Corporate Giving

Making a Difference

All of our philanthropic efforts are directed toward making a difference in the quality of life in communities where we operate. Each year, we contribute approximately $5 million to nonprofit organizations in support of community improvement, education, and arts and cultural programs. A significant portion of our charitable contributions are designated to United Way, matching the generous support of our employees Eaton's employees embody the spirit of volunteerism and have a significant influence on how Eaton's charitable funds are distributed.

Whether supporting the world renowned Cleveland Orchestra, Rowan’s Hospice in Manchester, England or the local United Performing Arts Fund in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Eaton funds community-based organizations that offer all citizens access to their programs and improve the quality of life in the communities where Eaton has a presence.


The Eaton Charitable Fund
The Eaton Charitable Fund oversees the distribution of charitable funds to organizations in communities where Eaton has facilities. A significant portion of the funds supplement employee gifts to United Way agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Eaton's Gift-Matching Program encourages community involvement by matching employee financial gifts to educational, arts and cultural institutions, and other approved nonprofit organizations of their choice. An annual Report of Contributions lists recipients of Eaton contributions.

The Eaton contributions program continues to be of assistance in communities beyond U.S. borders. In Brazil, Eaton supports an agency that provides medical and dental care, education and food to needy children. In Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Eaton is financing physical improvements for a number of elementary schools. In the aftermath of natural disasters in Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico, and Italy, we contributed to disaster relief efforts.


Eaton's Commitment to United Way
United Way ranks first among the many organizations Eaton supports. We're among the top one-third of the nation's largest contributors to United Way, and our per-capita giving is much higher than that of many companies much larger than Eaton. This year the combination of Eaton employee pledges and the company's charitable match totaled more than $5.0 million for United Way.

Eaton's strong commitment to United Way goes beyond the dollars contributed. Three of our recent CEOs have served as chairman of the Greater Cleveland United Way campaigns. Many Eaton employees provide leadership for their local campaigns or serve as members of review panels or as loaned executives. Employees volunteer to paint shelters, sort clothing and clean up yards for United Way agencies in their communities.


Eaton Multicultural Scholars Program
In 1994, Eaton initiated the Eaton Minority Engineering Scholars Program (EMESP), which provided promising minority college students with company-paid internships at various Eaton divisions, annual training workshops in business practices and an annual scholarship for books and tuition. In 2002, renamed the Eaton Multicultural Scholars Program (EMSP), a new strategic direction was initiated towards the goal of creating a world-class internship program involving highly talented, multicultural students within the disciplines of Engineering, IT, Supplier Resource Management and Accounting. The program's strategic mission is "to develop, challenge and prepare diverse students for career opportunities within the company by creating a multicultural program emphasizing high academic performance, functional excellence and practical experience resulting in future employees who are highly skilled, functionally developed and culturally sensitive."


Employee Disaster Relief Fund
Established in 1999, the Employee Disaster Relief Fund assists Eaton employees worldwide who experience financial hardships in the aftermath of disasters. The Fund provides modest cash distributions to employees for immediate basic necessities, such as food and clothing and other essentials not covered by insurance. When disaster hits close to home, the Fund helps Eaton employees and provides a way for co-workers to help each other.