What are the principles upon which Sobeys has built its philanthropic efforts?

One of our company’s core values is to “Proudly Serve Our Communities” and that is really at the centre of our commitment.  Our business success over the past 102 years has been a direct result of the millions of customers who shop in our stores on a weekly basis and we have always believed in the importance of giving back in ways that enrich the communities in which we operate.   

Separate and distinct from Sobeys Inc.’s corporate giving, I think it’s also important to understand the significant commitment and impact of the various philanthropic initiatives undertaken by members of the Sobey family. Whether through the Sobey Foundation, which supports health, education and community initiatives throughout Atlantic Canada, the Sobey Art Foundation which created and funds the Sobey Art Award, Canada’s pre-eminent award for contemporary Canadian Art or the Frank H. Sobey Scholarship for Excellence in Business Studies (to name just three), the Sobey family has a deep-rooted commitment to help make a difference in the lives of Canadians.

At the community level, the principles of Sobeys Inc.’s corporate giving efforts reflect the fact that our employees are the cornerstone of our business operations and that our stores are (often major) employers in communities across the country. We want to play a role in helping those communities be vibrant. That commitment really dates back to the earliest days of our company and is also reflected in the Sobey family’s culture of giving.

What are Sobeys main areas of focus in corporate giving?

To answer that, one really has to understand our business model. We maintain strong local management and operating teams within four geographic regions (Atlantic, Québec, Ontario, Western Canada, and within two operating divisions (Lawtons Drugs and Thrifty Foods). We do this because we know that the needs of a customer in Halifax, Nova Scotia are different from a customer in Red Deer, Alberta or Chicoutimi, Quebec.

And we take a similar approach to managing our corporate giving.  It is up to our regional operating teams to assess and get behind those organizations and initiatives that are important to their communities and to their customers. So, for example, our team in Western Canada has had on-going relationships with the Canadian Diabetes Association and Easter Seals Foundation, while our team in Atlantic Canada has just announced a partnership with Breakfast For Learning, amongst the many other initiatives it gets behind.

And if you drill down to an even more micro level, our stores across the country also have the autonomy, within some broad guidelines, to determine those local initiatives that they wish to support.

So, a somewhat circuitous way to say that our areas of focus are as varied as the regions and communities in which we operate.

How can organizations be effective in preparing to make a request to Sobeys Inc.?

I suspect that my response is not unique to Sobeys Inc.  I would really encourage organizations seeking support or long-term partnerships to invest the time to understand the company that they are seeking support from.  I would hazard a guess that 75 percent of the requests that we see are form letters or “To whom it may concern” pitches. I realize that for many organizations it’s a numbers game and that sending out form letters can yield results, but if you are trying to have your organization stand out in a sea of requests or particularly if you are seeking longer-term partnerships, it is important to create a compelling case for our company’s involvement. Most organizations are very good at articulating why their cause is important and why the need is great…but where many come up short is in connecting to the company’s business strategy and priorities as well as its approach to charitable giving and corporate social responsibility.   

What impact will the current economy have on your corporate giving program in the year ahead?

We’ve always taken a long-term view to managing our business and that also applies to our commitment to the communities in which we operate, so I don’t anticipate any significant changes as a result of current economic conditions. Having said that, I believe that because of the current environment we have to be both thoughtful and flexible in how we respond to the needs of our communities should those needs change as a result of the difficult economic climate. The charitable sector is getting hit pretty hard right now and many of those organizations that are hardest hit provide vital health, education and community services. Fortunately because of our approach to community giving and the fact that many of those decisions are made on a regional and local market basis, I think we are well positioned to adapt as necessary.

Andrew Walker is Vice President, Communications & Corporate Affairs for Sobeys Inc., a leading national grocery retailer and food distributor. Mr. Walker is responsible for corporate communications, including media relations, internal communications, issues management, industry relations, corporate citizenship and crisis preparedness.