Grants from the company (including all divisions) and the Macy's Foundation totaled approximately $31.5 million to approximately 5,000 nonprofit organizations in 2008. Our support is focused in the categories of women's issues, arts and culture, education and HIV/AIDS (with special emphasis on minority issues within each of those four areas) and the environment.

Across the company, our support helped sponsor important exhibits at museums, formed partnerships with symphonies, theaters and zoos to create educational and fun "family days," provided scholarships and mentoring for disadvantaged youth, raise funds for the fight against breast cancer, supported women's shelters, and rallied behind the HIV/AIDS cause with funding for testing, food banks and other support services.

The 2008 holiday season ushered in the Believe campaign, which generated a $1 million contribution from Macy's to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Inspired by the famous editorial in the New York Sun newspaper in 1897 – "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," customers were invited to join Macy's in believing in the magic of the season by posting letters to Santa in special letterboxes in each store. Macy's pledged to donate $1 million to Make-A-Wish for every letter received up to maximum of 1 million.