Freeport McMoran

Community Investment Fund Model

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold established the Graham County Community Investment Fund (GCCIF) in 2009.  Near our Safford and Morenci operations in southeast Arizona, The GCCIF is a community service program that allows local community members to directly allocate Freeport-McMoRan social investment dollars. The program is designed for local decision-making and effective prioritization of needs.  Having community members directly engaged in social investment decisions has proven beneficial to both the community and to the company, generating greater impact.  

This community-led funding program, made up of a committee of seven external community members and two Freeport-McMoRan employees, was established as a result of the Graham County Community Partnership Panel, an on-going stakeholder engagement process developed and facilitated by the company to facilitate open dialogue and input from a broad range of community members. The GCCIF allows nonprofit organizations that serve Graham County to apply for funds in categories that have been identified as community priorities by the broader Community Partnership Panel. 

Applicants to the Fund explain how their program leads to a sustainable benefit, capacity development, and/or long-term sustainability of the community. The GCCIF Committee evaluates applications using a scoring rubric, interviews top candidates, and makes final decisions taking into consideration the focus on sustainability. The overall goal is to build collaboration among community leaders; create increased involvement in community success; and fund programs that develop individual, organizational and community capacity, leading to more meaningful impact and a stronger community in the short and long term.

Some of the projects funded through our different Community Investment Funds include

- four school improvement projects that provide increased access to technology for                students.

- the purchase of hospital equipment that will allow residents to remain in the local, 
 rural community to obtain services, preventing the outflow of dollars that occurs 
 when travel to other communities for services is required.

- the expansion of a community-wide recycling program that also hires difficult to 
 employ individuals, providing them with job skill training and employment 

 - and the development of a Family Resource Center to connect people to available 
 social services in Graham County in an efficient and effective manner, ultimately 
 maximizing resources. 

This Community Investment Fund model was a finalist in U.S. Chamber Business Civic Leadership Center's 2010 Corporate Citizenship Awards. Freeport-McMoRan now has five operating Community Investment Funds in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.