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ExxonMobil, Employees Donate $36M to Educational Institutions

IRVING, Texas -- ExxonMobil and its employees donated more than $36 million to 911 educational institutions across the U.S. through the ExxonMobil Foundation's 2009 Educational Matching Gift Program.

ExxonMobil employees, retirees, surviving spouses and directors made more than 8,300 individual contributions, totaling $11 million to the institutions. The ExxonMobil Foundation, which is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corp. in the United States, then matched those donations with more than $25 million in unrestricted educational grants, according to a press release issued by the oil company.

The ExxonMobil Educational Matching Gift Program, which was established in 1962, matches donations made to affiliated higher education institutions by employees and retirees on a 3-to-1 basis, and has provided more than $423 million since it inception. Individual donors may pledge up to $7,500 per year to colleges or universities with which they are affiliated or to the American Indian College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund or the United Negro College Fund.

"These generous donations from ExxonMobil employees and retirees validate their belief in higher education as an investment for the future," Kenneth P. Cohen, ExxonMobil's vice president for public and government affairs and chairman of the ExxonMobil Foundation, said in a statement. "This focus on education is paving the way for leaders of tomorrow who will be crucial for the continued success of our country."

ExxonMobil and its foundation fund math and science programs to respond to the nation's growing need to produce more engineers and scientists and to develop more highly qualified math and science teachers. To aid these efforts, college and university presidents are encouraged to direct a portion of the matching funds to programs that provide math and science teachers with professional development, attract more young people to teach math and science and support science and engineering programs aimed at women and minorities, according to the company.

In addition to the Educational Matching Gift Program, ExxonMobil develops and supports other math and science programs aimed at students and teachers including the National Math and Science Initiative, ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps, Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, and Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. Significant emphasis is also placed on increasing student involvement in the welfare of their communities through the Community Summer Jobs Program and Green Team.

In 2009, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corp., its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $235 million in contributions worldwide, of which more than $98 million was dedicated to education.

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