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Vale employee smiling in green landscape. She is wearing a green Vale
uniform, goggles, helmet and ear plugs. Visual wave artifact Vale
A hand molding a ceramic vase.
Photographer: Ricardo Teles
An indigenous person with his body painted black and red. He holds a piece of a tree trunk on his shoulders.
Photographer: Willian Abreu

Vale's activities and the mining industry in general involve social impacts on several fronts.

Therefore, we invest in actions that produce a positive legacy and enhance opportunities in the places where we operate. We believe that building a relationship of quality and trust with communities is done through partnership and dialogue, and therefore, we carry out actions and projects that contribute to the sociocultural appreciation and economic development of the territories.

Human Rights 

For all its extension and complexity, Vale's operations demand numerous challenges in the area of ​​Human Rights.

Acting in the most remote areas of the country, presents a reality of social public policies not always fully present. Strong action and an intersectoral approach are needed to enable complex and systemic problems to be tackled. That's why the company is committed to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and to alignment with international principles and standards. 
A boy in a classroom paints a sheet using crayons. He wears braces on his teeth and green and yellow uniform. A boy in a classroom paints a sheet using crayons. He wears braces on his teeth and green and yellow uniform. Photographer: Márcia Foletto
Onda

Relationship with communities 

Our operating model is based on the management of risks and impacts on communities, promoting a positive social legacy and territorial development, through the empowerment of the communities in which we operate. 

Learn more about our relationship with communities 

An old man and an old woman are standing in a grass place, where it is possible to see a train in the background He wears jeans, a white T-shirt, and a red plaid shirt, as well as glasses and a cap. She wears a black skirt and a red blouse. Both are wearing slippers.

Photographer: Ricardo Teles

Our People 

More than 185,000 people work directly or indirectly in Vale's businesses.

Taking care of our people is our primary commitment, acting to eliminate accidents, support the development of competences, promote an environment open to dialogue and maintain remuneration compatible with the complexity of each role. 
Two Vale employees, a man and a young man, look at each other and smile. The young man has put one hand on the old man's shoulder and gestures with the other. Both are wearing green uniform shirts.

Photographer: Cristiano Xavier

Health and Safety 

Life Matters Most.

The motto guides all our actions and operations from the beginning to the end of a working day. It bases the application of techniques for the full identification of hazards and risk assessment, combined with an assertive management of its barriers, both preventive and mitigating. 
Two Vale employees on a sand floor. They are wearing orange vests and helmets. One points to the horizon and the other looks in the same direction.

Photographer: Ricardo Teles

Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities 

To mine, you have to respect. Therefore, we work with a focus on constructive, mutually beneficial relationships, based on respect for cultural diversity and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities that live in or use these territories for their traditional practices. 
Two indigenous children smile side by side for a photo. Both have their faces painted red.

Photographer: Willian Abreu

Social Investment 

As part of our commitment to social development, we have made several socio-economic investments in the territories where we operate.

In addition, we invest in initiatives that contribute to the development of society as a whole.  
A woman, wearing a mask and glasses, holds a book towards a girl who pays attention to the figure drawn on the page. In the background, there is a bookcase with other books.

Photographer: Diego Cardoso

Community Support

Building Strength in Others

Vale is proud to operate in Canada; we care about this country and its citizens. We gladly take responsibility to support organizations, groups, and projects that make this a wonderful place to live, learn and work. At a national level, Vale supports programs that benefit Canadians across the country and that align with our values and objectives. We are proud to support many national initiatives, including these.​

Arquivo Vale

Título do carrossel

Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only national 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous phone counselling, online counselling and referral service for children and youth. Whether by phone, mobile app or through our websites, young people can connect with us whenever they want, however they want.

Defeat Depression

Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) is a national, not-for-profit, health charity which aims to improve access to treatment, inform research, shape program development and government policies so as to improve the quality of life for people affected by mood disorders.

Skills Canada

Skills Canada encourages and supports a coordinated Canadian approach to promoting skilled trades and technologies to youth. Vale has increased its support of Skills Canada to include in-school presentation and educational programs, as well as presence at provincial competitions.

ACT Fundation

The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation is an award-winning national charity dedicated to helping communities establish you CPR and AED training. With the support of Vale, ACT will introduce the program to more than 20 Canadian high schools.

Threads of Life

Threads of Life supports families on their healing journey after experiencing a workplace fatality, life-altering injury or occupational diseas Vale has been a long-time national sponsor of the annual Steps for Life walk, raising funds and awareness for families of workplace tragedy victims

Actua

Actua is a national charity that provides hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education to young Canadia Since beginning its 5-year partnership with Vale, over 140,000 Aboriginal youth have participated.
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Community Investment

Vale is one of the world’s largest mining companies, and we owe much of that success to the individual communities that make up the whole. Strong communities strengthen our business, which is why Vale strives to build strong relationships with the communities we’r of. We seek out partnerships that will:  

1. Support initiatives that bolster the health, environmental and educational capacity in our communities.  

2. Enhance national, provincial and regional programming.  

3. Create a community of engaged, civic-minded employees and friends.  

4. Build the infrastructure that a community needs to reach its potential. Each year, Vale proudly invests millions of dollars in Canadian organizations. To learn more about our giving areas, please click on the links below

How can we help? Apply for Funding

Community Investment Criteria
 Apply for Support
We gladly respond to all requests, however our ability to support projects depends on how closely they align with our funding criteria, as well as the funds we have available.

Eligibility Criteria

To help you determine if your organization’s project may be eligible, please review our funding criteria as well as the kinds of projects or organizations we look for.

For programs that are national in scope, we give preference to those that:

  •  Will have an impact in areas where Vale operates in Canada 
     
  •  Align with Vale’s values, principles, business objectives and/or priorities 
     
  •  Fulfill a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities that we support 
     
  •  Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible
     
  •  Come from an organization that is financially viable (and can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed 
     
  •  Clearly outline options and potential for appropriate recognition of Vale’s support 
     
  •  Include measurable outcomes and report to Vale on outcomes on a regular basis 
     
  •  Exhibit innovation in its approach to addressing community challenges

For local programs, we give preference to those that: 

  • Align with Vale’s values, principles, business objectives and/or prioritizes 
     
  • Fulfill a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities that we support 
     
  • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible 
     
  • Come from an organization that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed 
     
  • Include options or potential for Vale employee engagement where possible 
     
  • Clearly outline options and potential for appropriate recognition of Vale’s support 
     
  • Include measurable outcomes and report to Vale on outcomes on a regular basis 
     
  • Exhibit innovation in its approach to addressing community challenges

We regret that (except in unique circumstances) we do not provide funding to: 

  • Organizations without a tax-registered number or non-profit society number
     
  • Projects outside of Canada
     
  • Individuals or individual families
     
  • Telephone solicitations
     
  • Travel, accommodation, meal expenses, field trips or tours
     
  • Sports teams and tournaments
     
  • Student or alumni organizations 
     
  • Religious organizations

​The Application and Approval Process

Once you submit the online application, you’ll receive an email confirmation.
Your request will be reviewed by our Community Investment Committee, which meets three times a year. You can expect a response electronically within about 12 weeks.
You can save your application and return to it later if you need to collect more information required.

Community Investment Standards

Vale in Canada is a member of LBG (London Benchmarking Group) Canada, which provides the highest standard for
valuation of corporate community investment. Through goal setting, investment analysis and performance measurement,
Vale develops indicators that measure our impact on the community and allow us to better evaluate and understand the
value of our work.
For more information, go to www.lbg-canada.ca.