Despite the content matter on their plethora of reality television shows, ABC themselves actually have a very strong hold on reality. The highly esteemed network has a variety of civic and environmental campaigns they care dearly about.
ABC has strong ties to an amazing amount of civic-oriented organizations, partnering with hundreds of charities since the 1940’s. More recently they have supported Mentor, The Mentoring Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys and Girls Club of America, Youth Service America (YSA), American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity International, Keep America Beautiful, Take Pride in America, The Nature Conservancy, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Toys for Tots, American Library Association and HomeAid. ABC is not only adamant about helping people, but also getting people involved. They urge their employees and general public to volunteer by supporting and promoting 1-800-Volunteer.org and CalifornaVolunteers.org, both help match potential volunteers with fitting charitable causes.
As part of their ImagiNATION — It Starts With You campaign, ABC has partnered with the Special Olympics, Café Reconcile, Dream Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of America, DonorsChoose.org, Warrick Dunn Foundation, Athletes for Hope, A Better LA and ITNAmerica. ImagiNATION is a credo they’ve developed that inspires people to do the seemingly impossible. The charities they’re associated with give individuals the opportunity to explore worlds they may have never seen due to disease, poverty, or other debilitating reasons.
ABC is a broadcast radio and television network owned by the Walt Disney Company. Its radio and television networks were founded in October 1943 and April 1948, respectively, and has been one of the most consistent radio/television companies in entertainment history.
ABC possesses a unique power to tap into the mainstream with their philanthropic work. For instance, their hit-show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which first aired in 2003, is all about helping families in dire need of rebuilding their homes. The show’s construction team meets the family, asks them about their dream look, and gets to work. The end result is often tear-filled, as the show meets its promise of extending a newly revamped home to a family that would never be able to afford such an expense on their own.
Highlights
- Aired Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition in 2003
- Has partnered with hundreds of organizations in the past 60 years.
Photo by Vixwald from WikiCommons
