Evolution, Key Programs, and Partners

• AT&T Believes initiative grew to more cities through a network of Believers, mainly AT&T employees living or working in the different cities. The company’s decision to expand to a specific city was guided by the number of employees and retirees living in the city and the number of stores owned.
• The growth to various cities occurred because the Believers had a passion to pursue the causes that mattered to them most and their neighborhood. They had the grit and determination to help their communities. They were determined to make a difference in their community.
• For instance, the inaugural AT&T Believe Chicago started after Believers drawn from the city sought to address unemployment and gun violence issues rampant in the neighborhood. By injecting opportunities into 19 Chicago neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rates and violence, Believe Chicago addressed the challenges.
• The AT&T Believe initiative model is aimed at lifting communities. The model entails a collaboration between the company’s employees and strong local organizations. It also incorporates people outside AT&T who share the same passion and vision.
• The model seeks to benefit both the business and the community. Implementing the model involves approaching employees living in certain cities and suggesting the need for the company to get involved in the issues facing them.
• AT&T also goes deeper into communities, convenes activists and organizers, and asks them to gather residents who share their perspective on what is happening around them. They also provide insights on gaps in service and support. After gathering the needed information, the company then moves in to address the key issues facing the community.
• One of the companies Believe partners with is STEM NOLA. AT&T Believe New Orleans connects AT&T employees to volunteer opportunities in STEM NOLA. The company seeks to expose, inspire, and engage members in the neighboring communities about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
• Believe also partners with Emerson Electric as it seeks to accomplish the set goals in various cities.
• Believe partners with both profit and nonprofit organizations. Among the profit organizations include World Wide Technology and Emerson Electric. Nonprofit partners include Better Family Life, NPower, and LaunchCode. Believe partners with organizations from both sectors because it wants to inspire them to take similar initiatives, either jointly or on their own.
• Believe’s core focus issue is a specific challenge facing a given community. Thus, the core focus issue is specific to a given community. For example, the core focus issue in Philadelphia is fighting poverty and other challenges while in Denver, the focus is on teen suicide.

AT&T Believes initiative

• AT&T Believes is an initiative that is " local. focused. employee-led."
• According to the company's website, the initiative provides a new model for supporting communities.
• It currently operates in 37 cities in the US.

Total Funding

• According to the ‘Believe Louisville’ initiative's report, about 75% of the funding for the Believe initiative came from AT&T while the remaining 25% came from the AT&T Foundation.
• While there was no evidence that the company allowed employees to contribute financially, it provided volunteering opportunities and allowed them to serve and consult with the different community members.
• The most recent, publicly available tax-exempt document for the AT&T Foundation was from 2017 and the total amount contributions, gifts, grants the foundation received was $96,605,771. Further breakdown of the funding was not available publicly.

Difference Between The Programs

• Each initiative focuses specifically on the individual needs, conditions and the size of the specific city. The programs' contributions were also proportional to the size of the city.
• After analyzing all 37 campaign, we categorized each by the problem they address. The main topics the company focuses on include supporting the youth and the community, fighting poverty, fighting the opiod epidemic, education, fighting violence, career improvement, and mental health.
• MENTAL HEALTH — Suicide is the leading cause of death in Colorado for people between 10 and 24, with teen suicide rates being among the highest in the US, at nearly twice the national average. Believe Denver committed $250,000 to promote awareness and generate support around youth issues and suicide prevention in Colorado.
• FIGHTING POVERTY — The company contributed a total of $3,126,000 to 11 US cities (Arkansas, Dallas, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Mississippi, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle, Trenton, Twin Cities, and Washington) to tackle homelessness, combat hunger, and help address issues like food insecurity, gender equality, and diversity. Believe Seattle and Dallas received the highest amount of contribution, namely $1,100,000 and $565,000 respectively.
• EDUCATION — There are six AT&T Believes Initiatives that are focused on education in the Bay Area, Detroit, Durham, Louisville, St. Louis, and Tennessee. The Bay Area received the highest amount of funding from the Believes Initiatives, $1.3 million. The campaign's goals were to address the diversity in tech and career readiness for underserved communities.
• FIGHTING VIOLENCE — In Indianapolis and Chicago AT&T Believes launched campaigns focused on supporting public safety and reducing violent crime. In Indianapolis, the company donated $275,000 but there was no data about how much it contributed to Chicago.
• FIGHTING THE OPIOD EPIDEMIC — In Appalachia, the initiative invested $64,000 to help fight the opioid epidemic. From these, $20,000 were used to help build a wellness center at the Huntington Police Department.
• SUPPORTING YOUTH AND THE COMMUNITY — In this category, 11 cities (Albuquerque, Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Hampton Roads, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Washington) received a total of $4,581,000. The program's goals were to work with the cities and provide with what they need to better support youths. For example, the company launched Believe Albuquerque, an initiative focused on safety and success of the youth by committing $136,000.
• CAREER ADVANCEMENT — In Miami, AT&T Believes contributed $300,000 to support area organizations focused on removing barriers to academic and career success. Similarly, in Cleveland, AT&T Believe contributed more than $350,000 to improve career prospects through digital literacy.

