Building on our communities

At TELUS, our community investment philosophy – we give where we live – is put into action time and again as we strive to make a significant and lasting difference in the communities where we live, work and serve.

Our efforts are clearly focused on supporting three areas − arts and culture, education and sport, and health and well-being in our environment − in ways that benefit youth and showcase technology. We are building on…

...our local commitment

The cornerstone of our national philanthropic commitment is our innovative community board approach, which brings together community leaders and TELUS team members to make grassroots funding decisions for the betterment of life in the local area. Since 2005, these boards have donated $16.9 million to charities and supported 1,205 community projects.

With the launch of the TELUS Atlantic Canada Community Board, we now have nine boards across Canada, including Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Rimouski.

...our support for kids with diabetes

The TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes took place in the summer of 2008 in more than 60 communities across the country, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). More than 3,000 team members, retirees, family and friends took part and raised in excess of $525,000, which TELUS matched dollar for dollar. In total, 45,000 people participated in the walks, raising more than $8 million.

This was the start of a three-year partnership between TELUS and JDRF, underscoring the commitment TELUS has made to funding research to help the more than 240,000 Canadians affected by Type 1 diabetes.

...our collective strength

On May 31, more than 8,600 team members, retirees, family and friends came together for TELUS Day of Service, collectively volunteering 26,000 hours. They took part in more than 200 volunteer activities, many with a focus on the environment, through 137 organizations across Canada, making a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of local communities.

On this one special day, team members were busy:

• Sorting and packing 67,309 kilograms of food
• Serving 1,413 meals to the homeless and those in need
• Planting 7,873 trees and shrubs in parks and gardens
• Collecting 432 bags of garbage from river valleys, parks, fields and roadways.

In October, more than 500 team members from TELUS International Philippines volunteered in Manila with Gawad Kalinga (GK), an organization similar to Habitat for Humanity, to build homes in a new village called the TELUS GK Village. This effort, which began in 2007, will provide 71 homes in the village to house 107 families. To date, 20 homes have been built and another 10 are underway.

...the strength of our team

Whether offering time, resources or money, the TELUS team has a history of helping those in need of support and building stronger communities. TELUS continues to be an Imagine Caring Company, a designation of Imagine Canada affirming that we donate more than one per cent of our pre-tax profits to charitable organizations each year.

Through the annual TELUS Employee Charitable Giving program, team members, retirees, board members and retail dealers make donations to Canadian charities they are passionate about, which TELUS then matches dollar for dollar. Based on the latest campaign, and despite the difficult economic times, TELUS and team members will donate $7.1 million to more than 2,900 Canadian charities in 2009.

The annual TELUS Dollars for Doers program recognizes team members and retirees for their volunteer efforts, as either individuals or teams, with a donation to their charity of choice. In 2008, TELUS donated $707,000 to Canadian charities in recognition of 2,540 team members and retirees who volunteered more than 50 hours of their personal time. Collectively, our team members and retirees volunteered 453,000 hours in 2008.

...the dedication of our ambassadors

The TELUS Community Ambassadors program expanded in Ontario and Quebec this year, with new clubs in Rimouski, Montreal and Toronto West. We now have 20 clubs that enable our retirees and team members to deliver numerous community programs and events across Canada.

In 2008, more than 63,000 care items were created and distributed to people in need including backpacks filled with school supplies, comfort kits containing personal hygiene items, and refurbished computers for schools.

...our social responsibility

At TELUS, we strive to be a leader in corporate social responsibility. Using a triple bottom line approach, we balance economic growth with a steadfast dedication to environmental and social goals.

Our long-term commitment continues to attract international recognition. In 2008, for the eighth consecutive year, TELUS was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. This index recognizes companies that demonstrate excellence from an economic, environmental and social perspective.

TELUS is the only North American telecommuni cations company and one of only 10 Canadian companies on the World Index.

TELUS is also a member of the FTSE4Good Index, which gives investors information on companies that meet globally recognized corporate responsibility standards.