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We are committed to maintaining strong connections in our communities — leveraging leadership and in-kind donations in addition to providing financial support.

Social Responsibility

We know change can be more impactful when addressing human needs holistically. As a result, we work with other organizations to create better communities. We first focus on supporting the social safety net to benefit the health and wellness of area residents. We then work to provide safe and affordable housing while also promoting youth development and education. This approach allows us to prioritize partnerships where we can track results and leverage our funding for maximum impact. Our signature charities include United Way^®, Cook for the Cure^® presented by KitchenAid, Habitat for Humanity International^®, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America^® and Instituto Consulado da Mulher^®.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS PERFORMANCE SCORECARD

337,000

Employee volunteerism hours (self-reported by salaried population)

100+

Whirlpool Foundation Sons & Daughters Scholarship and award recipients currently attending colleges and universities across the United States

38%

Percentage of global employees who volunteered an average of 51 hours per year

300+

Non-profit organizations impacted globally through volunteerism and donations

Access to clean clothes is one barrier to school attendance and, ultimately, a student’s education. Devoted teachers and school administrators go above and beyond to help their students, in many cases laundering and purchasing clothing for them.

To address this complex issue and help reduce excessive absenteeism, Whirlpool brand installed washers and dryers in select schools in the United States. The 2016 pilot program tracked laundry usage and attendance to determine if better access to clean clothes could help improve attendance rates. Through the program, we learned:

The most at-risk participants averaged almost two more weeks of school attendance than the previous year
Each participant received nearly 50 loads of clean clothes during the school year
Attendance improved for more than 90 percent of participants
Tracked students who missed an average of 8.8 days the prior year missed an average of only 2.7 days in 2016

Based on the success of the initial program, Whirlpool brand is expanding the program into additional school districts in 2017.

Care Counts — Program

In the United States, 12 Maytag Dependable Leader Awards were granted to professionals and volunteers with Boys & Girls Clubs of America^®. Recipients received a $20,000 financial award to support the clubs’ efforts to be safe, dependable places that enable young people to achieve great futures.

We partnered with the Red Cross^® to help address the migrant crisis in Europe and natural disaster relief after earthquakes in Italy. "White Goods for Red Cross" provided necessary equipment for Red Cross^® reception centers in Rome, Milan and Ventimiglia and one home appliance to each of the 33 other reception centers across Italy. Nearly 5,000 beneficiaries were assisted in the three major centers by the end of the year. As part of the earthquake relief efforts, 93 percent of employees in Italy generously contributed financial support to help the Red Cross^® build a mobile laundry unit for use by affected communities.

Fourteen years ago, we created the Instituto Consulado da Mulher^® to improve and empower the lives of low-income women in Brazil by promoting gender equality and reducing poverty. In 2016, Brazil received increasing numbers of refugees from African and Middle Eastern countries. Instituto Consulado da Mulher^® worked with other organizations to raise awareness about issues facing female refugees, many of whom were single mothers, offering various training opportunities and helping them navigate the Brazilian job market.

Every year, our employees volunteer at various Habitat for Humanity^® builds throughout the world. 2016 was no exception, with employees supporting builds in South Africa, Mexico, Hungary, Argentina, Canada, Poland and the United States.