Total Amount Contributed

• According to data we collected from the company's official site and several local news articles, the total amount contributed by the initiative is $12,396,000. A breakdown of the funding for the different programs is detailed in the spreadsheet.

AT&T Launches Believe Miami

• The October 2019 article by Miami’s Community Newspaper covers AT&T’s launch of its Believe Miami initiative. The initiative was intended to help the local youth and young adults to accomplish their dreams.
• According to the article, the AT&T Believe Miami initiative is focused on eliminating barriers to educational and employment opportunities in Miami among young adults and the youth. The company committed $300,000 from the AT&T Foundation to various community organizations to help them close the skills gap. AT&T also offered about 100 volunteers to help kick off the Believe Miami initiative.
• Miami’s Community Newspaper is a local internet media that provided a positive commentary on AT&T Believe Miami initiative.

AT&T Launches 'Believe in Tennessee' Initiative

• The October 2019 article covers the launch of the AT&T Believe in Tennessee initiative. According to the article, the initiative is aimed at removing barriers to academic success. Believe in Tennessee focuses on availing tools and resources to post-secondary schools in Tennessee.
• The initiative blends the commitment and compassion of the company’s employees and its strengths to help empower young people with support and skills they need to succeed. Believe in Tennessee received a $150,000 donation from the AT&T Foundation to be used in support of student emergency funds across 13 community colleges in the state.
•  Fox17Nashville is a local internet media. It provided a positive commentary on the AT&T Believe in Tennessee initiative.

AT&T Alabama Launches #BelieveBirmingham Initiative

• The Alabama news outlet covered AT&T’s launch of the Believe Birmingham, an initiative aimed at helping the next generation attain their academic and life dreams. It also reaffirmed AT&T’s commitment to the Magic City.
• According to the news article, AT&T’s employees work with community leaders and organizations to positively impact the city by linking Birmingham youth to educational opportunities that nurture success and build skills. The company leaders, local elected officials, and community member at Bush Hills Academy jointly launched the initiative.
• Over 150 AT&T employees volunteered to help teachers and faculty at Bush Hills Academy in their opening day preparations. The article emphasized on the company’s desire to improve academic achievement and build skills that match the needs of Birmingham’s workforce.
•  Yellowhammer News is a local internet media. It gave a positive commentary on AT&T’s Believe Birmingham initiative.

AT&T Adds St. Louis to its 'Believe' Initiative

• The 2019 article by St Louis Post-Dispatch covered AT&T’s launch of the Believe St. Louis initiative in 2019. The initiative was aimed at creating volunteer partnership targeting preschool-age children through young adults.
• The AT&T’s Believe St. Louis prioritized education, mentoring, and career preparation, with a particular focus on neighborhoods in the St. Louis Promise Zone. The company’s 4,500 local employees were encouraged to volunteer in neighborhood restoration efforts. According to the news article, the program intended to invest $1 million in the community before launch.
•  St Louis Post-Dispatch is a local internet media. It gave a positive commentary on AT&T’s St. Louis Believe Initiative.

AT&T Donates $300K to Help Dallas Homeless Children

• The Fox4 News article published on August 2019 accounts the AT&T’s Believe Dallas initiative activities. According to the article, the company donated $300,000 to help provide services to homeless children in Dallas.
• The initiative gave $150,000 to each of the two nonprofits, namely After8toEducate and Incarnation House. The funds were intended to help over 4,000 homeless students buy books, pens, and backups as they prepared to go back to school. The initiative noted the good work done by the two organizations in addressing the problems facing homeless children and veterans in Dallas.
•  Fox4 News is a local internet media. It gave a positive commentary on the AT&T’s Believe Dallas initiative.