marking its 25th anniversary in 1996, distributed $1.75 million in support of a wide variety of non-profit, community-based organizations. As they have since the foundation's inception, employee volunteer committees reviewed and approved these grants, often working directly with prospective recipients.
During the year, the foundation refined its direction and set a new strategy for 1997 implementation. The foundation will retain its focus on community benefit and employee involvement while targeting programs that help disadvantaged children and adults build measurable skills to improve their quality of life.
The new strategy resulted from a comprehensive assessment that included a study of leading corporate funders and grant recipients. Also included were interviews with employees, community leaders, activists,
heads of non-profit organizations and funding colleagues.
Helping employees to better health
In keeping with the company's long-standing commitment to employee health and welfare, Polaroid's medical department initiated a new Health Risk Assessment Program in 1996. Every employee had the opportunity to receive an in-depth assessment of health and life expectancy based on risk factors and lifestyle. Follow-up included a personal consultation with a member of the medical department staff along with recommendations for lifestyle changes to promote good health.
Also in 1996, the company's diabetic support group, one of very few such programs in corporate America, received national recognition in Diabetes Forecast magazine. The group is one among many support and screening programs sponsored by Polaroid to promote employee health and encourage efforts to prevent injury and disease.
As a result of the company's breast cancer screening program, for example, 97 percent of Polaroid's female employees over age 40 have had a mammogram within the past two years. In an earlier study, more than 50 percent of the company's male employees above the age of 50 participated in a prostate cancer screening program. Twelve cases of previously unknown prostate cancer were discovered.
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During 1996, Polaroid employees provided watershed-protection training for more than 300 teachers and students in towns through- out the Neponset River watershed area in eastern Massachusetts and across the state. |
Recognition for environmental citizenship
Two 1996 awards provided further recognition of the company's efforts concerning environmental responsibility and stewardship, both within its operations and in the community at-large.
The Environmental Protection Agency Hammer Award acknowledged Polaroid's completion of a five-year commitment to the agency's 33/50 Program, established in 1991 to encourage industries to reduce emissions of 17 targeted chemicals. One of the first companies to commit to the goals of 33/50, Polaroid exceeded the EPA's 50-percent reduction goal for the targeted chemicals.
The company was also a recipient of the Drinking Water Source Protection Business Award, sponsored by the EPA and the New England Water Works Association. This award recognized Polaroid's continuing voluntary efforts to protect drinking water supplies and wetlands in the Neponset River watershed in eastern Massachusetts.
