The Disney Worldwide Outreach Program is Disney's charitable

Charity (practice)

The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...

 division, helping charitable organization

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

s throughout the world, as well as local initiatives.

History

In 1983 at Disneyland, Disney formed the "Disneyland Community Action Team" (DCAT). DCAT became involved with the Special Olympics

Special Olympics

Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

, the Orangewood Children's Home, and other local charities. The corporate-wide VoluntEARS program was created from this initiative in 1992. The DisneyHand program, soon to be renamed the Disney Worldwide Outreach program, was created to give a corporate standard on Disney's charitable initiatives.

National partners

• Make-A-Wish Foundation
  Make-A-Wish Foundation
  The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
  
  
• Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
  Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
  The Starlight Children's Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions. The foundation has chapters and offices located throughout the United States, with the national headquarters located in...
  
  
• Toys for Tots
  Toys for Tots
  Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which donates toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major William L...
  
  
• First Book
  First Book
  First Book is a non-profit organization based out of Washington D.C. that works towards getting new "age appropriate" books into the hands of children from low-income families.-History:...
  
  
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America

External links

• Disney Global Outreach official website - with list of projects being worked on
• Walt Disney World's official public affairs website - with info on community involvement, charitable support, and more