--- --- # PMI U.S. Supports Local Communities with Grants and Donations  What is philanthropy, really? ​ For American consumers who interact with large corporations’ daily philanthropy, is more than a marketing strategy. It's a mandate. People want companies to make tangible, authentic investments in the local communities they serve. But short-term, purely philanthropic gestures do little to build public trust. “Our business model is to help smokers and traditional tobacco users switch from traditional cigarettes to a nicotine alternative that is smoke-free,” Philip Morris International U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy told TIME CEO Jessica Sibley. “But philanthropy is part of the company’s DNA.” [The PMI U.S. Philanthropy 2025 Benchmark Survey](https://www.pmi.com/us/corporate-citizenship-and-news)​ found that the public expects large companies to fulfill certain ethical responsibilities beyond their core business operations. A large majority, 74%, of respondents agreed that corporations should help find solutions to broad problems. And 84% of respondents said corporations have responsibility to contribute to the communities where they operate. Driven in part by a growing need for community services and by a perception that corporations aren’t paying their fair share, the survey found that consumers want companies to be more involved in local affairs. That’s especially true when it comes to addressing basic needs such as affordable housing, economic advancement, and health and wellness. Respondents said they care about business practices and employee well-being but overwhelmingly agreed that the most meaningful way a corporation can support local communities is by providing stable, well-paying jobs. Those findings become even more significant when paired with another insight. Many Americans believe corporations may be better equipped than the government to solve some of society’s most pressing challenges, but only if companies first listen to community needs and collaborate with local leaders. --- > “Our business model is to help smokers and traditional tobacco users switch from traditional cigarettes to a nicotine alternative that is smoke-free...But philanthropy is part of the company’s DNA.” Stacey Kennedy — Philip Morris International U.S. CEO --- Philip Morris International U.S.’s “Invested in America” manifesto outlines how the company has applied many of these findings to its philanthropic initiatives. The manifesto highlights three pillars of community investment: supporting military families and veterans, advancing economic opportunity and financial independence, and responding to natural disasters. According to the survey, the most important thing a corporation can do to support a local community is to offer stable employment and fair wages. PMI U.S. describes making that kind of investment in Stamford, Connecticut, where the company is headquartered; through its U.S. affiliates’ manufacturing and workforce development efforts in Owensboro, Kentucky; and with its affiliate’s new facility in Aurora, Colorado. PMI U.S. also directs charitable efforts based on a “hand up, not handout” philosophy, a preference expressed by survey respondents. One example is its We Care program, which directs funds to charities that employees already support. “This is a program where employees come together on an employee board. They submit projects at all sorts of local community levels, and those projects get funded,” Kennedy said. “That’s complemented by PMI’s Projects With a Heart. Employees submit a local idea — it can be from $500 to $5,000 to $50,000 — employees vote on the project, and then it gets funded by the company. And employees, in a hands-on fashion, actually carry out the work themselves.” Kennedy also discussed how PMI U.S. supports local entrepreneurship. “Communities thrive when small businesses thrive,” she said. As part of that effort, the company provides grants and donations to support microentrepreneurs. “PMI U.S.$5 million investment in women’s entrepreneurship is expanding access to capital and training for thousands of women across the state,” said Fran Pastore, CEO of Women’s Business Development Capital in Stamford. “This isn’t charity. It’s economic advancement.”  The Benchmark survey showed that local communities expect a high level of involvement from the large corporations operating in their area. It also found that the public is more likely to stay loyal to brands that share their values. Of those surveyed, 78% said they were more likely to shop with a brand that reflects their beliefs, and 68% said it was very or somewhat important that their favorite brands do so. Respondents also said they expect CEOs to reflect the values of the companies they lead and believe executives have obligations to society as well as shareholders. PMI U.S.’s core values are particularly clear when it comes to supporting veterans. “One thing we came away with that was most important of all is that PMI U.S. serves those who served,” Kennedy said. “That led to our number one philanthropic platform of serving veterans.” PMI U.S. contributes to all four military aid societies and partners with organizations providing pro bono legal aid, caregiver support, and emergency relief for veterans. The company has also pledged to mobilize in response to natural disasters, including wildfires in California and hurricanes in the Southeast. Kennedy said PMI. U.S. selected its three philanthropic pillars based on data and by listening closely to the voices of the communities it serves. #### “PMI U.S., “we”, “us”, “ours” refers to Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses.”  [Learn more](https://www.pmi.com/us/corporate-citizenship-and-news) PMI U.S. Supports Local Communities with Grants and Donations ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-supports-local-communities-with-grants-and-donations/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-supports-local-communities-with-grants-and-donations/"},"headline":"PMI U.S. Supports Local Communities with Grants and Donations","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:24.038Z","dateModified":"2026-06-02T19:59:59.671Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-supports-local-communities-with-grants-and-donations/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-supports-local-communities-with-grants-and-donations/","name":"PMI U.S. Supports Local Communities with Grants and Donations"}}]}] ```