Philip Morris Program Encourages Arts Patrons to Help Food Banks

Grant makers often urge charities to collaborate on fund-raising and other activities to save money and become more efficient. But the Philip Morris Companies have taken non-profit collaboration to another level.

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Last year, Philip Morris started its “Arts Against Hunger” campaign to encourage arts patrons to collect canned goods and other food for charities that serve the poor. It has been so successful that the company is expanding it this year.

Philip Morris began the effort by encouraging the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to offer a $5 discount to every ticket buyer who brought at least two non-perishable food items to the theater. Philip Morris promised to cover the costs incurred by the dance troupe due to the discount.

To publicize the program, Philip Morris bought advertisements in magazines such as the Atlantic Monthly, Gourmet, Harper’s, New York Times Magazine, and New Yorker. The ads included performance information and a toll-free number for Second Harvest.

All told, patrons bought 2,000 discounted tickets and donated 12 tons of food, which went to food banks affiliated with the national charity Second Harvest. The discount offer applied to performances the dance group held in five cities from November 30 to December 11, 1998.

The company was so pleased with its effort last year that it has expanded the program this year to include a variety of arts groups such as the New York City Opera and Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Food will continue to go to Second Harvest–affiliated food banks.

For one of last year’s recipients — the Capital Area Community Food Bank, in Washington — the promotion produced about 1,000 pounds of food — enough for 1,000 meals. Megan Sullivan, food-drive coordinator at the Washington charity, says that the organization had no ethical concerns about accepting money from Philip Morris, which sells cigarettes. One reason she said, is that the company also owns Kraft Foods, which has long been a supporter of anti-hunger groups.

“Kraft has given us a truck and multiple other things, so we don’t look at Philip Morris as the big tobacco company; we look at them as Kraft,” Ms. Sullivan says.

At Alvin Ailey, Bennett Rink, director of development, believes that the benefits of last year’s program extended beyond the publicized events. “It got our name out more to the public,” he says, “increasing awareness even among people who aren’t buying tickets right away.”

Ms. Sullivan of the Washington food bank echoes that sentiment.

“We partner a lot with major grocery-store chains and people who have a vested interest in hunger and food in general,” says Ms. Sullivan. “It’s nice to branch away from that and get into a new market and help increase awareness.”