Ineligible requests
The Sonoco Foundation will not support the following at the corporate, group, division or local level:

• Projects in areas where the company has minimal or no operations
• Grants to individuals or sponsorship of individuals in fundraising projects
• Private foundations
• Courtesy advertising
• Testimonial dinners
• Loans or investments
• Pledges longer than five years
• Automatic renewal of grants
• Any political or lobbying campaign
• Sectarian or denominational religious organizations, missionary groups or projects serving religious purposes (On a case-by-case basis, the committee will consider nondenominational activities operated by a church or religious group that serve a general community purpose)
• Requests that pose a potential conflict of interest to the company
• Organizations that discriminate in any way inconsistent with equal opportunity policies

The Foundation generally does not contribute to the following:

• Intermediary funding agencies, except the United Way, that channel monies to other organizations
• Grants to cover operating deficits
• Memorials
• Organizations where local or regional chapters are supported by Sonoco
• Endowments
• Fraternal, social, labor or veteran's organizations
• Memberships
• Conferences, workshops or seminars


In 2008, the Sonoco Foundation did not contribute to any political campaigns.