Target’s commitment to the social, economic and environmental health of the communities it serves is a key part of its heritage and is a cornerstone of Target’s corporate responsibility.  Currently, Target gives more than $3 million each week to the communities it serves to make positive changes in education, the arts and social services.

In 2008, Target funded hundreds of community-based nonprofit organizations and schools in Sacramento County.  Target also supported leading community programs by providing grants (listed below).  In addition to those key partnerships, Target supported the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Foundation, Sacramento Safe Night, Sacramento Public Library Foundation, dozens of nonprofit local organizations and hundreds of K-12 schools across Sacramento County.

Since the day Target opened its doors, it has contributed 5 percent of its annual taxable income to support families and communities in four primary areas: Education, Arts, Social Services, and Vital Community Partnerships.  Additionally, Target team members and retirees donate more than 315,000 hours to more than 7,000 community projects each year.

California Museum

The California Museum opened in 1998 and was initially designed to showcase the materials of the State Archives. In 2005, First Lady Maria Shriver took on the role as Honorary Chairperson. With her leadership and that of the board, the Museum has gained the capacity to initiate and attract world-class exhibits. The museum’s mission is to engage, educate and enlighten a broad public audience about California history and its unique influence on the world of ideas, innovation, art and culture. Through captivating, active and state of the art experiences, the Museum seeks to inspire men, women and children to dream the California dream and dare to make their mark on history. Target partnered with the California Museum in 2008 to sponsor two Target Free Day events, (March and October 2008), which allows the community to visit the museum for free, and to enjoy special free activities.

Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra

The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra inspires audiences and enriches Sacramento through excellent performances of great orchestral music. As Sacramento’s premiere orchestra, the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra is a metropolitan orchestra based firmly in Sacramento, while serving a regional audience. Ingrained in the cultural and artistic fabric of Sacramento, the Philharmonic uses the power of great orchestral music to deeply move, inspire, and touch lives. The music of the Philharmonic honors the great tradition of classical music while also exploring music that speaks to the cultural landscape of contemporary California. Target sponsored the Sacramento Philharmonic Presents the Target Family Concerts program in 2008. This sponsorship supported two low-cost concerts for families.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

The Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is dedicated to assisting those in need by alleviating their immediate pain and problems and moving them toward self sufficiency and financial independence.† These programs include: providing food, clothing and housing for the poor, early childhood education and youth services, providing guidance to mothers and strengthening families through a program of ethics and self-esteem building.† Target has been a sponsor of SFBFS for over five years and is a supporter of the After School, Mother-Baby and Womenís Wisdom Art Programs.† Target team members also volunteer at the food bank, and participated in the Run to Feed the Hungry event on Thanksgiving Day 2008.

Sacramento Theatre Company

According to the Sacramento Theatre Company mission statement, "as the regional professional theatre company in Sacramento, it is our responsibility to create a variety of theatrical experiences for a culturally, generationally and socially diverse audience. We should explore works that enrich our lives and offer greater understanding of others and make it a point to research and develop new works." By creating art of a national standard, developing new plays, re-presenting the classics and promoting innovations in all areas of the theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company is shaping the American theatre experience of our generation. Target sponsored the 2008 Target Family Matinees program, offering reduced priced tickets.

United Way California Capitol Region

The mission of the United Way seeks to build stronger, healthier, more compassionate communities.† Some of the United Way programs include helping parents enroll their children in health insurance, prepare foster youth for productive lives, prevent child abuse and encourage kids to stay in school and out of trouble. United Way is supported by Target locations nationwide. In 2008, Target and individual team members contributed more than $14.1 million to local United Way organizations across the country. Target has supported the United Way California Capitol Region for over 20 years.

Signature Programs

In addition to the grants that Target stores provide locally, Target has developed signature programs that are designed to inspire learning and enlighten children and families. Each of these national initiatives have a local impact:

Take Charge of Education® is a school fundraising initiative that offers families, teachers and community members an easy way to designate an eligible K-12 school of their choice nationwide and have Target donate an amount equal to one percent of their REDcard^SM (Target® Visa® Credit Card and Target Credit Card^SM) purchases made at Target and Target.com*.  Recipient schools can then allocate these undesignated funds for anything they need, whether books, field trips, new classroom technology or supplies.  Celebrating a 10-year milestone in 2007, Target has donated more than $200 million to participating schools nationwide since the program’s inception. In Sacramento County, Target provided over $190,000 to K-12 schools in 2007 through out Take Charge of Education program.

Target Field Trip Grants launched in 2006 as a way to help educators bring learning to life for students.  With schools facing increasing budget shortages each year, field trips are often one of the first elements eliminated from the curriculum.  Target Field Trip Grants may be used to cover costs of transportation, entry fees, supplies and equipment and resource materials so that teachers may continue using the valuable experiential learning gained from field trips to enhance students' classroom studies.  In 2008, Target awarded 61 field trip grants in Sacramento County. For information on the 2009 – 2010 Field Trip Grant program, please check our website.

Target School Library Make-Over Program launched in 2007 as a pilot program, where three Title 1 schools received school library make-overs. The program grew, and in 2008 the amount of schools receiving make-overs, including new library books and fresh new décor, increased to 23 schools across the country. In October 2008, Parkway Elementary School in Sacramento received a library make-over, in which over 100 Target Team Members worked with HandsOn Network Sacramento, to help transform the library that was lacking color and inspiration into a fun and inviting place for students and community members to read and learn.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., specializes in the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood illnesses. With a $27-million commitment, Target helped build and expand Target House, a home-away-from-home where long-term patients can live with their families as they undergo treatment. 

Target Volunteers is a nationwide network of Target team member and retiree volunteers who donate more than 315,000 hours to more than 7,000 community-based projects annually.

For more information on Target’s community involvement, visit www.target.com/community.