color, WellPoint has put great
emphasis on following through on
its commitment to diversity, especially with philanthropy.
“Consumers and our associates
pay more attention to what we do
than what we say,” says David
Casey, vice president, diversity and
work-force development. “It is
imperative that we engage in tangible programs and initiatives that
don’t just speak to our commitment
to diversity but demonstrate it.”
Keeping this in mind, WellPoint invested a in charita communi live and w giving spe and black as a $1-m the qualit1pproximately $35 million ble giving to the diverse ties where its employees ork in 2005. Much of its cifically targeted Latinos , including such projects illion grant to improve y of care of Latino par-
ents to supporting African
Community International, which
assists 15,000 African immigrants
in central Indiana.
“By aligning our social-investment
goals with our business objectives,
we put the full weight of the company into finding lasting solutions
to the social issues we understand,”
says Caroline “Caz” Matthews, president, WellPoint Foundation.
Verizon, No. 1 on the Top 50,
also has increased consumer loyalty
by building relationships with
diverse communities through its
giving, of which 60 percent is
aimed at ethnic and/or GLBT
groups. One example is the company’s partnership with Scholastic
and the National Council of La
Raza on its Lee y Serás program,
which targets the U.S. Latino population. Lee y Serás is an early literacy initiative that empowers families and communities to foster children’s literacy development.
“We see our role as one where our
advanced technology and other
resources are used to empower com-
munities and nonprofit groups committed to helping people succeed in
the digital age,” says Patrick Gaston,
president of The Verizon Foundation.
Develops Candidates
Marriott, No. 22 on the Top 50,
began a foundation more than 15
years ago targeting y ities. It ha young peo competitiv 1,500 diff ing jobs a What M working c2called Bridges, specifically oung people with disabil- s helped more than 9,000 ple with disabilities find e positions in more than erent companies, includ- t Marriott. arriott has learned from losely with young people
with disabilities is that “the businesses employ the young people because
it’s good for business,” says Tad
Asbury, executive director of
Marriott Foundation for People with
Disabilities.
Food Lion, the grocery-store
chain, also has used its philanthropic efforts to help the company
recruit diverse candidates. “As a
founding partner of Bennett
College’s Johnnetta B. Cole Global
Diversity & Inclusion Institute, we
have access to interns, diverse talent
and improved educational opportunities for women of color,” says Eric
Watson, Food Lion’s vice president
of diversity and inclusion.
Executives at Starwood, No. 33
on the Top 50, realized that giving to
college funds for students of color
provided the hospitality company a
chance to pursue new opportunities
with students after graduation.
Shelley Freeman, director of
global diversity and inclusion at
Starwood, explains that by building
an early relationship with these students of color, Starwood not only
increases the likelihood of employing this talent in the future but also
creates the potential to “buy their
goods and services if they go into
business for themselves.” Freeman
adds that building this type of relationship helps Starwood to learn
more about how its product brands
connect with different cultures.
Starwood gives more than 50
percent of its philanthropic contributions to ethnic groups, including
financial support to the Hispanic
College Fund, the Thurgood
