As of April 30, 2009, Merck (including its Banyu subsidiary in Japan) had a physical presence in approximately 80 countries worldwide with approximately 265 research, manufacturing, sales and administration sites. In all of these locations, Merck's success depends in large part on the relationships and interactions we have with our local communities including elected officials, business and community leaders, charities, fence-line neighbors, educators, local media and employees.

Communities expect businesses to build relationships of mutual trust with neighbors, organizations and officials in communities where company facilities are located. Through the "Neighbor of Choice" program, Merck demonstrates its sensitivity and responsiveness to the concerns and needs of the communities in which we operate. We view this as a Corporate-wide responsibility. Everyone within Merck is responsible for obtaining trust and acceptance in local communities.

The Neighbor of Choice (NOC) program, which Merck developed in the mid-1990s, is based upon three fundamental principles:

• Identifying the community's essential needs, issues and concerns;
• Responding appropriately to these needs, issues and concerns;
• Establishing and growing relationships of trust with community groups and individuals.

Today, Merck facilities worldwide follow the NOC principles.

At the heart of the NOC strategy is relationship building. Merck facilities develop culturally appropriate mechanisms to engage and build relationships with their community stakeholders. Some of our sites have created community advisory boards, which meet on a regular basis; others host neighbor or "town hall" meetings to seek input from communities on key developments. In the case of a new facility, site expansion or a major capital project, Merck uses these mechanisms to consider the potential impact on community stakeholders – whether it is direct or indirect – and to factor stakeholder opinions and concerns into the planning process starting at an early stage. Sites also use community surveys, interviews with community leaders, focus groups with fence-line neighbors, and employee surveys to assess community interests, concerns and needs.

When developing outreach initiatives to address local issues, Merck takes into account the impact of a problem on the local community, the urgency of the issue and the resources available to address the problem. Merck sites also conduct periodic surveys to assess changes in community perceptions due to NOC programs.

Managing Our Community Impacts

Underlying our community approach is our commitment to respecting human rights. Merck is committed to supporting and respecting the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights not only within our immediate workforce but within our broader sphere of influence, including within our local communities. We do not tolerate human rights abuses in our business operations, and comply with national and international human rights laws and treaties. We also believe we have a responsibility to go beyond the essential legal requirements and promote human rights through positive measures. Working with both public and private groups, we seek to both promote and raise human rights standards.

During the course of our operations, we take great care not to cause harm to our communities, through rigorous management of the safety of our processes and our environmental footprint. We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using less energy and water, and we strive to produce less waste through more efficient processes and conservation approaches. We believe that these commitments are not only good for our communities, but they make good business sense given that when we conserve resources we enhance our reputation with our local stakeholders, and we also preserve a more credible voice in discussions about environmental legislation.

Addressing Community Needs through Philanthropy and Community Involvement

Our community involvement is directed to activities and programs that reflect shared priorities between Merck and local, national or regional stakeholders. Our intention is to make significant contributions and for this reason we focus on activities and programs that can have demonstrable impacts.

Community giving is managed jointly by The Merck Company Foundation and the Office of Corporate Philanthropy and by regional and local site management, supported by regional and local committees that are engaged with community stakeholders to identify relevant community needs.

Our philanthropic community outreach includes:

• Employee giving of time, money and services
• Support to local communities through:
  • Disaster and Emergency Relief: When appropriate, Merck provides disaster relief as part of its philanthropic outreach. The focus of Merck’s disaster relief program is to provide assistance during major disasters and to support efforts in preparedness and recovery.
  • Champions for the Environment program: Our major community environmental program in which Merck provides financial support for local environmental projects that involve Merck employee volunteers. These environmental projects typically have an educational component.
  • Neighbor of Choice program: Merck's program to build relationships with neighbors and key individuals and groups in locations where Merck facilities are located, including through grants to local non-profit and government organizations.
  • Local grants: Merck's Office of Corporate Philanthropy and Merck offices around the world support an array of community organizations that contribute to local needs. To view examples of local activities, click here.
• Additional community programs funded through the Office of Corporate Philanthropy, The Merck Company Foundation and local subsidiaries.
  • The Merck Institute for Science Education: The Merck Institute for Science Education was established in 1993 to improve science education and raise the levels of science performance for students from kindergarten through 12th grade in partner districts. Current partner districts are located near Merck sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Thailand.
  • The Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, provides a "home away from home" for seriously ill children undergoing treatment at any one of 13 NIH Institutes and their families. Merck provided funding for the initial construction of the Inn and its expansion in 2004. In 2005, with financial support from The Merck Company Foundation, the NIH opened the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge on its campus to offer a temporary residence for families and loved ones of adult patients who are receiving care at the NIH Clinical Center.

The content on this page was last modified on September 15, 2009.

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, and Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, are now one company. We have combined our global operations under the name Merck & Co., Inc. We are working to update our corporate responsibility Web site to reflect our new, combined, global organization.