"Carlos Slim is one of the world’s most important philanthropists and most people have never heard about his humanitarian activities. He owns stock in more than 200 companies that employ more than 200,000 people in Latin America and beyond. He has used his resources to help develop the communities where his businesses are located. In his own country, Mexico, he has personally supported more than 165,000 young people in attending university, paid for numerous surgeries, provided equipment for rural schools and covered surety bonds for 50,000 people who were entitled to their freedom but could not afford. He recently created the Carso Institute for Health, and designed it to provide a new approach to health care in Mexico. He has four billion dollars of investments ready to promote education, health and other great challenges, and has recently announced an additional six billion dollar investment in several programs, including his Telmex Foundation."Former President of the United States
Social responsibility is a fundamental part of Carlos Slim Helú’s business strategy and culture, which is focused on maximizing the positive impact of his companies to benefit the communities where they operate, and contributing to the fight against poverty with nutrition, education and employment through aid programs from various foundations and institutes.
Fundación Carso A.C. - Fundación Telmex
- Fundación del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México
- Museo Soumaya
- Centro de Estudios de Historia de México Carso
- Socially Responsible Company Award
- Asociación de Superación por México, A.C.
- Aid to Latin America
The Foundation was incorporated in 1986 as Asociación Carso A.C. and changed its name in February 2006 to Fundación Carso, A.C., with the mission to establish a range of non-lucrative projects in education, health, justice and personal and community development by contributing human and financial resources to equip Mexican society with the necessary tools to succeed professionally and socially. Fundación Carso has an endowment of US$3.5 billion.
The objectives of the organization have been strengthened and developed over time, based primarily on the following principles:
- Promote education, sports, cultural and artistic activities; provide aid to hospitals, orphanages, disadvantaged people and social welfare institutions.
- Establish good faith as a business standard and in the professions; foster appreciation of all civil service occupations and respect for our own service to society.
- Grant scholarships to students, professionals, teachers and emissaries of culture at large, in order to begin, continue and apply their learning to all fields of knowledge at domestic and international centers of higher education.
Assist in opening, promoting, fostering, sponsoring, subsidizing, funding and supporting libraries, newspaper archives, museums and exhibits.
- Create and support printers and publishing companies that publish bulletins, books and all kinds of printed works.
- Organize programs to promote, foster, sponsor and subsidize seminars, presentations, meetings and conferences with renowned pedagogical and scientific experts.
- Acquire or build all types of urban property and real estate in order to achieve the desired goals.
The objective of this foundation is the recognition of notable Mexicans and of the national identity, promoting a love for our country, social integration, commitment to future generations, the creation of better job opportunities and the possibility of sharing and promoting family values. These represent the challenges and enduring goals of the Foundation’s daily activities.
Fundación Telmex, formerly Asociación Carso, A.C., is a non-lucrative philanthropic organization established in 1996 whose objective is to support ongoing programs in education, health, culture, justice and the social well-being of Mexico, which Asociación Carso has promoted since 1986 with the aim of effectively contributing to the eradication of extreme poverty and improving the quality of life of the Mexican population. Fundación Telmex has an endowment of more than US$1.5 billion.
To achieve the above, the organization has implemented the following programs related to teaching, sports, health, arts and culture in general, helping the most vulnerable groups in our country to grow and develop.
- Education
- Health
- Justice
- Natural Disasters
- Culture and Human Development
- Support to Sports
The key accomplishments of this organization are as follows:
| Fundación Telmex | |
| 1996/ March 2008 | |
EDUCATION |
|
| Scholarship | 186,771 |
| Computers | 34, 880 |
| Bicycles ( Ayúdame a Llegar Program) * | 186,141 |
| HEALTH AND NUTRITION | |
| Surgeries | 297,408 |
| Transplants |
4,914 |
| Arranque Parejo en la Vida Program (specialized equippment) |
2,376 |
| SOCIAL FINANCES | 62,211 |
| Tons of Humanitarian Assistance (Assistance Program in Natural Disasters) |
27,842 |
| Soccer teams, COPA TELMEX |
94,753 |
* With the collaboration of some states governments and other institutions. |
|
Recognitions
In December 2005, Fundación Telmex was recognized as Foundation of the Year for its philanthropic work by the Mexico City chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
On November 22, 2006, Arturo Elías Ayub, Executive Director of Fundación Telmex, received the José Vasconcelos Award from Dr. Reyes Tamez Guerra, Secretary of Public Education at the time; the award is granted by that government office to institutions committed to education in Mexico.
On November the 20, 2007, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, President of Mexico, granted Fundacion Telmex with the 2007 Sports National Award, for its support and commitment to the sports in Mexico, as well as with the professional and non professional sports men and women, the sports people with special abilities and the ones that practice sports to improve its health and recreate its lives.
