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			People Strategy Employee Health Programs and Services Global People Policies Sound Corporate Governance at Dow Ethics and Compliance Community Relations   Contributions   Donations per Region ($ Thousands)   Public Favorability Scores For Dow Sites Volunteerism

In 2003, we continued our highly successful community relations programs. We did this by working on community sustainability at our operating sites around the world. As we try to further understand our role in 21st century society, we've conducted additional research on community leaders' priorities in improving the quality of life in their areas. Typical community priorities are: education, employment, energy, environment, and health.

We’ve also found that other quality-of-life priorities are highlighted, including community development, public safety, and cultural and recreational resources. These topics are increasingly being discussed in the meetings between site leaders and the Community Advisory Panels (CAPs). There are CAPs in place at 36 of our manufacturing sites around the world. These regular meetings provide local Dow leaders with vital feedback about the opinions of our neighbors during the development phase of local policies. In 2003, a global process was initiated to reinvest in our CAPs by capturing relevant experience and developing recommendations for change aimed at increasing effectiveness.

Favorability Scores
In previous Public Reports, we have reported on surveys we regularly conduct to assess how we are perceived in the communities in which we operate. For each location, we set challenging targets based on the size of the site and our relative impact on that community. For example, in our major locations we want at least 80 percent of the residents to agree that Dow is a good neighbor and a valuable member of the community. In the last six years, 38 surveys have been conducted in Dow communities, all showing very good results.

Except for a few locations, perception surveys were suspended globally in 2003 as a temporary measure to improve our cash flow. However, we continue to apply what we have learned in past surveys, working with community leaders to participate in and fund projects that improve community quality of life. A limited number of surveys will be completed in 2004.

Being Heard by Policy Makers
The United States is the only country in which corporations, labor unions, and other interest groups may legally participate in the political process through financial contributions. Dow and its employees play a relatively small but very important role in various advocacy programs. Dow employees are empowered to participate in the political process through voluntary membership in company-sponsored political action committees in addition to grassroots advocacy initiatives.  In 2003, Dow contributed $133,750 in support of state candidates, and employee PACs contributed $62,750 to state and federal candidates.

What Do You Think?

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