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The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation…
Making a Difference…....Investing in Communities to help people do more, feel better, and live longer.
Established in Canada in 1989, The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is committed to finding creative ways to build sustainable community partnerships. We help to make a positive difference in the quality of life of Canadians by promoting and improving the health of individuals and communities.
Where We Give
- Our focus is on the health and wellness of both individuals and communities in Canada, and we support registered Canadian charities in the following areas:
- Health care and health promotion
- Humanitarian aid
- Hospice palliative care
- HIV/AIDS
- Science education
- Local community initiatives
Health Care and Health Promotion
- The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is committed to building healthy communities that embody the spirit of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and its employees. The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation supports national and provincial charities delivering innovative programs to improve health outcomes and access to care for their members.
- The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, in conjunction with GSK, is also a leading contributor to Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC), a charitable organization that provides humanitarian aid to the world’s impoverished countries and disaster areas. As longstanding partners, we have donated over $22 million in medical aid to needy countries around the world.
Hospice Palliative Care
- The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation remains committed to the continued evolution of our employees’ “cause of choice,” the hospice palliative care movement in Canada. We believe that all Canadians have the right to die with dignity, free of pain, surrounded by their loved ones in the setting of their choice.
- In 2007, 23% of Canadians reported having cared for a family member or close friend with a serious health problem in the last 12 months. In partnership with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) and a network of concerned stakeholders, The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is working to create a public and policy environment that recognizes and supports quality end-of-life care as an integral component of Canada's health-care system.
Living Lessons®
- In 1998, The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation launched the Living Lessons® program in partnership with CHPCA. Living Lessons® is a national initiative providing resources for patients, caregivers and health-care professionals involved with end-of-life caregiving situations. Components of the Living Lessons® program include:
- Website - www.living-lessons.org – with downloadable resources
- Toll-free number - 1-877-203-INFO
- Booklet - Guide for Caregivers - to assist Canadians providing care for loved ones facing the end-of-life
- Brochure - You are not Alone - providing information and answers to important questions to those confronted with a life-threatening illness and;
- Informative Guide - Influencing Change: A Patient and Caregiver Advocacy Guide - to help caregivers advocate for their loved ones.
HIV/AIDS Community Innovation Program
- The HIV/AIDS Community Innovation Program (CIP) is a Canadian initiative coordinated by The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation and Shire Biochem.
- The HIV/AIDS Community Innovation Program promotes innovative projects that address barriers to treatment, thereby improving access to HIV care and antiretroviral drug treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada.
- Over the past twelve years, the Community Innovation Program has supported more than one hundred and fifty-two projects through a total of more than 1.2 million in grants to community-based AIDS service organizations across Canada.
Science Education
- Future health innovation depends on creating opportunities for young Canadians to engage in science discovery. Through partners such as ACTUA, a registered charity that brings science to life for over 225,000 young Canadians through science workshops, we believe that our support for interactive science education programs helps develop a future generation of scientists and scientifically-savvy citizens.
- GlaxoSmithKline also supports the Canadian Biology Olympiad, a training and coaching program designed to help Canadian science students to progress to international competition.
Local Community Initiatives
- The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation supports charitable organizations that focus on community health and social service projects in the communities where large numbers of GSK employees work and live. We believe that our support helps ensure these communities are healthy, dynamic and caring places. We are proud of our annual donation of more than $250,000, including employee pledges, to the United Way.
- Other community partners include: Asthma Society of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association, Canadian Lung Association, Canadian Breast Cancer Network, National Ovarian Cancer Association and Lymphoma Foundation Canada.
Employee Charitable Giving
- Through our Employee Charitable Giving Program, The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation supports the many employees of GSK who are personally committed to improving their communities through charitable work. The GSK Foundation matches financial donations made by GSK employees and provides grants to charitable organizations with which GSK employees volunteer their time.
Making a Difference
- We believe that we can make a positive difference by finding and investing in new solutions to difficult problems outside of the laboratory deep in the heart of our communities. Through The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation's work, we are able to affect positive change for communities to enable people to do more, feel better, and live longer.
