Social Contribution Activities

To realize a sustainable society, Toshiba Group actively promotes social contribution activities as well as business activities, thereby contributing to solving various societal issues. We will continue to provide more information and to make opportunities to Toshiba Group employees, so that many of them can get involved in activities voluntarily that contribute to society, while also contributing to their regions and achieving self-growth.

Toshiba Group has set the Basic Policy on Social Contribution Activities which embodies Toshiba Group’s Basic Commitment “Committed to People, Committed to the Future.”
The five key areas of activities stated in the Toshiba Group Basic Policy on Social Contribution Activities are all related to social issues that Toshiba Group regards as important. Toshiba Group will contribute to solving societal issues, attainment of the SDGs and creating a sustainable society through business activities as well as social contribution activities by using knowledge and resources acquired through business.
In these endeavors, we keep track of the results and impact on business through regular dialogues with stakeholders including NPOs and NGOs, and reevaluate and decide on our course of action accordingly.

In the Toshiba Group, the Sustainability Management Division carries out social contribution activities in cooperation with corporate staff divisions, key Group companies, etc. based on the Basic Policy on Social Contribution Activities.
With regard to donations to disaster relief and to NPOs and NGOs, we assess the legality and appropriateness of such donations before doing so, based on our in-house regulations.

The total number of Toshiba Group employees that participated in the social contribution activities during FY2021 was 114,061.
We have a system in place to support employees in their social contribution activities so that more employees can be part of the society through their contribution activities and help solve social issues. Employees are able to take long-term leave by accumulating annual leave for the purpose of participating in volunteer activities.

In response to the situation in Ukraine, Toshiba group donated a total of 100 million yen to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) and Japan Platform, a non-profit organization, to provide humanitarian aid to those affected.

• Toshiba Group’s response to situation in Ukraine

In order to invigorate our social contribution activities, Toshiba Group has been evaluating and giving awards to domestic and overseas activities. Every year we evaluate the previous fiscal year’s activities from 9 perspectives—goals, the extent of employee involvement, originality, continuity, social impact, collaboration with external organizations, and so on—and the President and CEO’s awards those activities that have achieved excellent results.
In FY2021, the following four programs out of the 696 programs that were carried out in FY2020 were awarded.

Toshiba Group has held the Toshiba Group Volunteer Days since FY2014 around December 5, the International Volunteer Day set by the United Nations. The aim of this initiative was to make a significant social contribution that cannot be achieved by individuals, through the simultaneous participation of all Toshiba Group employees.
In FY2021, approximately 40,000 employees participated in 181 activities in Japan and approximately 3,200 employees participated in 46 activities overseas. They carried out unique social contribution activities in each region, such as cleanup activities, food drives, and special menus at the company cafeteria to support reconstruction in disaster areas. Many employees also took part in voluntary social contribution activities during this period, such as donating blood and making donations.

Toshiba Science Museum serves as one of Toshiba’s social contribution activities and is a location for the support of science-technology education.

• Toshiba Science Museum

Since 1992, Toshiba Group has worked with the National Science Teachers Association to host the ExploraVision Awards (EVA), a science and technology competition for k-1 to k-12 students in the United States and Canada.
EVA is a competition aiming to encourage dreams in which children make predictions about technologies that they believe will become feasible within 20 years based on today’s science and technology. The program celebrated its 29th anniversary in 2021, commemorating its long history as a Japanese company’s science education support program in North America. The number of participants totals approximately 450,000 to date. In 2021, we received applications from about 1,800 groups around the United States and Canada. Although the award ceremony was held online to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we received comments from the prizewinners such as, “It was hard but fun to research, discuss, and work on the project with my friends to solve the problem. I realized that I am interested in science and engineering after participating in ExploraVision, and I would like to study in that direction in the future.”

【2021 Prizewinners】

• GRADES K1-3 (Kindergarten to 3rd year elementary school students)
  Toothbrush of the Future
  Lockwood Elementary – Bothell, WA
• GRADES K4-6 (4th to 6th year elementary school students)
  Coagulation Filtration System
  Open Window School – Bellevue, WA
• GRADES K7-9 (1st to 3rd year junior high school students)
  Mag-Launcher, Magnetic Repulsion Rocket Launcher
  Marlboro Memorial Middle School – Morganville, NJ
• GRADES K10-12 (1st to 3rd year high school students)
  Shiitake Diapers: Capturing CO Poo One Diaper at a Time
  William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute – Toronto, Ontario

• ExploraVision

Since 2017, we have held science education programs for elementary school children in collaboration with the Association of Corporation and Education at elementary schools in areas around Tokyo and areas where we have manufacturing sites, in addition to event venues throughout Japan.

• Environmental Education Program for Children

Toshiba Group awards scholarships to students and laboratories in different countries to help support development of a new generation. Furthermore Toshiba factories are receptive to local requests for tours, and some even accept internships of a few weeks.
Toshiba granted 100,000 yen every month to 230 university students in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, which were hit hard by the Great East Japan Earthquake, until graduation.
In Vietnam, we have given a total of around 3 million yen every year since 2005 in subsidies to around 30 students at the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City campus of Vietnam National University. Toshiba and the university also conduct joint research on software. Some graduates of the university have entered Toshiba Software Development (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. and continue to work there.
Toshiba Information Equipment (Philippines), Inc. established a scholarship system in 2008 to provide education at universities or vocational educational institutes to economically disadvantaged high school students. Toshiba supported 90 students with scholarships until 2018 when the program ended.

At the request of local communities, operational sites throughout Japan accept visitors for facility tours, and participants for on-the-job training programs and internship programs.

Toshiba Group has set 5 activity themes for the conservation of biodiversity*, and promotes activities with employees participation in and outside the sites.

•  (1) Building of ecosystem networks, (2) Conservation of rare species, promotion of ex situ conservation, (3) Response to marine plastics issues, (4) Response to climate change (mitigation, adaptation), and (5) Conservation of water.

• Conservation of Biodiversity

Toshiba Group expands its business around the world, and contributes to the development of local communities through a variety of business activities, primarily in the regions where the business hubs are located. Our contributions include job creation, tax payment, and the promotion of optimal procurement, including local procurement. We also participate in activities, such as welfare and cleaning, to contribute to communities through interactions with the surrounding communities.

• Standards of Conduct for Toshiba Group 19. Community Relations

Toshiba Group companies strive to improve the environment around their business sites. In FY2021, the Group companies’ employees in and outside Japan cleaned areas around their business sites approximately 160 times. In addition, we are building a positive relationship with local communities through interactions with neighboring communities and also through cooperation with local governments, including engaging in improvement works on green space areas and participating in local events.

• TYCA Special Website (Toshiba Youth Club Asia)

Toshiba promotes sports not only to help children to grow up healthy but also to inspire and encourage everyone through the impressive performances of top athletes. Amateur sports teams of Toshiba employees play an active role in making a difference in society.

• Toshiba baseball team: Brave Areus (Japanese)

As a company that conducts business worldwide, Toshiba Group wishes to contribute to restoring areas affected by natural disasters. To that end, we review what is most appropriate in consideration of local characteristics and damage situations, and donate money, provide our company products, and collaborate with NGOs. In addition, employees also engage in fund raising and volunteer activities.