This story is free to read.

Unum among most community-minded companies, new study shows

Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell
Nearly 900 Unum employees walk across the Walnut Street Bridge as part of the company's new Walk4 Program. For each employee who participates, Unum will donate $50 to Parent Project MD, Senior Neighbors, March of Dimes and Signal Centers. — Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell Nearly 900 Unum employees walk across the Walnut Street Bridge as part of the company's new Walk4 Program. For each employee who participates, Unum will donate $50 to Parent Project MD, Senior Neighbors, March of Dimes and Signal Centers. Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell Nearly 900 Unum employees walk across the Walnut Street Bridge as part of the company's new Walk4 Program. For each employee who participates, Unum will donate $50 to Parent Project MD, Senior Neighbors, March of Dimes and Signal Centers.

By Dave Flessner June 17, 2019 2 min read

Unum Group is among the most community-minded companies in America, according to a new recognition announced Monday by the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service.

In its annual ranking, the Points of Light foundation listed the Chattanooga-based Unum and Memphis-based FedEx as the only two Tennessee-based companies among its Civic 50 list of businesses selected for providing the most investment, integration, institutionalization and impact on their communities.

Last year, Unum invested more than $13.2 milion of corporate and employee contributions to charitable causes, collected more than 1 million meals for various non-profit partners, and logged more than 67,000 volunteer hours for local charities.

“Unum has a long history of making a difference in people’s lives, from our customers to our employees – and, just as importantly, to the communities where we live, work and play,” said Cary Olson Cartwright, assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility for Unum. “It’s an honor to receive this award by the Civic 50, and we thank them for recognizing our commitment to the communities we serve and support.”

Unum, the world’s biggest disability insurer, has major corporate offices in the United States in Chattanooga, Portland, Maine; Worcester, Massachusetts; Columbia, South Carolina, and Glendale, California.

The Civic 50 honorees are public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of over $1 billion selected by the Points of Light foundation based upon:

* Investment: How extensively and strategically the company applies its resources to community engagement in the United States, including employee time and skills, cash, in-kind giving and public leadership.

* Integration: How a company’s U.S. community engagement program supports business interests and integrates into business functions, or how it “does well by doing good.”

*Institutionalization: How the company supports community engagement in the United Sates through its organizational policies, systems and incentives.

* Impact: How the company measures the social and business outputs and outcomes of its U.S. community engagement program.

Other insurance companies on the Civic 50 list include Aflac, Allstate Insurance, UnitedHealth Group and Wellcare Health Plans.