Employee Efforts

All of the largest brewers—Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors—many of the smaller ones, and many of the nation's distributors have both formal and informal programs to involve their employees in community efforts.

To encourage its employees to participate in nonprofit organizations, Anheuser-Busch established its Employee Volunteer Grant Program, which awards grants to eligible nonprofit organizations for which its employees regularly donate time.

Anheuser-Busch, through its foundation, also matches employee and retiree gifts made to educational institutions and funds up to $10,000 per year. Including personal and company contributions, this program has generated nearly $7 million over the last five years.

As part of Miller Cares Day more than 500 Miller employees throughout Milwaukee, WI and its six other brewery states volunteer in their local communities by packaging food, sorting toys, painting facilities, assisting the elderly, and working with children. Helping to make a difference in the communities where they live and work, many employees say this is their favorite day of the year.

The Miller Brewing Company Employee Fund was established in 2000 to support charitable organizations in the greater Milwaukee area. Operated by a committee of employees, the fund has donated more than $565,000 and plans are underway to establish a similar fund in each of Miller’s other brewery states.

In addition, Coors employees, former employees, families, and friends have organized the Volunteers in Community Enrichment (VICE) squad, donating time and talent to numerous nonprofit and charitable organizations. Since the group’s inception in 1985, employees have donated more than 250,000 hours to more than 825 community projects.

Coors employees also participate in a company-wide United Way campaign that benefits nonprofit organizations. The company provides an additional 50 cents for every employee dollar up to a total of $250,000.

Finally, the more than 90,000 American men, women and families in the beer distribution industry care how their businesses affect the community. distributors from across the country are involved in recreation, youth, safe-ride, and many other community-based programs, and play hosts to special events benefitting local charities.