Philanthropy

Hormel Foods contributed $5 million to the Hormel Institute's expansion project, which was completed in September 2008.

At Hormel Foods, we have a long tradition of supporting the communities where we live and work, a tradition which started 117 years ago when the company was founded in Austin, MN. As our business has grown, we have expanded our operations into new communities and our efforts to support these areas.

In fiscal years 2007 and 2008, we continued to focus our efforts on hunger relief and raising awareness of the hunger problem. During this period, we donated more than 1.5 million pounds of product to food banks. We also promoted education through supporting our employees who volunteer as tutors for after-school programs and by awarding more than $125,000 in scholarships annually.

In 2008, The Hormel Institute’s expansion and renovation project provided more resources and modernized equipment for scientists who study natural cancer-preventive compounds found in food. Hormel Foods donated $5 million for the project that tripled the size of the original 1960 facility.

We invite you to view our Living Our Principles section to read more about our philanthropic initiatives.

Contributing to Communities

Investing in the communities where our employees live and supporting hunger relief and awareness are ongoing focuses at Hormel Foods. In fiscal years 2007 and 2008, we donated $2.6 million and $3.9 million, respectively, toward these efforts. When we give back to our communities and our world, we contribute with the same sense of integrity and community-minded sprit that guides us in our daily work. Our philosophy is to think globally and act locally, not only in how we conduct our business, but also in how we give back to our communities.

Fighting Hunger

We are compassionate about the issue of hunger at Hormel Foods and committed to helping families that struggle to put food on the table. As a leader in the food industry, we feel fortunate to be in a position to help alleviate hunger in our communities.

Product Donations

Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, accepts an award from Channel One for being the 2007 Donor of the Year.

In both fiscal years 2007 and 2008, our efforts through product donations and thought leadership have helped struggling foods banks keep their shelves stocked with much-needed protein products. We were honored when Channel One Food Bank and Food Shelf named us the 2007 Donor of the Year for our contributions. This organization serves individuals throughout southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin, which includes the community of Austin, MN, where Hormel Foods’ headquarters is located.

In fiscal year 2008, we offered assistance to Feeding America (formerly known as America’s Second Harvest), which continued our support for the organization since 1979. The donation included more than 81,000 pounds of protein that provided meals to nearly 430,000 people in need during the holiday season.

Thought Leadership

To stay at the forefront as a thought leader on the topic of hunger, we commissioned our second annual and third annual Hormel Hunger Survey in fiscal years 2007 and 2008, respectively. The study continues to explore the attitudes and behaviors of the American general public relative to the key domestic issues of poverty and hunger. The results have been used to raise awareness of this growing concern in American communities. Key findings from the 2008 survey include:

• Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the general public believes hunger is getting worse
• Six percent of Americans said they or someone in their immediate family has gone to bed hungry in the past month because they could not afford enough food
• More than half (58 percent) of Americans have cut back on either the types of food they buy or the amount of food they buy because of higher food prices
• One in seven Americans (14 percent) said that they or someone in their immediate family have received food from a food bank, shelter or other charitable organization in the past year because of lack of money for food
• Fifty-seven percent agreed with a statement that using corn to produce ethanol makes the hunger problem worse

Visit the Hunger Research section of our corporate Web site for key findings from past surveys and more information.

As we further our efforts and take a leadership position to end hunger, we also have the opportunity to share our learnings with the industry. In October 2008, Jeffrey  Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive office at Hormel Foods, presented at a symposium sponsored by the Food Industry Center and the Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy on the topic of future food scarcities.

To read a copy of the speech, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com/ newsroom/events/foodscarcitiesfall2008.aspx

Supporting Education in Our Community

Employees present a donation to the SPAM^® Operation Education Scholarship Fund.

Investing in education for tomorrow’s workforce is important to Hormel Foods. In the past year, Hormel Foods and its subsidiaries have supported aspiring students and local schools across the country. Below is a representation of our efforts devoted to this cause.

• Hormel Foods partnered with Hy-Vee in 2008 for the CHARACTER COUNTS!™ College Scholarship Contest. Scholarships were awarded to high school seniors who submitted an essay on “how good character qualities are being developed through a focus on health and wellness in your life.” Twelve students were selected to receive a $1,000 college scholarship.
  

  Health & Wellness Character Counts! Chollege Scholarship
• Jennie-O Turkey Store offered nearly $50,000 in scholarships to employees, their dependents, and graduating seniors in the communities where the company operates. The scholarships were awarded to 65 individuals to use for higher education. Additionally, the company sponsored a local high school team to participate in the Junior Achievement Business Challenge of Wisconsin-Northwest, where the students marketed a fictional product.
• Hormel Foods established the SPAM^® Operation Education Scholarship Fund in fiscal year 2007 in partnership with the Fisher House Foundation (FHF), a military nonprofit organization devoted to supporting America’s military. The SPAM brand team presented FHF with a $50,000 check in fiscal year 2008 toward the endowment, which will award $1,500 scholarships to college-bound students of military families.