Last October 2007, Copa Telmex of Amateur Football obtained a Guinness Record as the non professional tournament with the largest number of competitors around the world, as it reunited 148 thousand 714 players in 8 thousand 600 teams throughout the Mexican territory.
www.fundacioncentrohistorico.com.mx
The Fundación del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México, A. C., (Historical Center of Mexico City Foundation) is an organization through which, members of the civil society perform work to protect, restore, rescue and revitalize the Historical Center of Mexico City. This work is shared with other government agencies, corporations and other programs implemented by the private sector. Continue...
The Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía, A.C. (Mexican Center for Philanthropy, known by its Spanish acronym CEMEFI) and the Alianza para la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial (Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility, or AliaRSE) have given Socially Responsible Company Awards since the 2000 to companies committed to corporate social responsibility, namely, those that as part of their strategy and corporate culture engage in maximizing the positive impact of their business activity for the benefit of the communities where they operate.
In order to receive this award, companies must meet 120 indicators in the four fundamental areas applicable to corporate social responsibility: quality of life in the company, connection to the community, corporate ethics, as well as care and preservation of the environment.
Telmex demonstrates has up to 2007, received the ESR Award for six consecutive years. Telmex’s commitment has led it to comply with the four fundamental areas applicable to corporate social responsibility: quality of life in the company, relationship with the community, corporate ethics, and care and preservation of the environment.
From cash and in-kind donations, a cultural art treasure was created with more than 64,000 works of art, which are exhibited in this museum established in 1994, an institution that also researches, conserves and promotes Mexican and European artistic testimonies on a not-for-profit basis.
Museo Soumaya is committed to integrate the world of art with broader society through programs for children, youth, adults, senior citizens and persons with disabilities, through juried work that has also traveled to leading cultural facilities in 24 states of the Mexican Republic and 7 cities in the United States, as well as in San Salvador, Panama, Buenos Aires, Sète Port in France, Madrid and Bilbao in Spain, and Beirut in Lebanon, all of which have enjoyed some of the magnificent treasures from the collection.
The Centro de Estudios de Historia de México Carso (Center for the Study of Mexican History) was created in 1965 by CONDUMEX to help research and address the social and cultural concerns the founders and managers of the company had from the start. The Center has 800,000 items among its books and manuscripts, as well as five rooms to house the most precious collections.
In an effort to do something for Mexico, the Asociación de Superación por México (Association for the Improvement of México) was born in 1980.
Thus, the ASUME, human development program began. It is based on three issues:
- Constant improvement. There are no limits or excuses to trying to be a little bit better today than yesterday.
- Competition. You should compete with yourself and not with others because if I compare myself to others, either I get a complex or I do not improve.
- Balanced improvement: in each one of the following eight areas (physical, economic, aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, social, moral and spiritual), and set goals for each one.
Our goal: Be better yourself so that you can improve your environment.
Goal: Change society by changing man.
Through on-going improvement ASUME A.C., founded on the identification and acting with values, tries to educate men and women of peace, who are responsible, happy and committed with themselves and their families, their work and México.
With an initial endowment of US$4 billion, Fundación Carso is extending its work to Latin America through projects that have succeeded to benefit thousands of people in Mexico.
Institutos Carso.
www.salud.carso.org/
In March 2007 the creation of three Carso Institutes was announced: Health, Education and Sports, with coverage in Latin America. On Septembre 2007, Carso Health Institute was presented and soon Carso Education Institute, and Carso Sport Institute will be presented. Continue...
| Video of the public presentation of Carso health Institute |
Aid to Fight Poverty.
In New York City, on June 2007, Mr. Carlos Slim Helú announced his commitment to contribute 100 million U.S. Dollars to the initiative of former president of the United States, William Clinton, to fight poverty in Latin America. Mr. Slim participates in this initiative jointly with the former president of the United States and the Canadian businessman, Frank Giustra.
Support to Digital Education
In 2007 the Carso Foundation and the Telmex Foundation will donate 250 thousand laptop computers to public schools, libraries and Telmex's education centers. The estimated investment of this donation is 70 million dollars.
Plans are to donate in 2008 up to one million laptop computers in Mexico. The main objective of this program is to bring digital education to children. It can also be extended to other Latin American countries.
“The challenge is digital education”, said Mr. Carlos Slim Helú. Therefore it s expected that libraries may lend children books and also a laptop computer to take home for one or two weeks and thus generate a multiplying effect.
The donation of these computers is part of Mr. Slim's objective to contribute to improve the situation of the country and the regions by promoting health, nutrition, education and employment.
The above is part of the project that also includes the construction of Telmex Houses in marginal areas of Mexico. They will have a library and a study room. Expectations are that these facilities will become digital education centers for 4 to 18 year-old children and youngs. The initial goal is to build at least 100 homes in the next four years.
ALAS Foundation
The ALAS Foundation is a non-profit organization formed by artists, businessmen and prominent members of the civil society engaged in improving the health and education of Latin American children by creating awareness and promoting social programs.